Aoki's visit this time was not on behalf of the Hoenn region, but as an individual, so there was no grand welcoming ceremony. Only Lance and Lorelei greeted him at the entrance.
As for Bruno and Agatha, who were already there, it was because they were about to have a meeting. Aoki had intentionally chosen this time to come because he wanted to consult with Elite Four Agatha about some matters.
"Elite Four Agatha, Elite Four Bruno," Aoki said with a smile, nodding at the two.
Neither of them put on airs; they rose from their chairs. "Elite Four Aoki."
Although Aoki was younger than them and, in terms of strength, likely weaker, they were all Elite Four members of the Pokémon League, holding the exact same status.
Moreover, Aoki possessed potential that neither of them dared to underestimate.
"I apologize for disturbing you at this time," Aoki said with a hint of apology.
The Kanto region was truly in a tumultuous period. With the impending division of the region and the League, as Elite Four members, they were undoubtedly very busy.
The fatigue on the face of the aging Elite Four Agatha was a clear indication of this.
As someone who had held the Elite Four position for decades and selflessly contributed to the League for so many years, she was still diligently serving.
Aoki held her in high regard.
It was precisely because of this busy period that the League promoted Lorelei. After all, given Pryce's personality, he didn't seem like someone who enjoyed being busy. It was better to have someone who could get things done serve as an Elite Four.
"It's alright. Although it's been busy, a little time won't affect us much.
Lance mentioned you were looking for me, Aoki?" Agatha asked.
As someone from the same generation as Professor Oak, Agatha addressing Lance and Aoki in this manner was perfectly fine.
Aoki found a seat and sat down, nodding. "Yes, there are some things that have been bothering me, and I wanted to ask Elite Four Agatha about them. After all, you are a Ghost-type Elite Four, and your Ghost Corps is renowned throughout the entire Pokémon world. My matter is also closely related to Ghost-types."
No matter what, it was always good to flatter first.
Didn't you see how Agatha's face was almost creased into a chrysanthemum from smiling because of Aoki's words?
"Aoki, what are you saying... You're also my junior. Yukinari always talks about you, claiming it's a real shame you didn't pursue Pokémon research.
Feel free to tell me what's bothering you. If I know, I'll definitely tell you." Agatha waved her hand, feigning modesty.
Bruno and Lance, standing nearby, covered their faces in embarrassment, wanting to leave.
People, especially when they get older, love to hear compliments, especially about the things they are most proud of.
Agatha, as a Ghost-type expert, was no exception to this "true scent" rule.
"It's like this: a friend of mine recently caught a Pokémon, but because this Pokémon lived in an area with extremely concentrated Ghost-type energy, its body was eroded by that energy. My friend came to me as a breeder, but I haven't found a good solution..." Aoki briefly explained Darkrai's situation.
Of course, many details were vaguely glossed over.
As Aoki spoke, Agatha's brows gradually furrowed.
"According to what you're saying, this is truly the first time I've heard of such a situation. A Dark-type Pokémon, living in an area with concentrated Ghost-type energy, caused its body to be eroded by that energy. As a Dark-type Pokémon, which is super effective against Ghost-types, it shouldn't be easily eroded by Ghost-type energy.
Putting aside why a Pokémon would live in such a place for so long, just considering the concentration of Ghost-type energy required to erode it..." Agatha's expression became serious. She was trying to recall places with concentrated Ghost-type energy that she knew of that could meet these conditions, but she couldn't come up with an answer.
Aoki knew there were many loopholes in his explanation, but he couldn't clearly elaborate on the matter.
"Forget it, let's not look for the cause, but rather think about a solution. When a normal Pokémon is eroded by Ghost-type energy, if it's completely eroded, it will directly transform into a Ghost-type Pokémon. This is actually not much different from a Pokémon dying and its soul transforming into a ghost.
If it's only partially eroded, normal Pokémon usually have no way to remove it. After all, to remove this Ghost-type energy, you need to inject energy that counters Ghost-type energy, such as Dark-type. But in that case, the energy within the Pokémon's body would become even more muddled, which is not worth it.
However, you said this Pokémon is a Dark-type, so there's no need to worry about the energy becoming muddled. But this process is still relatively slow.
And this method is something you breeders should be more skilled at than us Ghost-type Pokémon trainers."
Agatha muttered a lot of things to herself, slowly going through the matter from the beginning.
Hearing Agatha's words, Aoki also frowned. He had thought the same thing initially, but he had conducted several experiments on Trial Island, and the results were minimal. To help Darkrai recover, it would take at least seventy or eighty years, and it would also consume a large amount of Dark-type materials, making the cost extremely high.
Seeing Aoki's furrowed brows, Agatha continued, "It seems you've already tried that method.
Indeed, as a genius breeder, how could you not think of such a basic method? Then it becomes more troublesome. If possible, I really hope to go and see where it happened. Extremes meet. Perhaps the solution lies in that very place..."
Extremes meet...
Aoki's heart stirred. "Are you referring to things that can resist being eroded by these energies when the energy is extremely concentrated?"
Agatha nodded. "It's like in places where miasma is very dense, the antidote is often found at the edge of the miasma, among the plants that can resist it. If, as you say, the Ghost-type energy is truly that concentrated, then such things must exist in that place. If you can find them, it would be relatively much simpler."
"If I find it, it will be much simpler?" Aoki's brows furrowed even deeper. According to Agatha, the few tufts of red grass he found should have been able to help Darkrai recover, but Aoki had tried this, and it yielded no results, nor did he see Darkrai improve.
"Yes, but this kind of thing cannot be solved by direct consumption. It needs to be catalyzed with some materials to truly exert its effect. However, I'm not very clear on the specific operation. This is also something I've heard through hearsay. But it is said that the president of your Breeder's Association was the first to discover this 'extremes meet' principle.
Given your status, it shouldn't be difficult to meet her. And your teacher, Matsuda... *cough, cough*." Agatha gave Aoki a knowing look.