Aoki patted each of his Pokémon on the head and fed them a few Pokeblocks as a reward.
Aoki sensed their excitement and smiled. "Don't worry, there will be plenty more battles ahead. You must stay prepared."
"Larvi!" Larvitar was the happiest, clenching his little fists and cheering excitedly.
Then, he suddenly remembered something and turned to rummage through his small red backpack.
Seeing Larvitar's actions, Aron immediately trotted over, tail wagging.
Sure enough, Larvitar pulled out two thumb-sized diamonds from the bag, took a bite of one, and handed the other directly to Aron.
Under Aoki's guidance, Larvitar had learned to share.
Noticing the three other Pokemon staring blankly at him, Larvitar paused, then dug out three more diamonds from his backpack and placed them in front of them, gesturing that they were welcome to have some.
Aoki couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
Larvitar had developed a peculiar habit—hoarding food. He liked to stash leftover diamonds in his backpack so he could snack on them whenever he got hungry.
And judging by Aron's eager reaction, this wasn't the first time they'd done this.
Combusken stared at the diamond in its claws, chuckled awkwardly, and handed it back to Larvitar with a polite refusal.
Seriously!
What kind of Pokémon actually eats diamonds?
Only these two little weirdos could manage it.
But ever since they'd started snacking on these rocks, their bodies had become incredibly tough—almost as hard as diamonds themselves.
Combusken couldn't help feeling a little envious.
Guess the saying "you are what you eat" really was true.
For Bagon, this was a first. He'd seen Larvitar and Aron munching on diamonds before, but those had been specially allocated by Aoki. Since he had his own food, he hadn't paid much attention.
Now, watching them enjoy their treat so much, he couldn't resist trying one himself.
CRUNCH!
…That wasn't the sound of the diamond breaking.
It was the sound of Bagon's teeth nearly shattering.
His eyes watered, and he blinked rapidly to hold back tears as he stared at the completely unharmed diamond in his claws.
Thankfully, he had strong willpower and managed to keep his composure.
But his teeth really hurt.
Still, seeing Larvitar and Aron happily chomping away, Bagon convinced himself that he just wasn't strong enough yet.
Once I get stronger, I'll be able to eat diamonds too.
For now… he sheepishly handed it back to Larvitar.
Combusken covered its beak, barely suppressing a laugh.
Horsea, being older and wiser, had known immediately that this wasn't edible. He politely declined, telling Larvitar to enjoy it herself.
And so, after Larvitar and Aron each happily devoured two diamonds, snack time came to a cheerful end.
Aoki watched with a faint smile, saying nothing. This was part of how his Pokémon bonded—learning to share and cooperate.
At the very least, Larvitar was making progress.
After a short rest, Aoki recalled his team and prepared to move out.
There were still four members of the Void Organization left to deal with.
He also needed to interrogate their captain about Void's plans.
With Slowking's Teleport, escape was impossible. Aoki was far more familiar with these mountains than they were, and his wilderness survival skills far surpassed theirs.
Even the slightest trace would lead him straight to them.
Tracking and counter-tracking were essential survival skills—something Aoki had learned through experience.
Their attempts at hiding were no match for his ability to find them.
One by one, the three scouts sent to survey the area were swiftly defeated.
Only the captain remained, waiting at their camp for news that would never come.
Then, Aoki arrived like a shadow.
Without a word, he ordered Larvitar and Aron to demolish the camp and defeat the captain.
Though he was their leader, his strength wasn't much greater—likely only at the level of a low-ranking officer.
He put up a fight, managing to land a few hits on Larvitar and the others, but the outcome was inevitable.
After treating his team's injuries, Aoki began his interrogation.
At first, the captain resisted.
But once Aoki summoned Slowking, his defiance crumbled.
Either he talked willingly, or Slowking would Hypnosis the answers out of him.
Realizing the power of the Psychic-type, the captain spilled everything.
Their five-man squad had been Void's advance team, sent to scout the mountains and gather intel on the Sky Hunters.
Though Void looked down on the Sky Hunters, some of their officers preferred caution.
Void was no longer what it once was. With enemies closing in on all sides, recklessness wasn't an option.
This had caused friction within the squad—a temporary unit assembled from different factions. The man who'd argued earlier had served under a more aggressive officer.
The suggestion to retreat to Verdanturf Town had come from an officer named Kenan.
Verdanturf had once been Kenan's hidden stronghold. He knew its development well and had long coveted it—but never made a move.
Now, with Void forced out of Saffron City, Kenan saw his chance.
If he could secure Verdanturf as Void's fallback point, his standing would rise—maybe even enough to contend for leadership.
At first, the other officers had opposed the idea. But with Void's position in Saffron crumbling, and rival factions closing in, they had little choice.
Void had two options: be crushed where they stood, or retreat and regroup.
Verdanturf, with its rapid growth, was their best bet.
More scouts would be sent ahead, many hiding in the mountains. When Void launched their attack, these hidden forces would strike from behind.
Even a cornered Rattata fights back. Though weakened, Void hadn't forgotten the basics.
Aoki's respect for the organization grew slightly.
Maybe there were still competent people among them.
A faint smirk crossed his face as he waved his hand, opening a dimensional rift. Lavitar obediently tossed the camp's supplies inside.
The captain's eyes widened.
Are you sure you're not a Pokémon?!
Then, Aoki grabbed the man's collar, placed a hand on Slowking's back, and vanished.
They reappeared inside the Sky Hunters' hidden mountain base.
Aoki tossed the man aside, ignoring the stunned expressions of the nearby operatives.
"Summon all four cadres. Now."
Without waiting for a response, he strode into the meeting room—his first time entering it.