Upon hearing Aoki's bold suggestion, Number Four didn't immediately refute it. Instead, he felt a surge of heat from him.
Aoki curved his lips into a smile under the psychic barrier.
It was just as he had guessed. The people of the Divine Cult were not just simple schemers. Anyone in this organization would do anything for enough profit. They just needed a little courage and a little encouragement before doing it.
Immediately after, Number Four sternly rebuked, "Bartram! How dare you! Do you know what kind of punishment you would face if I told the Lord about your words?"
He looked furious, as if he was about to demand payment. If it weren't for the psychic barrier, one might have truly seen his angry, scolding eyes filled with desire.
Aoki sneered inwardly. He understood Number Four's intention: he merely wanted to seize the opportunity to take control of their operation.
It was true that Aoki had proposed this matter, so if there were any gains, Aoki would definitely take the larger share, or at least an equal split.
However, in Number Four's view, Bartram's strength was clearly inferior to his. For them to cooperate, let alone Bartram taking the larger share, even an equal split would make him feel resentful.
He believed that the "clever" Bartram would surely understand his meaning.
Aoki waved his hand casually, causing his black robe to rustle. His voice carried a hint of sarcasm, "Forget it, stop pretending. I can almost feel your drool dripping. How about this, I won't push it. I only want forty percent of the gains!"
Number Four's momentum faltered slightly. Although Aoki directly exposed his thoughts, which made him feel a bit awkward, an extra ten percent of the gains meant that this outburst was not in vain.
However, he also knew that a 60-40 split was the limit; otherwise, the other party probably wouldn't risk it with him.
And relying solely on himself, Number Four wasn't absolutely confident or strong enough to keep the opponent. If the opponent escaped, he might have to face the endless pursuit of the madman.
Thinking of the madman's strength, Number Four instinctively shivered. This existence, capable of contending with Pokémon solely through his psychic abilities, was not someone he could provoke.
Although Bartram's strength might not be very useful, stopping the opponent from escaping would certainly not be a problem. Moreover, if something really went wrong, he could completely push most of the responsibility onto the other party.
After confirming that he would gain a significant advantage, Number Four feigned hesitation for a while, then nodded and agreed to Aoki's proposal.
But as Aoki left Number Four's residence, a deep, cold sneer spread across his face under the psychic barrier.
Letting the Divine Cult members fight among themselves seemed more fun than killing them one by one, and it would also make it less likely for them to suspect him.
Leaving Number Four's residence, he saw Brad and Catherine waiting obediently.
Originally, Aoki came here intending to deal with this so-called Number Four area leader directly after the test. So he had Brad and Catherine wait outside, ready to enter together and quickly resolve the opponent with their combined strength if a battle broke out.
However, when the sparring began, Aoki changed his mind, so he used his psychic ability to have Brad and Catherine continue waiting and not enter.
If this plan could truly be realized, Aoki felt that he might genuinely be able to throw all the Divine Cult members here into chaos.
"You two find a place to rest and get familiar with your Pokémon, especially Catherine. You need to quickly get familiar with that Meganium and strive to quickly exert some combat power.
Two days from now, at this time, at this same location, wait for me here," Aoki told them.
"Yes!" The two respectfully nodded, and after receiving Aoki's reply, they flashed and disappeared from their original spot.
The reason it was two days later was because the time Aoki and Number Four agreed upon was two days later, as they needed some time to prepare.
Three days had passed since the last gathering of the Divine Cult, meaning they would gather again at the top of Mount Space-Time four days from now. At that time, one person missing would definitely draw attention, so they still had two days to cover everything up.
After confirming everything, Aoki left the place.
He returned to the Aura Valley before dawn.
However, even before dawn, someone had already left their tent and begun their morning exercise with their Pokémon outside the valley.
Aoki's return did not attract their attention; they seemed completely engrossed in their training.
However, Aoki had fully observed her efforts. This person was none other than Malva, the highest-ranking executive of Team Flare, personally chosen by Lysandre, who had entered the Space-Time Continent with Diantha. She was a Fire-type Pokémon trainer!
"It seems there's a reason why Malva eventually became the Elite Four of the Kalos region, second only to Diantha in strength. At the very least, her diligence surpasses everyone else's," Aoki secretly sighed in his heart.
Lysandre had once asked Aoki, the hidden vice-leader, to take some time to assess Malva, as Aoki was the one who first proposed planting people in the Kalos League. Whether she met the requirements was best confirmed by him.
