Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

Letting Murkrow rest, Aoki began planning for the next phase.

First, he decided to continue feeding Murkrow the Yellow Berry Pokéblock. Over the past few days, its effect had been evident. In just four days, Murkrow had grown from a malnourished state to the size of a typical Murkrow, standing nearly fifty centimeters tall.

However, Aoki noted that Murkrow's growth wasn't just physical. With daily scans from his system, he observed improvements in Murkrow's power and speed, as well as a slight enhancement in its natural abilities. Although still classified as green, Murkrow's current potential was noticeably greater than a few days prior, indicating that it had the potential to be among the top-tier Pokémon.

Especially after the battles that afternoon, Murkrow seemed to absorb the Yellow Berry Pokéblock even more effectively.

With three days left, Aoki believed that continued use of the Yellow Berry Pokéblock would fully restore Murkrow's original potential, setting the stage for rapid growth.

Training couldn't be paused over the next few days. Engaging in more battles would help Murkrow absorb the Pokéblock's benefits better and improve its recovery rate.

As for Murkrow's next training focus, speed was paramount. Sustaining Tailwind for extended periods required persistent practice. Additionally, Murkrow needed to master its existing skills. Familiarity with these moves would allow for more efficient execution in battle.

Being a dual-type Pokémon of Dark and Flying, Murkrow had good resistances. Without any quadruple weaknesses, it would only be moderately vulnerable to types like Electric, Ice, and Fairy. On the trial island, Pokémon of these types were rare, particularly Electric-types. Therefore, the main concern would be Rock-type moves.

Murkrow's Prankster ability gave it an advantage in executing status moves quickly. With this benefit, Murkrow just needed more battle experience to improve its coordination with Aoki and master its combat skills.

Once the Yellow Berry Pokéblock was used up, Murkrow would require a new Pokéblock to accelerate its growth. Aoki had already planned this before the first ranking: the Black Velocity Pokéblock, an intermediate-level Pokéblock combining Dark and Flying-type attributes. It primarily used two types of berries, the Lansat Berry and the Jaboca Berry, along with various medicinal ingredients.

Thus, the points Aoki earned from the first ranking were used to redeem berries, particularly focusing on these two types. He had almost cleared out the island's Team Rocket inventory of these berries. Once crafted, this Pokéblock would help Murkrow enter a period of rapid development.

After considering his plan, Aoki, feeling the fatigue of the day, lay down, placed his hands behind his head, and gazed at the moonlight streaming through the cave's cracks. He then closed his eyes, gradually drifting off to sleep as Murkrow's gentle breathing filled the air.

The next day, the sun rose slowly over the eastern horizon, signaling the end of the night. The forest gradually quieted as the sounds of insects faded and the traces of nocturnal animals vanished.

A beam of sunlight pierced through the cave's cracks, warming Aoki's face and rousing him from sleep.

It was summer, and the sun rose early. After a day of battles, Aoki hadn't woken before dawn. Perhaps it was because things had been progressing smoothly, lifting a weight off his shoulders.

Stretching lazily, Aoki smiled at Murkrow, who had also awakened. In his previous life, after becoming a master, Aoki had started to relax and enjoy life. This was the first time, since starting anew, that he felt truly rested.

"Murkrow, your mission today is simple. Flap your wings until the cave no longer smells," Aoki said. In the previous battles, Murkrow had almost mastered using wind power with Tailwind. A little more practice could lead to mastering advanced moves like Hurricane.

By exercising in this manner, Murkrow would not only remove the stench but also clean the cave—achieving two goals at once.

"Caw!" Murkrow nodded enthusiastically, always following Aoki's commands meticulously. Having never known its parents and being raised in Team Rocket under harsh conditions, Murkrow had grown attached to Aoki, the first person to show it kindness. Its affection for Aoki was more than just a Pokémon's loyalty to its trainer—it was a child's dependence on a parent. Murkrow's only thought was to never let Aoki down.

Seeing Murkrow's enthusiasm, Aoki smiled and retrieved the daily portion of Yellow Berry Pokéblock from the storage space. Murkrow eagerly devoured the Pokéblock as Aoki tossed it into the air.

"Burp..." Satisfied and full, Murkrow flew into the cave, flapping its wings and sending gusts of wind throughout.

Standing behind Murkrow, Aoki was shielded from the strong winds swirling in the cave.

After a quick rinse and a bit of dry food, Aoki laid out berries and herbs from the storage space on stones. He carefully washed each berry and placed them methodically.

Washing the tools for mashing the berries, Aoki prepared for the Pokéblock crafting process. The cave's proximity to the lake, or perhaps an underground spring, provided fresh water, making the location ideal. The water was clearer and sweeter than the lake's, perfect for crafting.

With limited tools made of simple wood—pots, pounders, hand-operated separators, compressors, and condensers—the process was slow but effective. Though basic, these tools could still produce quality Pokéblocks. However, advanced Pokéblocks required more sophisticated equipment.

Aoki meticulously peeled and de-seeded the berries with a small knife. Using his system's calculations, he cut the fruit into uniform pieces and prepared the medicinal ingredients, removing impurities.

Starting with the Lansat Berry and Jaboca Berry, he mixed them using a manual mixer, then followed the system's instructions, adding other berries and herbs in precise amounts. Every step, from stirring time to the order of ingredients, required accuracy, making Pokéblock crafting a meticulous process.

Pouring the prepared mixture into a container, he compressed and solidified it, then placed it in a cool spot to set.

After finishing a batch of Pokéblock, Aoki set the container aside, preparing the next set of materials to repeat the process.