After arranging the Murkrow and Slowpoke, Aoki's expression darkened. This time, it was truly a defeat, but after walking around the river, he encountered a powerful regional overlord.
At the same time, it wasn't just Aoki who felt humiliated. The Murkrow, who always had a strong sense of pride, was silently resting.
As for Slowpoke, although winning and losing is natural for it, it never loses without putting up a fight. It had just joined Aoki's team and attributed all its failures to itself. If it were stronger, it could have protected Aoki and Murkrow.
Slowpoke deeply admired Aoki. It had nearly lost its way before meeting him, but Aoki brought it back from the brink, teaching it to embrace its unique identity. The source of thɪs content is novel(ꜰ)ire.net
In the quiet environment, both Pokémon fell into self-reflection.
Aoki was the first to recover from the blow. Were there more challenges to come? Everything boiled down to a lack of strength.
Feeling Aoki's resolve stabilize, Murkrow and Slowpoke opened their eyes and looked at him intently.
"Don't look so down. We just need more training. One day, we'll return and reclaim this field!" Aoki reassured them.
With Aoki's words, their spirits gradually lifted. They turned their frustration into motivation, vowing to become stronger and take back what they lost.
Even though they wanted to train immediately, both Murkrow and Slowpoke had sustained injuries. Aoki insisted they rest and recover first.
That night in the cave, only the sound of the waterfall and the crackle of the bonfire could be heard.
Murkrow obediently leaned against the cave wall, digesting the Pokéblock Aoki had given it. After consuming an energy-rich Pokéblock, Murkrow focused its internal energy to speed up digestion.
Slowpoke lay on the ground with its eyes closed, surrounded by faint ripples of psychic energy that distorted the air around it.
Aoki observed their dedication. Since his Pokémon were so determined to grow, he felt it was his responsibility as their trainer to develop the best training methods for them.
"If I could craft advanced Pokéblocks, their growth would accelerate significantly," Aoki thought.
Acquiring the tools to make advanced Pokéblocks was another challenge for him as a trainer.
Murkrow's current growth path suited it well. It was training to become a swift and agile attacker, focusing on speed and precision. With daily weight training, its agility would eventually surpass expectations.
Slowpoke's growth direction required more thought. Since Slowpoke had two evolutionary paths—Slowbro and Slowking—Aoki wanted to respect its choice.
Slowbro excelled in physical defense, while Slowking specialized in special defense. If Slowpoke wanted to evolve into Slowking, Aoki would fully support it, despite the difficulty of obtaining the necessary item, a King's Rock.
In Aoki's view, Slowking would be a better fit for Slowpoke, given its innate psychic potential. It could focus on special attacks and psychic control, leaving physical defense to others on the team.
However, if Slowpoke preferred to evolve into Slowbro, Aoki would back that decision too.
The cave was cool that night, and as Aoki sat by the fire, lost in thought, his Pokémon worked hard to heal their injuries.
Morning arrived quickly, and Aoki made sure Murkrow and Slowpoke got some natural rest. Sometimes, a body's natural recovery abilities are invaluable.
Morning training began as usual, but this time, Murkrow trained with extra intensity, driven by its frustration from the previous day.
Slowpoke, unable to perform physical training, focused on its psychic abilities. After overexerting itself the day before, Slowpoke discovered its psychic energy had grown stronger. Its understanding of Teleport had deepened significantly.
Previously, Slowpoke could only lift one rock with its psychic energy. Now, it could lift two simultaneously, showcasing impressive progress. Aoki was surprised by this improvement, attributing it to Slowpoke's latent psychic potential.
Murkrow noticed Slowpoke's growth and trained even harder. It knew it could win battles against Slowpoke partly because Slowpoke's psychic moves were less effective against it and partly due to Aoki's skilled commands.
However, in terms of overall strength, Slowpoke's potential in combat far exceeded Murkrow's.
As a companion, Murkrow wasn't jealous of Slowpoke's growth but saw it as motivation. Murkrow wanted to remain a core member of the team, capable of protecting everyone in future battles.
As Aoki's first Pokémon, Murkrow took pride in its role and refused to be outpaced. It wanted to be the strongest in the team, setting an example for future members.
While his Pokémon trained, Aoki exercised alongside them. Training together strengthened the bond between trainer and Pokémon.
When busy, time passed quickly. Morning training soon ended, but Aoki didn't forget his Shadow mission. Completing the mission was critical—not only to secure his place in Team Rocket but also to earn the 10,000 points reward, which he desperately needed.
With two Pokémon to train, the demand for resources had grown significantly.
The cost of raising Pokémon was staggering. Murkrow's daily intake of Pokéblocks alone would cost a fortune without Aoki crafting them himself.
On the Team Rocket exchange list, an intermediate Pokéblock cost five points. Murkrow consumed an average of 30 Pokéblocks daily, equating to 150 points per day. Adding Slowpoke's needs increased the expense exponentially.
Skills were another significant cost. Teaching Murkrow three skills had already cost Aoki over 10,000 points, and future investments would only grow. Slowpoke, too, needed to learn new skills to maximize its potential.
This is why it was so difficult for ordinary trainers in the Pokémon world to succeed. Without opportunities or support, even raising one Pokémon to its full potential could take a lifetime, by which time the Pokémon's prime years would have passed.
Aoki relied on the system to make progress. In his previous life, even with the system's help, he had to work as a Pokémon hunter and rely on Team Rocket's resources to become a pseudo-Elite trainer.
However, pseudo-Elite trainers were only middle-level members in Team Rocket. True freedom in this world could only be achieved by becoming a Champion-level trainer, and even then, it was barely enough.
Walking out of the cave behind the waterfall, Aoki was greeted by clear skies after yesterday's rain. Warm sunlight bathed him, refreshing his spirit.
The river had returned to its normal level, and the pebbles along the shore glistened under the sun, reflecting a pristine light.
Gazing at the river, Aoki turned to Murkrow and Slowpoke.
"The next time we come here, it'll be for revenge."
Murkrow and Slowpoke responded in unison, their determination mirroring Aoki's words.
Revenge was their shared goal and the motivation driving them forward.