Aoki and the others lived in a spacious manor on the outskirts of Jubilife City, surrounded by lush greenery and well-maintained training grounds for their Pokémon. The air was always filled with the sounds of Pokémon practicing their moves, and the scent of blooming flowers carried on the breeze.
The first round of the Sinnoh League Tournament was in full swing, with battles taking place across various stadiums. The interval between matches, however, was much longer than Aoki and the others had anticipated. The second round wasn't expected to begin until a week later, leaving the competitors with ample free time to prepare.
Taking advantage of this break, Aoki and his companions secluded themselves in the manor, focusing on refining their strategies and strengthening their Pokémon. Aoki spent his time gathering information on Wallace's Pokémon, knowing that facing the future Hoenn Champion would be no easy task.
Wallace's reputation wasn't built solely on his coordination skills or his influence—his strength as a Trainer was undeniable. Among Aoki's group, no one could confidently claim a 100% chance of defeating him.
Steven, despite his expertise in Steel-type Pokémon, also commanded a formidable team of Rock-types. Phoebe's Pokémon were powerful, but her straightforward battle style and lack of tactical depth made her vulnerable. As for Aoki, his team had its own weaknesses. His Swampert and Poliwhirl, though improving, still lagged behind his other Pokémon in terms of experience and battle readiness. Additionally, his reliance on rain-based strategies played right into Wallace's strengths.
If there was one opponent Aoki wanted to avoid in the early rounds, it was Wallace.
After studying Wallace's team, Aoki's companions also took note of his own Pokémon. They had seen enough of his training sessions to gauge their strength.
It was no secret that Swampert, who had performed well in the first round, and the seemingly frail Poliwhirl were Aoki's weakest links. The rest of his team, aside from Slowking—who demanded caution—was manageable. Drapion and the others weren't unbeatable.
Overall, Aoki's team was the least developed among the four. If not for his youth, his uncanny talent as a Breeder, and his psychic abilities, he wouldn't have been considered Hoenn's rising star alongside Steven.
Steven, as the future Hoenn Champion, had earned his title through skill.
With so much time before the next round, Aoki focused on evaluating his Pokémon's progress.
Slowking, his strongest Pokémon and the only one at the pseudo-champion level, was crucial to his success. Its greatest advantage was in one-on-one battles, where Trick Room could be fully utilized without distractions. Combined with Teleport, Slowking's mobility was unmatched. Miracle Eye prevented Ghost-types from evading its attacks, while Skill Swap—a move that tested a Trainer's knowledge—could turn the tide of battle if used correctly.
Slowking also had a diverse movepool, including Stomp, Flamethrower, Earthquake, and Ice Punch, allowing it to handle various opponents. The downside was that these moves, being of different types, didn't reach their maximum potential.
Even in drawn-out battles, Slowking could sustain itself with Healing Pulse. Unless it was taken down in one hit, Slowking was nearly unbeatable.
Next was Gengar. Though it had learned Role Play, it wasn't at its peak yet.
Gengar excelled in team battles, but in solo matches, it relied on attrition tactics. Its speed and long-range moves allowed it to whittle down opponents over time.
Thanks to its unconventional evolution, Gengar had also learned Perish Song—a move too dangerous to use in group battles but devastating in one-on-one fights, especially against unprepared foes.
Drapion was currently Aoki's most physically powerful Pokémon. Swampert might rival it someday, but for now, none of his other Pokémon could match its raw strength.
With the Sniper ability and multiple striking techniques, Drapion had explosive offensive potential. However, its reckless nature made it vulnerable against more disciplined opponents. Additionally, its mastery of the three-fang technique (Poison Fang, Ice Fang, Thunder Fang) was inconsistent, making seamless transitions difficult.
Drapion's Poison-type abilities had stagnated, and while it had learned Dark-type moves from Honchkrow and Weavile, these were secondary to its natural typing. Currently, Drapion relied on brute force rather than technique—something Aoki hoped to improve before the next round.
Lastly, there was Florges. As a later addition to Aoki's team, it had already been strong when he caught it. After extensive training, it had adapted to his battle style, transitioning from a pure support role to a hybrid healer and attacker.
This shift had been challenging, but Florges had risen to the occasion. Aoki had invested heavily in its development, using rare items to boost its potential from dark green to dark cyan aptitude—one of the most significant improvements among his Pokémon.
Now, Florges could seamlessly switch between Grass and Fairy-type moves using Camouflage. Aoki suspected that if Florges was used in the Sinnoh League, the Fairy-type's existence might be officially recognized ahead of schedule. Moves like Misty Terrain and Moonblast were too obvious against Dragon-types to go unnoticed.
As for Swampert and Poliwhirl, their focus was on stabilizing their skills while rapidly improving. Aware that they were holding Aoki back, they trained relentlessly, determined to prove their worth in the tournament.
Overall, if Aoki wanted a high placement, his Pokémon needed further refinement. At the very least, securing a spot in the top eight would require more of his team reaching pseudo-legendary status.
Fortunately, the extended intervals between rounds gave him time to make that happen.