Then the aura of Slowking gradually weakened.
Poof.
Slowking sat down on the ground, panting heavily. The exhaustion was evident as it finally seemed to calm down.
This method of utilizing the Mew blood had been analyzed by the system, and given Slowking's current abilities, it should have been able to handle the strain. Aoki had made the attempt based on that assessment. However, the sheer intensity of the reaction had been beyond his expectations.
Aoki hurried over, followed closely by his team of Pokémon.
"Slowking, how do you feel?" Aoki asked, placing a hand on its forehead. There was no abnormal heat—just the usual coolness of its damp skin.
Slowking nodded weakly.
Now it understood just how uncomfortable Aoki had been during his own earlier ordeal.
The process of absorbing the Mew blood was similar to Larvitar carrying Groudon's armour fragment—it wasn't fully assimilated into the body but rather attached externally, inducing subtle transformations. Yet, compared to the fragments of Groudon's armour, the initial reaction had been far more intense.
Of course, that might have been because Groudon's armour had already been used once before.
Still, Aoki's decision had been risky.
Thanks to the Mew blood, Slowking's control over its psychic powers had improved significantly. Now, Aoki was certain that Slowking's psychic abilities surpassed even those of many pure Psychic-type Pokémon.
Aoki scanned Slowking with the system.
Pokémon: Shiny Slowking (Quasi-Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 46
Type: Water/Psychic
Ability: Oblivious
Held Items: Leader's Aura, Mew blood
Egg Moves: Rest, Rain Dance, Teleport
Basic Moves: Curse, Yawn, Tackle, Growl, Water Gun, Confusion, Disable, Headbutt, Water Pulse, Zen Headbutt, Slack Off, Heal Pulse, Power Gem, Taunt, Psychic
Learnt Moves: Calm Mind, Psyshock, Miracle Eye (Shiny), Psychic Terrain (Shiny), Skill Swap, Ice Punch
TM Moves: Hidden Power (Fire), Stomp, Flamethrower, Earthquake, Surf, Trick Room, Protect
Quasi-Blue!
After enduring the strain of the Mew blood, Slowking's potential had risen to Quasi-Blue—the first time Aoki had seen such a rating.
Previously, Gengar had briefly reached Light Cyan before stabilizing at Quasi-Cyan, an intermediate state. Quasi-Blue sat between Dark Cyan and Light Blue—stronger than the former but not quite the latter. Under normal circumstances, a Quasi-Blue Pokémon would eventually stabilize at Light Blue after a period of adjustment.
However, given Gengar's earlier fluctuations, Aoki wasn't entirely certain.
Regardless, this marked Slowking's entry into the threshold of Blue-tier potential—the first among Aoki's Pokémon to achieve this.
Just as the gap between Cyan and Green potential was vast, the difference between Blue and Cyan was even more pronounced. Only Blue-tier Pokémon had a realistic chance of reaching Champion-level strength. Even Dark Cyan Pokémon required not just resources but also rare opportunities to breach that barrier.
With Slowking now at Quasi-Blue, Aoki's team had crossed into a new realm of possibility.
The Mew blood remained attached to Slowking, continuing to refine its Psychic abilities and overall strength. Aoki was no longer worried about Slowking's Psychic potential—his only concern was whether its Water typing might hinder its progression to Light Blue.
Even within the Blue tier, Quasi-Blue was still a step below true Light Blue.
The Mew blood had been a gamble, but it paid off.
Slowking's level had also risen by one due to the energy surge, though that paled in comparison to the leap in potential.
After resting, Slowking recovered its strength and stood up—noticeably sturdier, if not slightly heavier.
Aoki patted its shoulder in approval. The system's calculations had been precise, but when Slowking seemed on the verge of collapse, it had endured.
"Yah-dong!" Slowking cheered, flexing an arm proudly.
Aoki and the other Pokémon laughed. Slowking's growth was a victory for the entire team.
Drapion watched thoughtfully. If Slowking had grown stronger, maybe it would get more battles now?
Acting on the impulse, Drapion dragged Slowking aside to discuss.
With that settled, Aoki prepared breakfast.
There were still three days before Team Rocket arrived to extract them from Neverland. The island's resources remained plentiful, though Aoki avoided the territories of its most powerful inhabitants—like the Champion level Venusaur ruling the southwest forests.
A genuine Champion-level Pokémon, its strength far surpassed even Altaria's. If not for Altaria's flight advantage, a direct confrontation would have been one-sided.
Few Pokémon reached such heights, and Aoki steered clear of them. The richest resources lay in their domains, leaving only scraps for outsiders. Still, even those scraps had been lucrative.
The real challenges—like the three Titans in Mew's Ruins—Aoki left for Team Rocket. Few among their ranks could handle even two of them. Most elite agents would fare no better than Regis had.
The Regis' presence also helped deflect suspicion. If most couldn't even enter the ruins, how could Aoki have accessed their depths?
The missing Regice was puzzling, but Aoki set the thought aside—it wasn't his concern yet.
After breakfast, Aoki led his team toward another area.
Three days remained. In resource-rich Neverland, strategic battles and gathering could still yield major improvements.
It was time for the final harvest.