Pokémon: Unlocking The Path to Supremacy

After leaving Petalburg City, Aoki set off toward Petalburg Woods, a well-known forest teeming with Pokémon. He planned to train here for a while and, if possible, capture a rare Pokémon or two.

Of course, he wasn't interested in common Pokémon like Seviper, Zangoose, or Swellow—as a trainer aiming for the top, his focus was on rare and potentially powerful Pokémon.

One such Pokémon in Hoenn was Treecko, the Grass-type starter of the region. Aoki remembered that in the original manga, Ash Ketchum had caught a particularly strong Treecko in this very forest, which later evolved into a formidable Sceptile. If he could find a similar Treecko, it would be a valuable addition to his team.

A Week of Exploration

For a full week, Aoki ventured deeper into the forest, encountering no real dangers. Thanks to the system map, he efficiently avoided unnecessary battles and focused on his goal.

Most of the Pokémon here weren't a match for his team—Boss Lairon didn't even need to fight, and both Frogadier and Combusken could easily handle any threats. This provided plenty of battle experience, helping them grow stronger.

At noon, Aoki rested by a clear river, preparing lunch for himself and his Pokémon.

Boss Lairon, Combusken, and Frogadier sat beside him, happily munching on Celadon/Rainbow Pokéblocks, which had become a staple in their training diet.

After finishing his meal, Aoki packed up his supplies and used the system map to search for treasure chests scattered around the forest.

Treasure Hunting

Over the past week, Aoki had found several bronze and silver chests, usually guarded by forest bosses—the strongest wild Pokémon in the area.

Although he didn't obtain anything too extraordinary, he had managed to collect several TMs (Technical Machines) and a large stock of berries.

"Honestly, with the amount of berries I'm getting from treasure chests, I probably won't need to buy any for a while," Aoki mused.

Not only did he have enough for himself, but he could also continue supplying the Norman family with Pokéblocks—essentially earning money for free.

An Unexpected Encounter

Just as everyone was relaxing, a green blur suddenly shot past, snatching Aoki's backpack.

Aoki: "…"

Did he just get robbed?

He quickly assessed the situation—fortunately, the backpack only contained Pokéblocks and nothing of major value.

"Must be a Pokémon that smelled the Pokéblocks and couldn't resist," Aoki thought.

"Frogadier, Combusken, chase it down! Let's see what we're dealing with."

Boss Lairon was recalled into his Poké Ball, as Aoki sprinted after the thief, his Pokémon following closely behind.

The Chase Begins

Aoki was still processing what had happened, but as he chased the figure through the dense forest, something clicked in his mind.

"That shade of green… Could it be Treecko?"

If his protagonist's luck was kicking in, he might have just stumbled upon a Treecko tribe.

A Treecko with a strong Hidden Ability like Unburden would be an amazing addition to his team. Plus, once it evolved into Mega Sceptile, it would gain the Dragon-typing, significantly boosting its power.

Although Mega Sceptile was 4x weak to Ice-type attacks, its speed and offensive capabilities were top-tier.

"Not bad," Aoki smirked, picking up his pace.

While Aoki wasn't as physically absurd as Ash Ketchum—who could carry a Nebby (Cosmog) weighing nearly a ton—his body was well-trained, allowing him to move swiftly through the forest.

Treecko Tribe Discovered

After a brief chase, Aoki finally caught sight of the thief—a Treecko with a confident smirk, chewing on a leaf.

And right behind it was an entire Treecko tribe.

Aoki stopped at a safe distance, careful not to startle them.

Using the system scan, he quickly assessed their potential:

• Treecko (Intermediate Strength, Gym-level Potential)

• Treecko (Advanced Strength, Elite-level Potential)

Most of them had Gym-level or Quasi-Elite potential, which was already quite impressive.

If starter Pokémon could easily reach the Elite level, the world would be overflowing with Elite Trainers—which clearly wasn't the case. The Pokémon League wouldn't just hand out powerful Pokémon that could threaten the balance of power.

Aoki immediately locked onto one particular Treecko—the one that stole his backpack.

It had Elite-level potential, meaning that with proper training, it could easily reach Heavenly King (High-tier Elite) level—and maybe even become a Champion-level Pokémon someday.

The Offer

Aoki took a deep breath and stepped forward confidently.

Noticing the human's approach, the Treecko tribe tensed up.

The elder Treecko positioned itself in front of the younger ones protectively, while the only Grovyle in the group—which looked quite old—stood at the forefront.

It seemed like this Grovyle had never evolved into a Sceptile, possibly due to lack of experience or resources.

Aoki didn't move any closer; instead, he took out a few Pokéblocks from his system storage and placed them gently on the ground.

"You stole my bag," Aoki said calmly, looking at the Elite-level Treecko. "But it's fine—I was actually looking for a Treecko to join my team anyway."

"This is my gift to you all."

He stepped back, giving the Treecko some space.

The Elite Treecko, still wary, approached cautiously, sniffed the Pokéblocks, and took a small bite.

A moment later, its eyes lit up in delight—the taste was far superior to any food it had ever eaten.

"Treecko!" it chirped happily.

Seeing its reaction, Aoki smirked.

"How about it? You have great potential, Treecko. If you come with me, you'll get to see the world—and you'll have plenty of Pokéblocks like this every day."

To emphasize his point, Aoki opened his system storage, revealing a large stockpile of Pokéblocks.

The other Treecko immediately perked up, staring at the food in awe.

Of course, Aoki wasn't crazy enough to give them Celadon/Rainbow Pokéblocks—those were too precious.

Instead, he had laid out high-quality beginner Pokéblocks, which were still leagues above what wild Pokémon typically ate.

The Elite Treecko hesitated for only a moment before calling out to the rest of the group.

Hearing its signal, the other Treecko quickly rushed over, happily munching on the Pokéblocks.

And just like that—Aoki had been accepted.