When Aoki woke up in the morning, he noticed that the Altaria had disappeared again, along with the two Swablu.
But he wasn't worried.
The Altaria was far more intelligent than expected. She had understood that Aoki's warnings were not baseless fears or deliberate deception, but a slightly embellished truth.
If Team Rocket were to launch a full-scale operation, rare and powerful Pokémon like Altaria and her two Swablu would undoubtedly be prime targets. From Aoki's perspective, if he had the strength, he might even attempt to capture them himself.
An Altaria capable of Mega Evolution had a far higher potential than most Pokémon. Moreover, its Dragon- and Fairy-typing after Mega Evolution would make it highly sought-after in the future.
After breakfast, Aoki returned to the sandstone area, teleported by Slowking. His main goal was to locate potential diamond deposits.
If Shuichi hadn't been dealt with the previous day, Aoki might have been able to extract some information from him. But Aoki had his own methods.
Standing atop Drapion's back, he retrieved Larvitar's Pokéball and released the small Pokémon.
Larvitar's immense weight didn't cause it to sink into the sand—instead, a thin layer of Ground-type energy formed beneath its feet, keeping it stable. Its control over Ground-type energy had clearly improved, and Aoki was eager to see how this would translate in battle.
Upon emerging, Larvitar glanced around, spotted Aoki on Drapion's back, and grinned happily. The sandstone environment was ideal for it, making it feel right at home.
It waddled over, gripping one of Drapion's smaller spikes to climb up—
Snap.
"Dra!" Drapion yelped in pain as one of its spikes broke off in Larvitar's grip.
Larvitar froze, staring at the spike in its hand, then at Drapion's pained expression. Embarrassed, it quickly bowed in apology and tried to reattach the spike.
The broken piece fit back into place—
—only to immediately fall out when a breeze passed by.
The situation was awkward.
Drapion wasn't seriously hurt—the spikes were more like hardened hair—but it still stung. It gave Larvitar a resigned look.
Aoki sighed and used his psychic powers to lift Larvitar onto Drapion's back. The little Pokémon, still wearing its red backpack, hung its head guiltily.
I broke the spike… I'm sorry… Don't be mad…
Aoki chuckled. "It's fine, Larvitar. Drapion isn't angry. The spike will grow back."
Drapion, despite its terrifying appearance, gently patted Larvitar's head with one claw, reassuring it with a (still unsettling) smile.
Relieved, Larvitar exhaled and patted its chest. It had forgotten its own weight in its excitement.
Aoki set Larvitar down on Drapion's back. Though heavy, Drapion was strong enough to bear the weight without issue.
Larvitar stood at the front, gripping Drapion's neck for balance as it curiously scanned the surroundings.
Aoki patted its head. This was his trump card.
"Larvitar, focus. Can you sense the energy around us? Where is the Ground- or Rock-type energy strongest?"
The two energies were sometimes difficult to distinguish—many minerals contained both. They could even convert into one another under certain conditions.
A Ground-type like Larvitar could absorb both energies, while an Aron, for example, could only take in part of it. Some ores also contained trace metals useful to Steel-types but unnecessary for Larvitar.
Still, mineral deposits were most likely to form where Ground- or Rock-type energy was dense.
Larvitar closed its eyes, concentrating. After a minute, it shook its head—nothing notable yet.
Aoki wasn't discouraged. He had Drapion move forward slowly while Larvitar continued sensing.
Few Pokémon could detect energy as precisely as Larvitar, though its range was still limited, requiring a methodical search.
Without Slowking present, Aoki had Haunter emerge from his shadow to guard against wild Pokémon ambushes. Meanwhile, Honchkrow soared overhead, watching for any Team Rocket members like Samuel.
If anyone spotted Larvitar, Aoki would eliminate them without hesitation. Its existence had to remain secret.
True to its nature as a young glutton, Larvitar—prioritizing food—soon detected a concentration of energy. It eagerly pointed in a direction, and Drapion followed.
The spot wasn't far, given Larvitar's limited range. When they arrived, Aoki found a cluster of rocks.
Trusting Larvitar's senses, he had Drapion and Gengar clear the larger surface stones.
The fact that Larvitar could detect energy beneath so much rock impressed Aoki. This was a sandstone region, not typically rich in Ground- or Rock-types, yet Larvitar's sensitivity surpassed even specialized Pokémon.
Perhaps it was simply the potential of a future "Sandstorm Titan."
Or maybe the fragment of Groudon's armor in its backpack was influencing it.
Either way, things were looking up.