Once Darkrai's level reached 71, it was like an unbridled wild horse, impossible to rein in.
It soared directly to level 74.
It paused briefly at the threshold between veteran Elite Four and quasi-Champion.
But soon, this threshold did not stop Darkrai; after only a slight pause, it charged right through.
It broke through with irresistible force, its level continuing to rise without any intention of stopping.
It soared again all the way to level 79, reaching the peak of quasi-Champion. This was no longer a simple threshold that Darkrai had to face, but a massive boulder blocking its path.
According to Aoki's estimation of Darkrai's original strength, it should have at least the strength of a Champion peak. Although it does not have a divine position and cannot be considered a true legendary Pokémon, with such strength, it is actually not much different from ordinary legendary Pokémon. The only difference might be that it does not have the responsibilities of a legendary Pokémon to fulfill.
For Darkrai, this can actually be considered a kind of freedom.
Having once possessed such immense power, yet being defeated by Giratina, its heart must have been filled with immense unwillingness, which is why it preferred to be imprisoned by Giratina rather than working for him.
The power it possesses now is but the tip of the iceberg compared to its former self, somewhat insignificant.
Even it admits that it is now weakened to its limit, unable to exert even a tenth of its power.
Having once reached the peak and now fallen to the bottom, after countless days and nights of Ghost-type energy infusion, the strength of Darkrai's will is now self-evident.
From Aoki's current perspective, being imprisoned by Giratina might not have been entirely a bad thing.
At the very least, Darkrai's spirit was tempered, its will was honed, and its strength was refined.
As long as it can raise its strength again, recovering to its former power, the opportunity for further advancement will definitely be much higher than it once was.
If it can re-integrate and condense its energy during the gradual recovery, it can even be considered a form of progress.
Retracing the path it once walked will allow it to better avoid traps that were previously unavoidable. This can be seen as a re-learning process, and its potential will be even higher.
"Kwe!"
Darkrai's eyes snapped open, and one could see the determination in its now bloodshot eyes.
Giratina!!!
Even though Darkrai usually appears calm and emotionless, Aoki could still see the deep-seated pain and regret hidden in its eyes whenever it looked at Mismagius.
It wasn't that it wasn't in pain; it just hid that pain very well deep in its heart.
To avoid putting too much pressure on Aoki, it also buried its hatred for Giratina deep within its heart.
But at this moment, it all burst forth.
If it couldn't even break through a Champion-level obstacle, what hope was there of seeking revenge on Giratina!
This was Darkrai's story, and without its permission, Aoki wouldn't ask too much about its past.
Boom!!!
A dull thud emanated from Darkrai's body, and its aura surged dramatically, instantly possessing the aura of a Champion.
It successfully restored its strength to Champion level.
Pokémon: Darkrai (Dark Blue) — Corrupted
Gender: Male
Level: 80
Attribute: Dark-type
Ability: Bad Dreams
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: None
Basic Moves: Ominous Wind, Disable, Quick Attack, Hypnosis, Sucker Punch, Nightmare, Double Team, Haze, Dark Void, Nasty Plot, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse
Tutor Moves: Foul Play, Snatch, Grudge, Wonder Room, Knock Off, Snore, Drain Punch, Trick, Present, Focus Punch, Throat Chop, Shock Wave, Icy Wind
TMs/TRs: None
Not only did its level reach 80, but its potential also recovered from the original blue to dark blue.
Although it hadn't reached purple, for the current Darkrai, it was enough.
Darkrai was bent over, mouth wide open, breathing heavily. If it were a human, it would probably be drenched in sweat by now.
But at this moment, Darkrai's heart was filled with joy. Although it had only recovered part of its strength, it at least proved that its corrupted body had a chance to recover.
Originally, when it escaped, Darkrai was also trying its luck, after all, no one knew its body better than itself.
It had no confidence in its own recovery. In its plan and estimation, it would take at least thirty to fifty years to recover to its current strength, and that was under ideal conditions.
It never expected that this human, who claimed to be its trainer, would actually allow it to recover some of its strength in less than a month.
At this point, Darkrai truly believed that Aoki wasn't just using it, but genuinely wanted to help it.
This created a stark contrast in Darkrai's mind, which had originally prepared for the worst, and Aoki's image in its heart suddenly grew tall.
It seemed… having a trainer wasn't such a bad thing after all.
As Darkrai was panting heavily, its mind in turmoil, a fair hand appeared before it, holding some sparkling energy cubes.
"These will help you recover better," Aoki said.
Darkrai slowly looked up at Aoki, its eyes very complex, finally resting on the energy cubes in his hand. It grabbed them and threw them into its mouth.
It was truly miraculous; after the energy cubes entered its stomach, a warmth quickly spread through its body, and its fatigued body rapidly recovered.
"This was my first attempt, so the dosage of the potion wasn't very high, but it seems the effect is quite good."
After a slight pause, Aoki continued, "However, recovering too quickly is not a good thing for you or your body. So after this recovery, you need to slow down. The most important point is… we don't have that many materials left."
"Although the main ingredients for this potion are available, many of the auxiliary materials are also quite precious and expensive. The Alliance's stock has been almost used up by me, so next time we'll have to figure it out ourselves."
Aoki briefly explained to Darkrai.
The preciousness of the ingredients for this potion was the highest Aoki had ever encountered. The Alliance didn't have much in stock, and it was only thanks to the president of the Breeder's Guild that Aoki was able to access them.
"Kwe!" Darkrai nodded in understanding.
Indeed, as Aoki said, recovering too quickly might not necessarily be a good thing for it.
"So… next, is there a story you need to tell me?" Aoki asked with a smile, looking directly into Darkrai's eyes.
Darkrai was startled, then understood Aoki's meaning.
Its expression became complicated again for a moment.