Aoki and Kamizrai continued their journey together, traveling through the dense Hoenn forests, training their Pokémon, and sharing conversations about battles and life whenever they had the chance.
At noon, after a hearty lunch, they settled by a riverbank, casting their fishing lines into the water.
Fishing was one of Aoki's favorite pastimes, and since Kamizrai had nothing better to do, she joined in out of boredom.
Splash!
A sudden tug on Aoki's rod sent ripples through the water. With a swift pull, he reeled in a flopping, orange fish.
"Another Magikarp… What a shame," Aoki sighed.
Kamizrai, sitting beside him, let out a laugh, her teal eyes flashing with amusement. She had spent the past half-hour failing to catch a single Pokémon, while Aoki had already hooked multiple ones—though, unfortunately, most were Magikarp.
Every time Aoki pulled up one of the fish Pokémon, Kamizrai couldn't help but snicker.
"Haha! You really are Magikarp's best friend," she teased, a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
Aoki exhaled, shaking his head. "There are just too many Magikarp in this river. What can I do?"
"Fishing isn't about results; it's about enjoying the moment," Kamizrai consoled him, though the grin on her face betrayed her amusement.
Shrugging, Aoki remained focused, determined to pull in something other than another Magikarp.
Meanwhile, their Pokémon continued their training. Even Kamizrai's team had been affected by Aoki's disciplined routine and had started working harder than before.
Then—tug!
Another bite.
Kamizrai mentally prepared herself for another Magikarp and groaned internally. Was Aoki secretly the Sea Guardian or something? His luck with water Pokémon was ridiculous.
With a strong pull, Aoki reeled in something different this time.
A blue, round-bodied Pokémon with a spiral pattern on its stomach emerged from the water.
"Poliwhirl?" Aoki's eyes lit up.
This one was different—it wasn't a Magikarp!
Pokémon Data:
• Name: Poliwhirl
• Strength: Superior
• Potential: Quasi-Elite
Aoki's expression changed. This wasn't an ordinary catch. Poliwhirl had excellent potential—if trained properly, it could evolve into Poliwrath, a powerful Water/Fighting-type Pokémon.
"I won't let this one get away," Aoki muttered. "Baby Dragon, it's your turn! Use Dragon Pulse!"
The Bagon, who had been training nearby, immediately sprang into action. With a determined cry, it fired a pulsing purple energy wave toward Poliwhirl.
But Poliwhirl wasn't going down without a fight. It countered with a powerful blast of water, sending a Hydro Pump surging toward Bagon.
The two attacks clashed mid-air, creating a shockwave that sent mist into the surroundings.
"Not bad," Aoki noted, impressed.
Kamizrai watched intently. "Poliwhirl is strong—it's holding its own against Bagon! That's impressive."
Seeing its first attack fail, Poliwhirl adjusted its strategy. It suddenly launched a spiraling, blue beam of energy—Psybeam!
"Psybeam!?" Aoki was slightly surprised. This Poliwhirl had an unexpected move pool.
"Bagon, counter it with Flamethrower!"
The fire and psychic attacks collided, creating a burst of steam that shrouded the battlefield in a thick mist.
Now, Poliwhirl was nervous. It couldn't see Bagon anymore, and as a wild Pokémon, it wasn't used to this kind of tactical battle.
"Now's our chance! Bagon, use Headbutt!"
From within the mist, Bagon charged forward, its thick skull glowing with energy as it slammed directly into Poliwhirl.
Poliwhirl staggered backward, dazed.
"Follow up with Dragon Pulse!"
Aoki's command came swiftly. Bagon released another purple energy blast, striking Poliwhirl head-on.
BOOM!
The explosion cleared the mist, and when the dust settled, Poliwhirl was lying on the ground, unconscious.
Aoki didn't hesitate. He grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it.
The ball struck Poliwhirl and pulled it inside. After shaking three times—click!—the capture was successful.
Since Aoki already had six Pokémon on him, the Poké Ball automatically teleported back to Professor Odamaki's lab.
Kamizrai walked up to Aoki, clapping her hands. "Nice catch! That Poliwhirl has a lot of potential."
Aoki nodded, though he wasn't planning on adding it to his main team. With Greninja as his ace Water-type, he didn't have much use for another. Unless it had exceptional growth, it would likely remain in storage.
"Bagon, that was some solid work out there. Well done!"
Aoki patted the little dragon's head, feeling the familiar hardness of its skull.
But then—a brilliant white light engulfed Bagon.
Aoki's eyes widened in realization.
"Bagon… you're evolving!"
Kamizrai gasped. Evolution was always a momentous event—it symbolized growth, maturity, and newfound power.
The white light intensified, Bagon's form shifting and expanding. Its tiny legs stretched into stronger limbs, its body became larger, and two fin-like wings sprouted on its back.
As the glow faded, standing in Bagon's place was…
"Shelgon!"
The second stage of its evolutionary line—now one step closer to its final form, Salamence.
Aoki's face was full of pride. Shelgon was a critical stage in its development. It would need to build up its strength and patience before undergoing its final transformation.
Now, the next phase of training would focus on getting Shelgon to its peak condition for its eventual evolution into Salamence.
Kamizrai watched the entire transformation, stunned.
"Aoki… your team is terrifying. Even your Bagon evolved this fast?!"
She glanced at his other Pokémon—Blaziken, Greninja, Boss Lairon, and Grovyle. All of them were incredibly strong.
She suddenly felt sorry for the other trainers in this year's competition.
How were they supposed to compete against a monster like Aoki?
"Now that Shelgon has evolved, I need to prepare more high-energy Pokéblocks for it," Aoki mused. "Salamence's evolution isn't far away."
Kamizrai could only sigh.
This guy… was seriously on a whole different level.
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