Aoki stayed in Slateport City (Yinyu City) for several days, enjoying the temporary peace. But he couldn't stay in this peaceful harbor forever. The path of a trainer was long and winding, and his journey had to continue.
Outside the Pokémon Center, Naki stood by the entrance, gazing at Aoki with reluctant eyes. The days they spent together were brief but meaningful—enough to leave a deep impression on her.
"Naki, I'm heading out. Keep training hard, and try to evolve that Shiny Taillow soon. It has real potential."
"I will! And you be careful too! Don't slack off just because you're strong already."
With mutual encouragement and a sense of lingering emotion, the two finally parted ways.
Kamizlei, as always, followed Aoki, her presence steady and calm. Together, they exited Slateport and entered the lush, sprawling Petalburg Woods to the north. Aoki's eyes scanned the traditional treasure map, and soon he locked onto the coordinates of a silver treasure chest. He wasted no time—these chests often held rare berries or even valuable technical machines.
As they journeyed deeper into the forest, Aoki encountered all kinds of wild Pokémon. From Zigzagoon to Shroomish and even the occasional Mightyena, his team, particularly Ralts and his Iron Dumbbell, was constantly fighting. Most of his Pokémon had already evolved—Ralts had evolved into Kirlia and was close to Gardevoir, but Iron Dumbbell remained in its base form.
That changed today.
Aoki had placed a particular focus on training Iron Dumbbell. It was a Shiny Pokémon—its silver-blue steel body gleaming uniquely—and held Champion-tier potential. It had proven its worth in battle after battle. Storm, his Salamence, had also begun as a rare Bagon. Now fully evolved, Storm had already reached the pinnacle of the quasi-Elite tier, so Aoki had every reason to believe Metagross would be just as powerful, perhaps even more so.
"Iron Dumbbell, use Iron Head!"
The Iron Dumbbell launched itself forward like a cannonball, striking a wild Beedrill cleanly. The Beedrill buzzed violently before crashing to the ground, defeated.
Iron Dumbbell returned to Aoki, floating beside his shoulder, its single eye gleaming with pride.
"Well done. You're getting sharper and more precise with each battle."
Aoki gently patted the Iron Dumbbell on its head. The Steel/Psychic-type happily nuzzled against him.
Kamizlei, watching from nearby, crossed her arms with a smile. "That little guy's strength is growing fast. A pity it's still missing more advanced moves."
"That's because it hasn't evolved yet," Aoki said with a shrug. "Once it becomes Metang, it'll naturally learn a stronger move set. Meteor Mash, Zen Headbutt, Agility—those are all waiting for it. Right now, it's just limited."
As if sensing the weight of those words, Iron Dumbbell suddenly glowed white—evolutionary light bursting forth from its body.
Aoki blinked in surprise, mouth twitching slightly. "Seriously? Just a few words of doubt and you're evolving now?"
Kamizlei laughed, patting Aoki on the shoulder. "Well, that's what happens when your Pokémon loves you enough to push itself."
"I guess so. Still, if I'd known it was that easy to trigger, I would've tried emotional guilt tripping a lot earlier."
The glowing body of Iron Dumbbell reshaped and expanded. When the light faded, a metallic, levitating creature with dual arms and a sleek steel-blue sheen hovered in the air—Metang.
"Congratulations, you evolved into Metang!"
The newly evolved Pokémon gave a metallic hum, its magnetically fused bodies clicking with energy. The silver sheen remained—proof it was a Shiny variant. Even in the dim forest light, it gleamed like a knight's armor.
"Metang, you're a beast already," Aoki murmured as he ran a hand along its frame.
Metang lowered itself, resting its metallic head against Aoki's shoulder like it had done as an Iron Dumbbell.
"Let's push ahead. I'm counting on you in the next few battles."
He opened his Pokédex to check the updated stats:
Name: Metang
Ability: Clear Body / Light Metal
Level: Gym-tier
Potential: Champion
Known Moves: Confusion, Metal Claw, Take Down, Bullet Punch, Zen Headbutt, Psychic, Agility, Meteor Mash…
Aoki's eyes lit up. "Champion qualification Pokémon are in a different league."
Metang had not only evolved—it had unlocked a much deeper move pool, including the powerful Meteor Mash and Zen Headbutt. This was a significant leap in combat effectiveness. As they progressed through the forest, Metang easily defeated groups of Grass- and Bug-type Pokémon. Shroomish, Beautifly, and even a Gloom were no match for the newly evolved Steel titan.
Meanwhile, Kamizlei was also progressing. Her Pokémon had undergone visible growth.
Her Lotad had evolved into a Lombre, then into a Ludicolo using a Water Stone. Her Spheal evolved into Sealeo and began mastering Ice Beam and Aurora Beam. Alongside her core Electric-types, she now had a balanced team.
Kamizlei's Pokémon Roster:
• Emolga (Superior-grade)
• Zebstrika (Gym-tier)
• Eelektross (quasi-Elite)
• Sealeo (Superior)
• Marshtomp (Superior)
• [Unhatched] Shinx Egg
All thanks to Aoki's guidance and energy cubes, Kamizlei's strength had grown substantially. She had the makings of a Gym Leader if she kept training—though Elite tier was still a challenge.
She looked at Aoki fondly. His support meant more than she let on.
Then came another battle.
"Metang, use Meteor Mash!"
A pair of glowing steel fists launched forward, striking a wild Vileplume head-on. The Grass/Poison-type let out a screech and collapsed into the grass, utterly defeated.
Aoki smirked. "Yeah, you're definitely strong now."
Metang hovered proudly. Whether it was type advantage or sheer force, Metang had proven its dominance.
Finally, Aoki opened his traditional treasure map again. There it was—the last silver chest in this section of Petalburg Woods. He tapped it.
"Congratulations, you have obtained a Sitrus Berry x10. Additional reward: Proficiency in Hacker Techniques."
Aoki blinked, then rubbed his temples.
"Sitrus Berries? Fine. Useful for high-level battles. But… hacker techniques? What, am I supposed to code in a world full of Pokémon?"
Kamizlei laughed. "Next thing we know, you'll be a soldier king, a genius doctor, and a business tycoon."
Aoki gave a dramatic sigh. "All I wanted was a good TM…"
They both laughed, the sound echoing through the trees.
For now, Aoki had his Metang. The road ahead was clearer than ever. The Ever Grande Conference awaited, and so did the world.
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