When Aoki came out of the dim study, his back was soaked with sweat.
Aoki was shaken by the fact that Shadow seemed to have guessed he could see the qualifications of Pokémon.
Fortunately, even though his reaction was intense, Shadow only assumed Aoki was afraid he would steal his Pokémon. Shadow did not expect that Aoki could evaluate a Pokémon's qualifications—such an ability was too extraordinary.
Still, Aoki decided to be more cautious in the future when evaluating Pokémon, ensuring he remained discreet.
He patted his stiff cheeks, exhaled deeply, and worked to return to a calm state. This was not easy.
Switching focus helped. Dwelling on something only entrenched it further, so thinking about other matters allowed him to reset.
The moves Murkrow had learned were sufficient for daily needs. However, Slowpoke and Gastly had not yet learned any TM moves. Aoki planned to strengthen them during this opportunity.
First, there were two essential defensive moves that needed to be taught: Protect for both Pokémon. The entire 10,000 points earned from this mission would be used for this purpose.
This was a necessary expense, and Aoki did not feel regret.
Gastly, as a reliable companion, not only helped during battles but could also protect him from danger. Teaching Protect was critical.
Similarly, Slowpoke's Protect move would prove essential. Whether in combat or when preparing to use Teleport during an escape, Protect could block significant damage.
In addition to Protect, Aoki considered the optimal fighting styles for both Gastly and Slowpoke.
Gastly's core strategy would revolve around Hypnosis, Rest, Sleep Talk, and Toxic. Thankfully, it had already learned Rest, leaving only Sleep Talk and Toxic to be taught to complete its setup.
However, the available points were limited, so Aoki could not afford to teach both skills at once. Between the two, he prioritized Sleep Talk, as Gastly's Poison-type attributes were not yet fully developed, limiting Toxic's immediate effectiveness.
In the future, Aoki planned to enhance Gastly's Poison capabilities and pair them with other Poison-type moves to maximize its control over Poison energy. For now, Sleep Talk was the better choice, costing 7,000 points.
As for Slowpoke, Aoki planned to teach it Hidden Power. Slowpoke, a Water and Psychic-type, had many weaknesses, including Bug, Ghost, Grass, Electric, and Dark. It struggled against five types in total.
Drawing an appropriate Hidden Power attribute could help cover Slowpoke's weaknesses and bolster its offensive potential. However, the Hidden Power type was determined by the Pokémon's inherent qualities, making it entirely dependent on luck.
Despite being a common move, the high demand for Hidden Power made it expensive—another 7,000 points.
After spending the 7,400 points remaining from his last mission, plus the 10,000 points earned from Shadow, Aoki had 16,200 points. Teaching Protect to both Pokémon, along with Sleep Talk and Hidden Power, would cost 24,000 points in total.
With insufficient points, Aoki planned to exchange some items for additional points.
By the time Aoki exited the secret door, his calculations were complete.
He approached the exchange desk and handed over his points card. "This card should have 6,200 points, plus the 10,000 points from Shadow, for a total of 16,200 points."
The exchange staff took the card, awaiting further instructions. Shadow had already arranged the 10,000-point reward.
Aoki had anticipated this and decided to exchange a palm-sized black Dusk Stone from his belt for points.
This decision followed careful consideration. Aoki would not waste medium or high-level Dusk Stones or rare resources like Earth Core Milk, as their market value far exceeded the points they offered. Instead, he chose a primary Dusk Stone, a common evolution stone. While still valuable, it was relatively easy to acquire with money.
According to Team Rocket's exchange list, a primary Dusk Stone was worth 50,000 points. However, converting it into points came with a 30% reduction, leaving Aoki with 35,000 points.
The points system of Team Rocket was a testament to how much profit the organization made through these exchanges. No wonder Team Rocket's influence expanded so quickly.
"Convert this Dusk Stone into points," Aoki said.
The staff member, accustomed to Aoki's luck, was still momentarily stunned by the sight of the Dusk Stone.
Aoki's success contrasted sharply with the struggles of other trainers. Even Guga, who relied on his brother's resources, had earned only a few thousand points so far. In comparison, Aoki's total earnings now reached 65,000 points between his prior gains, Shadow's reward, and the Dusk Stone exchange.
After mechanically confirming the stone, the staff member nodded. "This primary Dusk Stone can be exchanged for 35,000 points."
Thankfully, it was a primary stone. If Aoki had produced a higher-grade Dusk Stone, it would have completely upended the resource balance on the trial island. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel[f]ire.net