Name: Trapinch (nickname: "Big Ant")
Qualification: Elite
Name: Trapinch (nickname: "Big Ant")
Qualification: Quasi-Elite
Name: Vibrava
Qualification: Elite
Aoki scanned the data on his Pokédex and confirmed what he had sensed through the Viridian aura—there were hundreds of Trapinch in the underground colony. However, only a handful qualified as Elite-tier. Most had Gym-level or Quasi-Elite aptitude, typical for wild Pokémon with no battle experience.
Still, while Trapinch—known in his internal records as "Big Ants"—had limited base stats at first evolution, their final evolution into Flygon changed everything. Flygon were rare Dragon/Ground-types with high mobility, decent stats, and resistance to Electric and Rock moves. Although less powerful than Salamence or Garchomp, they were incredibly versatile—especially in desert environments like this one.
"Kamizrai, go ahead and catch this Elite-level Trapinch," Aoki instructed without hesitation. "And make sure the rest don't end up in the hands of the police."
Kamizrai blinked in surprise, then smiled. She understood immediately.
Aoki was already thinking of others: a Trapinch for Naqi's strategic unit, one for May to raise under her brother's mentorship, and another for Shelly as part of the internal security team. He'd also considered Cynthia—even though she had access to powerful Pokémon, she had openly admitted she lacked a quality Flygon in her collection.
Aoki smirked. "Even if she's rich, if the police get these before she does, she might get annoyed. Maybe even a little jealous."
"No problem," Kamizrai said, accepting the Poké Ball. "I'll take the Elite one. I'll temporarily leave Emolga with Professor Juniper for care and training."
Though Kamizrai favored Electric-types, she wasn't picky about strength. A Flygon raised properly would make an excellent addition to her team.
For the rest of the Pokémon, Aoki quickly sorted through them with his Pokédex. He kept a few with Elite-level potential for future use, while tagging several Quasi-Elite ones for gifting or alliance-building. He selected one such Quasi-Elite Trapinch specifically for Max—May's younger brother—as previously promised. Elite qualifications were too valuable to hand out casually, and giving away a Quasi-Elite one was already a significant gesture.
Aoki then approached the few high-ranking leaders among the colony. Several Flygon—the evolved forms—were still recovering from earlier battles. He used his Viridian aura to soothe them gently, healing their wounds and winning their trust.
He had to be careful here. If he sent them directly back to Professor Birch's research institute without warning, the entire place might be leveled within the hour.
Eventually, the lead Flygon stirred, blinking awake. It looked around warily but did not attack—thanks to the soothing aura radiating from Aoki.
"Let me explain," Aoki said calmly. "What would you say if I offered to relocate your group to a safer place?"
The Flygon tilted its head.
"Yes, I know you're used to living here," Aoki added, noting the territorial instinct typical of Dragon-types. "But staying will put your entire colony in danger. I have intelligence confirming that research groups are heading here. You've seen how strong my team is. Those people are far worse—and they won't stop at just studying you."
Flygon's wings buzzed uncertainly.
"If you follow me, you'll live freely in a new sanctuary—and I'll make sure you eat the best food every day. No traps. No pain. Just freedom and care."
He reached into his bag and retrieved a high-grade nutritional cube—something normally reserved for his own Pokémon. He tossed it to the Flygon, who cautiously took a bite.
Its eyes lit up. Flavor, energy, and restoration hit all at once.
The others gathered around curiously. Aoki's combination of diplomacy, Viridian aura, and culinary bribery was too effective to resist. Even Flygon, a proud species in the Pokémon Adventures manga that rarely trusted humans, began to soften.
He took advantage of the moment, sending out Poké Balls and gently capturing all the Flygon and the strongest Trapinch and Vibrava. Within minutes, the entire upper hierarchy of the colony had been subdued and safely sealed in his storage system.
Then, using his Pokédex's linked transport system, he transferred all captured Pokémon directly to Professor Birch's lab.
Kamizrai watched the entire operation, clearly impressed. "You just… turned an entire colony with your words."
Aoki shrugged. "Call it charisma. Or maybe they just liked my snacks."
His hair crackled slightly with leftover energy from his Viridian Power—a subtle sign that even Pokémon understood his sincerity.
Back at Professor Birch's lab, alarms rang as hundreds of Poké Balls appeared in the system transfer.
"Huh?" Birch blinked at the incoming data stream. "What's all this? From Aoki?!"
He rushed to the research yard and activated the release protocol.
One by one, Flygon, Vibrava, and Trapinch emerged—nearly two hundred Pokémon in total. The yard buzzed with energy and sand as the Dragon- and Ground-types acclimated to their new surroundings.
"This is… quite a delivery," Birch muttered. "I know this area wasn't a restricted zone, but packing up a whole colony…?"
As he scanned the Pokémon, his brows furrowed. Many of the Flygon were already Quasi-Elite—and still, Aoki had caught them. That implied Aoki's current team included Pokémon powerful enough to dominate an entire advanced evolutionary group.
"This year's League Conference… Aoki might really go for Champion," Birch mused, deep in thought.
He turned to the Flygon. "Alright, everyone. Let me take you to Aoki's designated zone. You'll be able to dig there freely without wrecking the main lab."
Meanwhile, back near Dream Lake, Aoki surveyed the remaining Pokémon in the ecosystem. Most of them—Sandshrew, Cacnea, Silicobra—had base stats below 500 and lacked exceptional potential.
Still, Aoki used his scanner to ensure none of them had rare abilities or hidden evolutions. He passed over most, but double-checked for Elite-level qualifications just in case.
Unfortunately, none matched his current standards. But one final reward caught his eye—a golden treasure chest buried under a sandstone slab.
He cracked it open using his traditional log and discovered a new reward—Dual Profound Truth Fruits: one for the Water type, one for the Dark type.
"Looks like it's made for Greninja," Aoki muttered with a grin.
Without hesitation, he fed both Fruits to Greninja, hoping to unlock the next phase of potential. Unfortunately, Greninja still hadn't reached true Elite level, and the transformation stalled at the bottleneck. Stormdragon, his future Salamence, hadn't quite made the leap either.
"Just a little more," Aoki said quietly. "Soon."
"Kamizrai, we're done here. Let's wrap up. Make sure to raise your Trapinch properly—it's got great potential."
"Don't worry," Kamizrai said, holding the Poké Ball to her chest. "I'll train it well. I love Electric-types, but I want to be an all-around powerhouse—just like you."
She blushed slightly as she looked at Aoki. He had given her something irreplaceable—not just a Pokémon, but an opportunity to grow.
"Let's go," Aoki said, activating a final Teleport.
Moments later, they emerged on the desert surface. Kamizrai blinked as her eyes adjusted to the sun.
Before them lay the massive pit that had led them into Dream Lake.
Aoki stood at its edge, eyes narrowed in thought. "Today's haul… was massive. I didn't even keep most of it for myself—but the strategic value? Priceless."
He turned, cape billowing in the breeze.
And just like that, they moved forward toward the next chapter of their journey.
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