At this time, at least seventeen or eighteen members of the Jinchuan family had fallen at Aoki's hands.
As for those on Team Rocket's side, though they obeyed Giovanni's orders as part of their duty, Aoki did not take action against them.
"You're the one who's been attacking our people. Are you also a member of Team Rocket?"
As Pupitar controlled the energy to cover the two bodies on the ground, a voice echoed from the forest.
Hearing this familiar voice, a faint smile appeared on Aoki's face.
To prevent others from being scared away, Aoki had already put away his black robe and cadre medal. Otherwise, no one would dare approach him.
"I really ran into an old acquaintance," Aoki said lightly, his head still lowered.
Regis froze upon hearing Aoki's voice—unmistakable and undisguised. This was the voice of the one who had shattered his status as the Jinchuan family's favored heir. If not for his father's position as the family patriarch, that failure might have cost him his inheritance rights.
As the patriarch's son, Regis was privy to the family's inner workings. Under normal circumstances, he would have been groomed to take over Team Rocket's leadership in the future. But all of that had nearly been ruined by the man standing before him.
Even now, after months of relentless training to regain his strength, the lost time could never be recovered.
"Aoki!!" Regis snarled through gritted teeth.
The mere thought of that name threatened to shatter Regis's usual composure.
Aoki finally lifted his head, meeting Regis's gaze with a smirk. "What a coincidence. I wonder how much of your strength you've managed to recover?"
Back on Neverland, Regis had still been capable of fighting, but Aoki had sent Gengar to finish off his remaining Pokémon, leaving him with nothing. Since then, Regis had secluded himself, training day and night, hoping to surpass his former power and exact revenge.
Now, with his enemy standing before him, hesitation flickered in Regis's mind.
Aoki's promotion to Rocket cadre had been kept secret, known only to Giovanni and Shadow, ensuring the element of surprise. Thus, Regis had no idea of Aoki's current standing.
He knew Aoki wouldn't have stagnated, but he never expected that in just a year, a survivor of the trial island would rise to champion-level strength.
Regis's eyes darted to the four Pokémon at Aoki's side.
They can't all be his main team, he thought.
But even so, he wasn't powerless. He still had a trump card.
Cautious, Regis considered alerting his uncle first—to assess Aoki's strength before committing fully.
But Aoki wasn't about to give him time to strategize.
Seizing the initiative was second nature to him.
"Aggron, Stone Edge!"
"Blaziken, Swords Dance!"
"Pupitar, Stealth Rock!"
"Politoed, Icy Wind!"
Regis's expression twisted in alarm. His hand, which had been reaching for his communicator, snapped to his waist, grabbing four Poké Balls in a flash.
"Go! Raichu, Magneton, Electivire, and Ampharos!"
Four Electric-types—Regis's signature.
But in this scenario, Pupitar held the advantage. Immune to Electric attacks and boasting formidable defenses, it was nearly untouchable.
Aggron, too, was a monstrous wall—without a proper counter, breaking through its defenses was impossible.
Only Politoed was slightly vulnerable, but with the others covering it, the weakness was mitigated.
Aoki's system quickly scanned the opposing Pokémon:
All were Elite-level, above Lv. 45. The weakest, Magneton, had light-blue potential, while the rest were solid blue.
The Jinchuan family had influence, but their foundation was lacking. No wonder Giovanni hadn't crushed them outright—they weren't worth the effort. The truly powerful Rocket executives could dismantle them effortlessly.
Their only saving grace was their connection to Giovanni's lineage.
"All units, Discharge! Focus fire on Politoed—eliminate it!" Regis barked.
He refused to accept his past defeat. After all, his team had fallen to the Legendary Titans, not Aoki directly. Gengar had merely finished the job.
Now, he unleashed his strongest combination attack—merging Thunderbolt, Thunder, and Volt Switch into a devastating electromagnetic surge.
Aggron's Stone Edge shattered against the electric onslaught.
Aoki's eyebrows rose slightly. He hadn't expected this tactic.
But it won't be enough.
"Hold on, Politoed! Endure it!"
"Aggron, Pupitar—Double Earthquake!"
Politoed braced itself, weathering the storm as best it could.
Meanwhile, Aggron and Pupitar synchronized perfectly. The ground beneath them ruptured violently, shockwaves rippling toward Regis's team.
Only Magneton would escape unscathed.
"Endure it!" Regis commanded hastily.
Raichu, Ampharos, and Electivire raised protective barriers, barely weathering the quake.
But they had no time to recover before Blaziken struck.
Moving like lightning, it closed the distance in an instant, driving a blazing knee into Electivire's face.
CRACK!
Electivire was sent flying, tumbling across the dirt before skidding to a stop, badly wounded.
"Discharge!" Regis's order came too late.
Raichu, Magneton, and Ampharos unleashed a crackling net of electricity, but Blaziken had already retreated.
Electivire staggered to its feet, barely standing.