And so, Aoki left the forest where he had spent a week, collecting a large amount of resources and catching quite a few strong or promising Pokémon. He also captured Ursaring, who was good at both chores and flattery.
After leaving the forest, there was a large grassland.
Aoki took out a map and looked at it. It showed a grassland where the forest met the grassland, and it was also facing the high mountains in the center of the continent. By comparing it with the map, she could determine exactly where she was on the continent.
At this moment, Aoki is located at the southernmost edge of the continent, and the forest she was in before is a forest at the very edge of this continent.
As agreed with Steven and the others before they came in, they were to try to meet at several landmark locations. The closest one to them was a waterfall to their east. If any of Steven, Hibiscus, or Wallace were near the waterfall, they would choose to stay there temporarily and wait for Aoki to find them.
Now that she had finally determined her location, Aoki prepared to head straight for the waterfall.
Meanwhile, Ursaring, who had come out with him, cautiously exited the forest and was relieved to find that the Pokémon he had imagined to be powerful did not attack him.
Aoki originally wanted to take the Salamence directly there, but later gave up on the idea.
It's too easy to expose yourself in the air, not only to wild Pokémon that use the air as their territory, but also to human trainers here. There might actually be one or two people who are hostile to you.
Anyway, with Steven and the others' strength, survival is definitely not a problem. Besides, I'm not their babysitter, and I can't be by their side every moment to protect their safety. Now that we've entered this continent of time and space, do you think the Alliance's decision-makers are unaware of the dangers that exist here?
No! They know, and probably know far more than Aoki.
Then why let Aoki and the others come in here?
Isn't it all for training them?
Although many of those who entered this time are representatives of the new generation of the league, many of them have already become Elite Four members and are outstanding members of the younger generation.
But ultimately, they lacked many of the experiences that the older generation had gone through, and they lacked a lot of experience.
First, the Kanto region Elite Four Member Kikuko and Hoenn Region Champion Lance are all seasoned veterans who have experienced the most brutal eras and battles. The younger and older generations may not be that different in terms of strength, but they are very different in terms of experience.
Therefore, in order to give them a good workout, excessive protection is not a good thing.
This grassland is very large, and there are many wild Pokémon on it. However, Pokémon that can graze peacefully on the grassland are not usually the ones that initiate attacks.
Moreover, this vast grassland offers a wide view, including wild Pokémon, so there probably aren't many resources here that would appeal to Aoki, so there's no need for her to actively seek out trouble.
We left the grassland without incident and arrived at a verdant valley.
If you want to continue and reach the waterfall faster, crossing this valley is the quickest way.
"Luca—"
Before stepping into the valley, the perceptive Lucario sensed something else.
However, this time it doesn't seem to be an attack, nor is it a Pokémon with malicious intent.
Aoki saw a thin layer of blue light emanating from Lucario's body, and even his eyes were surrounded by a blue halo, adding a touch of mystery to his already handsome appearance.
Aoki's heart stirred slightly; he knew perfectly well what these blue lights represented.
Aura Power!
This was the first time Aoki had seen Aura Power energy fluctuations emanating from Lucario without him launching an attack.
" Lucario, did you sense something?" Aoki asked.
"Lucio!!" The Aura Power emanating from Lucario grew stronger, and his aura underwent a slight change.
Looking at Lucario's expression and the natural change in his Aura Power, he narrowed his eyes and looked into the depths of the valley.
Although he could no longer perceive Psychic from a distance here, and could not use the Teleport skill, the original range of Psychic's perception had not shrunk.
Aoki also sensed the fluctuations of Aura Power from within the valley.
Aura Power, which is often mentioned alongside Viridian Power, is something that Psychic can detect to some extent. However, people who possess these abilities, or Pokémon themselves, are not so aware of their innate or acquired talents.
For example, Aoki could subtly sense a mysterious energy fluctuation from both Giovanni and Wataru. The fluctuation was more obvious in Giovanni, who may have awakened or found a way to train. The energy fluctuation in Wataru was much weaker, which may be because he has not yet found a way to improve or train.
However, the Aura Power on Lucario is much more pronounced now, and it has almost completely materialized.
"Lucario!!" After closing his eyes and sensing the surroundings for a moment, Lucario immediately darted away and entered the forest in the valley in an instant.
Seeing Lucario's actions, Aoki recalled all the Pokémon around him, jumped onto Salamence's back, patted his neck, and whispered, " Salamence, catch up with Lucario!"
It can only be said that Lucario's behavior at this moment was very strange. He must have sensed something, because he rushed out without even explaining it in detail.
However, there should be no danger, otherwise, given Lucario's perception of danger, he wouldn't have acted so impulsively.
Salamence quickly caught up with Lucario, who was moving through the woods. Aoki didn't stop him; since he was so excited, there must be a reason. Whatever was in the valley, they would just have to catch up and see.
They were fast enough that they arrived inside the valley in no time.
Flowers were blooming everywhere, and in the middle of the valley was a small lake, inhabited by many wild Pokémon.
Upon entering the valley, what immediately caught Aoki's eye was a Pokémon flying in mid-air, its body also glowing with the same blue light as Lucario.
It is covered in white, fluffy fur, has broad, triangular wings, and red and blue triangular spots on its underside, which seem to be a unique mark of Pokémon.
The spikes at the front of its head spread out into a crest of feathers divided into three tufts. The middle tuft is entirely white from bottom to top, while the tips on the left and right sides are red and blue, respectively.
It's a Pokémon that looks rather cute.