Aoki caught a brief glimpse of the spatial rift that Phoebe had entered.
The interior was nearly pitch-black, illuminated only by a bright moon in the sky, with faint ghostly figures darting past.
Most girls would have been terrified by such a sight.
But for Phoebe, the scene felt familiar—even comforting.
Given her upbringing, her natural affinity for Ghost-type Pokémon, and her unique ability to manipulate Ghost energy, she felt at ease in such an environment.
Ghost-type Pokémon would likely grow attached to her upon meeting her.
Presumably, Celebi had recognized Phoebe's specialization in Ghost-types and sent her to a world that suited her abilities.
Finally, Aoki understood Celebi's intention—the warning to think carefully before entering.
The rift Steven had entered earlier must have led to either a world of Steel or Rock, given his expertise in those types.
Aoki guessed that a Steel-type world was more probable, though he wasn't sure why he himself had ended up in a Rock-dominated space.
While Aoki owned several Rock-type Pokémon, he wasn't a specialist in any single type.
Perhaps Celebi had determined that this place was the most suitable for him.
As for how Celebi had discovered and connected these bizarre pocket dimensions, it was beyond Aoki's comprehension.
In the Pokémon world, the abilities of Legendary Pokémon often defied human understanding.
Mythical beings like Celebi and Mew might not possess overwhelming combat strength compared to other Legendaries, but their reality-warping powers were unparalleled.
In short, the Pokémon world was full of impossibilities.
Strange dimensions like this one were just one of countless anomalies.
After all, the known Pokémon world was merely one region within a much larger multiverse.
What surprised Aoki was that this place was inhabited by Pokémon at all.
Most were Rock-types, with a few Ground-types mixed in.
Other types were nearly nonexistent, appearing so rarely that they might as well have been absent.
Grass and Water-types were the scarcest—after traveling for a while with his team, Aoki had only spotted one or two, and even those seemed stunted, likely due to the harsh environment.
Rock-types, however, thrived here.
Some were even as strong as trained Pokémon.
The abundance of Rock energy in this dimension must have been the cause.
Species that were rare in the outside world were common here.
For example, herds of Onix roamed freely.
Onix weren't particularly rare, but their habitat requirements made them difficult to find in the wild.
Yet here, they were everywhere.
More common Rock-types like Geodude were even more numerous.
However, despite their high levels, the Pokémon here were lethargic—either eating, sleeping, or simply lazing around.
They seemed to have no purpose beyond passing time.
The rocks themselves were rich in minerals, eliminating any need for struggle.
Seeing this, Aoki frowned.
"This doesn't make sense. If it were truly this peaceful, the ecosystem would be overrun. Even with abundant Rock energy, balance must be maintained. Something—or someone—must be regulating the population."
After wandering for a while, he still didn't understand why Celebi had sent him here.
But he suspected it had something to do with his three Rock-type Pokémon.
Aggron, Pupitar, and the small Carbink all seemed perfectly at home here.
The omnipresent Rock energy made this place ideal for them.
Eventually, Aoki found a flat area to rest and eat.
Fortunately, he had stored food in his bag—otherwise, finding edible resources in this rocky wasteland would have been difficult.
"Pupitar, how do you feel?" Aoki asked between bites of dried meat.
Pupitar and the others had no trouble finding food—rocks were everywhere.
Though they weren't as high-quality as the minerals and diamonds they usually consumed, they sufficed for sustenance.
Suddenly, the idle Geodude and other Rock-types scattered in panic, fleeing in the same direction.
Something was driving them away.
Aoki stood, peering into the distance.
Aggron, Pupitar, and the others halted their meal to observe.
Aggron, standing three meters tall, spotted the disturbance first.
Pupitar, hovering in the air, also saw it.
After absorbing energy from the last pool, Pupitar had reached level 54, skipping the usual slow progression.
But he still lacked the final push to evolve.
As the fleeing Pokémon cleared out, Aoki finally saw what had caused the commotion.
His eyes narrowed—even for someone as experienced as Aoki, the sight was startling.
Three green figures stood atop a distant rock formation.
Neither the weak Geodude nor the powerful Onix could withstand them.
Because these three were...
Tyranitar!
Three Tyranitar!
They stood atop the rocks, roaring skyward with overwhelming dominance.
Aoki was stunned by their appearance.
Meanwhile, Pupitar, floating beside him, stared at them with awe and longing.
He knew from Aoki what his final evolution would be—and seeing the three Tyranitar in all their glory filled him with determination.
He wondered when he would reach that level of power.
...
Each of the three Tyranitar clutched two Geodude in their massive claws.
Watching this, Aoki understood how the ecosystem here stayed balanced.
The Tyranitar were the apex predators—keeping the Rock-type population in check.
It was a brutal system, but it preserved the entire region.
They played the role of necessary villains.