Hoenn.
Verdanturf Town.
A month later.
A full month has passed since the battle between Steven and Cynthia.
Three weeks have gone by since Steven left Verdanturf Town.
A week ago, Steven made various excuses to stay in Verdanturf Town until Aoki finished analyzing his two ancient Pokémon—Lileep and Anorith—and calculated their most effective training methods. Only then did Steven depart.
Because training these two Pokémon required rare resources and materials that Aoki did not possess, only the Devon Corporation could provide what was needed for the plans Aoki had devised.
With Steven gone, Aoki settled into a quieter routine.
For the past month, Aoki had kept to himself.
His days were spent either training with his Pokémon in the backyard or studying Breeder's Guild materials indoors. He rarely ventured out, and when he did, it was only to visit the black market in nearby Rustboro City or Mauville City to procure necessary supplies.
Thanks to the system's extensive database on Pokémon breeding, it had identified gaps in Aoki's previous Pokeblock formulas and provided new ones better suited to his Pokémon's growth. This included a formula for gradually and safely improving their potential—the slowest but most stable method the system could devise.
All of Aoki's Pokeblocks had been reformulated.
Additionally, he prepared specialized medicines to enhance the potential of his second-tier Pokémon upon evolution. Many of these Pokémon, like Poliwag and Mudkip, had three evolutionary stages. With proper care, their strength could increase dramatically.
This was one of the main reasons Aoki had been so occupied.
Though the process sounded simple, it was incredibly complex. Even with the system's help, it took nearly a month to complete. For an ordinary Breeder, the task would have taken ten times as long.
Moreover, these medicines required rare ingredients. Aoki sold all the resources he had gathered on Neverland on the black market, earning 50 million Pokécoins. Combined with the 30 million he already had, every last coin was spent securing the necessary materials.
Some items were nearly priceless, forcing Aoki to go to great lengths to obtain them.
He crafted enhancement medicines for Mudkip, Poliwag, Torchic, Aron, and even Larvitar.
The higher a Pokémon's natural potential, the rarer the materials required—and the lower the success rate during evolution. After extensive analysis, the system improved the original formula, significantly increasing the odds of success.
Of the five medicines, the ones for Poliwag and Mudkip were the first Aoki completed. Since both Pokémon had light cyan potential, their material requirements were the lowest.
The most challenging was Larvitar's medicine.
With deep blue potential, Larvitar was currently Aoki's most promising Pokémon. The addition of Groudon's armor fragments had further amplified its latent power. After half a month of analysis, the system finalized the recipe, but the medicine wasn't fully prepared until today.
Aron and Torchic's medicines also consumed a significant portion of Aoki's resources, though their ingredients were easier to find compared to Larvitar's.
This was why the month had passed so quickly.
Aoki's Pokémon diligently followed his training regimens each day. He allowed no extra training beyond the assigned tasks, as the system had calculated the optimal workload for each of them. Any deviation would diminish their progress.
Though their level gains had slowed compared to before, this method ensured long-term benefits.
Aoki could confidently say that, after this month of foundational training, his Pokémon had become far more stable in battle. Their mastery of moves had also improved, fulfilling Aoki's primary goal for this period.
Overall, their levels hadn't risen much, but their combat prowess had grown significantly—especially among the first-tier team.
The most notable progress came from Floette, a support Pokémon. It had risen from level 38 to 40, officially reaching Elite-tier status. It had also begun developing its Camouflage ability—though not yet fully controllable, carrying a specific plant allowed it to shift its typing between Fairy and Grass.
The flower it always held was the most compatible for this purpose.
Now, Floette could seamlessly switch between Fairy and Grass typing in battle, compensating for Aoki's lack of a dedicated Grass-type.
Every first-tier Pokémon except Floette had gained one level—not through battle, but through the rich nutrients in their Pokeblocks and the gradual absorption of past experience.
In short, Aoki's first-tier team was now rock-solid and ready to push toward the pseudo-Champion tier.
Slowking remained Aoki's highest-level Pokémon, maintaining its deep blue potential at level 47. It would soon be ready to attempt the pseudo-Champion breakthrough.
Honchkrow, Gengar, and Drapion were all at level 44, while Weavile trailed slightly at level 43. Floette, now at level 40, rounded out the team.
All six of Aoki's first-tier Pokémon had reached Elite-tier strength.