Seeing the ti when Gengar returned, Aoki could guess the outco.
After Gengar's explanation, Aoki confird that Regis and Han Song had escaped pursuit. They had summoned two severely injured Pokémon to hold Gengar back.
Aoki hadn't expected Gengar to eliminate Regis entirely. The goal was simply to drain their resources as much as possible.
From the mont Regis targeted Aoki, there was no room for reconciliation. While Aoki wasn't vengeful, Regis's sches clearly involved life-or-death stakes. If left unchecked, their conflict would only escalate.
Yet Aoki felt so relief that Regis survived. If Regis were the heir of so influential figure, killing him would invite relentless retaliation. With Regis alive, this remained a rivalry between juniors—one Regis, prideful as he was, wouldn't disclose. After all, admitting defeat would jeopardize the resources he needed to grow stronger.
Moreover, Regis and Han Song's teams were heavily depleted. By the ti they recovered, Aoki might already surpass them.
There was another reason: Aoki doubted he could finish Regis for good. If Yohei had hidden cards on the trial island, surely Regis did too. Pushing him to desperation risked mutual destruction.
Aoki rewarded Gengar for its efforts. Though it hadn't eliminated Regis, defeating two of his Pokémon was significant.
Now, only Nidoking remained in the ruined hall, collapsed on the ground.
Altaria perched beside Aoki, preening its feathers, relaxed.
Aoki studied Nidoking with regret. Though its strength was average among pseudo-Champions, it could have been useful. But Regis had taken its Pokéball, leaving no way to capture it.
"Altaria, deal with Nidoking," Aoki ordered.
Without hesitation, Altaria struck the immobilized foe.
With that, the hall belonged solely to Aoki and his team.
"Florette, use Grass Field."
"Flor!"
Florette, accustod to post-battle cleanup, spread a healing field to restore the team's stamina.
Aoki also summoned Drake's Flygon, directing Florette to heal it. Letting it die before leaving the island would be a waste.
The hall, cleared by the bloodstained woodblock, was eerily tidy. Aoki sat on a broken doorfra, distributing Pokéblocks and potions while Florette tended to the team.
As they recovered, Aoki debated entering the ruin.
A Regirock—elite-tier—guarded it. Were the other Titans inside as well? Venturing further seed reckless, but turning back now felt like wasted effort.
According to legend, the Titans only fought intruders. If one passed, the inner sanctum might hold treasures. But high reward ant high risk.
Aoki remained torn.
He pulled out the key from Lucario, carved from the Ancient Tree of Life. It looked unremarkable—worn, almost moldy—but carried a faint, refreshing scent.
"Would this even work on Regirock?" he wondered.
Initially, he'd assud the key fit the hall's door, but no keyhole existed. Regirock had appeared beyond the gate, aning the true entrance lay deeper. The Titans were gatekeepers; if they were inside, what were they guarding?
Logically, presenting the owner's key should grant passage. But was this Lucario's key the right one?
Aoki hesitated.
As his team regained strength, Slowking's upgraded condition bolstered his confidence. Its Teleport was a reliable escape. The only concern was defense: earlier, Regis' Pokémon had used Protect, yet Regirock shattered it effortlessly. Only Nidoking had withstood a blow.
Aoki's team lacked defensive options against Regirock.
But Regirock had weaknesses: its physical defense was unmatched, but its speed and offensive power were manageable. That was his opening.
"Slowking, sense Qingfeng's location," Aoki said.
Slowking's Psychic senses activated. Earlier, it had marked Qingfeng's shoulder with a psychic beacon. Now, it confird the signal was fading—Qingfeng was moving away rapidly. Soon, the trace would vanish entirely.
Assured no ambush awaited, Aoki recalled his team, keeping only Altaria and Slowking. Altaria's speed was his safety net.
If only if it knew Baton Pass—then Slowking's Teleport could be used seamlessly.
Altaria glided low beside him, curious. This was its first ti here.
Aoki smirked.
"Let's hope it doesn't panic when it sees Regirock."
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