On the road to progress again.
At this time, the Pokémon under Aoki's feet changed from Drapion to Venusaur.
Drapion ended his land mount career gloriously and directly.
Although Venusaur had just been captured, this Pokémon had a gentle and honest personality. After being tamed by Aoki, it followed his orders without hesitation.
Its combat capability might be weaker than that of Drapion, given the lack of prior battle experience with Aoki, but it required no commands to act, and its natural survival instincts from living in the wild made it reliable.
In addition to its sturdy limbs, Venusaur could summon vine whips at any moment to shield Aoki from potential threats.
Aoki stood atop Venusaur, flanked by: Blaziken, Aggron, Swampert, and Politoed.
Their pace remained steady—neither too fast nor too slow.
The factions that had already established themselves near the Tree of Life were likely settled, so there was no need to rush.
Moving at this speed also allowed the Pokémon to train further.
After absorbing so much energy from the energy pool, they had not yet fully assimilated it. Battling would help them refine that energy into their own strength.
Moreover, Venusaur's sheer size made it impossible to go unnoticed. Any territory they entered would be met with immediate attention.
However, as they progressed, they encountered no groups as formidable as the Venusaur tribe.
Most of the wild Pokémon leaders were at the peak of the pseudo-Champion level.
For wild Pokémon, breaking through to Champion level without extraordinary opportunities was exceedingly difficult.
This was why the Venusaur tribe could dominate wherever they went.
They fought as they moved.
After a day's journey, Aoki finally arrived near the Tree of Life.
Only upon approaching it could one truly grasp its enormity.
This colossal tree had grown in just a single day.
Its highest branches stretched to the very top of the space, while its sprawling canopy covered nearly a third of the area.
If conditions allowed, an entire town could be built upon its massive branches.
Compared to this tree, humans were no larger than ants.
It was almost inconceivable that such a tree could exist within this space.
Even Venusaur, massive as it was, paled in comparison to the Tree of Life.
As they drew closer, signs of human presence became evident.
By now, it seemed everyone in the space had congregated here.
Aoki recalled Venusaur—its presence was far too conspicuous.
Instead, he concealed himself and approached the Tree of Life stealthily.
Perhaps by sheer luck, the first human he encountered wore the uniform of the Pokémon League.
Most telling was the League badge pinned to his chest.
After observing him discreetly for some time, Aoki noted that his mannerisms and behavior matched those of a League member.
Still, caution was necessary.
Aoki commanded Gengar to slip into the man's shadow undetected while using psychic energy to obscure his own face.
This League member might have been among the first group to escape alongside Steven and his allies.
With a flicker of movement, Aoki appeared on a branch above him.
"Wait—"
Aoki froze mid-step.
At the last second, he noticed something off.
The man's attire, his League badge, his mannerisms—everything screamed League affiliation.
But this was no ordinary situation.
They were deep within hostile territory, surrounded by organizations that would gladly exploit any League presence.
Without someone like Drake overseeing them, these League members would be easy prey.
Yet here was one, wandering alone some distance from the Tree of Life, making no effort to hide his identity.
What did that mean?
Either he was recklessly overconfident—or this was a trap.
And since he hadn't even detected Gengar lurking in his shadow, overconfidence was unlikely.
There was only one explanation:
He was bait.
Someone was fishing for League stragglers.
And Aoki had nearly taken the bait.
Silently, Aoki released Slowking.
"Slowking, scan the area. See if anyone else is nearby."
Aoki admitted he'd grown careless. His recent surge in power had dulled his wariness.
Thankfully, he'd realized the danger just in time.
Slowking's voice echoed in his mind.
Now fully evolved, Slowking functioned as a living radar, its psychic senses vast.
Unless the opponents had psychic-types or powerful psychics of their own, they wouldn't detect Slowking's sweep.
But that required significant skill—something most lacked.
Hearing Slowking's report, Aoki's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them.
Someone had mistaken him for prey.
Well, then—let's see how they reacted when their bait vanished.
"Gengar, subdue him. We're taking him with us."
Aoki's command reached Gengar telepathically.
Without hesitation, Gengar's ghostly energy surged from the man's shadow, enveloping him before he could react.
Not a sound was made.
The man vanished, swallowed by darkness.
Moments later, Gengar reappeared beside Aoki, the unconscious League member in tow.
With Slowking's teleportation, they disappeared from the tree.
Meanwhile, several figures watching from a distance stiffened.
They exchanged glances, shock evident in their expressions.
None dared approach immediately.
Only when one of the braver scouts stepped forward did they confirm—no trace remained.
As if the man had evaporated.
"Damn it! Report this to the boss—now!"
The others didn't argue. Mounting their Pokémon, they sped off.
Unseen, the space above the treetops twisted.
Aoki reappeared, watching the retreating figures with a cold smirk.
"Once you hook a shark, feeding it isn't so easy."
He patted Slowking's back.
Understanding, Slowking teleported them again, trailing the fleeing scouts.
Hidden enemies were the most dangerous. Now that they'd exposed themselves, Aoki had the advantage.
The space warped once more.
Aoki and Slowking materialized on a branch just behind the fleeing group.
He needed to know which faction this was—and how their forces were positioned.
Most importantly, he needed to assess the current state of the space.
With his objective clear, Aoki and Slowking vanished again.