The next morning, Nurse Joy approached Aoki to discuss the division of benefits regarding the energy cubes.
"Mr. Aoki, we have already settled the details. The Joy family will occupy one floor, the Jenny family will have another, and Professors Oak and Birch will each take a floor."
Aoki nodded, already having anticipated such an arrangement. "No problem. Then I will take 50% of the remaining six floors, and one of the floors can go to the Champion and the Four Elites of the Hoenn region."
Despite this being a major business opportunity, Aoki knew better than to claim everything for himself. A balanced distribution would not only prevent hostility but also earn goodwill from the region's most powerful trainers. Given his long-term goal of challenging the Elite Four and the Champion, forming good relations with them now would be advantageous. If trouble arose in the future, he might even be able to rely on their influence for support.
Nurse Joy was momentarily taken aback by Aoki's foresight. "You're a sharp one, Mr. Aoki. With this arrangement, the Elite Four and the Champion will have no reason to refuse. You've ensured they have a vested interest in your success."
She studied Aoki carefully, realizing just how quickly he was rising in the Pokémon world. He had not yet reached Elite strength, yet he had already drawn the attention of Hoenn's highest-ranked trainers. This energy cube business was a financial goldmine, and securing a stake in it would be highly beneficial for anyone involved.
Aoki, however, was more focused on something else. "Right, Nurse Joy, did you manage to get the item I requested?"
Nurse Joy nodded and handed over a peculiar round stone—an Oval Stone.
"Here is the Oval Stone you wanted."
Aoki took it immediately, knowing this was the key to Happiny's evolution. While Happiny was great for healing, it lacked combat ability. Once evolved into Chansey, it would gain a significant boost in durability and utility.
The moment Happiny saw the stone, its eyes lit up with excitement. It eagerly touched the Oval Stone, and in an instant, a bright glow surrounded its small body. Under Aoki's watchful gaze, Happiny's form gradually changed, growing larger. As the light faded, a newly evolved Chansey stood in its place, looking at Aoki with pure joy.
"Lucky!"
Chansey happily leaped into Aoki's arms, affectionately nuzzling him.
Aoki chuckled, patting Chansey's soft head. "Alright, Chansey, from now on, you'll be handling battles. I'm sure you'll do great."
"Lucky~!"
Nurse Joy, watching from the side, smiled. "Your Chansey is incredible. I have no doubt it will become even stronger."
Aoki opened his system interface and checked Chansey's updated stats.
Name: Chansey
Type: Normal
Ability: Healer
Strength: Superior
Potential: Elite
Moves: Defense Curl, Soft-Boiled, Minimize, Sing, Heal Pulse, Egg Bomb, Healing Wish, Solar Beam, Psybeam…
Aoki's eyes gleamed. Just as he had expected, Chansey was already proving to be an exceptional Pokémon. With a powerful move set, including some TMs he had taught it, Chansey was now more than just a support Pokémon—it had offensive potential as well.
"Alright, Chansey, let's work hard together."
With Chansey now fully evolved, Aoki recalled it into its Poké Ball. Unlike before, when he had to carry Happiny in his bag, Chansey was now strong enough to travel independently. This also meant Aoki could now hold Ralts in his arms, alongside Jirachi.
Jirachi had been silently floating nearby, still absorbing energy in an effort to reach Elite-level strength. Aoki knew it was only a matter of time before it achieved another breakthrough.
After finalizing the agreement, Aoki turned to Nurse Joy. "Since everything is settled, I'll be heading to Lilycove City next to sign the official contract."
Nurse Joy smiled warmly. "That works out well. You'll probably want to challenge the gym there too, right? My cousin is the Gym Leader, so I'll let her know you're coming."
Her familiar, kind expression made Aoki feel at ease. She always had a way of making people feel welcome, a trait common among the Joy family.
Turning to Kamizrei, Aoki motioned for her to follow. "Kamizrei, let's go. Time to move on to the next destination."
"Coming!"
Kamizrei's lively presence immediately caught people's attention. With her elegant figure and energetic personality, she stood out in the crowd like a model. Many people turned their heads as she passed, though they could only look on with envy as she followed Aoki closely.
Even Nurse Joy, watching them leave, had a serious expression. "At this rate, Mr. Aoki will become an Elite Trainer in no time."
As a Joy, she was well aware of the standards required to become an Elite Trainer. With Aoki's talent and determination, combined with his strategic thinking, he was clearly on the right path. That was why she had no hesitation in giving up part of the energy cube business—to build a strong relationship with him for the future.
Once they had left Lavaridge Town, Aoki pulled up his map.
"Kamizrei, I think we should head to Iron Valley first. There might be some strong Steel-type Pokémon there."
"No problem, I'll go wherever you go." Kamizrei answered casually, completely trusting Aoki's judgment.
Interestingly, she had also challenged the Lavaridge Gym earlier—not at the Elite level, but at a standard difficulty—and managed to earn the Heat Badge. While she didn't specialize in competitive battling like Aoki, she still had decent battle experience.
Aoki, however, was more focused on something else. He now had an exclusive Shiny capsule, which meant if he could find a Beldum, he could turn it into a Shiny Metagross.
With that in mind, the journey to Iron Valley began. Along the way, Aoki encountered many wild Pokémon, but instead of battling them himself, he left the fights to Chansey.
This was important training—while Chansey had many defensive and healing abilities, it still needed real battle experience. Otherwise, it wouldn't be able to endure prolonged fights.
Aoki had already prepared a large number of high-quality energy cubes for the occasion:
• Special Defense Energy Cube
• Defense Energy Cube
• Special Attack Energy Cube
• Celadon/Rainbow Energy Cube
These were all top-tier Pokéblocks, some of which he had acquired from treasure chests and some from ingredients purchased from Professor Oak. In addition to Chansey, Aoki had also prepared special Pokéblocks for his other Pokémon, ensuring they were in peak condition.
"Chansey, use Defense Curl! Keep stacking it! Now Soft-Boiled! Hold your ground! Now finish it with Solar Beam!"
Chansey launched a powerful Solar Beam, taking down a Water-type Pokémon with a single hit.
Watching from the side, Kamizrei wiped some sweat from her forehead. "This battle style is just… ridiculous."
Chansey's method was simple but effective—stack Defense Curl, heal with Soft-Boiled, then stall until the opponent is wide open before unleashing a devastating final blow.
"No wonder you call Chansey the Pink Demon. I never expected such a cute Pokémon to be so terrifying in battle…" Kamizrei muttered in disbelief.
Now, she fully understood why Aoki had given Chansey that nickname. It wasn't just a healer—it was a true battlefield menace.
With Chansey getting stronger, Aoki was even more excited for what was to come. His journey was only getting started.
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