Listening to the topic being discussed by the three youths not far away, Aoki’s expressionless eyes flickered.
He knew Team Rocket possessed quite a few treasure maps, and he also knew that several of them led to real treasure.
He simply hadn’t redeemed one right away due to his immediate needs, planning to save it for later.
He hadn’t expected that the first group of people he encountered out here would be a treasure-hunting trio.
He had a slight recollection of the chubby youth.
That boy used a Koffing with yellow potential.
Its level wasn’t very high, but the Koffing’s talent was indeed decent.
As for the other two, Aoki had no real impression of them.
Regardless, since they had met in the wild and carried something he was interested in, a battle was inevitable.
Aoki’s mind raced.
If he was going to strike, he had to be fully prepared.
The chubby youth’s Koffing was a formidable opponent; the main unknown was whether it had learned Explosion.
Standing at this distance, his microchip couldn’t scan its data yet.
Judging from its appearance, the green-clothed youth’s Zubat seemed decently raised.
As for the short kid’s Oddish, it took double damage from Murkrow’s Flying type, so it wasn’t a major threat.
Facing three trained Pokémon was quite different from dealing with a single wild Pokémon.
Fortunately, Murkrow had been growing at a rapid pace lately.
With a quick glance, Murkrow’s status appeared before Aoki’s eyes: [Pokémon: Murkrow (Green)] [Gender: Male] [Level: 12] [Type: Dark, Flying] [Ability: Prankster (Allows status moves to take priority)] [Held Item: None] [Egg Moves: Punishment, Feint Attack, Roost] [Basic Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze] [Tutor Moves: Snatch, Tailwind, Gust] [Technical Machines: None] After two days of continuous battles, Murkrow had gained another level and learned Haze and Gust.
Aoki lay flat on the ground and commando-crawled forward.
The dense grass of the forest provided him with excellent cover, while Murkrow pressed against his back, not daring to make a sound.
Aoki stopped when he was less than five meters away from the trio.
This was the absolute limit; getting any closer risked discovery.
This distance was already close enough for the microchip to run a scan.
A gleam flashed in his eyes as the data for the three Pokémon appeared before him.
Just as he expected, there was a Level 14 Koffing with yellow potential that had not learned Explosion, and a Level 13 Zubat with orange potential.
What surprised Aoki was that the short kid’s Oddish also possessed yellow potential, though it was only Level 11—a clear sign of poor training.
Now that he knew their stats, Aoki’s strategy became clear.
No matter how low the Oddish’s level was or how weak its combat power was, it was still a Pokémon.
A three-on-one fight was always harder than a two-on-one.
Furthermore, Oddish took double damage from Murkrow, making it the prime target!
“Murkrow, activate Tailwind.
Focus the Oddish first.
Use Gust for a ranged strike, then immediately close in with Peck to take it out!” Aoki whispered softly, keeping his voice at a level only the two of them could hear.
Murkrow nodded firmly.
After several days of battling together, a tacit understanding had developed between him and Aoki.
With just a slight hint, he knew exactly what to do.
Aoki held up three fingers, signaling the countdown.
As he folded his fingers back one by one, a pale white air current materialized around Murkrow.
Amidst his black and white plumage, the Pokémon’s gaze grew razor-sharp.
One!
The last finger dropped.
*Whoosh!* Murkrow’s wings snapped downward violently.
A powerful gust of wind surged through the grass, flattening the lush vegetation and exposing the prone Aoki.
Shaking his head helplessly, Aoki slowly stood up.
In a split second, Murkrow closed the distance to the Oddish.
To the horror of the three trainers, blades of powerful wind burst from its wings, aimed straight at the stunned Oddish.
Gust!
A Flying-type move that would deal massive damage to Oddish if it hit.
Reacting quickly, the three youths immediately rolled aside, clearing out of Murkrow’s line of fire.
Surprisingly, the heavy-set youth proved to be the most agile.
Following their trainers’ movements, Koffing and Zubat snapped back to their senses and scrambled to dodge.
The twin gusts of wind struck Oddish in an instant, slamming viciously into its body before it could react!
*Bang!
Bang!* With two loud thuds, Oddish collapsed onto the ground beneath the assault, leaving a slight crater in the dirt—proof of how powerful Murkrow’s attack had become.
Taking advantage of everyone being busy dodging, Murkrow rushed forward right after releasing Gust, raining down a barrage of Pecks onto Oddish!
“Koffing, Tackle!” “Zubat, use Bite!” The two older boys snapped back to reality and quickly issued orders.
“Murkrow, dodge!” Since he was already exposed, Aoki had no intention of hiding.
Seeing them command their Pokémon, he immediately ordered Murkrow to evade.
Murkrow pushed off the ground, narrowly dodging the incoming attacks from both Pokémon.
Although Oddish wasn’t dead, it was on the verge of fainting.
“Oddish!” The short boy cried out, his voice choked with tears as he looked at his fallen partner.
Though panicked, he didn’t dare step forward; his thin, weak body couldn’t take a single hit from Murkrow.
The chubby youth glanced at the weeping boy on the ground, his face stiffening as he spat out a single word: “Useless!” Finally getting a clear look at their attacker, both the chubby youth and the green-clothed boy frowned.
They clearly recognized Aoki as the runner-up from the initial test.
“It’s you!
The lucky runner-up!” the chubby boy said coldly.
The corners of Aoki’s lips curled upward.
He smiled at them without saying a word.
Apparently, the trick he used during the test had spread throughout the base, leading most people to believe he had merely relied on an opportunistic gimmick.
Aoki didn’t bother explaining.
“Don’t think coming in second through cheap tricks makes you special!
It’s nothing more than petty cleverness.
Instead of hiding like a good little rat, you actually dared to ambush us—you’re looking for death!” While speaking, the chubby boy surreptitiously signaled the green-clothed youth with his eyes to attack.
Understanding the sign, the green-clothed youth shouted, “Zubat, get close and use Wing Attack!” “Koffing, Smog!” “Murkrow, Gust!
Blow the Smog away!” Aoki responded with complete composure.
Influenced by Aoki’s calm demeanor, Murkrow showed no sign of nervousness either.
Facing Murkrow’s Gust, Zubat tanked the damage while rapidly closing the gap, its wing glowing faintly as it swung toward Murkrow.
The Smog was blown away by Gust, but just as Murkrow cleared the haze, Koffing swooped in close as well.
Struck by Zubat’s Wing Attack, Murkrow tumbled back several meters.
Although he took damage, his current physique was sturdy enough that it wouldn’t hinder his combat performance.
“Koffing, Assurance!” Seeing Murkrow get hit, the chubby youth hastily ordered.
Assurance was a move that doubled in power if the target had already taken damage that turn.
At this moment, its base power reached a staggering 120.
A direct hit would be lethal to Murkrow.
“Murkrow, don’t forget your speed.
Full power Tailwind, dodge it!” Aoki remained unbothered by the high power of Assurance.
No matter how strong a move was, it was useless if it couldn’t land.
“Feint Attack on Zubat!” With Tailwind fully active, Murkrow’s speed surged.
After easily dodging Koffing’s charge, he zipped right past it to close in on Zubat.
“Dodge it, Zubat!” the green-clothed youth yelled frantically.
Unfortunately, Feint Attack was a move that rarely missed.
*Thud!* Murkrow’s sharp beak struck Zubat hard.
The moment the blow connected, Murkrow disengaged immediately, refusing to linger.