After successfully capturing the Mudkip, Aoki walked out of the backyard, which simulated various environnts, without looking back.
Aoki didn't dare to let his guard down in this place. If anything went wrong, he might not even know how he t his end.
When he stepped out, he saw that Professor Birch was already waiting for him, reading a report in his hand, clearly not wanting to waste any ti.
Seeing Aoki erge, Professor Birch put away the report and smiled. "Already done? That was quick."
Aoki nodded and responded gratefully, "I appreciate your help, Professor. Having this Water-type Pokémon will make the process of opening my Gym much smoother."
Professor Birch patted Aoki on the shoulder. "No need to be so formal. These Mudkip were originally ant for promising League Trainers. You're opening a Gym in Hoenn as a rising star. Plenty of people have high expectations for you."
Aoki could only smile wryly at this. His reputation had grown significantly, mostly due to his teacher's influence, and now many people were watching his progress as a Trainer.
The two of them walked from the backyard to the front of the research institute, where a sleek off-road vehicle was already waiting. A few institute staff mbers were inside, no longer wearing their lab coats.
"Alright, Aoki, I have urgent business to attend to, so I have to leave first. Feel free to explore the research institute or Littleroot Town at your leisure," Professor Birch said apologetically.
"Don't worry about it, Professor. You don't need to entertain . I've already completed my task here, and I should be heading back soon. The Gym in Verdanturf Town is nearly finished, so I need to oversee the final stages of construction," Aoki reassured him.
"Alright! Next ti you visit Littleroot Town, let's have a proper chat!" Professor Birch said as he stepped into the off-road vehicle.
Aoki nodded.
With a roar of the engine, the vehicle sped off into the forest, kicking up a cloud of dust.
After watching it disappear, Aoki turned toward the forest and began his journey back.
Overall, this trip had been quite productive. His Pokémon had grown stronger, his psychic abilities had improved, and he had secured a promising Mudkip.
Additionally, he had obtained the three catalysts needed for Larvitar's incubation. That was one of his next priorities.
There was also the evolution of his Sneasel, the evolution of his Haunter, and the training of his second-tier Pokémon—all tasks that required his attention.
Managing the Gym might beco more challenging with so many things on his plate.
Not to ntion the ongoing threats from the Sky Team and the Hunters.
Ti was a limited resource, and Aoki was already stretched thin.
After dealing with the Void Trio in the forest, there was a high chance that the Void Organization in Saffron City would start investigating.
They might not track him down imdiately, but once the Black Snake Gang, now under the control of Void Leader Kenan, was dealt with, it would only be a matter of ti before they connected the dots.
Whether they launched a full-scale attack or Kenan personally ca after him, Aoki would have to face them eventually.
That was why he couldn't afford to slack off on training. Strength was the ultimate currency in this world.
The journey back was relatively simple. Aoki no longer needed to cut through the dense forest—his Pokémon had already grown strong enough in the past few days.
The next priority was consolidating their newfound strength.
Leveling up too quickly could lead to an unstable foundation, which might not seem like a problem now, but it could create serious obstacles when trying to break through to higher tiers.
With his Pokémon's potential, these effects might not be visible until they reached Elite levels, but once they neared the peak of the Ace Trainer tier and attempted to advance further, any weaknesses in their foundation could beco major roadblocks.
To ensure a stronger future, the groundwork had to be solid now.
After leaving Littleroot Town for a certain distance, Aoki summoned his Tropius.
Flying back to Verdanturf Town would take nearly a full day, requiring an overnight stop in the forest. Among Aoki's Pokémon, Tropius was the best option for long-distance travel.
Previously, he had taken a Yanga from the Shadow Squad's Youhun, an exceptionally fast and durable Flying-type Pokémon.
However, compared to Tropius, it was much smaller, making it less comfortable for long flights.
Besides, Aoki had yet to fully ta it.
Pokémon that had previous Trainers were often the hardest to bond with. If their forr Trainers had treated them well, they might refuse to obey even at the cost of their own lives.
Judging from Youhun's behavior, it was clear he hadn't been a good Trainer. That gave Aoki so confidence in taming both of his newly acquired Bug-types.
Even if they didn't particularly like him, Yanga could still serve as a useful flying transport.
Sitting on Tropius's back, Aoki reviewed his upcoming plans.
By the ti he returned, the Gym in Verdanturf Town should be nearly completed. The League's construction teams worked efficiently, so setting up a moderately sized Gym in a few days shouldn't be a problem.
However, he currently only had a Slowking and a Gyarados that could reliably battle, which was insufficient for a Water-type Gym.
Additionally, most of his battle-ready Water-types weren't even native to Hoenn.
Since the Gym was ant to help train up-and-coming Hoenn Trainers, it would be ideal to use more local Water-type Pokémon to attract challengers.
For now, he might have to capture a few temporary team mbers until Mudkip fully evolved and could represent the Gym.
Looking back, he probably should have borrowed so Water-types from Wallace.
With the resources of Sootopolis Gym, loaning Aoki a few battle-ready Water-types wouldn't have been an issue.
Now, his best options were either returning to the lake where he had encountered Absol and trying his luck there or buying trained Water-types from the black market as a temporary solution.
Fortunately, even after construction was finished, the Gym wouldn't open imdiately, giving him so ti to prepare.
With his priorities set, Aoki urged Tropius forward, heading back toward Verdanturf Town, ready for the next phase of his journey.
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