Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

"Murkrow, hold on!"

With the use of the Fire-type Hidden Power of Slowpoke, when it flew into the air, Aoki gave an order to the darkness.

"Caw!" Murkrow was fighting with Sneasel, and as the energy ball approached, it also felt the scorching temperature from the air and shouted, directly using Protect.

Murkrow could feel the heat above, and of course, Sneasel could as well. As an Ice-type Pokémon, it was even more sensitive to the heat than Murkrow.

However, while Murkrow had Protect to shield itself from the Fire-type energy, Sneasel did not.

Almost instantly, the energy ball formed by Slowpoke's Fire-type Hidden Power struck the center of the battle between Murkrow and Sneasel.

"Boom!"

With a violent explosion, Fire-type energy burst outward.

Fire energy is the most intense of all energy types. The explosion's heat caused the temperature in the entire cave to rise slightly. The ice around the blast melted instantly, and the water in the center of the melted ice evaporated into steam.

Amidst the roar, a thick mist spread through the cave.

Murkrow flew through it unharmed, flapping its wings to disperse the smoke and steam.

Sneasel's fur was slightly singed, and it lay limp at the center of the explosion, unable to move.

Aoki looked at Sneasel on the ground, smiled, and said, "Don't play dead. I know you're not at your limit yet. Get up."

An ordinary person might have thought Sneasel had lost the ability to battle. Approaching carelessly could result in a dangerous counterattack, potentially leading to serious injury.

Such desperate counterattacks are always the most dangerous.

However, Aoki had been monitoring Sneasel through the system, so he knew that while Sneasel was at its limit, it still had the strength to launch an attack.

"Snea!"

Knowing Aoki had seen through the act, Sneasel stopped pretending. It reluctantly braced itself with its claws and staggered to its feet.

Aoki grinned at Sneasel's unsteady stance.

A Pokémon with such willpower was worth capturing.

Sneasel's strength wasn't weak, but what impressed Aoki most wasn't its power—it was its intelligence. It fought using strategy, not just brute force.

As a Pokémon that grew up in the wild, using its brain was essential for survival. Clearly, Sneasel had learned this well in the forest.

"Take a rest, Sneasel. Slowpoke, use Yawn!"

Aoki didn't want to push Sneasel into overexerting itself. Even though he could help it recover later, overdrawn battles could still impact a Pokémon's future growth.

An oval-shaped bubble appeared from Slowpoke's nose, drifting slowly toward the unsteady Sneasel.

"Pop!"

As the bubble burst, Sneasel, already exhausted, suddenly felt an overwhelming drowsiness. Its body weakened, and its eyes grew unbearably heavy.

Sleep hit like a crashing wave, and Sneasel's body slumped again.

As it collapsed, Sneasel caught sight of the half-drunk bottle of Moomoo Milk it had left in the corner.

With a trace of reluctance and disappointment, it murmured, "My milk..."

"Thud!"

Sneasel finally hit the ground, completely losing its ability to fight. Slowpoke's Yawn had been the final push that sent it into unconsciousness.

Aoki threw a Great Ball at the perfect moment. Since he intended to capture this Pokémon, he wanted to treat it with respect.

The Great Ball pulled Sneasel in, shook a few times, and then with a red flash from the middle button, it stilled.

Instead of calling the Pokéball to his hand, Aoki personally walked across the dry ground—still warm from the explosion—and picked it up himself.

This battle had been a display of perfect synergy between Murkrow and Slowpoke, along with Aoki's precise commands.

Without Aoki's guidance, even if Murkrow and Slowpoke had been stronger, they wouldn't necessarily have won against an opponent with such a clear type advantage over them.

Even so, Murkrow and Slowpoke had taken their fair share of injuries.

Miltank provided them with fresh Moomoo Milk to restore their strength. Compared to Sneasel, they were still in much better condition.

Aoki also retrieved several different grades of medicine from his ring and sprayed them onto his Pokémon to relieve pain and heal wounds.

He also provided them with Pokeblocks to replenish their energy.

The Moomoo Milk restored stamina, the medicine healed their injuries, and the Pokeblocks replenished their energy. With this combination, Murkrow and Slowpoke's bodies could recover quickly.

After treating his own Pokémon, Aoki released Sneasel.

Sneasel, now back in the cave, had woken up, but its injuries left it unable to move much. Seeing Aoki and Slowpoke surrounding it, a mix of fear and hostility flickered in its eyes.

Aoki squatted down, saying nothing, and retrieved the best medicine he currently had to treat Sneasel's burns, paralysis, and bruises.

"Snea!"

When Sneasel saw Aoki take something out, it instinctively assumed it was something harmful. It tried to sit up and resist, but the movement sent pain shooting through its body, forcing it to collapse again.

"Don't move. Lie still." Aoki's voice was firm as he started treating it.

Sneasel's injuries were serious, and due to malnutrition, its body was weaker than it should have been. The only reason it had been able to keep fighting earlier was its sheer willpower.

But now that the battle was over and its willpower had faded, movement was no longer an option.

Aoki carefully applied the medicine, using practiced techniques to speed up Sneasel's recovery.

At first, Sneasel had been afraid that Aoki was harming it, but then a cooling sensation spread over its wounds. Its numb muscles began to regain feeling, bringing a mix of relief and pain.

The combination of the medicine's cool relief and the aching return of sensation made Sneasel experience something strange—pain and comfort at the same time.

Miltank, sitting beside Sneasel, held out a fresh bottle of Moomoo Milk. Inserting a straw, Miltank gently placed the other end near Sneasel's mouth, offering it something to drink.

Sneasel caught the familiar scent of the milk and glanced at Miltank's gentle, smiling face, hesitating for a moment.

After a brief moment of uncertainty, it couldn't resist the temptation of the milk. It bit the straw and began to drink eagerly.

At that moment, in Sneasel's eyes, Miltank seemed to radiate a sacred glow.

What was that saying? Ah, yes—the milk of the goddess of dawn.