It was as if to confirm Aoki's suspicions.
The two Tyrantrum they had brought back were swiftly dealt with by Tyranitar.
The way wild Pokémon survived, especially in such extreme environments, was a clear example of survival of the fittest.
Tyranitar held two hearts that resembled ochre-colored stones.
If not for the faint traces of blood, they would have been indistinguishable from ordinary rocks.
Aoki watched as they handed the hearts to the Alpha Tyranitar, who then buried them once more in the soil and rocky mound.
That spot seemed to be the area with the most concentrated Rock-type energy in the entire valley, which explained the unusual phenomenon.
The two stones now placed before Aoki were indistinguishable from real stones—warm to the touch and hard when struck.
"Judging by their size, these two are larger than the ones they returned," Aoki thought.
The two Tyranitar they had defeated earlier were already at Champion-level strength, yet these hearts were even bigger. Could they belong to an even more powerful Tyranitar?
"This truly is a remarkable gift."
Aoki levitated the two stones with his psychic powers.
Even as a human, he could sense the overwhelming Rock-type energy radiating from them, so dense it was nearly visible.
Pupitar, Aggron, and Carbink beside him all wore expressions of deep longing.
It was clear how enticing these stones were to them.
Even the weaker Carbink seemed dazed, as if intoxicated by the energy.
Aoki recalled the system's description—Pokémon below a certain strength needed to regulate their absorption.
According to the Alpha Tyranitar, Pupitar was on the verge of evolution, and absorbing this energy would push it over the edge.
The Tyranitar of this region evolved this way when they reached their limits.
But Aoki's Pupitar was different.
If evolution were simply a matter of absorbing energy, Pupitar would have evolved in the previous energy pool.
Yet it hadn't.
There was a reason for that.
The Pupitar here could evolve by absorbing this energy because their foundations were already solid.
From Larvitar to Pupitar, they accumulated energy gradually, growing at a slow, natural pace.
It could take years—even decades—to reach Pupitar.
And the time between evolving and reaching the threshold for their next evolution was even longer.
A decade was considered short.
Thus, they were mentally prepared—once external conditions were met, evolution came naturally.
But Aoki's Pupitar was different.
It had gone from hatching to its current state in just a year.
The timeline was drastically compressed.
That didn't mean Pupitar needed decades of experience to evolve.
But right now, something was missing.
A reason—a justification for its growth.
A genuine drive.
Perhaps Pupitar itself didn't realize it, but in its mind, since its teammates had evolved, it must do the same.
Evolving meant becoming stronger, fighting harder, contributing more to Aoki.
A simple, external motivation.
But for a pseudo-legendary, that wasn't enough.
Accelerated growth required deeper understanding.
Today, witnessing the Tyranitar's battle—their fierce struggle for their kin—must have stirred something in Pupitar.
Now, Aoki was ready to take action.
"Pupitar, come with me," Aoki said.
Only then did Pupitar tear its gaze away from the energy-rich stones.
"Aggron, Carbink, wait here. Don't worry—you'll get your share," Aoki assured them.
The two Pokémon nodded without hesitation.
They trusted Aoki completely.
Even if there wasn't enough now, he would make it up to them later.
Aoki led Pupitar to a secluded corner of the valley.
Slowking and Gengar followed.
At the valley's edge, Aoki's expression grew solemn.
"Pupitar, it's time you understood something," he said.
As he spoke, Mismagius emerged from his shadow.
Mismagius, Gengar, Slowking, and Aoki himself.
Pupitar looked puzzled but didn't resist.
Aoki nodded to the others. "Begin. Pupitar, don't fight it."
Mismagius murmured softly, its eyes glowing red.
Gengar and Slowking joined in.
Aoki had planned this long ago.
Pupitar obeyed, remaining still.
When it opened its eyes again, it stood in an unfamiliar place.
Aoki was beside it.
"Let me show you something," Aoki said gently.
The scenery around them shifted rapidly—a dreamscape crafted by Aoki and Slowking.
Soon, they stood in a small desert.
A powerful Tyranitar stood at its center, its energy expanding the arid land.
Pupitar stared, a strange sense of familiarity washing over it.
Time accelerated.
After expanding the desert, the Tyranitar sat motionless for an entire month.
Just as Pupitar grew restless, something happened.
A pack of Houndoom appeared, their sights set on the lone Tyranitar.
Pupitar scoffed, unimpressed.
Having seen Tyranitar's strength, it doubted these Houndoom stood a chance.
Yet what happened next shocked it.
The Tyranitar didn't fight back—it only defended.
"Pupi?" Pupitar turned to Aoki, confused.
Aoki's expression was grave. "Keep watching."
Pupitar forced itself to focus.
For some reason, seeing the Tyranitar endure the attacks pained it.
After a while, wounds marred the Tyranitar's body.
Yet it seemed… relieved.
Finally, it stood.
Pupitar perked up—was it finally retaliating?
But then its gaze fell behind the Tyranitar.
A Pokémon egg!