After leaving the urban area of Verdanturf Town, Aoki found a corner with fewer people.
Aoki summoned his own Tropius.
Then under Steven's strange eyes, Aoki stepped onto the back of the Tropius.
Although it was strange, Steven didn't hesitate, threw the Pokeball to summon his Skarmory, and then stepped onto Skarmory's back.
Before the two were surrounded, their Pokémon took off and left the area.
Aoki subconsciously scanned the data of Steven's Skarmory.
Pokémon: Skarmory (Dark Teal)
Gender: Male
Level: 43
Attributes: Steel Flying
Ability: Keen Eye
Held Item: tal Coat
Inherited Moves: Drill Peck, Stealth Rock, Agility, Whirlwind
Basic Moves: Leer, Peck, Sand Attack, tal Claw, Air Cutter, Fury Attack, Feint, Swift, Slash, Agility, Steel Wing
Learnt Moves: Snore, Sky Attack, Tailwind, Iron Defense, Stealth Rock, Icy Wind
TM Moves: Protect, Substitute, Hidden Power (Water), Toxic, Roost, Aerial Ace, Swords Dance, X-Scissor, Sleep Talk
Skarmory's potential had reached dark cyan.
This surprised Aoki, but it made sense.
Skarmory was one of Steven's main Pokémon, and even when Steven later beca the Steel-type Champion, Skarmory remained one of his strongest allies.
The last ti Aoki saw it, it only had cyan potential, but now it had reached dark cyan.
Such a level was fitting for soone of Steven's status.
Steven likely had a special thod to enhance the potential of his Steel-type Pokémon. Although Aoki was curious, these were likely family secrets, and he couldn't ask.
Besides, it would be difficult to explain how Aoki could see Skarmory's potential so clearly.
Because of this, Aoki remained silent and simply followed behind Steven, watching him closely.
The two left Verdanturf Town as if fleeing.
Halfway through the flight, Steven pulled off his hat and let out a long breath.
"Finally, I don't need to wear a hat. It's a bit uncomfortable," Steven said as he commanded Skarmory to slow down and fly beside Aoki.
Skarmory had once been as fast as Tropius, but now it had to slow down to match its pace.
Previously, Skarmory had only been level 38, but now it had reached level 43—a proper elite Pokémon.
At this rate, it was no wonder Steven beca the Champion of the Hoenn region so quickly.
Aoki was a little envious.
But what he envied even more was Skarmory's ability to use Swords Dance.
Yesterday, Aoki searched all the Pokémon skill shops in the black market but couldn't find a TM for Swords Dance.
This showed just how rare the move was.
Yet Skarmory already knew it the first ti Aoki t it.
The wealth of the elite was terrifying.
However, while Aoki was observing Skarmory, Steven was also observing Aoki's Tropius.
He had been suspicious for so ti.
The last ti Steven saw Aoki's Tropius, it had seed strong. After so ti had passed, Tropius didn't seem to have improved much.
It even looked a little... fatter. Maybe it had been overfed?
If you don't understand, just ask.
"Aoki, it seems like your Tropius hasn't gotten much stronger?" Steven asked.
Could it be that Aoki had started focusing on other matters and neglected his Pokémon's training?
Aoki glanced at him and said unhappily, "It hasn't improved much, but I wouldn't say there's no progress at all. It's just been eating well lately and not exercising as much, so it's put on so weight."
Saying that, Aoki patted Tropius's neck lightly.
For so reason, Tropius suddenly felt a chill run down its spine.
Even under the sun, with its Chlorophyll ability, it felt uneasy.
Quickly, it flapped its wings to speed up. It seed that next ti, it needed to watch its food intake.
Hearing Aoki's words, Steven laughed. "Hahahaha! At least you're honest about it."
"Tropius doesn't really like battling. When I caught him, we agreed that he would just act as a flying mount for . When he grows stronger, if he wants to, he can choose to leave or settle in Verdanturf Town. Either way, I'll take care of his food," Aoki explained.
He didn't ntion that he had to battle Tropius into submission first.
Steven understood.
Not all Pokémon enjoy fighting.
When Aoki visited Steven's family mine, there were many Aron that didn't like battling. They only cared about eating and sleeping, living a peaceful life.
If it weren't for the old Aggron watching over them, half the Aron population would have beco lazy.
The warlike Aron that Aoki captured was an outlier in the group.
After understanding Tropius's situation, Steven didn't question it further and commanded Skarmory to slow down.
At the sa ti, he was thinking—should he also get a flying Pokémon for transportation?
Skarmory was fast, but its armor made it an uncomfortable ride.
Additionally, Skarmory's tal body absorbed heat under the sun, making it feel increasingly hot.
Skarmory itself didn't seem to mind, but Steven could feel it clearly.
Unlike Tropius, which had Chlorophyll. When the sun shined on it, the energy was absorbed, preventing it from generating excess heat.
Riding on Tropius looked far more comfortable, showcasing the advantages of Grass-type Pokémon.
Steven was jealous.
Looking at Aoki, who was lounging comfortably on Tropius's back, Steven felt his own sweat start to drip.
Fortunately, their flight was fast enough, and the wind helped keep the heat bearable.
Moreover, Mount Chimney wasn't far from Lavaridge Town, and they would arrive soon.
Of course, they wouldn't climb from the base. Instead, their Pokémon flew straight to the mountainside.
The people at the base of the mountain saw Aoki and Steven flying up but weren't surprised at all.
While not common, a few Trainers did this every few days.
After all, there were plenty of strong Trainers in the League, but they rarely traveled so openly.
They landed in the forest on the mountainside of Mount Chimney.
The environnt was still lush and green, with no volcanic ash. The trees were vibrant, in stark contrast to the gray wasteland on the other side of the mountain.
However, even on the mountainside, the air temperature was noticeably higher than at the base.
As they climbed higher, the temperature would continue to rise.
Such was the power of the volcano.
The two didn't speak and instead walked toward the peak in silent agreent.
From here on, they would have to deal with wild Pokémon appearing unexpectedly.
There was also the possibility of encountering hostile Trainers, so they remained vigilant.
Fortunately, Steven wasn't a rookie. With his vast experience, Aoki didn't need to warn him.
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