"How is this possible?! How can you still have another Elite-level Pokémon?"
Hunter K felt the ground shake violently beneath him and realized the overwhelming power of Boss Lairon. His face turned pale in an instant.
Another Elite-level Pokémon. Not only that, but it had landed a devastating move right from the start, severely injuring many of his Pokémon.
Could he even win now?
Facing two Elite-level Pokémon at once was simply too much pressure.
"Gyarados, Hydro Pump!"
Aoki wasted no time, exploiting the opening to finish off Nidoking before Hunter K could recover from his shock.
The moment Aoki gave the command, Gyarados launched a powerful jet of water with immense force.
"Nidoking, dodge it!"
Hunter K's expression twisted in panic—he had let his guard down.
Nidoking hesitated for a fraction of a second before trying to step back, but it was already too late. The Hydro Pump struck it squarely, sending the massive Pokémon flying and rolling across the battlefield.
"Boss Lairon, finish it! Earthquake!"
Boss Lairon lifted its massive foot and slammed it down onto the ground, causing a powerful tremor to ripple through the battlefield.
The force of the Earthquake attack sent Nidoking crashing back down. The ground beneath it cracked and split apart, dealing even more damage.
Nidoking lay battered and exhausted, panting heavily.
Only an Elite-level Pokémon could endure two back-to-back high-powered attacks and still be conscious.
The other Pokémon caught in the Earthquake's radius also suffered severe damage.
Hunter K's face darkened—he knew he was outmatched.
Fighting against an Elite-level trainer was an entirely different experience. His Quasi-Elite Pokémon were simply not enough.
And with Nidoking seriously injured, his strongest Pokémon was no longer in any condition to fight.
"Confusion."
Aoki barely spoke the word before lightly tapping Jirachi, signaling it to act.
Jirachi's eyes gleamed, and its body shimmered with a faint blue aura.
Hunter K reached for his Poké Balls, intending to recall his Pokémon, but before he could react, his entire body was immobilized by Confusion, and his Poké Balls were yanked away from him.
"Boss Lairon, fight freely. Gyarados, finish off Nidoking completely."
At Aoki's command, both Pokémon lunged at their opponents, engaging in fierce combat.
Moments later, all of Hunter K's Pokémon were utterly defeated.
The hunter collapsed onto the ground, his expression grim.
He had spent an enormous sum of money to obtain these Pokémon, even planning to acquire a pseudo-legendary in the near future.
Yet, despite all that effort, he had been completely crushed by Aoki.
Who would have thought that Aoki possessed two Elite-level Pokémon?
And Boss Lairon, in particular, was absurdly strong.
Aoki casually walked over and stepped on Hunter K's chest.
"So? Do you still want my Crawdaunt?"
Crawdaunt, towering over the hunter, let out a threatening growl as if taunting him.
Hunter K swallowed hard. Still want it?
He forced an awkward smile.
"I… I was wrong. I'll pay you instead. Just let me go."
Aoki scoffed. "Take me to your aircraft. I want to see what you've stolen."
Grabbing Hunter K by the collar, Aoki dragged him toward the plane.
With his Pokémon incapacitated, Hunter K had no choice but to comply.
If he resisted, he would only be making things worse for himself.
Inside the aircraft, Aoki was greeted by the sight of multiple cages, each containing a different Pokémon.
However, one particular cage caught his attention.
Inside it, there was a Mudkip.
The sight momentarily surprised Aoki.
The final evolution of Mudkip, Swampert, was a powerful Water/Ground-type Pokémon with the potential for Mega Evolution.
A Pokémon like this would be a great asset to any trainer.
But Aoki only gave it a brief glance before losing interest.
This Mudkip had Quasi-Elite potential, but Aoki already had Greninja as his main Water-type.
Unless this Mudkip had exceptional hidden potential, he had no need for it.
As Aoki moved through the aircraft, he noticed more Pokémon.
There were species native to the Hoenn Region—Nosepass, Shiftry, Seviper, Numel, and Torkoal.
They were all decently strong. While not as valuable as a starter Pokémon, they could still fetch a high price if sold to the right buyers.
Among them, there was also a Spheal—a Water/Ice-type Pokémon with Quasi-Elite potential.
Still, it wasn't something Aoki particularly wanted.
"Kamizrei, do you want the Spheal and Mudkip? Having Water-types could be useful since Electric-types are weak against Ground-types."
"Really? Then I'll take them. Thank you, Aoki."
Kamizrei was genuinely grateful.
While her specialty was Electric-type Pokémon, having strong Water-types would provide good coverage.
She also understood that Aoki had far better Pokémon and wouldn't be interested in these.
As Aoki reached the end of the aircraft, he suddenly froze.
Then, his face lit up with excitement.
Inside the final cage…
Was a Ralts.
Aoki had been searching for one for a long time.
He never expected Hunter K to deliver it right to him.
How lucky could he get?
Honestly, these Hunter groups were such generous people—offering him a Ralts for free like this.
Aoki couldn't hide his grin. He had always wanted a Gardevoir—the final evolution of Ralts.
Not only was Gardevoir incredibly strong, but it also had Mega Evolution potential.
And more importantly, Gardevoir was beautiful.
Though… his mind drifted into strange thoughts for a moment.
Wait. What was he thinking?
Shaking the unnecessary thoughts away, he focused on the Ralts before him.
The little Pokémon was terrified, curled up in the corner of its cage, shivering.
It avoided eye contact with Aoki, its entire body trembling.
Aoki immediately sensed its distress and slowly extended his hand, channeling his Aura of Viridian to soothe it.
A faint green glow enveloped his hand as he radiated kindness.
At first, Ralts flinched.
But as it felt the gentle energy, the fear in its eyes slowly faded.
"It's okay, Ralts. You're safe now. I'll get you out."
"Raa…lts…"
Aoki tapped the cage, then turned to Hunter K, his gaze sharp with a hint of murderous intent.
His eyes seemed to say: Hurry up.
Hunter K, not daring to hesitate, immediately fumbled for the keys and unlocked the cage.
The moment the door swung open, Ralts vanished.
A split second later, Aoki felt a small presence against his chest.
Teleport.
Before he could react, Ralts had used Teleport to move directly into Aoki's arms—pressing itself against him for safety.
Right next to Jirachi.
Jirachi: (・・・) Another rival for attention.
Aoki smirked.
"Release the rest of the Pokémon."
Hunter K, completely defeated, obeyed immediately.
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