This ti, the trip down the mountain was much smoother than Aoki had imagined.
Now that Haunter had successfully evolved into Gengar and broken through to the Elite level in one fell swoop, the only thing left was refining control over its new body—a process that would take ti and training.
However, after spending an entire night learning from the old man's Gengar, the results were remarkable. At the very least, Gengar had begun to grasp how to use Ice Punch and Thunder Punch, adding to the Fire Punch it had already mastered. Now, Gengar had successfully learned all three elental punches.
Aoki couldn't shake the feeling that Phoebe's family was keeping sothing from him. Yet, sensing no malice in their actions, he chose not to pry.
He was certain that Phoebe would leave Mt. Pyre in the near future. With her affinity for Ghost-type Pokémon, she was destined to beco Hoenn's Ghost-type Elite Trainer before long.
What gave Aoki such confidence?
It was the na written on the contact information the old man had given him—Adams!
Others might not recognize it, but as the newly appointed Gym Leader of Fortree City, Aoki knew exactly who Adams was—the President of the Hoenn League's Regional Branch.
A true heavyweight!
So, the old friend the old man had ntioned in the League… was Adams!
No wonder Phoebe would eventually rise to beco one of the Elite Four.
This was definitely a case of connections at play!
Why did it feel like everyone Aoki t had such powerful backgrounds?!
The youngest son of the Stone family, heir to the Devon Corporation, and the future Champion of Hoenn!
The granddaughter of the Elders of Mt. Pyre, who was practically the half-granddaughter of the League President, and the future Ghost-type Elite!
Was becoming a Champion or an Elite Trainer really about strength, or was it just about having the right connections?
Aoki felt a bit speechless.
The outer areas of Mt. Pyre remained as they always were. As Aoki walked with Gengar by his side, he attracted plenty of attention from passersby.
To trainers specializing in Ghost-types, a Gengar was an uncommon sight.
Gastly and Haunter were relatively common, but Gengar? That was rare.
Every Ghost-type trainer knew that evolving Haunter into Gengar was notoriously difficult. Most didn't even know how the evolution process worked.
Even Aoki, despite his vast knowledge, had only learned how to evolve Gengar through information exchanged within Team Rocket.
But that was just the tip of the iceberg. The information he had obtained included much more than just evolution—it detailed the best training thods for Gengar.
And for Aoki, that knowledge was invaluable.
Now that Gengar had successfully evolved, the next priority was figuring out how to unleash its full potential.
Gengar continued to follow Aoki closely. Since it still wasn't fully accustod to its new body, Aoki kept it outside its Pokéball so it could familiarize itself with its movents.
As for the curious stares from other trainers? Let them look.
Aoki descended from Mt. Pyre, stepping directly into the forest near Route 122.
Mt. Pyre was surrounded by seawater, with only a small portion of it connected to the mainland.
When Aoki had arrived via Route 123, he had crossed a small sea passage.
Now, deep within the forest, Aoki actively sought out strong wild Pokémon, sending Gengar into battle.
The drastic changes in its body ant Gengar needed to re-learn how to execute each move, mastering every new nuance of its physical form.
Unlike Larvitar, whose body only grew in size when evolving into Pupitar, Gengar had undergone a fundantal transformation—from a gaseous form to a solid body. The change was drastic, making it difficult for Gengar to adapt.
Thankfully, having trained with an Elite Four-level Gengar, it was learning quickly.
And for moves it had already mastered, once Gengar got used to its new body, it wouldn't take long to regain proficiency.
After another hard-fought battle against a wild Pokémon, Gengar's control over its body had improved significantly.
As Gengar continued training, Aoki reached into his storage space and retrieved a shimring, multi-colored stone.
A ga Evolution Stone!
Aoki needed to confirm whether this stone was ant for Gengar. If it was, then after ga Evolution, Gengar would be able to challenge even top-tier Elite trainers.
He now had four Pokémon that had successfully broken through to the Elite level.
Holding the ga Evolution Stone in his palm, Aoki slowly approached Gengar, observing carefully.
But there was no reaction.
His System, which had been scanning the stone, detected no changes.
It wasn't Gengar's ga Evolution Stone.
After a full minute of testing, Aoki had his answer.
Though a little disappointed, he had only entertained the possibility on a whim.
As the first Pokémon in his team with the potential for ga Evolution, his hopes for this stone had been a little too high.
"I'm being too impatient. Let's just let things happen naturally." Aoki sighed and returned the stone to his storage.
Turning his gaze back to Gengar, who was imrsed in training, Aoki felt his thoughts shift.
"By now… that Pokémon should have been born."
That crucial Pokémon—the one that had helped him step into the Quasi-Champion level in his past life—should have just been born in this lifeti as well.
Aoki recalled his previous life's final monts.
In the end, it had been his Murkrow standing by his side.
It was Murkrow that had fought until the very end, successfully taking down the opponent's Pokémon!
Back then, Aoki had used less-than-honorable ans to obtain it. Because of this, the Pokémon had never fully trusted him. And in the end, when it beca clear that Aoki couldn't win, it abandoned him.
But still, this Pokemon had fought for him. At least once.
And if his calculations were correct… it should have just hatched.
A Pokémon unique to Hoenn!
"If my estimates are right, it shouldn't be far from here."
In his past life, Aoki had been much weaker at this point. He had still been a low-ranking grunt in Team Rocket's Lake of Rage base, struggling just to survive.
Now, his developnt speed had far surpassed his past self.
Summoning Tropius, Aoki climbed onto its back while Gengar, having trained for a while, slipped into Aoki's shadow.
Just as he was about to take off, his communicator buzzed in his pocket.
Aoki frowned and took it out.
Shadow was contacting him again?
He pressed the answer button.
"Aoki, I've got an opportunity for you. It's dangerous, but the rewards are massive. Are you interested?"
Shadow's voice had the unmistakable tone of a trickster luring its prey.
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