"It seems that we haven't settled things yet. They all want to test me," Aoki said, his face darkening as a dangerous glint flickered in his eyes. "Since they want to measure my strength, I'll show them just how vast the gap truly is."
Suppressing his intent to retaliate, Aoki signaled to his Murkrow and Slowpoke to remain calm and act as if nothing was amiss, but to stay vigilant.
"I wonder who it could be? Guga?" Aoki thought to himself. Despite his expression remaining neutral, his mind raced. Guga's Ekans came to mind. Aoki smirked at the thought. If Guga were capable of only this level of cunning, he wouldn't have kept his position of dominance for as long as he had in their previous lives.
"Or is it him?" Aoki muttered under his breath, a name surfacing in his mind: Soros. The ever-smiling, outwardly friendly Soros, who hid a petty and vengeful nature beneath his sunny façade. Aoki was nearly certain it was him.
Continuing along his route, Aoki pretended to remain unaware of his pursuers. Soros and his group followed from a significant distance, careful not to alert Aoki to their presence. In their eagerness to track him, they remained focused on his trail and missed any signs of Aoki's suspicion.
Intentionally, Aoki veered off the well-trodden beast path, leading his Murkrow and Slowpoke into a patch of tall, overgrown grass. Soros and his group hesitated but ultimately continued tracking him. Some among Soros's group grew impatient and suggested taking action immediately while Aoki was seemingly unprepared.
What they didn't realize was that their target was no ordinary trainer. Aoki had secured the first-place position in the trial for a reason, and their overconfidence would be their downfall.
Eventually, Aoki stopped at a secluded spot. "Slowpoke," he said quietly, "use Teleport to take us back to the spot where we were being tracked."
The Slowpoke's eyes glowed blue, and its psychic energy enveloped Aoki and Murkrow. Within moments, the trio vanished from sight.
Far behind, Soros and his group reached the area where Aoki had seemingly disappeared. Soros's expression turned serious, and Skye's face twisted in frustration.
"Damn it, he's gone," Skye muttered, glaring at the faint footprints that abruptly stopped.
Since Slowpoke had been floating alongside Aoki using Psychic, it had left no tracks behind, further confusing Soros and his group.
"He noticed us," Soros said grimly, his usual confident demeanor replaced by concern. He called his Koffing closer, wary of any sudden ambushes.
"Brother Soros, what's going on?" one of the five others asked, stepping forward.
Soros didn't respond immediately, but Skye spoke up, "Follow closely, and stay alert."
The man sighed in relief, assuming Aoki had merely evaded them and that they could pick up his trail again. Soros and Skye, however, weren't as optimistic. They both understood that Aoki wasn't someone to flee out of fear. The thought of Aoki's Murkrow's devastating attack weighed heavily on their minds.
Meanwhile, Aoki reappeared at the spot where he had been tracked earlier. His lips curled into a cold smile as he murmured, "Now, the hunters have become the prey."
The group's strength in numbers might have been an advantage in most cases, but Aoki wasn't an ordinary opponent. He understood the importance of absolute strength and seizing the initiative. Soros's group, apart from him, were inexperienced and had never truly been tested in life-and-death battles.
During his time on the trial island, Aoki had trained relentlessly. Not only had his Pokémon grown stronger, but he had also improved his own physical fitness. Daily high-intensity exercise, combined with a proper diet, had honed his body. While he wasn't overly muscular, his lean, agile physique was far superior to that of Soros and his group, who had grown complacent in the comfort of Team Rocket's base.
Aoki moved like a predator through the forest, effortlessly weaving between trees and tall grass. The obstacles that would slow down others were nothing to him. Within moments, he had closed the distance between himself and Soros's group, who were still cautiously searching for his trail.
Soros's team consisted of Koffing, Ekans, Rattata, Zubat, and Oddish. While these were standard Team Rocket Pokémon, their combined strength could pose a challenge. However, their lack of coordination and inexperience left them vulnerable.
In their search, the group had spread out slightly, despite Skye's warnings to maintain communication. This gave Aoki the perfect opportunity to pick them off one by one.
Pulling out a dagger from his Team Rocket-issued storage belt, Aoki turned to Murkrow and Slowpoke. "Be ready," he whispered, "It's time to hunt."