"Murkrow, use Hidden Power (Electric)! Sneasel, Ice Beam! Skorupi, Bug Bite!"
Standing under a tree, Aoki calmly commanded his Pokémon to attack.
The three opposing Dustox of different levels fell directly to the ground.
Aoki took out a Pokéball and captured the three Dustox.
He had been in the Dustox nesting area of the back mountain for three hours.
With the help of his System, he had already captured several Dustox with decent levels but only average potential. These Pokémon had basic combat abilities and, with a little training, could be quickly deployed in battle.
This kind of Pokémon was the most suitable for Aoki's subordinates right now.
At the same time, he eliminated weaker Wurmple, ensuring only the strongest remained.
This was Aoki's method—selecting only the best and culling the weak.
Bug-type Pokémon reproduced quickly, and as long as Aoki maintained this routine, the overall quality of the Pokémon in the area would gradually improve. Additionally, by managing the population, he prevented the Dustox from overbreeding and draining the forest's energy.
By the time he finished, he had over 30 shrunken Pokéballs in his pocket, mostly containing Dustox with average potential but decent strength. However, there were also a few high-potential Wurmple that could serve as rewards for promising subordinates, allowing them to raise powerful Pokémon of their own.
"That should be enough. Next, I'll move to the Beautifly colony and do the same. Once I've controlled the number and quality of Pokémon in this area, I can secure it for my faction. Later, I'll allow only those with potential or strong performance to enter and catch Pokémon. But I still need more numbers..."
With his strategy in mind, Aoki led his Pokémon toward the Beautifly nesting area.
Compared to Dustox, Beautifly had a gentler temperament, but they were no less formidable in battle.
As Aoki ventured deeper into their territory, he unexpectedly encountered someone.
Two voices sounded in unison.
A girl, about 17 or 18 years old, stood a short distance away, accompanied by her Roserade.
Aoki recognized her instantly.
Back in Johto, during a mission to capture an Onix posted by the Hunter's Guild, Aoki had crossed paths with this girl in a rocky field.
She had been battling two Onix on her own when one of them unexpectedly charged toward Aoki. Needing to complete his mission, Aoki captured the Onix without hesitation, leading to a confrontation with the girl.
The two had fought, but the girl, wary of Aoki's ruthless nature, had ultimately withdrawn, escaping on her Skarmory.
Aoki remembered her name—Kaitou.
Back then, she had a Roselia, but now it had evolved into a Roserade, which surprised Aoki.
Roserade required a Shiny Stone to evolve, and as far as Aoki knew, such stones were rare in Hoenn. For Kaitou to have obtained one, she must have been either extremely lucky or had some powerful backing.
More importantly, the quality of the Shiny Stone must have been high, given Roserade's improved stats.
Curious, Aoki quickly scanned the Pokémon with his System:
Egg Moves: Photosynthesis, Leaf Blade, Sleep Powder
Basic Moves: Absorb, Growth, Poison Sting, Stun Spore, Giga Drain, Leech Seed, Magical Leaf, Grass Whistle, Toxic Spikes, Sweet Scent, Venom Drench, Grassy Terrain, Weather Ball
Taught Moves: Worry Seed, Snore
TM Moves: Protect, Hidden Power (Water), Shadow Ball, Energy Ball, Grass Knot
A cyan-tier Roserade.
If her Roselia had only been light blue before, that wouldn't be too surprising.
But if it had been dark green, then the Shiny Stone used must have been of the highest quality.
Aoki compared it to his own Murkrow, who had evolved into Honchkrow after using a top-grade Dusk Stone, improving from dark green to cyan-tier.
However, during their last encounter, he hadn't scanned Kaitou's Roselia, so he couldn't confirm its original aptitude.
He also recalled that Kaitou had a Misdreavus and a Skarmory, both with respectable potential and strength.
"Kaitou?!" Aoki called out.
"Madman?!" Kaitou responded without hesitation, using the nickname she had given Aoki.
Aoki frowned slightly at the name.
Just one battle and she had branded him as a lunatic?
Kaitou, on the other hand, appeared cautious. She hadn't expected to encounter Aoki in such a remote forest.
However, Aoki no longer felt any tension. Back then, Kaitou had escaped only because her Skarmory could fly. But now, Aoki had Honchkrow and Tropius—both capable of aerial pursuit. He had the advantage.
And judging by her Roserade's presence, it seemed to be her strongest Pokémon. If that was the case, he wasn't worried. Honchkrow could easily overpower it.
Seeing that Aoki wasn't attacking immediately, Kaitou subtly relaxed.
Fighting a lunatic was never an appealing prospect.
"What are you doing here?" Aoki asked, his expression serious. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel•fire.net
Even though this wasn't officially his territory, he had already mapped out his future plans. He wasn't about to let some outsider interfere.
Kaitou scoffed, folding her arms. "Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? You're a hunter too, right? Isn't it normal for hunters to search the forest for Pokémon?"
She then narrowed her eyes. "Besides, what's someone from Johto doing all the way out here in Hoenn?"
"You just answered your own question," Aoki replied flatly. "Isn't it normal for a hunter to be in the wilderness?"
Kaitou's eyes flashed with realization. "Wait... don't tell me you're after the same mission?"
Hearing this, Aoki's mind raced.
His heart skipped a beat.
Big business was here.