"Drapion, Gengar, the poison energy here is all yours. It's up to you how much you can absorb." Aoki said to Drapion and Gengar.
The two Pokemon showed excitement and jumped directly into the pool. The poisonous energy in the pool was the most concentrated in the entire cave. However, it was unrealistic to absorb all the energy at once. The Dragalge had released energy here for many years, and despite already absorbing much of it, there was still plenty remaining.
"Hehe~~" Gengar emerged from the water with a dark purple orb in his hand. When Aoki saw it, his eyes lit up. "Toxic Orb," he said. He had nearly missed this valuable item in the pool filled with poisonous energy. Fortunately, Gengar and Drapion had gone in. The sustained high poison levels weren't just from the Dragalge's energy - this Toxic Orb had been maintaining it.
Aoki examined the Toxic Orb floating in Gengar's palm. Direct contact with it was dangerous - most Pokemon or humans would immediately become badly poisoned. Without strong antidotes, a human would die within minutes. Aoki had obtained a damaged Toxic Orb before, which Drapion had absorbed to great benefit. This one appeared intact, but posed a problem - neither Gengar nor Drapion could fully utilize its potential. While it would be ideal for a Pokemon with Poison Heal, Aoki currently didn't have one. For now, he decided to have them take turns holding it - Gengar first, then swapping with Drapion weekly so both could benefit.
The Toxic Orb was an unexpected boon. Gengar rolled it into his mouth to store it internally, while Drapion grew excited remembering the benefits from the last damaged orb. Both Pokemon dove back into the pool, pores opening as they absorbed the poisonous energy voraciously. Aoki waited patiently by the poolside with his other Pokemon, treating their injuries from earlier battles. He also tended to the Crobat's wounds - it wouldn't do to let it faint before potential trading.
After nearly a full day, Gengar and Drapion emerged. The pool had visibly lightened, with Gengar appearing bloated from absorbed energy and Drapion unable to open his mouth without leaking poison. Seeing they couldn't absorb more, Aoki recalled them to their Pokeballs to digest the energy, which should help them reach the peak of quasi-Champion level.
With nothing left of value in the cave, Aoki departed. Without the Dragalge's energy, the remaining Zubats and Golbats would need to hunt normally, reducing their numbers naturally over time. Future explorers would find far fewer bats than before.
Flying on his Flygon toward the orchard, Aoki considered his team's needs. They'd had sufficient battles in the caves and now needed time to digest their gains. Some strong Trainer battles would help stabilize their progress, which the Battle Castle could provide. But first, the orchard.
Under cover of darkness, Aoki collected cuttings from rare fruit trees, leaving an anonymous bank card with five million Pokecoins tucked in the branches. The orchard's research into optimizing these fruits deserved compensation, and this should satisfy the director.
As dawn broke, a nondescript young man arrived at the Battle Castle on Kalos Route 7. New challengers arrived daily, so he drew little attention. This was Aoki, having obtained his desired cuttings. He'd been interested in the Battle Castle since his Hoenn days - Goldenrod's Battle Arcade took inspiration from it, though as an unofficial facility, it couldn't match the Battle Castle's prestige.