Not until the eggshell was completely peeled off did the appearance of the Pokemon inside become fully revealed. The way it curled up with its eyes closed and knees hugged was very cute and a little adorable. Its body was blue, like a puppy. The legs and lower torso were black, with a blue tail and a pale yellow collar. On the back of its front paw, there was a white round lump which would eventually grow into a spike when it evolved into Lucario. In addition, there were black lines on its face that resembled a mask. Its eyelids trembled slightly, and its eyes slowly opened, revealing a pair of red eyes without any impurities as it looked at Aoki.
Riolu!
"Woo--" Riolu murmured softly, and its eyes showed immediate intimacy and affection when it looked at Aoki. The fur on Riolu's body, which was originally stuck together from the moisture of the egg, suddenly became fluffy and dry after it opened its eyes, making it look even cuter. "Woo—" Riolu cried out again, then jumped up and threw itself into Aoki's arms. Its little nose twitched as it sniffed the scent on Aoki's body, as if it wanted to commit it to memory. For some reason, it felt very close to Aoki upon seeing him for the first time, as Aoki gave off a very comfortable and warm feeling that was deeply reassuring.
Aoki smiled and reached out to gently stroke Riolu's back a few times. Needless to say, the blessing of Aura on his body had played a significant role in this instant bond. This Riolu, having just hatched, had already become very dependent on and close to Aoki. Feeling the warmth of Aoki's palm, Riolu squinted its eyes comfortably, its little blue tail swaying gently from side to side, a clear sign of its happiness and contentment. Not only did Riolu look like a puppy, but its personality was also very similar, eager for affection and approval.
Aoki took out a Pokeblock that he had prepared long ago from his pocket and placed it in front of Riolu. Of course, Riolu's keen puppy-like nose smelled the enticing scent the first time, and a look of surprise appeared on its face. It looked at Aoki, then at the Pokeblock in his hand, as if asking, is this for me? Aoki smiled and nodded, then placed it directly into Riolu's small palms. There was a small soft pad on its fingers, which felt very comfortable to touch. At this time, Riolu was still very small, almost the size of Aoki's palm. It held the Pokeblock in both hands and began eating it eagerly.
Taking advantage of this moment, Aoki used his system to scan Riolu's information, checking the status of the newly hatched Pokemon.
Pokémon: Riolu (Light Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 1
Attribute: Fighting
Ability: Steadfast
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Cross Chop, High Jump Kick, Blaze Kick, Comet Punch
Basic Moves: Foresight, Quick Attack, Endure
TM Moves: None
There was not much difference in the rest of the data, but in terms of potential, it had changed from the original dark green to a promising light blue. This change might have been the reason the Pokemon egg had cracked prematurely. It was precisely because the Pokemon egg was damaged that the special ointment Aoki had applied was more effective; part of it was used to repair the eggshell, but a large part was directly absorbed by the developing Riolu inside. When Pokemon are in the egg state, especially when they are not yet fully formed, the changes that can be made to them at this time are the greatest, even more profound than those brought about by evolution itself. Aoki was still very satisfied with the changes in Riolu's potential. After all, Riolu only has one evolution, so opportunities to enhance its core strength are fewer. An upgrade at the moment of hatching was an excellent start.
After Riolu finished hatching, the rest of Aoki's Pokemon gathered around to greet and congratulate the newborn member of their team. Riolu is a very sensitive Pokemon, capable of sensing the emotions and states of other people or Pokemon, and it immediately felt welcomed and accepted by everyone. Its eyes narrowed with happiness and its tail wagged even more joyfully as it finished the first Pokeblock and was promptly given a second one, which it ate quickly. After eating the second piece, it was full, its small stomach content given its tiny body. Riolu, having just been born and now full, grew tired quickly and fell asleep peacefully in Aoki's warm palm.
Aoki smiled fondly and took out a Friend Ball that he had prepared long ago for this moment and carefully captured the sleeping Riolu. His system scanned Riolu's body one more time, confirming it was in very good condition after birth. Because it is a Fighting-type Pokemon, it inherently has a healthy and robust physique, so it was perfectly safe to capture it directly with a Poke Ball. Furthermore, this specific Poke Ball, the Friend Ball, is designed to be the most comfortable and accommodating of all Poke Balls, ensuring it would not cause any stress or damage to the newborn Riolu. Using the Friend Ball would also accelerate the bonding process, deepening the understanding and favorability between Aoki and Riolu. Aoki believed that once Riolu entered its rapid growth period, it would soon be able to evolve into a powerful Lucario. Lucario, a Fighting- and Steel-type Pokemon, could actually be integrated into his planned Sandstorm team, providing valuable type coverage and synergy.
Now that his Tyranitar had completed its evolution, Aoki was ready to put the formal formation of his Sandstorm Team on his immediate agenda. In addition, the development of his Rain Team had been delayed due to various reasons and unforeseen circumstances. In the next period of time, Aoki knew he would need to focus his main energy on cultivating experience for his second and third tier Pokemon, ensuring his entire roster was battle-ready. After putting away the sleeping Riolu, Aoki also returned his other Pokemon to their Poke Balls one by one, each giving them a word of praise or a pat. Then, with the help of his Slowking's increasingly powerful and precise psychic powers, he used Instant Teleportation and disappeared silently from the backyard.
...
Three days later.
A cold-looking, pale young man with dark hair, wearing entirely black clothes and black pants, arrived in the bustling town of Vermillion City. The young man walked with a confident purpose through the streets of Vermillion City, his demeanor and the conspicuous Team Rocket cadre medal on his chest attracting a lot of wary attention from passersby. Before he knew it, Aoki, who was in a period of rapid physical growth, had grown to a height of 1.8 meters, forcing him to purchase new, better-fitting clothes during his time in Goldenrod City; otherwise, he would not have had any suitable clothes to wear. Sometimes it felt very inconvenient not being able to use Slowking's teleportation for every journey, especially over shorter distances. The absence of the thin human skin mask on his face now also made him feel more exposed and recognizable, which was occasionally uncomfortable given his line of work.
He soon arrived at the entrance of the Viridian Gym, the public facade of the Team Rocket headquarters. Just like during his last visit, after undergoing a special and thorough security inspection, he was granted entry and went directly into the concealed Team Rocket base beneath the gym. When he came again this time, Aoki walked with even greater confidence and authority. Because of the prominent cadre medal displayed on his chest, none of the grunts he passed in the halls dared to look him directly in the eyes, instead offering respectful nods. He walked straight to the door of Giovanni's office with his hands in his pockets, his footsteps echoing softly in the corridor.
Dongdong——
He knocked on the heavy door gently but firmly.
"Come in." A powerful and familiar voice came from inside the room.
Aoki pushed the door open and walked in. He saw that there was no one in the room except for Giovanni himself. He glanced subtly at some of the darker corners of the room out of the corner of his eye from behind his sunglasses, a habit born of caution. There was no sign of the mysterious operative known as Dark. There was only Giovanni and himself in the whole room. It seemed that there might be a secret mission of some importance that he alone had to carry out this time, a mission that required discretion.
"Chief," Aoki said, bowing his head respectfully in greeting.
Giovanni simply waved his hand, a dismissive gesture that acknowledged Aoki's presence and deference.
"You're here."
"Yes, I came as soon as I received the summons. I wonder what arrangements the leader has made?" Aoki asked curiously.