Aoki did not speak to the two individuals who dared not show their faces.
Using his system, Aoki scanned the data of their Pokémon. Their levels weren't very high—not even at the elite tier—and after a prolonged battle with the two League Trainers, their Pokémon were visibly fatigued.
Furthermore, under the rain summoned by Poliwhirl, the water-type moves used by Aoki'ss Pokémon beca even more powerful.
Within monts, Aoki's team swiftly defeated the Pokémon belonging to the two strangers.
Perhaps the opponents had no more Pokémon left, or perhaps all their previous battles had drained their strength. Regardless, after Aoki defeated their two Pokémon, despair flickered in their eyes, and they offered little resistance.
"Florges, use Grassy Terrain on them," Aoki instructed. Florges then assisted the League Trainers' Pokémon in recovering their strength.
Relief washed over the two League Trainers as they realized they had finally overco their opponents. Florges' Grassy Terrain spread across the battlefield, revitalizing the weakened Pokémon.
"If you have any other Pokémon that need healing, you can summon them as well," Aoki offered with a smile.
After evolving, Florges had used Camouflage to shift its typing to Grass, enhancing the effectiveness of Grassy Terrain. Now, Aoki could effectively serve as a substitute for a healer.
After all, Aoki was still a Breeder—he had his ways of helping.
Upon hearing this, the two Trainers quickly reacted, retrieving four or five Poké Balls and releasing all their fainted Pokémon into the Grassy Terrain.
Erald-green energy seeped into the injured Pokémon, their wounds visibly closing at an astonishing rate. So of the more severely hurt Pokémon, previously unconscious, began to stir and open their eyes.
The potency of Florges Grassy Terrain left the two Trainers in awe.
Once their Pokémon had mostly recovered, Aoki asked, "What's the situation here? Who were those two?"
The Trainers exchanged glances before one spoke up, urgency in his voice.
"Sir, it's like this—two mornings ago, we received a report about poachers operating near the base of Mt Coronet. Our squad leader took charge, and we accepted the mission to investigate."
Poachers?
Aoki nearly scoffed. Weren't they just Pokémon hunters?
The League was well aware of the Pokémon hunting profession, but due to the vast interests entangled within it, they often turned a blind eye unless directly confronted or formally reported.
However, if a report was filed and ignored, it would reflect poorly on the League. So, unless they stumbled upon hunters in the act or received a tip, they generally didn't intervene.
There were simply too many cases like this—the League didn't have the manpower to chase down every hunter.
Clearly, this investigation team had stumbled upon one such operation.
These missions usually rewarded decent points, and most Pokémon hunters weren't exceptionally strong. Investigators often took these tasks without much concern.
But this team had been unlucky—their targets were far stronger than anticipated.
"We searched the area for nearly three days with no luck, but last night, we finally found their trail. Our squad leader led us into battle, but the enemy was stronger than expected—and there were more of them. In the end, our captain and another teammate held off the majority of their forces while we broke through to call for reinforcents."
The man continued, "We managed to slip past their blockade and send a distress signal, but those two caught up to us—leading to the scene you just saw."
Aoki nodded in understanding.
A large hunting group, likely led by soone of elite-tier strength, given how they had pinned down the mid-level investigator. That ant the strongest among the hunters was likely at the elite level as well.
Aoki quickly assessed the situation.
But just as he was about to speak, his communicator buzzed.
Pulling it out, he saw it was the League Investigator's mission device—not just for receiving assignnts, but also equipped with communication and various auxiliary functions. Aoki hadn't bothered exploring all its features.
A ssage flashed on the screen:
All mid-level and higher investigators near Mt Coronet—converge imdiately. Urgent mission issued.
These ergency alerts were region-locked, only reaching communicators within the affected area.
Seeing Aoki check the ssage, the two Trainers sighed in relief. Their distress signal had gotten through—the League was mobilizing.
However, Mt Coronet was vast, and investigators were spread thin. Gathering them would take ti.
Without hesitation, Aoki accepted the mission.
The two Trainers remained silent. Given how effortlessly Aoki had handled their pursuers and Florges healing prowess, they assud he was at least a mid-level investigator.
"Where exactly is your squad leader now?" Aoki asked.
"Over there—" One of them pointed.
Aoki nodded, recalling Marshtomp and Poliwhirl to his side before striding in that direction.
"Wait—Sir, it's safer to wait for backup!" one protested. In his eyes, becoming a mid-level investigator at Aoki's age was impressive, but taking on the hunters alone was too risky.
Aoki smirked, retrieving his Investigator Badge from his bag. He'd never worn it before, but now, he pinned it prominently to his chest.
After becoming a senior investigator, he'd never had the chance to flaunt it.
Might as well now.
Then, with his three Pokémon, he sprinted toward the designated location.
The two Trainers stared after him, stunned.
"...Was that a senior investigator's badge?"
"...Yeah."
Aoki's enhanced physique allowed him to dash through Mt Coronet's dense forests and thick underbrush without slowing.
In such tightly packed woodland, Flygon's flight would've been slower than his own sprinting. Plus, moving on foot kept his approach discreet, reducing the risk of alerting the enemy.
After running full-speed for over half an hour, Aoki spotted a small encampnt ahead.
The sounds of battle echoed from its outskirts—several figures commanding their Pokémon to besiege two individuals in League Investigator uniforms. The two were in rough shape, their Pokémon barely holding on.
A mid-level investigator and a junior investigator.
User Comments
0 comments from readers