Ten minutes later, Aoki glanced at the large stack of banknotes in his hand and nodded lightly.
"I didn't expect to find such a windfall. Seems like today has been quite the profitable venture."
In addition to the money, Aoki discovered several Evolutionary Stones—likely left behind in haste. This was a valuable find. With these stones, he could utilize his energy conversion device to refine them into attribute-enhancing gems. These could, in turn, be used to hatch Pokémon eggs with enhanced potential.
Whether he kept them for himself or distributed them to his subordinates, it was an excellent resource.
Just as Aoki descended to the ship's lowest deck, he noticed a shadow flash by. His system's interface activated instantly, analyzing the Pokémon before him:
Name: Swampert
Strength: Gym-level
Potential: High Elite
Aoki's eyes gleamed as he took in the sight of the massive Swampert lying in the shadows.
Since he had missed the opportunity to acquire Mudkip earlier, this was the perfect chance to add Swampert to his team. With this, he would have all three Hoenn Region starter evolutions.
This was exactly the kind of protagonist-level treatment he deserved.
While its potential was slightly lower than ideal, that could be remedied over time. Whether he kept it or passed it to a subordinate, it was worth capturing.
"Blaziken, charge in and use Sky Uppercut!"
Blaziken dashed forward, covering the distance in an instant, and launched a powerful punch.
But Swampert wasn't going down easily. As Blaziken closed in, Swampert retaliated with a Mud Shot, sending a wave of thick, dark sludge toward its opponent.
"Dodge it!" Aoki commanded.
Blaziken leaped aside just in time, avoiding the ground-type attack that could have severely hindered its mobility.
But Swampert wasn't finished. It lunged forward, inhaling deeply before unleashing a Hydro Pump—a spiraling jet of water flooding the narrow corridor.
"Blaziken, fall back! Charge up Solar Beam!"
"Greninja, use Dark Pulse!"
Aoki wasn't about to let Blaziken fight alone. The environment was unfavorable—Swampert held the type advantage. Blaziken had only recently evolved, making it risky to rely on a head-on confrontation.
Aoki wasn't the kind of protagonist who ignored logic—his goal was growth, not plot armor.
Greninja flipped into the air, summoning a dark-purple Energy Ball and launching it forward with a twist of its wrist.
Swampert immediately countered with another Hydro Pump, causing the two attacks to collide midair.
BOOM!
The corridor shook violently, and a gaping hole was blown open.
Fortunately, the battle was happening inside the ship. If this had occurred on deck, seawater would have rushed in, sinking the entire vessel.
Meanwhile, Blaziken had fully charged its Solar Beam.
"Now! Fire it!"
Blaziken's eyes blazed with determination, and a massive beam of solar energy erupted from its hands, streaking toward Swampert.
Realizing the imminent danger, Swampert braced itself, crossing its muscular arms to block the attack.
"Counter with Hammer Arm!"
Swampert thrust its glowing right arm forward, colliding directly with the Solar Beam.
BOOM!
Despite its resilience, Swampert staggered. The quadruple grass-type damage had taken its toll, leaving the Water/Ground-type Pokémon visibly weakened.
Yet, it refused to fall.
This was no ordinary Swampert—it was at the peak of Gym level and on the verge of breaking through to Quasi-Elite. If it had been just a little stronger, it might have endured even the quadruple-damage attack.
Still, its stamina was severely drained.
But Swampert wasn't done yet. With a defiant roar, it charged forward, preparing another Hammer Arm.
Aoki remained calm.
"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"
Greninja flicked its wrists, hurling several spinning shuriken at Swampert.
The shuriken struck true, dealing the final blow.
Swampert collapsed onto the ship's metal floor, panting heavily, its body unable to continue the fight.
THUD!
It had lost.
Aoki swiftly pulled out an Ultra Ball and tossed it at Swampert.
But the moment the ball made contact—
Ding! The capture attempt failed!
Aoki's brows furrowed.
"This Swampert… already has a trainer?"
His eyes flickered with disbelief, then frustration.
After all that effort, it turned out the Pokémon already belonged to someone else.
"Who the hell abandons such a powerful Swampert?" Aoki muttered.
The thought of some spoiled rich kid discarding a Pokémon of this caliber made him scowl.
"Some people just don't appreciate what they have."
But there was nothing he could do.
A trainer's Pokémon couldn't be forcibly captured.
Instead of sulking, Aoki sighed and crouched beside Swampert.
"Here, take this."
He placed a high-quality Energy Cube next to the fallen Pokémon before getting up.
Regardless of the circumstances, Swampert had put up a great fight. It had helped train his team and provided valuable battle experience.
That alone was worth showing respect.
Aoki turned and walked away, followed by Blaziken and Greninja.
After a moment, Swampert slowly opened its eyes, glancing toward the departing trainer.
It sniffed at the Energy Cube, hesitated, then devoured it in one bite.
A bright smile spread across its face.
Meanwhile, Aoki continued exploring the ship, methodically searching each remaining room.
Finally, in the last cabin, his eyes locked onto a wooden box tucked in the corner.
The box stood apart from the scattered debris.
It was well-preserved, its intricate carvings suggesting significance.
"This must be something important," Aoki murmured.
"Blaziken, break the lock."
Blaziken stepped forward, gripping the lock with both hands. With a sharp pull, the metal clasp snapped apart, and the box creaked open.
As Aoki peered inside, his eyes widened in shock.
Sitting neatly within the box was a Pokémon Egg.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 50+ CHAPTERS
Patreon.com/Kora_1