Now that he had obtained the necessary items, Aoki wasn't in a hurry to leave.
With more than ten days remaining before the Sinnoh League competition, he decided to prepare the aptitude-boosting potions for his Marshtomp and Poliwhirl first before heading to Sinnoh. Along the way, he could give his Marshtomp some training and arrange battles for it and Poliwhirl.
With this in mind, Aoki made his way directly to the Pokémon Center in Sootopolis City.
After renting a private room, he locked himself inside.
In addition to the aptitude potions for Marshtomp and Poliwhirl, Aoki also needed to replenish their Pokéblocks.
Especially for his Slowking, which had reached the pseudo-Champion level, a major adjustment to its Pokéblock formula was necessary.
Aoki had already finalized the formula with the help of his system, and all the required materials had been gathered. Following the system's step-by-step instructions, the task wasn't too difficult for him.
However, preparing the aptitude potions for Marshtomp and Poliwhirl was slightly more complicated.
Some of the materials were one-of-a-kind, and failure would mean wasting valuable resources.
Fortunately, Aoki's worries were unnecessary—with the system's guidance, as long as he remained focused, there was no chance of failure.
Once the two potions were completed, he carefully poured them into labeled vials and stored them securely in his bag.
By the time everything was finished, the morning had already passed.
From Regice's island to Sootopolis City, then obtaining Milotic's Tears and crafting the potions—
By the time everything was done, there were still twelve and a half days left before the Sinnoh League competition.
When time was tight like this, it always felt like there wasn't enough.
Now that everything was prepared, Aoki could finally relax a little.
The aptitude potions for Marshtomp and Poliwhirl were complete, and his Floette had successfully evolved into Florges with the help of a Shiny Stone. Though she was still a bit sluggish compared to her usual self, she had improved significantly since her evolution.
With a little more time, Florges would fully recover. Then, with proper training, she would undoubtedly shine in the Sinnoh League.
Dragon Slayer!
With Marshtomp and Poliwhirl in tow, Aoki headed to the training grounds behind the Pokémon Center.
Since Sootopolis was an island city, Water-type Pokémon were common here. As a result, Aoki's Marshtomp and Poliwhirl didn't draw much attention.
Moreover, the training grounds behind the Pokémon Center had several water-based battlefields to accommodate Trainers who specialized in Water-types.
Aoki first found an empty field and conducted some basic training with Marshtomp and Poliwhirl.
He had previously purchased two TMs for them, and now they needed to familiarize themselves with the new moves.
Once they could use them with some proficiency, Aoki planned to challenge other Trainers.
Most Trainers at the Pokémon Center wouldn't refuse a battle—after all, even if they lost, the Pokémon Center was right there for quick healing.
And if they won, it would boost both their confidence and their Pokémon's, not to mention their reputation.
However, when the confident Trainer accepted Aoki's challenge, their enthusiasm quickly turned to dismay.
Aoki's Marshtomp and Poliwhirl, in terms of both level and aptitude, were far superior to most Pokémon at the training grounds.
After defeating one opponent, Aoki moved on to the next.
At first, everyone accepted, but soon, word spread that Aoki's Poliwhirl and Marshtomp were incredibly strong.
Eventually, Trainers began refusing his challenges.
Battles were fun when they were competitive, but facing Aoki?
It was just outright bullying.
Weaker Pokémon were completely outmatched by Poliwhirl and Marshtomp. Even those with strong Pokémon lacked the strategic skill or battle experience that Aoki possessed.
Is this guy just here to stomp on everyone? Should we call the authorities?
Before long, Aoki found himself without any willing opponents.
Left with no choice, he resorted to his ultimate tactic—
Bribing them.
Anyone who could defeat either of his two Pokémon would receive 200,000 Pokédollars.
If it weren't for the windfall from Furukai's generosity, Aoki wouldn't have been able to afford this method.
But for the sake of battle experience, he had no other option.
Sure enough, this approach drew in more challengers, and Aoki accepted them all.
Occasionally, one or two relatively strong opponents emerged, and after prolonged battles, his Pokémon's stamina would eventually deplete, resulting in a loss.
True to his word, Aoki handed over the 200,000 Pokécoins.
Just as everyone was about to disperse, he pulled out another 200,000 Pokécoins and started the cycle again.
After a quick visit to Nurse Joy to restore his Pokémon's strength, the challenges resumed.
Fortunately, Aoki had disguised himself slightly. If someone recognized him, recorded the battles, and posted them online, the hype of defeating "Aoki" would have given those Trainers instant fame.
Seeing Aoki casually handing out 200,000 Pokécoins without hesitation, the challengers grew excited.
One by one, they lined up to challenge him, and Aoki accepted them all.
What most of them failed to realize was that, through these high-intensity battles, Poliwhirl and Marshtomp were growing stronger at an astonishing rate.
It wasn't just their levels increasing—their mastery of moves and battle instincts were sharpening as well.
Since neither Poliwhirl nor Marshtomp had experienced this kind of training before, they initially struggled to adapt to battling unfamiliar Pokémon under different Trainers.
But once they adjusted, their true potential—shaped by their natural talent and Aoki's training—began to shine.
The two Pokémon quickly adapted, seamlessly incorporating their newly learned moves into battle.
In addition to improving their techniques, their levels also rose significantly.
Marshtomp, being more suited for solo combat than Poliwhirl, gained two levels, reaching Lv. 31, while Poliwhirl rose by one level to Lv. 32.
At this rate of growth, they might even achieve their final evolutions before the Sinnoh League began.
Poliwhirl's evolution was already within reach, and Marshtomp wasn't far behind.
As second-tier Pokémon, their rapid progress was a direct result of Aoki's intensive training regimen.