CHAPTER 9

The next morning, golden sunlight filtered through the dense forest canopy, casting flickering patterns on the moss-covered ground.

Aoki woke up early, instinctively accessing his system to check for updates before preparing breakfast. Besides his own meal, he carefully sorted through his supply of Pokéblocks, selecting the optimal blend for each Pokémon. Though his inventory of basic Pokéblocks was still substantial, his recent acquisition of Celadon/Rainbow Fruits had rendered them nearly obsolete. The low-grade Pokéblocks could still serve as training incentives or bait to attract wild Pokémon for battle.

His priority was clear: push his team to reach the Elite level as soon as possible. If he wanted to dominate the Ever Grande Conference, simply qualifying wasn't enough—he needed to make every competitor recognize what true genius looked like.

"Torchic, Froakie, Boss Lairon—breakfast time! May, time to wake up too."

"Not exactly!"

"Chirp!"

"Kola!"

Boss Lairon was the first to approach, his massive steel-plated frame causing the ground to tremble slightly. Torchic and Froakie, however, were even faster—grabbing their dishes and devouring their food with eager cries.

Their satisfaction was obvious. Traveling with Aoki meant more than just training—it meant access to carefully curated meals, far superior to the basic sustenance most wild Pokémon relied on. Boss Lairon, having trained under Aoki for over a year, had experienced an unprecedented level of care. His exceptional growth and steady progression toward the Elite level were proof of Aoki's precise training methods.

Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, May hurriedly ran her fingers through her hair before stepping out of the tent. Even in the wilderness, she refused to look unkempt—especially in front of Aoki.

By the time she sat down, Aoki had already plated her portion.

"May, Torchic and the others have been eating for a while—it's our turn now."

"Thank you, Big Brother Aoki!"

May picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. As expected, the taste was exquisite.

"Brother Aoki, your cooking is amazing. Whoever marries you in the future is going to be so lucky."

As she enjoyed her meal, her mind wandered, imagining a future where she could always be by Aoki's side.

Aoki chuckled at her words, reaching out to lightly pinch her cheek.

"Then I guess you'll be pretty lucky in the future, huh?"

May froze, her face instantly turning red. Wait—did he mean…?

Her heart raced, but excitement replaced her embarrassment.

After breakfast, Aoki casually packed up their supplies, but he wasn't in a rush to leave the forest. Based on his calculations, it would take at least a few more days to fully traverse the area. Instead of wasting the opportunity, this was the perfect time to train.

Torchic was already on the verge of reaching the Advanced level, and with evolution into Combusken, it might even push straight to Superior. Froakie, too, had been near the Advanced threshold when captured—his breakthrough was only a matter of time. His battle against Froakie back then had been a calculated risk—had Froakie been just a bit stronger, the outcome might have been different.

As for Boss Lairon, standard training was no longer necessary. His raw power had already reached the peak of the quasi-Elite tier. Now, his focus needed to be on understanding the deeper battle instincts—what the Pokémon world referred to as the "Profound Mysteries of Combat." This knowledge was what separated regular Elite-level Pokémon from true champions.

Aoki retrieved several Pokéblocks from his system inventory, placing them into his Alliance-issued space backpack. Though it couldn't compare to the near-limitless storage of his system, it was still a practical tool for everyday use.

"Alright, let's find some wild Pokémon to battle."

"Okay!"

May quickly grabbed her bag and followed closely behind Aoki.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, it wasn't long before they encountered a Beautifly fluttering gracefully between the trees, its vibrant wings shimmering under the morning light.

"Beautifly, do you have a moment? Want to battle with me? Here's your reward."

Aoki held up a handful of Celadon/Rainbow Pokéblocks. The moment Beautifly caught sight of them, its large compound eyes gleamed with interest. It could sense the rich energy contained in the high-grade Pokéblocks.

"Beee!"

Without hesitation, Beautifly accepted the challenge, hovering before Aoki in a battle stance.

"Alright, Froakie—this is your first real battle. Show me what you've got."

"Quack!"

Froakie leaped forward, his nimble body coiling in anticipation. This was his moment to prove his worth.

Torchic, standing beside Aoki, let out a small huff, clearly disappointed that it wasn't chosen.

Beautifly took the initiative, flapping its wings gracefully and releasing a fine, shimmering powder—Stun Spore.

Aoki's gaze sharpened. "Dodge and counter with Bubble Beam!"

Froakie swiftly rolled to the side, avoiding the paralysis-inducing spores, before launching a stream of iridescent bubbles at high velocity.

Beautifly, however, wasn't slow to react. It countered with Silver Wind, generating a sparkling gust that clashed with Bubble Beam, causing a small explosion. Smoke momentarily obscured the battlefield.

Aoki smirked. "Hydro Pump!"

Without hesitation, Froakie spread his hands, gathering moisture from the air before unleashing a high-pressure torrent of water.

Beautifly barely managed to ascend in time, the Hydro Pump instead slamming into a tree, shaking its leaves loose.

Not missing a beat, Beautifly retaliated with Air Cutter, sending crescent-shaped blades of compressed air toward Froakie.

Aoki remained composed. "Double Team, then Psybeam!"

Froakie's body flickered—multiple illusory copies of him scattered across the battlefield, confusing Beautifly.

The wind blades struck one of the clones, passing through harmlessly.

Beautifly hesitated for just a moment. That was all Aoki needed.

The real Froakie extended his hands, gathering energy before firing a silver-white beam of psychic power—Psybeam.

Caught off guard, Beautifly took the attack head-on, letting out a sharp cry before plummeting to the ground, incapacitated.

"Quack! Quack!"

Froakie bounced excitedly toward Aoki, puffing out his chest as if to say, See? I'm strong too!

Torchic crossed his wings, glancing sideways with an unimpressed expression. Big deal. I could've done that too.

Aoki chuckled, ruffling both their heads. "You're both strong—I'll need both of you in future battles."

After administering a potion to Beautifly, Aoki placed a Celadon/Rainbow Pokéblock near its resting spot.

Beautifly chirped in appreciation before fluttering back into the dense foliage.

With another successful battle under their belt, Aoki and May continued their journey through the forest.