Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

"What scorpion? Sinnoh region? The Pokemon with scorpion characteristics in the Sinnoh region are only Skorupi and Gliscor?" Listening to their conversation, Aoki thought silently.

However, Gliscor is not unique to Sinnoh; it also exists in Johto, so the most likely possibility is Skorupi.

When guessing that the stolen Pokemon egg might belong to a Skorupi, Aoki moved with interest because he knew Skorupi well. He had obtained one before, but its potential was too poor, so he gave it up.

Still, Skorupi is a very good Pokemon. After the Poison- and Bug-type Skorupi evolves into Drapion, its types change to Poison and Dark. This combination of types is excellent.

Why? Because the Dark type compensates for the weaknesses of the Poison type, and vice versa. With these combined types, Drapion is only doubly weak to Ground-type moves. All other types cause normal or reduced damage.

Poison-, Ghost-, Grass-, and Dark-type moves only deal half damage, and Drapion is immune to Psychic moves due to its Dark typing. This makes Drapion a solid counter to many types of Pokemon.

In addition to its impressive typing, Drapion's base stats are outstanding. Known for its speed, defense, and attack, it can serve as the perfect tank or attacker. Its speed ensures it won't be easily outmaneuvered.

Moreover, Drapion's abilities make it even more versatile. With Battle Armor, it becomes a reliable defensive wall, unable to be struck by critical hits. With Sniper, it can be trained as a high-damage melee fighter capable of landing devastating critical hits. If its Hidden Ability, Keen Eye, is present, Drapion can excel as a consistent offensive threat.

In essence, Drapion is capable of fulfilling the roles of tank, fighter, and sustained damage dealer within a team, depending on its ability and training focus. It's an all-around powerhouse.

From their conversation, Aoki deduced that the Skorupi egg had been stolen. It seemed likely that the egg's original owner was unaware of the theft, as the thieves were calmly waiting to sell it on the black market in Saffron City.

However, another possibility was that the egg's original owner knew it was stolen but couldn't report it due to the egg's questionable origins. If that were the case, it would explain why the thieves chose to sell it in Kanto instead of Sinnoh, where the value of Sinnoh-native Pokemon like Skorupi was better understood.

Aoki believed the second scenario was more likely. If the egg's origins were legitimate, it would have been sold for a higher price in Sinnoh. The original owner's hesitance to report the theft suggested that they were avoiding attention.

If this was true, then the Skorupi egg was of exceptional quality. The owner's caution indicated that they feared retaliation from a powerful individual in Sinnoh who might be searching for the egg.

To be honest, Aoki felt tempted. The combination of Drapion's excellent attributes and the high potential of this Skorupi egg was hard to ignore.

The thieves continued chatting, their conversation shifting from Pokemon to trivial topics. They laughed carelessly, completely unaware of Aoki's presence.

Aoki peeked out from his hiding spot. The two thieves had their backs turned, focused on watching the alley's entrance.

They had chosen this secluded dead end for privacy, but they hadn't noticed the narrow gap where Aoki was concealed.

The two thieves hadn't released any Pokemon, likely to avoid drawing attention. This suggested they might be ordinary criminals with no Pokemon to defend themselves.

Aoki touched the Pokeball at his waist and signaled to Murkrow to prepare for action. Gastly, hidden in the shadows, floated up silently.

While the black market prohibited battles and theft, incidents occurred frequently. As long as no one was caught, there were no consequences. The black market was a hub for criminals, where laws held little sway. Team Rocket merely maintained surface-level order.

When the thieves started discussing how to spend their earnings, their guard was at its lowest.

"Gastly, use Hypnosis. Slowpoke, use Psychic to control them. Don't let them release their Pokemon. Murkrow, use Wing Attack to knock them out!"

Seizing the perfect moment, Aoki released Slowpoke and issued rapid commands.

"Caw!" Murkrow flapped its wings, ready for action.

Slowpoke emerged from its Pokeball, fully focused. Its Psychic power immobilized the thieves' mouths and hands.

"Ga…" The burly men tried to shout, but their mouths were frozen shut. One instinctively reached for his Pokeball, but Gastly appeared and used Hypnosis to put him to sleep.

In the dim alley, Murkrow's glowing wings struck like lightning. The thieves slammed into the wall with muffled thuds, knocked unconscious by the impact.

As they fell, the incubator containing the Skorupi egg tumbled from their hands. Slowpoke caught it midair with Psychic and levitated it toward Aoki.

Aoki glanced at the unconscious thieves, his expression cold. He drew a dagger from his Team Rocket-issued belt—a relic from the trial island—and ended their lives swiftly.

The thieves had two Pokeballs each, which Aoki had already disabled to prevent any interference. Gastly's presence in the shadows ensured there were no surprises.

Humans, after all, were fragile against the power of Pokemon.