"Alright, this guy won't die."
Aoki channeled the power of Viridian to stabilize the Pokémon hunter's injuries, ensuring he wouldn't succumb. If it were just Aoki, he wouldn't have wasted time, but May's kindness had left a good impression on him.
After all, May was still young.
"Brother Aoki, let's free these Pokémon."
May's eyes filled with concern as she saw the caged Pokémon, their frightened gazes pleading for help. Her empathy made Aoki sigh—she was still too soft-hearted.
"Boss Lairon, use Brick Break."
With a heavy thud, Boss Lairon's steel-clad paw gleamed with white light before slamming down. The thick iron bars shattered, breaking apart like fragile twigs. The imprisoned Pokémon—Weezing, Arbok, and several other captured species—slithered or floated out, their eyes flickering with gratitude before they quickly fled into the forest.
But one silver-white figure remained. It didn't run. Instead, it cautiously stepped toward Boss Lairon, its large, round eyes filled with admiration.
"Huh? No way… an Aron?"
Aoki blinked in surprise as the small Pokémon approached Boss Lairon. He immediately scanned it with his system, and the data made his expression shift.
Pokémon: Aron
Type: Steel/Rock
Ability: Heavy Metal
Potential: Elite
Moves: [Tackle], [Harden], [Metal Claw], [Rock Tomb]
Egg Move: Earthquake
A rare Elite-qualified Aron. That explained why it hadn't run—perhaps it had recognized Boss Lairon as a powerful evolution it wished to emulate.
Pokémon with innate talent like this were hard to come by. Unlike the usual captured Pokémon that hunters abused and discarded, this one had incredible potential. Given proper training, it could easily surpass many pseudo-Legendary Pokémon.
Yet, despite the temptation, Aoki shook his head.
Having two Aggron would be redundant. His Boss Lairon had already been trained for a year and had an unshakable bond with him. Splitting resources between two of the same evolutionary line would be inefficient. And Elite-level Pokémon required a massive investment of Celadon Berries and Rainbow Fruits—Aoki didn't have the luxury to raise both.
He glanced at May.
"May, this Aron doesn't seem to want to leave. Why don't you take it?"
May's eyes widened. "Me?"
Aoki smiled, handing her an Ultra Ball. "Yeah. I already have a Boss Lairon, so raising another Aron would be a waste. But you…" He patted her head lightly. "I think you'd do a great job raising it."
May hesitated for only a second before crouching down to meet Aron's gaze. "Aron, do you want to come with me?"
The small Steel-type Pokémon glanced at Boss Lairon, then back at May. After a brief pause, it tapped the Ultra Ball with its snout, letting itself be captured.
The Poké Ball wobbled twice before clicking shut.
"I did it! I caught a Pokémon!"
May jumped up and struck a triumphant pose, her excitement radiating off her.
Aoki: "…"
Her pose reminded him of Ash Ketchum from the manga—borderline cringe, yet undeniably earnest.
Realizing what she had done, May's face flushed red with embarrassment. "I… I don't normally do that…" She looked away in shame, her hands covering her face.
Aoki chuckled. "It's fine. Honestly, I think it suits you. Now, let's finish up here."
He grabbed some rope, tied up the Pokémon hunter, and confiscated his Poké Balls. There was no way he was leaving a poacher with his Pokémon. With that done, Aoki and May left the forest.
The Next Day
After walking for a full day, Aoki finally reached the nearest town and handed over the Pokémon hunter to Officer Jenny.
"Thank you so much," Jenny said, scanning the tied-up criminal. "This guy has been on our wanted list for a while. Since you captured him, you're entitled to the bounty."
Aoki nodded, accepting the reward. Not bad, an extra sum of money to fund my training efforts.
Meanwhile, the Pokémon hunter gritted his teeth, still furious. "Stupid brat! Just wait—when I get out of here, I'll make you regret this!"
Aoki raised an eyebrow. His foot shot forward. Stomp!
"Oops," Aoki said, his expression completely neutral. "I accidentally stepped on someone."
Beside him, Torchic pecked at the Pokémon hunter's arm.
"Chic!" (Oops, I accidentally pecked someone.)
If Froakie and Boss Lairon weren't in their Poké Balls, they'd probably be joining in, too.
"Damn it, you rotten brats! Don't you see this?! Officer Jenny, aren't you gonna stop them?!"
The Pokémon hunter, now practically foaming at the mouth, turned his fury on Officer Jenny.
Aoki smirked. Big mistake, buddy.
Jenny's friendly smile vanished. She raised her foot—and stomped down on his other leg.
"My bad," she said coolly. "I slipped."
The Pokémon hunter immediately went silent, his face pale. He had just realized a universal truth: you do not mess with Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy in this world.
Aoki crossed his arms, watching in amusement.
"I think he learned his lesson."
And with that, they left the station, ready for the next adventure.