Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

When Aoki woke up again, it was already morning, and Aoki's biological clock, formed on the island of trials, made him open his eyes just before dawn.

The headache caused by psychic power awakening had finally disappeared after a good night's sleep.

As Aoki got up, the Slowpoke and Murkrow woke up one after another.

After asking the staff at the Pokémon Center to send a hearty breakfast, one person and three Pokémon quickly finished eating.

With the Pokémon doing some indoor training, Aoki, being a League trainer, knew that Murkrow and Gastly couldn't be exposed. It was better to keep his Team Rocket identity hidden.

While the Pokémon were doing some simple indoor training, Aoki temporarily set today's plan.

First, making Pokeblocks was essential. The intermediate Pokeblocks for Murkrow had almost run out, and since Gastly had joined the team, the right materials hadn't been available.

In addition, the Skorupi egg would hatch in two days. Although it wouldn't need Pokeblocks for a while, as a Bug-type, its growth rate would be fast, so preparing Pokeblocks in advance was necessary.

Also, the Miltank bought in the black market yesterday hadn't been taken out yet. Since it hadn't been released from the Pokeball, it was probably hungry.

So, gaining Miltank's trust was another task for today.

Aoki decided to spend the morning making Pokeblocks, then take out Miltank before lunch. In the afternoon, he planned some intense indoor training and would finish any remaining Pokeblocks along the way.

Taking out the Yellow Berries, medicinal herbs, and special materials purchased yesterday, Aoki placed them on the table in front of him.

Then, he took out a set of mid-tier Pokeblock-making tools worth 1.2 million Pokecoins. This set had five parts, each with a unique function.

Finally, he took out pre-prepared containers of uniform size to form the Pokeblocks.

These had been bought in the black market yesterday at a very low price.

With everything ready, production began.

Pounding, separation, stirring, fusion, cohesion—a series of steps executed smoothly. No more crude tools from the island of trials. The overall process was now ten times faster.

Under the sneaky observation of the Pokémon, along with the occasional sound of them swallowing in anticipation, Aoki couldn't help but laugh.

The scent of high-level Pokeblocks was far richer than intermediate ones. Additionally, each Pokeblock was customized for the attributes and growth direction of each Pokémon, making them even more enticing.

These high-level Pokeblocks weren't made using standard formulas but were specially tailored using the vast database in Aoki's system, ensuring maximum effectiveness for his Pokémon.

Name: Unknown Pokeblock

Materials: Contains Dark energy powder, Flying energy powder, Dark Berry, Oran Berry...

Efficacy: Increases the Pokémon's growth rate. The lower the level, the better the effect!

Note: Suitable for use by Murkrow!

Every Pokeblock Aoki made today had similar entries in the system's data.

The Pokeblocks suitable for Murkrow were black and white, while those for Slowpoke were light blue with a clear outer film. Pokeblocks for Gastly had a gray, frosted appearance.

Although making high-level Pokeblocks was challenging, having better tools made Aoki's work much faster than producing intermediate ones.

In just three hours, nearly a thousand Pokeblocks of each type were made—enough for Murkrow's food for half a month. However, nearly half of the purchased materials were used up.

Aoki also found a suitable mid-tier Pokeblock for Miltank using the system.

Since Miltank's role in the team was primarily supportive rather than combat-focused, the Pokeblock was designed to increase milk production and enrich it with trace elements. It also helped slightly improve Miltank's physical condition.

One reason for not making high-level Pokeblocks for Miltank was the lack of suitable ingredients. If Aoki found them later, he would craft special Pokeblocks for it.

Aoki always aimed to treat his Pokémon equally.

But they had to be fully loyal to the team first.

After preparing the necessary Pokeblocks, Aoki got ready to deal with Miltank.

At the Pokémon Center, he rented a secluded training ground and brought Slowpoke along.

Though the shiny Slowpoke attracted some attention, it was only mild curiosity. After all, Saffron City was the largest city in Kanto. While rare, shiny Pokémon could still be seen from time to time.

Aoki was pleased—this would save a lot of trouble.

Taking out Miltank's Pokeball, he unlocked the safety switch and threw it. A flash of red light revealed Miltank on the field.

Miltank was undeniably strong. Even after missing a meal or two, it remained full of energy.

Its large eyes locked onto Aoki without a word, but the hostility in them was clear.

To Aoki's satisfaction, Miltank seemed to resent humans but wasn't outright aggressive toward them. Perhaps it had been captured for some time.

"Miltank, I know you don't like humans, but right now, you are not my match," Aoki said, making direct eye contact and being completely honest.

This Miltank had lived in the wild. It might have been part of a small herd or a lone wanderer, but one thing was certain—wild Pokémon respected strength.

Wild Pokémon were often more independent than those raised by trainers. To survive, they had to learn to fear the strong.

Hearing Aoki's words, Miltank hesitated before shifting its gaze toward Slowpoke, who stood nearby, eager for a battle.

Since leaving the island of trials, Slowpoke hadn't had many fights. It was itching for action.

Miltank remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook its head. It understood its own strengths—it wasn't a battle-focused Pokémon. Most of its skills had been learned not for combat but simply because it disliked fighting.