Although Aoki had always been mysterious and rarely in the Kalos region or within Team Flare, Lysandre's trust in Aoki had not diminished; instead, it grew day by day.
The so-called prophecies Aoki had shown him were gradually being confirmed with the emergence of Groudon and Kyogre. Moreover, their Team Flare had also found another even more mysterious and powerful Pokémon in the Kalos region besides Xerneas, the Life Pokémon, and Yveltal, the Destruction Pokémon.
This was an energy that protected various parts of the Kalos region, which Aoki had described as Zygarde's energy.
The discovery of these things further elevated Lysandre's trust in Aoki to an extremely high level.
Aoki had not had much contact with Malva before, and he couldn't determine what kind of person she was based solely on his former subjective consciousness and vague memories from the anime.
But at least her diligence and hard work were commendable.
Without greeting her, Aoki went back to his tent and caught up on some sleep before dawn.
Sometimes, deliberately impersonating someone, consciously imitating their every move, and even mimicking their way of speaking, speech habits, and combat habits, is truly a troublesome task.
After resting for a while, when he woke up again, Steven and the others had already left for their usual training.
Aoki also summoned his Pokémon to do some simple basic training to maintain their condition, as the battle in two days might be quite difficult.
Today, Aoki chose to guard the valley, allowing Drasna, who was supposed to stay behind, to go out and train.
As soon as he summoned his Pokémon, the two Altaria eagerly rushed into the air.
To be honest, ever since these two little ones received their mother's permission to follow Aoki, their strength had surged. However, perhaps because they had followed their mother since childhood, they weren't very fond of battling. From initially being intensely curious about battles, to experiencing the feeling of battle a few times, they gave up on the pursuit of battling.
If Aoki's strength had still been relatively weak, these two Altaria would definitely have become Aoki's ace Pokémon. Even if they didn't like battling, Aoki would have gradually helped them correct this point, not asking them to love battling, but just to have no aversion to it.
But now, to be honest, Aoki didn't have very high expectations for the two Altaria. If they truly gave up on battling completely, Aoki wouldn't mind providing for them and letting them live a peaceful life.
They say a doting mother spoils her child. Their mother's overprotective nature had indeed been excessive, leading them to pass the best time for cultivating a love for battling.
Unless something special caused a huge impact on their hearts, it would likely be very difficult to correct this.
When Aoki first brought them out of Mirage Island, he actually noticed this and offered to help Altaria correct the two little ones' shortcomings, but Altaria hesitated at that time.
At that time, Aoki still needed Altaria as a powerful immediate combat force, so he didn't insist.
By the time Altaria's mother realized it, Aoki no longer had as much thought or urgent energy to help them correct it.
That's why the current situation came about.
However, the two little ones still had a very comfortable life. Aoki also constantly provided them with good food and drink, so even if the two little ones didn't battle much, their strength steadily increased, as daily training was a must.
The two Altaria stretched their wings in mid-air, let out a few unrestrained cries, and then slowly flew down, landing in front of Aoki. Their soft feathered wings affectionately rubbed against Aoki's cheek, showing their fondness for him.
Aoki also smiled and ruffled the two little ones' heads, feeling their joyful mood at the moment.
"Go finish your training first, then play!" Aoki chose to put on a stern face at the appropriate moment.
The two Altaria, facing Aoki's stern expression, dared not refute him. They stuck out their tongues and obediently went aside to train.
Watching the Altaria fly away, Aoki shook his head helplessly. Two troublesome little ones.
However, after undergoing his special aptitude potions and unique training methods, the two little ones still had very strong potential.
Regarding this, Aoki didn't know what to say, only hoping that they could mature mentally a bit faster.
Seeing Venusaur and Lucario training obediently on their own not far away, Aoki immediately felt much more at ease.
The two Altaria were ultimately an exception among all his Pokémon; most of the other Pokémon were still very fond of battling and enthusiastic about improving their strength.
Lucario wore heavy weights, while Venusaur's thick, thigh-sized vines swung back and forth in the air, and Lucario weaved through these vines, ensuring he wouldn't be hit by them.
Don't think these vines were just for show; no matter how they struck the body, they would cause immense pain.
This could be felt from the loud "thwacking" sounds constantly echoing in the air due to the whipping of the vines.
And Venusaur wasn't just attacking, nor was Lucario just dodging.
