The continuous presence of Diancie had ushered in a profound period of transformation for Aoki and his team. During this time, the resource revenue generated by the Sky Hunters had swelled to become the single largest contributor to Aoki's resource pool.
A significant factor in this financial boon was the strategic circulation of the pink diamonds discovered by the Small Diamond Kingdom, a operation managed by the Sky Hunters. The substantial funds acquired from these transactions were systematically converted into high-tier resources, which ultimately found their way into Aoki's possession for the benefit of his Pokemon.
Magearna, an artificial Pokemon of a stature comparable to Diancie, also instigated major changes within Aoki's team. While Magearna did not generate exchangeable resources like Diancie's pink diamonds and, due to her gentle nature, seldom participated in battles, she proved to be an exceptionally capable caretaker.
Her effectiveness went far beyond that of a simple nurse. Aoki finally comprehended why Volcanion, a Pokemon with such a fiery and battle-loving temperament, possessed such remarkably robust physical conditioning and favored close-quarters combat.
This was partly due to Volcanion's innate nature, but a crucial contributing factor was Magearna's influence. Whenever Volcanion sustained injuries, Magearna was there to provide healing. Furthermore, she utilized the life energy contained within her Soul Heart, a process that not only mended wounds but also subtly enhanced physical fitness over time.
While the improvement from any single instance was minor, the cumulative effect of prolonged exposure was significant. Thus, Magearna functioned as a mobile, team-wide buff, offering both restorative and strengthening benefits. Cohabitating with Magearna long-term meant the team could worry less about injuries and would experience a gradual, implicit increase in their base physicality.
Even the lifespans of the Pokemon, and Aoki himself, were gently extended as a hidden effect of the Soul Heart's energy. These subtle alterations were undetectable to most, but Aoki's scanning system was able to collect the data, and through analysis and deduction, he confirmed they were blessings bestowed by Magearna.
Despite this, Aoki faced a disappointment. Although his system had gathered extensive data on Mysterious Science, the creator Nikola, and the Soul Heart itself, it failed to reverse-engineer the Soul Heart's creation process or fully decipher its operational principles. It appeared a vital piece of information was missing, forcing Aoki to shelve his ambitions of replicating the Soul Heart for the time being.
For now, having Magearna was more than sufficient. All of his Pokemon were undergoing positive, subtle changes, which contributed to a slow but steady improvement in their inherent potential.
Complementing this was a special Pokeblock formula Aoki had developed by synthesizing information from both Team Rocket and the Pokemon League. This improved Pokeblock could gradually enhance a Pokemon's potential far more effectively than his previous recipes.
Naturally, the cost and rarity of the required ingredients were also substantially higher, and the formula remained impossible for others to imitate. A critical auxiliary component was the blood of Moltres, which Aoki had obtained previously—a resource utterly unavailable to the vast majority of Trainers.
The expansion of the Sky Hunters' influence and the lucrative sale of pink diamonds provided Aoki with a large influx of rare materials, making the production of these precious Pokeblocks feasible. Their value was incalculable, requiring top-tier ingredients, a secret formula, and advanced production techniques.
Aoki believed that even Giovanni likely could not produce anything significantly better, perhaps only on par. While Giovanni might have access to materials of similar quality, Aoki was confident that his own formula and production methods, which incorporated principles from King Azoth's Mysterious Science, were superior.
The resources originally estimated to last six months were consumed within a month and a half inside the specialized training space. The remaining materials, which should have lasted another three and a half months, would now only sustain Aoki's team for a maximum of a month and a half.
This accelerated consumption was a direct result of Aoki significantly upgrading the quality of everything his Pokemon used, a feat only possible due to the immense contributions of Diancie and Magearna. A further upgrade in their resource tier would only be achievable once Diancie could produce Eternal Crystal Diamonds and the Small Diamond Kingdom was fully established.
To accelerate the mastery of Mega Evolution, Aoki kept Diancie by his side almost constantly, and he also wore a soothing bell-like accessory. However, some breakthroughs cannot be forced through items or pressure alone; they require patience and natural progression.
Aside from his core team, the artificial island Aoki had built was now fully operational and self-sustaining. Various materials produced on the island were ready for sale. Furthermore, Aoki carefully controlled the population of Pokemon on the artificial sky island created with the help of Porygon2, selecting individuals with average potential to be sold through the Sky Hunters' own Pokemon shop in Goldenrod City.
This created a seamless, self-sufficient cycle from production to retail. Aoki's automated production lines were also active, generating a continuous supply of Pearls, Poison Barbs, Honey, MooMoo Milk, and even occasional Miracle Seeds.
While the individual value of most items (excluding the rare Miracle Seeds) was not high, the sheer volume and endless supply created a substantial income stream. The introduction of MooMoo Milk, for instance, significantly impacted Goldenrod City's dairy market, and the excess Honey from the Combee colonies, which Aoki and his Pokemon also consumed, was sold to widespread acclaim.
These diverse revenue streams gave Aoki the secure feeling that he would never want for resources, even if he ceased all active ventures. The life of a prosperous "farmer" was agreeable, though he contemplated expanding the island's size should the opportunity arise.
During his extended stay in Goldenrod City, Aoki was a passive observer to the Sky Hunters' meteoric rise: their initial incursion, their eventual complete dominance over the city's underworld, their takeover of the black market, and their establishment of high-profile auctions.
He remained in the city for this lengthy period primarily to focus on daily training with his Pokemon, personally crafting the advanced Pokeblocks, honing his psychic powers, and remotely directing Porygon2's efforts to improve the island. He engaged in little else. He maintained occasional contact with Steven, Phoebe, Wallace, and others.
He would discuss Breeder-related topics with his teacher, Matsuda, and Investigator matters with President Adams. Aoki had informed Adams that he was entering a period of secluded training with his Pokemon and should not be assigned any tasks. Adams, still feeling somewhat remorseful about the previous incident involving the Seafloor Ruins, respectfully complied and assigned him nothing.
Meanwhile, Drake, who had fully recovered from his injuries, would periodically call Aoki, inviting him to visit his ship for some relaxation and offering further instruction on raising Dragon-type Pokemon.
Even when Aoki could not visit in person, Drake generously taught him much through video calls. Knowing that Aoki had been instrumental in his rescue, Drake's attitude had warmed considerably; their relationship, while not formalized as master and apprentice, was deeper than that. This period of stability and fulfillment lasted for three uninterrupted months.
After three months, Aoki prepared to depart from Goldenrod City. A mission had arisen that required his specific participation, a duty he could not refuse.