Hearing Aoki's words, Lairon showed a relieved expression.
A ball of white light suddenly burst forth from its body, illuminating the metallic sheen of its armor and making the glow even brighter against the night sky.
"Hehe~~"
At that moment, Gengar emerged from the shadows, having sensed the disturbance earlier and rushed to Aoki's side. Seeing that Aoki was unharmed, it let out a mischievous chuckle before noticing Lairon's transformation.
"Gengar, conceal the area. We don't want any unwanted attention," Aoki commanded.
Gengar nodded, its grin widening as thick, swirling black mist poured from its body, enveloping Aoki and the evolving Lairon in a shroud of darkness. The evolution's glow was still faintly visible, but the mist dampened its intensity. Though the initial stages of evolution weren't too conspicuous, Aoki knew better than to risk attracting wild Pokémon or curious Trainers during the critical moment.
Satisfied with Gengar's efforts, Aoki stepped closer to Lairon, retrieving a carefully prepared aptitude potion along with a sizable pile of diamonds and mineral-rich ores.
Lairon gulped down the potion in one swift motion.
Aoki had refined the formula since first testing it on his Blaziken. The side effects had lessened significantly, and if enough energy was supplied during evolution, the recovery period could be shortened even further.
As the evolution's energy pulsed through its body, Lairon continued devouring the diamonds and ores Aoki had laid out. Even as the white light enveloped it completely, the Pokémon didn't stop eating.
Gradually, its form began to shift.
Its hind legs thickened, gaining immense strength, while its forelegs became more articulated, allowing for greater flexibility. Its low, ground-hugging posture straightened as its tail elongated, growing dense and muscular. Three jagged metallic horns sprouted from its head, gleaming under the residual glow of evolution.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The sound of fracturing stone echoed as Lairon's body completed its transformation.
With every diamond and mineral consumed, its frame expanded—both vertically and horizontally—until it dwarfed its previous size.
Most Aggron stood around two meters tall, but the one before Aoki had already surpassed that, its growth showing no signs of stopping.
"GROOOOAAARR—!"
A triumphant roar erupted from within the fading light.
As the radiance dissipated, the towering Steel-type Pokémon stood revealed in all its imposing glory.
Aggron.
Three meters tall, every inch of its body radiated raw power.
The silver-white plating along its back and head, along with the darker metallic armor on its chest and legs, shimmered with an almost diamond-like luster—proof of its reinforced durability.
This was a true metallic titan.
"BURRRP—"
After its mighty bellow, Aggron let out a satisfied belch, patting its stomach contentedly.
Nothing felt better than a hard-fought victory, a successful evolution, and a hearty meal all at once.
Aoki approached, his 1.78-meter frame barely reaching Aggron's chest. He rapped his knuckles against the steel plating, feeling the reverberation sting his hand. The sheer hardness brought a smirk to his face.
"Congratulations, Aggron. We're halfway to fulfilling our promise," Aoki said.
"Aggrr…"
Despite its monstrous appearance, Aggron responded with a simple, pleased grin.
Pokémon: Aggron (Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 44
Type: Steel / Rock
Ability: Rock Head
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Outrage, Head Smash, Stealth Rock, Screech, Heavy Slam
Basic Moves: Tackle, Harden, Mud-Slap, Headbutt, Metal Claw, Rock Tomb, Protect, Roar, Iron Head, Rock Slide, Body Slam, Metal Sound, Iron Tail, Iron Defense
Learnt Moves: Iron Head, Bulldoze, Iron Tail, Rest, Magnet Rise
TM Moves: Protect, Dragon Claw, Earthquake, Brick Break, Shadow Claw, Stone Edge
The evolution hadn't just granted a single level boost. Years of disciplined training, combined with the sheer volume of minerals consumed mid-evolution, had propelled Aggron straight to level 44.
More importantly, its potential had officially reached blue-tier.
Aoki had encountered blue-potential Pokémon before, but they were almost exclusively the aces of Champion-level Trainers or prodigies destined for greatness.
Steven's Metagross. Cynthia's Garchomp. Diantha's Gardevoir. Lance's Dragonite.
All of them shared this caliber.
In raw potential alone, Aggron now stood among them.
Aoki had also equipped it with several key TMs—Stealth Rock, Earthquake, and Dragon Claw—expanding its offensive coverage. Brick Break and Shadow Claw further rounded out its moveset.
But the most significant advantage was the Aggronite Aoki had secured—his first Mega Stone compatible with his own team.
The power boost from Mega Evolution would be staggering.
Of course, the aptitude potion's lingering side effects meant Aoki wouldn't risk Mega Evolving Aggron recklessly. Not yet.
But soon.
"How are you feeling? Need to rest in your Poké Ball?" Aoki asked, patting Aggron's armored forearm.
"Agg-RON!"
Aggron flexed its arms, shaking its head vigorously.
Post-evolution, its weight had more than tripled.
A true heavyweight juggernaut.
With a 180 base Defense stat and 110 base Attack, it was a nightmare for any physical attacker.
Since Aggron refused to return, Aoki didn't push it.
Battling and movement would help it adjust to its new body faster—and speed up its recovery.
"Alright. Let's scout the island, then."
Aoki signaled Gengar to drop the concealment. The Ghost-type melted back into his shadow, remaining on standby unless summoned or if danger arose.
A preliminary check confirmed that while the wild Pokémon here were high-level, none posed a serious threat.
After a moment's consideration, Aoki tossed another Poké Ball.
"Blaziken!"
The Fire-type emerged with a sharp cry, scanning the area—only to freeze at the sight of the unfamiliar, hulking Steel-type beside Aoki.
A beat passed before recognition flashed in its eyes.
This was Lairon.
Now evolved.
Blaziken barked an approving cheer, striding over to congratulate its teammate.
At 1.9 meters tall, Blaziken was no small Pokémon itself.
But next to Aggron?
It looked tiny.