Whenever he found an opening, Lucario would condense a light blue energy orb in his hand and unleash it without hesitation towards Venusaur's massive body!
Lucario's Aura, developed by Togekiss and refined over two months of training, was already showing initial results. Aura Sphere had now become a regular attack method he could use.
Facing Lucario's attack, with Venusaur's speed and dodging ability, it was almost impossible to avoid. So, besides taking the hit directly, he could only counteract Lucario's attack with his own attacks or defenses.
A huge, scythe-like Razor Leaf sliced out from beneath the yellow flower on Venusaur's back!
Although there was only one Razor Leaf attack this time, its momentum was even grander. The size of the leaf, the speed of the Razor Leaf's flight, and the visible chilling gleam at the edges of the leaf all indicated the extraordinary nature of this Razor Leaf.
This was a special way Venusaur used Razor Leaf after development, pursuing extreme speed, extreme size, and extreme sharpness!
If it were a normal Grass-type Pokémon, they might also be able to make the Razor Leaf blade this large, but the speed would definitely not be this fast, and the attack would not be this strong!
Speaking of which, the Razor Leaf's size increased, its speed didn't decrease, but rather became faster, and the blade became sharper. This was a very difficult thing to achieve.
But for Venusaur at this moment, it seemed like a casual strike.
Boom—
The huge Razor Leaf and Lucario's Aura Sphere met, collided, and exploded in mid-air! Everything seemed so fluid.
This explosion had no effect on the two Pokémon. Venusaur continued to use its vines to search for Lucario's movement trajectory and his defensive openings.
And Lucario, at this time, was also searching for openings in Venusaur's massive attack net, which seemed to be woven from vines. At the same time, he was looking for opportunities, with Aura Sphere condensed in his hand, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
This was the essential daily training content for Aoki's Lucario and Venusaur. From their initial fumbling when they first started engaging in attacks to their current leisurely pace, they looked as if they knew each other's attack methods and movement trajectories.
They were constantly searching for each other's weaknesses!
The reason Venusaur condensed Razor Leaf to such an extent was simply because without it, she couldn't withstand Lucario's Aura Sphere.
And the main reason Lucario wore weights was because if he didn't, the pressure on Venusaur would have been too great at the beginning.
But with the weights, Lucario had truly suffered from Venusaur's vine whips.
The training between these two Pokémon has become their daily routine.
In fact, many of Aokis Pokémon are like this, becoming objects of mutual reconciliation and mutual training.
Venusaur and Lucario, with similar strength, can also complement each other.
There are also Salamence and Gardevoir, who are also a group of Pokémon that can mutually improve and train each other.
Salamence's straight-line speed is very fast, fast enough to surpass some Champion-level flying Pokémon, and with Mega Evolution, it can even surpass some Flying-type Pokémon that have broken through the first barrier of the Champion level.
It must be known that the current Salamence is only at the quasi-Champion level, far from reaching the Champion level, yet it can have such a fast straight-line speed, which is undoubtedly a talent unique to it.
However, a fast straight-line speed does not necessarily mean a fast movement speed; in battle, straight-line movement speed is almost irrelevant, and short-distance burst speed is the key.
Although Salamence's short-distance speed is not very slow, compared to its excellent straight-line speed, there is still a lot of room for improvement.
And the training of Salamence and Gardevoir is precisely focused on this aspect.
Gardevoir's psychic abilities can create a lot of obstacles for Salamence during flight, and to create these obstacles, Gardevoir needs strong control over her psychic abilities.
This is something they train every day, and the specific content can be self-adjusted and scheduled.
Now, Aoki no longer demands a specific amount or type of training from his Pokémon every day.
Currently, for his Pokémon, Aoki only provides them with a long-term training direction. As for the methods to achieve this training, the Pokémon themselves must figure it out. Aoki will only intervene if they encounter problems they cannot solve.
When they first transitioned to this training method, many Pokémon felt unaccustomed and couldn't accept it.
After all, they were used to rigid training, accustomed to completing the training tasks arranged by Aoki. Suddenly switching to Aoki only providing direction and letting them train themselves made them very unaccustomed.
Their training efficiency repeatedly decreased, almost becoming the lowest it had been since they were captured by Aoki.
Everything has a process of contact, exploration, familiarity, and mastery. After the initial period of unaccustomedness, the Pokémon gradually accepted this training method. Now, as long as Aoki points out their deficiencies in a certain area, they can devise training methods to correct their shortcomings.
