The irritability in Aoki's heart grew worse, but he suppressed it, directing his Flygon to fly in one direction.
Aoki hated this feeling. Now, he felt like prey being stalked by an experienced hunter lurking somewhere behind him, watching for any weakness to strike. The hunter's overwhelming power could crush Aoki in an instant.
But Aoki had no choice. Like a cornered beast, he relied on instinct to find an escape. If the hunter didn't reveal himself, the prey could never find him.
Only by surviving the first strike could Aoki locate his pursuer.
If the hunter never attacked, the prey could only keep running.
As prey, Aoki recognized the familiar scent—this was how he used to hunt.
When pressure mounted, prey would expose flaws, and that was when the hunter struck.
Having been a hunter himself, Aoki understood his enemy's mind.
Yet, even knowing the hunter's thoughts, he had no way to counter them.
All he could do was suppress his rising panic with sheer willpower.
This tense chase lasted three full hours.
The wind from Flygon's wings rippled the ocean's surface, marking Aoki's path.
A small island appeared ahead. Aoki commanded Flygon to land.
He couldn't keep fleeing—his energy would drain completely. If his enemy struck then, the outcome would be certain. Better to stop now and force a confrontation.
Once the hidden foe revealed himself, the psychological pressure would fade.
This island was the perfect place to make a stand.
Flygon descended, and Aoki stepped onto the sand, his expression cold as he scanned the horizon.
At first, nothing. Then, after five minutes of silence, ripples disturbed the water.
A figure emerged from the sea, riding atop a massive Gyarados.
The Gyarados loomed closer, its huge eyes locked onto Flygon with mocking amusement.
This was the same Flygon it had pursued relentlessly.
Standing on the Gyarados' head was a man, slowly removing his diving suit.
He had been tracking Aoki underwater, waiting for exhaustion to force a mistake.
Just as he thought Aoki would break, the Trainer had landed—choosing to fight instead of flee.
The man smirked. Aoki's defiance only delayed the inevitable.
With the suit off, his face was revealed—the same man who had lounged on the beach when Aoki left Slateport City.
Aoki frowned. The man seemed familiar, yet unfamiliar.
Barefoot on the sand, the stranger grinned. "What? Don't recognize me? Can't guess who's come for you?"
Ignoring the taunt, Aoki activated his system, scanning the Gyarados.
Pokémon: Gyarados (Light Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 58
Type: Water / Flying
Ability: Intimidate
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: None
Basic Moves: Bite, Tackle, Leer, Twister, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail, Scary Face, Dragon Rage, Thrash, Hydro Pump, Dragon Dance, Hurricane, Rain Dance, Hyper Beam
Learnt Moves: Water Pulse, Icy Wind, Iron Head, Iron Tail
TM Moves: Torment, Hidden Power (Fire), Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Earthquake, Flamethrower, Scald, Poison Jab, Dark Pulse
Aoki's pupils narrowed.
This Gyarados was exceptional—both in level and potential.
At Level 58, it neared Champion-tier strength.
More importantly, its Trainer clearly knew how to maximize its versatility.
Though Water/Flying-type, Gyarados had moves covering multiple types, allowing it to counter nearly any foe.
Only a highly skilled Trainer could raise a Pokémon to such heights.
And in Team Rocket, only one name fit: Furukai.
"Furukai?" Aoki asked coldly.
Furukai—elder brother of Guga, a Team Rocket Captain like Aoki. But unlike Aoki, Furukai had reached Quasi-Elite status, earning the title of "Sub-Executive."
Aoki hadn't recognized him at first—under Team Rocket's current circumstances, why would Furukai risk leaving base?
Hearing his name, Furukai paused, then laughed. "Impressive. You actually remember me. I went through quite the effort to find you."
As he spoke, he peeled off a disguise mask, revealing his true face.
It was Furukai.
His features resembled Guga's but were sharper, more mature.
Of course—only Furukai would go this far to hunt Aoki down.
"How… dedicated of you," Aoki said flatly.
Furukai shrugged. "What choice did I have? You grew too fast. If you'd stayed weak, I wouldn't have needed to step in."
Then his expression darkened.
"Also… my brother may have been pathetic, but no one kills him and walks away."
"Angry? Good. With a brother like that, I'd expect nothing less from you," Aoki sneered.
Furukai, once a looming threat in Aoki's mind, had proven disappointingly weak in the end.
Furukai's voice turned icy. "Then you're prepared to face the wrath of a near-Champion Trainer?"
Aoki almost laughed.
Did Furukai really think they could coexist after Aoki killed his brother?