After understanding the real purpose of his mission from Dark and Shadow, Aoki left the Team Rocket base.
The two of them had mainly discussed how to deal with the three legendary birds this time. Aoki would play a more supportive role and would not have to face the legendary birds directly. However, the three legendary birds that allowed Dark and Shadow to complete their goal might not be the real Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres—they could just be exceptionally powerful wild Pokémon of higher levels.
Aoki did not involve himself in the finer details of the operation. Instead, he went straight to the Team Rocket base's redemption center.
Four hundred million Pokecoins was no small sum. If used wisely, it could significantly strengthen his Pokémon before the mission began.
The first thing Aoki did was exchange for all the Aura-related materials needed for Riolu's Egg. Team Rocket's inventory was impressively stocked—many of the rare items Aoki had been searching for were readily available here.
After Ralts evolved into Kirlia, but before it could become Gardevoir, Aoki still needed the main ingredients for Kirlia's Qualification Potion. This became his second priority.
After securing these two rare materials, a hundred million Pokecoins had already been spent.
Next, Aoki exchanged for a large number of TMs—particularly the rare ones. Some TMs were still difficult to obtain, and even Team Rocket had strict limits on how many could be redeemed per year. For example, even as a Team Rocket executive, Aoki could only redeem the Swords Dance TM twice per year. The same restrictions applied to other high-demand TMs.
Aoki took full advantage of his executive privileges, exchanging every rare TM he could get his hands on. Whether he needed them immediately or not, it was better to have them now—he could always sell them later if necessary.
By the time he finished, another two hundred million Pokecoins had been spent, leaving him with a hundred million remaining. He decided to save the rest for future needs.
The exchange staff watched with strained expressions as Aoki walked away, his arms full of rare items. Meanwhile, the workers scrambled to carefully package everything, knowing that any mistake could bring down the wrath of a high-ranking executive.
Back in his room, Aoki had a few days before the mission began—time he intended to use to prepare his team. After ensuring there were no surveillance devices, he opened a hidden space in the wall and stepped inside to finalize his strategy.
This mission was high-risk, so team selection was crucial.
Since this was a top-secret Team Rocket operation, the League shouldn't know about it—only executives and their most trusted subordinates were involved. However, Aoki couldn't rule out the possibility of League spies within Team Rocket.
Because of this, he had to bring Slowking. However, unless absolutely necessary—and unless he was certain no witnesses would survive—he wouldn't summon it.
Someone in Team Rocket had already reported Aoki's activities to the League, but so far, the League hadn't acted. After all, Giovanni himself had authorized Aoki's base. But if a unique Pokémon like Slowking were spotted, suspicions would rise.
Fortunately, the evolution method for Slowking had been public for some time. Soon, more Trainers would have them, making it safer for Aoki to use his.
During this period, Slowking had reached level 64—a rapid improvement thanks to accumulated training. However, now that it had broken through, further progress would slow.
Aside from Slowking, Aoki's other Pokémon had no major issues.
Honchkrow and Weavile were symbols of his current identity. Both had recently broken through to Champion level, reaching level 60 after relentless training. Aoki was proud of their progress—they would be leading the charge in this mission.
Then there was Gengar, now at level 62. Its aptitude had also improved to light blue, likely influenced by the lingering dark energy it had absorbed.
Gengar's control over Ghost-type energy had sharpened dramatically after reaching Champion level, making it one of Aoki's strongest assets. If Mega Evolved, it even surpass Slowking in raw power.
Drapion, now at level 61, was another solid choice. Poison-types were common among Team Rocket members, so its presence wouldn't raise eyebrows.
Florges, however, was another story. At level 62, it was nearly as recognizable as Slowking. Aoki wouldn't summon it unless absolutely necessary.
But even without Slowking and Florges, Aoki still had six Champion-level Pokémon at his disposal:
Honchkrow
Weavile
Gengar
Drapion
Altaria
Mismagius
They would form the core of his team for this mission.
However, he also prepared backup Pokémon. The mission location might have more than just the three legendary birds—bringing lower-level Pokémon could provide valuable training and help them evolve sooner.
Over the past month, they had trained intensely.
Swampert had reached the Elite Four level, while others like Blaziken and Pupitar were still Elite-tier.
Lairon, however, was a special case.
At level 41, it had only gained one level in the past month—intentionally.
Aoki had asked Lairon to hold back, and it agreed.
Given its potential, evolving now would be premature. Aoki wanted it to develop further before taking that step.
During this time, Lairon's aptitude had improved from pseudo-blue to light blue—the limit of its current state.
Both Lairon and Pupitar had devoured the diamonds Aoki had collected on Neverland at an alarming rate. Before leaving, Aoki had raided their storage cave, taking every last diamond and mineral they had painstakingly gathered.
But even that wouldn't last long. Aoki needed a permanent solution to their insatiable appetites.
Money really was being burned through at an alarming rate.