This is a kind of progress, and it is also a training method that Aoki deliberately allowed his Pokémon to accept and get used to.
Facts have proven that after the initial period of unaccustomedness, the Pokémon's training efficiency is now higher and higher, the training effects are better and better, and the Pokémon's independence and autonomy are also stronger and stronger.
This progress has gradually accustomed Aoki's Pokémon to autonomy. It is believed that after some time, they may discover their own shortcomings through battle and then compensate for them through special training methods.
The reason for this is that Aoki does not want his Pokémon to be like many of the Pokémon he has encountered, who, after losing their trainers, don't know what to do. Aoki certainly doesn't want his Pokémon to become like that.
There will always be times when a trainer is forced to be unable to command their Pokémon, and at such times, the Pokémon's autonomy becomes crucial.
In fact, besides this, there is another important reason.
At this time, Aokis Pokémon's strength has reached a very high level. Aoki has already found opportunities to help them correct some more obvious deficiencies during their growth process.
Moreover, with their current strength, changing some things is not something that can be achieved overnight. While completing a fixed amount of training every day is good, it is ultimately not a long-term solution. Allowing them to learn training methods themselves is also more conducive to them finding their own shortcomings.
In fact, all the training methods that can address various areas and shortcomings have already been taught to them by Aoki during their growth process up to this point. All they need to do is find the most suitable method to use.
At their current stage, the improvement of strength is not achieved overnight, and different Pokémon have different physiques, different training directions, and different training methods at different times.
Choosing different training methods based on one's own situation is no longer just training; it is also a form of self-examination!
Only by understanding their own situation better can they more accurately determine the most suitable training method. This model allows the Pokémon to understand themselves better, rather than only Aoki having a sufficient understanding of them.
The so-called 'know yourself and know your enemy' also requires Pokémon to have a sufficient understanding of themselves.
Just like Tyranitar at this moment, he knows that his body is strong enough, and he also knows that in battle, he not only needs a powerful body and strong physical attack capabilities, but also a certain special attack capability, and he needs sufficient control over the energy within his body.
He has powerful Groudon energy within him. Controlling this energy well, mastering it completely, and transforming the so-called Groudon energy into true Tyranitar energy is not merely a change in the name of the energy, but a change in the essence of energy control!
Tyranitar's types are Dark and Rock, while Primal Groudon is Ground and Fire. After evolving, Tyranitar no longer has these two types, but the energy within him still possesses these characteristics. Therefore, the key is how to utilize this energy well and transform it into his own.
In the future, Tyranitar may appear to be Dark and Rock type on the surface, but secretly possess Ground and Fire types. This not only enriches his offensive repertoire but also enhances his defensive resistances. Coupled with his natural Sand Stream ability, it's truly hard to imagine Tyranitar's full potential.
So, in order to train energy control, Tyranitar, like Larvitar when he was young, controlled energy to create a constantly changing mud sculpture: sometimes it would turn into Aoki, sometimes into the calm and collected Aggron, sometimes into the explosive Blaziken, and sometimes into the soaring Salamence. This was all part of his energy training.
In fact, when Tyranitar was young, when he was still a Larvitar, he already showed great talent in energy manipulation.
It is precisely because of this that Aoki believed he had the talent to control four types of energy; otherwise, Aoki would not have chosen to have Tyranitar utilize Groudon's characteristics as well!
There are truly not many Pokémon that can reach the level Tyranitar is at now; it requires not only opportunity but also talent.
Therefore, even though Aoki has successively captured many Pokémon with extraordinary aptitudes later on, Tyranitar remains one of the Pokémon Aoki trusts and relies on the most.
However, one thing must be clear: the strongest Pokémon in Aoki's possession at this time is not Tyranitar, Blaziken, Salamence, or other Pokémon he has placed high hopes on, nor is it Gengar, who has just broken through the first barrier of the Champion level and can Mega Evolve. It is Darkrai, who is gradually recovering its own strength.
Darkrai's recovery of strength is like a tiger slowly awakening from a deep sleep.
During this period, with Fuyong's help, Darkrai's strength recovery was visible to the naked eye. Aoki also used his psychic abilities to observe the energy within Darkrai at this time. The originally chaotic Giratina's Ghost-type energy has undergone significant changes.
Although it hasn't been completely smoothed out, it's already much better than it was two months ago.
The use of a recovery potion may soon be on Aoki's agenda again. Aoki doesn't know what level Darkrai will recover to after another recovery potion, but what Aoki does know is that Darkrai has now become a trump card for Aoki to try and contend with the Divine Cult.
