By the time Aoki and Murkrow reacted, a light purple Pokémon stood before them with the wild rabbit pinned behind it.
The creature bared its claws and teeth, aggressively claiming the prey.
It had expended a great deal of effort flushing the rabbit out of the bushes, only to find its prize killed by the intruder the moment it emerged.
Fortunately, it had been quick enough to snatch the carcass away just in time.
[Pokémon: Rattata (Red)] [Gender: Male] [Level: 10] [Type: Normal] [Ability: Run Away] [Held Item: None] [Egg Moves: None] [Basic Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Bite] [Tutor Moves: None] [TM Moves: None] The creature standing before them was a Rattata, and the lightning-fast move it had used to steal the rabbit was Quick Attack.
“Kaaah!” Seeing its newly killed dinner snatched away and receiving a threat in return, Murkrow refused to back down.
It let out an imposing cry, its pale yellow beak gleaming with cold lethal intent.
Had Aoki not been standing beside it, the bird would have already launched an angry assault.
A Rattata with red potential was one of the most common sights on the island.
Although it was two levels higher than Murkrow, a raw numerical level alone could never reflect a true gap in combat strength.
“Since you stepped up on your own, you might as well serve as Murkrow’s first opponent,” Aoki said impassively.
In truth, he had suspected something when the rabbit first burst into the open.
Rabbits were not stupid; it would not have abandoned a safe thicket to offer itself up as food without a predator pressing it from behind.
“Murkrow, Tailwind!” Aoki commanded.
At his word, gentle breezes gathered around Murkrow, making its body feel weightless.
Tailwind—a status move that boosted the speed of the entire team.
A faint curl touched the corner of Aoki’s mouth.
Real combat was nothing like a turn-based game.
There was no waiting for the opponent to take an action.
As long as you were fast enough, your enemy would be stuck on the receiving end.
Murkrow possessed a base Speed stat of 91, and augmented by Tailwind, even a Rattata—a species famous for its speed—could not match it.
“Peck!” Aoki ordered coldly.
First rule of the jungle: survival of the fittest.
The strong never showed mercy to the weak.
A streak of dark shadow cut through the forest, the evening gloom providing perfect cover.
Before the Rattata could even react, the sharp beak slammed hard into its body.
“Squeeeak!” The wild rat shrieked in pain.
Only now did it realize that this ink-black bird was far beyond its ability to provoke.
It spun around instantly, desperate to flee.
“Murkrow, Astonish!” Knowing this Rattata had the Run Away ability, Aoki was not about to let it slip away.
A harsh, terrifying shriek erupted from Murkrow.
Still reeling from the physical strike, the Rattata froze in place upon hearing the frightening screech.
Naturally timid, the wild rat lost all presence of mind, completely paralyzed by fear.
Astonish used a sudden scream to strike the opponent, carrying a 30% chance to cause flinching.
In actual battle, however, as long as moves were chained seamlessly, the chance of inflicting flinch was far higher than a mere stat sheet implied.
This Rattata was the first to experience this tactic, but it would certainly not be the last.
“Press the advantage.
Murkrow, use Peck repeatedly!” Aoki showed no emotion during battle.
An enemy was an enemy, no matter how weak they appeared.
Second rule of the jungle: never soften your heart because an opponent seems frail, for you never know what danger lurks behind them.
After another round of strikes, the Rattata lost its ability to fight.
Murkrow prepared to pull back.
“Keep going!” Aoki’s voice rang out again, cold enough to chill a listener to the bone, like swallowing a block of ice.
Murkrow hesitated, glancing at Aoki and then down at the limp Rattata on the ground.
A flicker of reluctance crossed its eyes, but the bird quickly forced it down.
Its sharp beak struck again and again, refusing to stop until the Rattata’s breath left its body entirely.
A soft warmth flashed deep within Aoki’s eyes, but it vanished instantly.
On this dog-eat-dog trial island, showing mercy was a death sentence.
Even the weakest foe could not be taken lightly.
Murkrow had not disappointed him; though it had hesitated briefly, Aoki found that completely understandable for its very first kill.
Only by forging a bloodthirsty edge here could a trainer establish a firm foothold in Team Rocket.
Red was the color that inspired true terror, a lesson Aoki had taken years to fully grasp in his previous life.
Now, he needed to instill it into his Pokémon from the start.
To survive, you had to kill.
Carve a path out with blood.
Quietly picking up the wild rabbit, Aoki let Murkrow flap its wings and land on his shoulder.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, a silent tacit understanding between human and bird was beginning to take shape.
*Sizzle…
Sizzle…* Golden fat dripped from the roasting rabbit, sizzling as it hit the open fire.
Even without spices, the naturally rich game meat released a mouthwatering aroma as it turned over the flames.
Murkrow hopped eagerly on the ground, its eyes glued to the roasting meat.
It had never smelled anything so tempting before, and the urge to feed made it unable to sit still.
Aoki sat nearby, looking at the restless bird with a small smile.
“It’s almost done.
Be patient.” Before long, the meat was thoroughly cooked.
Aoki tore off a hind leg for himself and gave the rest to Murkrow.
Thanks to the island’s pristine ecosystem, the rabbit was much plumper than expected.
In his current weakened state, a single leg was more than enough for Aoki’s stomach.
A comforting warmth bloomed inside his torso as food finally reached his system, slowly restoring a trace of strength to his depleted body.
Watching Murkrow devour the rest of the rabbit in a few quick bites, Aoki let out a long breath.
A malnourished body had to be nursed back to health slowly.
Murkrow had suffered similar physical deficits, and its recovery would also take time.
If they wanted to accelerate the process, they would need proper conditioning using specialized herbs and berries.
*Chip, search for Pokéblock recipes that can quickly replenish depleted bodies and restore a Pokémon’s innate potential,* Aoki commanded mentally.
Pokéblocks—one of the primary tools of a Pokémon Breeder.
As the host of the Chip, how could he not exploit this advantage?
In his past life, Aoki had been an exceptional Pokémon Breeder, even if he had never taken the official League certification exams.
Crafting Pokéblocks was precisely his greatest specialty.
Making Pokéblocks required measuring ingredients down to a thousandth of a gram and timing actions to a thousandth of a millisecond.
Ordinary people had to rely on intuition and experience, which often led to inconsistent quality between batches.
For Aoki, however, it was effortless.
By handing precise execution over to the Chip, every single block he produced turned out identical, as if stamped from the same mold.
The vast library of Pokéblock recipes stored within the Chip was one of his greatest assets.
Given sufficient raw materials, he could rapidly accelerate a Pokémon’s growth without wasting a single shred of its natural talent.
The moment the command was issued, detailed lists of ingredients and effects unfolded before his eyes.