Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

The intense battle against the Vigoroth had concluded, leaving a palpable silence in its wake.

Tyranitar's strength had grown, its level increasing by one to reach level 59. It was now only a single step away from the Champion level. Since its evolution, Tyranitar had been catching up in levels with astonishing speed. Aoki had planned for this, intending to break through to the Champion level before their return journey.

He then continued to survey the remaining areas. The presence of the Vigoroth had indicated one thing: among the slightly larger wild Pokémon groups in this region, there were likely to be some Champion-level wild Pokémon. Before darkness fell, Aoki recalled his Pokémon and returned to the small pond they had been using as a base camp.

He had now almost completely investigated the surrounding situation. Aside from some relatively weak groups that could be ignored, there were three groups that Aoki needed to pay closer attention to. Without exception, each of these groups was led by a Champion-level Pokémon.

The northernmost group, located close to the volcano, was the Slowpoke tribe that Aoki found very interesting. Approximately fifteen kilometers southwest of the small pond, in a forest brimming with potent Grass-type energy, was a group of Exeggutor. The Exeggutor leader had reached level 61, making it a dominant figure in the surrounding woods. An environment like this, saturated with strong Grass-type energy and relatively safe, held the possibility of a Leaf Stone being formed, which explained why there were quite a few Exeggutor in that particular tribe.

The main participant in the upcoming battle for this area would be Blaziken. When facing Grass-type Pokémon, the combat power it displayed was truly impressive. Moreover, for a level 56 Blaziken, there was no Pokémon that could truly restrict it except for the Exeggutor Chief. Even if the Exeggutor Chief appeared, Blaziken could rely on its own formidable speed to deal with it strategically, avoiding a direct head-on confrontation. The Blaziken did not show any fear when facing the prospect of the Exeggutor leader. With its current level and strength, as long as it could achieve Mega Evolution, it would be able to fight the Exeggutor Leader head-on. But currently, Aoki's physical condition limited him, preventing him from helping Blaziken to Mega Evolve.

Therefore, the Exeggutor leader was selectively left alone by Blaziken for the time being; it would come back to challenge it when it had gathered enough strength. Just as Tyranitar had been able to defeat the Champion-level Vigoroth, Blaziken also hoped that it could one day defeat the Champion-level Exeggutor, a victory that would grant it greater confidence and a higher chance of success when it attempted its own breakthrough to the Champion level. After defeating numerous other Exeggutor in the tribe, however, Blaziken's level was raised to 57.

The final group that Aoki paid more attention to was a colony of Vespiquen and Combee located to the southeast of the small pond. Aoki didn't know whether there was a Champion-level leader in this tribe because when he saw that it was their territory, he simply did not bring his Pokémon closer. There was absolutely no need. The colony of Combee was relatively large. Although the Combee on the periphery were not very strong, anyone venturing in would be subjected to relentless harassment. Choosing not to enter didn't mean Aoki was afraid; he simply had other uses and plans for this particular group of Combee.

After exploring all the surrounding conditions, Aoki had gained a sufficient understanding of the area and had formulated a plan in his mind. Upon returning to the base, he could only collapse onto the sofa, utterly exhausted and unable to move. However, now that the surrounding situation was confirmed, Aoki released all of his Pokémon, including the recently hatched Riolu.

When Riolu first emerged from its Pokéball, it immediately wanted to jump onto Aoki, but fortunately, it was stopped by the vigilant Slowking. Slowking then carefully explained Aoki's current physical condition to the other Pokémon, hoping they would be mindful and pay close attention to their actions when interacting with him. After learning about Aoki's situation, all the Pokémon showed expressions of deep concern and heartache. Some of them also felt a surge of anger, but since the injury wasn't caused by another Pokémon or a human, their anger lacked a precise target and had nowhere to focus.

Finally, with Aoki's gentle comfort, all the Pokémon gradually came to accept his current situation. Fortunately, after another day of rest, the muscles and organs in Aoki's head had almost returned to normal. He was now able to express himself more clearly. He could also manage simple chewing and could eat some softer foods that were easier to consume.

During dinner that evening, all the elves seemed particularly well-behaved and attentive. Originally, it was the duty of Floette to feed Aoki, but this task was ultimately taken over by Kirlia. According to her, as his daughter, it was her responsibility to take care of her injured father. So, Kirlia was seen floating gently beside Aoki, holding a bowl carefully in both hands. Then, under the precise control of her psychic powers, she used a spoon to feed him little by little. Aoki couldn't help but feel a warm swell of pride, sighing internally that his extra daughter seemed to have grown up so quickly. As an old father, he was immensely pleased.

The petite Riolu lay quietly on the armrest of the sofa, gently licking the back of Aoki's hand with its little tongue as if it believed this could somehow help him recover faster. Riolu had just hatched and should not be kept inside its Poké Ball for extended periods. After ensuring the surrounding environment was completely under his control, Aoki decided to let it stay outside, thinking that keeping the young Pokémon by his side might even bring him some good luck.

The small Carbink had now completely transformed into a Diancie. As a Pokémon that was originally genderless, it now possessed an appearance that was strikingly reminiscent of a little girl. It stayed quietly where it was, silently digesting the vast amount of Rock-type energy it had absorbed from Tyranitar's territory during the last expedition, diligently accelerating its own mutation speed. Now, Little Diamond had a vague premonition that something extraordinary would happen once its mutation was fully complete.

After spending a little time resting with Aoki, Bagon went off to train on its own. The fact that this training-obsessed Bagon had willingly wasted precious time comforting Aoki was a testament to how much more important Aoki was than its training. It was Aoki himself who, sensing the restlessness in Bagon's heart, had given it permission to go and train on its own.

In the pond, three Pokémon—Horsea, Politoed, and Swampert—were currently residing. The pond had effectively become their entire world. The wild Pokémon in the water could only hide in a corner, not daring to interfere with the daily lives of these three formidable "bullies."

After confirming Aoki's physical condition for themselves, Honchkrow, Weavile, and Drapion each went deep into the forest to conduct their own intensive training sessions. The noise generated by their training was often quite loud and risked disturbing Aoki's rest. Furthermore, among the first echelon of Aoki's team, they were the only three who had not yet officially reached the Champion level, and they certainly felt the pressure of this. By positioning themselves a little further away, they could also encounter some powerful wild Pokémon and engage in battles with them, which served as an excellent form of training. Aoki was still relatively reassured about their safety; here, even if they accidentally ventured into the territories of the three major tribes, they were more than capable of ensuring their own well-being. Knowing that the motivation and drive in their hearts were still burning strongly, he did not see any need to suppress their instincts or hold them back in any way.