Especially in front of the Divine Cult's psychics, these people who more or less like to use Psychic-type Pokémon.
Furthermore, Aoki doesn't have to worry about Darkrai developing thoughts of escaping his control after gaining strength. Darkrai's relationship with him is excellent, and it has also formed a certain bond with Aoki's Pokémon.
For example, Tyranitar, who is currently training energy control, has received guidance and inspiration from Darkrai to some extent. Also, Gengar, who has spent a long time with Darkrai in Aoki's shadow, also has a very good relationship with Darkrai.
Even though Gengar has some of Giratina's aura, Darkrai doesn't resent Gengar. In fact, after learning about the process of Gengar acquiring Giratina's energy, Darkrai even felt some sympathy for Gengar. Although Gengar was the beneficiary, this was also because Gengar is a Ghost-type Pokémon. If it were any other type of Pokémon, it wouldn't have been so simple.
Of course, the best relationship is with Mismagius. As the only Pokémon who remembers their sibling relationship, Darkrai has always treated Mismagius as his own Pokémon and taken care of her.
In fact, if one were to carefully count Aoki's current strength, one would find that his current strength is somewhat terrifying, especially now that everyone knows about Mega Evolution and Aoki no longer needs to hide it, maximizing his visible strength.
Darkrai and Gengar, who have broken through the first barrier of the Champion level, with Gengar also having the boost of Mega Evolution, are not far apart in strength from Darkrai, only slightly at a disadvantage.
And Mega Tyranitar and Mega Blaziken! These two Pokémon, after Mega Evolving, can also barely break through the first barrier of the Champion level. This is their improvement in strength during this period.
Their efforts have also received due rewards, and the rewards they gained from their efforts have also become a role model for many Pokémon to learn from.
These are Pokémon capable of reaching the strength of the first barrier of the Champion level.
And the most numerous are the Champion-level Pokémon: Honchkrow, the big brother; Slowking, whose strength has steadily increased because it doesn't have Mega Evolution; and Drapion, Weavile, and Florges, who broke through to the Champion level with Honchkrow.
As well as Aggron, who has Mega Evolution but is not strong enough to reach the first barrier of the Champion level.
There are also quasi-Champion level Pokémon: Swampert, Politoed, and Slaking, who are busy training but honestly haven't appeared in a long time, possessing peak quasi-Champion strength, not far from the Champion level; and Salamence and Gardevoir, whose cultivation Aoki has intensified recently.
Quasi-Champion level Pokémon already have a certain qualification to participate in Aoki's Pokémon lineup. His rapid and focused training of these few Pokémon is for this goal.
There's also Magearna, who also gained quasi-Champion strength due to the awakening of Aura power, and Diancie, who is still at the senior Elite Four level. The upper limits of these two Pokémon are immeasurable by Aoki.
However, their strength mostly needs to be steadily improved, especially Magearna, who experienced a surge in strength due to the awakening of Aura power.
In addition, the diligently training Lucario and Shiny Venusaur are not far from quasi-Champion level.
Plus, many Pokémon that aren't exactly Aoki's, but he can command, including some that have broken through to the first barrier of the Champion level.
The sum of so many Pokémon is the main reason Aoki has the confidence to challenge the Divine Cult!
Three months have passed since entering the continent of time and space. Although this period has been dangerous, the speed of strength improvement under such pressure has been visible to the naked eye.
There are still two months left. Who knows how much earth-shattering change their strength will undergo by the time they leave.
For these past two days, Aoki has not ventured out, choosing to rest and recuperate within the valley. This is because in two days, he will face the vicious members of the Divine Cult, and it will be a real battle then.
Although Aoki has long been accustomed to such a life and has no strong aversion to real combat, as a pessimist, he naturally needs to make all possible preparations and plan for the worst-case scenario.
If his plan succeeds, the Divine Cult may indeed be plagued by internal strife, and they will gain a much-needed respite.
However, there's also a high probability that the Divine Cult will see through his trick, which would make their lives even more difficult.
Aoki did not tell anyone about his plan. No one knowing it was a form of protection for himself.
Two days later, after night fell, Aoki once again left the Aura Valley, leaving a letter in front of the tent, telling everyone that he was going to handle some matters, and might disappear for a period of time, asking them not to look for him, and not to worry, as he would naturally return once the matter was finished.