Aoki put away Porygon. Follow current novels on NoveI~Fire.net
Unlike the last time the system entered the shutdown state, this time it went to sleep directly, retaining only the last scanning data function while all other features were deactivated. Even the Porygon that had just been controlled had fallen dormant as well.
There was no telling how long this upgrade would take.
Aoki shook his head and stood up. Though he wasn't in a hurry, he still hoped the system would complete its upgrade as soon as possible. As for what would happen afterward, Aoki had no idea—this was the first time the system had undergone such a process, and he wasn't even aware it was possible.
Stepping out of the distorted space, Aoki restored the control room to its original state. Initially, he had thought that after capturing the Porygon, he might also extract data from the central computer, potentially uncovering valuable information. Now, it seemed that opportunity was lost.
Exiting the control room, Aoki took the elevator to the ground floor and left the radio tower.
It was unlikely anyone had realized more than one intruder had infiltrated the building. Had no members of Team Galactic appeared, Aoki's mission would have gone entirely smoothly. The system's upgrade was an unforeseen complication.
After leaving the radio tower, Aoki found a secluded corner, changed his clothes, and then wandered through the back alleys, ensuring no one was following him before finally departing.
Mounting his Flygon, Aoki flew back toward Jubilife City. The trip took slightly less time than expected.
As he rode on Flygon's back, Aoki considered how best to utilize the Porygon. Truthfully, he felt it would be a waste to use it merely as a digital clone of himself.
Porygon's ability to move freely through electronic networks and devices complemented the system's limitations in that regard. With its help, Aoki could gather vast amounts of data—especially useful given Team Rocket's ongoing experiments with Mew's genetic material. Acquiring that data could prove highly beneficial.
But even if Porygon served only as a digital extension of Aoki, its capabilities could still be applied to the mysterious island accidentally accessed through the Hallowed Tower.
A day later, Aoki arrived back at the shared manor in Jubilife City where Steven and the others resided.
Seeing the Pokémon training diligently in the backyard alongside Steven, Aoki descended on Flygon's back.
His sudden departure had only been noticed when lunchtime arrived with no one to cook. Since Aoki had revealed his culinary skills, nearly every meal had been prepared by him. His return was met with genuine relief—none of them wanted to endure Steven's disastrous cooking again. Wallace and Phoebe would sooner eat leaves.
As for where Aoki had gone, the three tactfully avoided asking. Regardless, the second round of the Sinnoh League Championships would begin in a day. Today marked the final day of the first round, with tomorrow serving as a rest day before the second-round matchups were announced that evening.
Aoki and the others had faced little pressure in the first five rounds, so they assumed his absence had been for personal training.
At Phoebe's pleading, Aoki prepared lunch. The way the three devoured the meal—Steven and Wallace included—spoke volumes about how they had fared in his absence.
Shaking his head, Aoki retreated to the backyard and released all his Pokémon.
Most had remained in their Pokéballs during the trip, with only Honchkrow and Weavile seeing any action. Soon, Aoki resumed training alongside them.
He was particularly pleased with Poliwhirl's progress. Since the start of the Sinnoh League, the unstable energy fluctuations within it had stabilized completely, and its physical condition had improved significantly. With a few more days of disciplined training, it might meet Aoki's minimum standards for evolution.
Aoki held high expectations for Poliwhirl's potential use of the King's Rock. He wanted to verify whether all Pokémon that evolved with the King's Rock would inherit a leader's aura, or if Slowking's case had been a coincidence.
The system's hibernation and upgrade state greatly affected Aoki.
He hadn't realized how dependent he had become until now. Though undetectable by others, the system was still an external tool—not an innate part of him.
This realization led Aoki to conclude that he needed to reduce his reliance on it. For example, without the system, he couldn't even craft a standard-grade Pokéblock.
The system might remain functional now, but there was no guarantee it would last forever. The knowledge within it, however, could be internalized—and that would never fade.
With this in mind, Aoki resolved that even after the upgrade, he would treat the system as a supplementary tool rather than a crutch.
True strength required not just powerful Pokémon but also personal growth. If a random Pokémon could easily defeat him, that would be unacceptable.
The Pokémon world had proven that dedicated humans could train their bodies to rival Pokémon in certain aspects. Even if direct combat wasn't feasible, Aoki refused to remain defenseless against ordinary attacks.
He began participating in his Pokémon's training—endurance drills, obstacle courses, reflex exercises, and even psychic conditioning.
Unlike most, Aoki possessed psychic abilities. Though only at a basic level, the support of the three Unown had accelerated his progress toward intermediate proficiency.
If possible, Aoki hoped to obtain more Unown in the future. Not only would they enhance his Secret Power techniques, but they would also hasten his psychic development.
Both Steven and Phoebe were aware of Aoki's psychic abilities, and Wallace had accepted it after initial surprise.
This version of Aoki truly lived up to his reputation as one of the Hoenn region's prodigies. Without this trait, Wallace might have seen little to distinguish Aoki beyond his breeding expertise.
But psychic powers changed that.
In the end, Wallace realized that among the four of them, he was the most ordinary.
Aoki had psychic abilities, Phoebe had ghost-type affinity, and even Steven had his money ability. Wallace, meanwhile, had only his charm and elegance.
The gods must envy my good looks, Wallace mused, adjusting his hair. That's why they denied me any special powers.