His voice was light, yet carried an unquestionable command.
"Make sure you get what I want."
Malamar understood perfectly.
Its eerie eyes lit up once more; this time, the target was no longer a Pokémon, but the limp Soro on the ground.
A strange ripple of energy spread out, like ripples on the surface of water.
Hypnosis!
Soro's pupils constricted sharply. He wanted to struggle, to resist, but in the face of Malamar's powerful mental strength, all his resistance appeared pale and powerless.
His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, his consciousness sinking like it was stuck in a quagmire, sinking, sinking... until finally, it was completely swallowed by darkness.
Ten minutes later.
Ariel recalled Malamar and looked with satisfaction at the sleeping Soro, who was even drooling from the corner of his mouth.
All the information he wanted was now in his hands.
"So that's how it is..."
Ariel toyed with the purplish-red ore, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
According to the information tortured out of Soro's mind, using this thing wasn't complicated.
One only needed to crush it and mix it with several common materials like wood ash and Huangshan Rock in specific proportions, then heat it continuously to extract a strengthening potion with startling effects.
This potion could significantly increase a Pokémon's physical attack power!
For Ariel, this was undoubtedly a huge surprise.
He searched Soro for a while, but the result left him somewhat amused and exasperated.
All the cash on this guy added up to only a bit over two million league coins.
Not to mention the six million Ariel had extorted earlier, he couldn't even scrape together the three million reward he had promised.
A pauper.
Ariel curled his lip, but he didn't mind.
The value of money was far less than the knowledge he had just gained and another unexpected windfall.
A tm lay quietly in a hidden layer of Soro's backpack.
Double Team!
"This is quite good."
Ariel put away the tm.
"It can be saved for Weavile."
Agility combined with Double Team would be enough to take Weavile's mobility and survivability to the next level.
After dealing with Soro, Ariel was in no hurry to leave the forest.
For the next two days, he set up camp here.
Deep in the forest, beside a hidden valley stream.
Ariel set up a portable alchemical pot.
Beneath the pot, two Camerupt lay on the ground, taking turns breathing fire at just the right temperature from their humps according to Ariel's instructions, providing a steady stream of heat for the substances inside.
Inside the pot, the purplish-red ore powder mixed with wood ash, crushed Huangshan Rock, and other materials was bubbling. A strange scent, a mixture of sulfur and vegetation, filled the air.
Ariel sat to the side, staying alert to his surroundings while carefully observing the changes in the potion within the pot.
The refining process tested one's patience more than expected.
The temperature had to be constant, and the ratio of materials had to be precise to the gram.
Fortunately, Ariel possessed mental strength and control far beyond ordinary people, and with the two Camerupt acting as a perfect mobile stove, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
Two days later, when the last traces of impurities had been evaporated by the flames, leaving only a small tube of viscous liquid that looked like molten gemstone in the pot, Ariel finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Out of over a dozen pieces of ore, he had only successfully refined this one small tube of potion.
Just barely enough for one Pokémon.
Ariel carefully placed the purplish-red potion into a specially made container.
The potion remained purplish-red, reflecting an eerie luster in the sunlight, as if it contained some kind of life force—wicked and powerful.
Only Ariel himself knew just how staggering the value of this small tube of liquid was.
"Besides increasing attack power, this strengthening potion has a very important side effect..."
Ariel looked at the potion in his hand and muttered to himself.
"That is, it inhibits evolution."
From Soro's memories, Ariel had learned a key piece of information.
Soro had once conducted a large number of experiments; the vast majority of Pokémon had collapsed because they couldn't withstand the potion's overbearing power, becoming short-lived consumables.
The only successful case was a black Charmander.
After using the potion, that Charmander's strength had improved by leaps and bounds, far surpassing its peers.
But the price was that it was also forever locked in its initial form, unable to evolve into Charmeleon, let alone the final Charizard.
It was precisely because of this special Charmander that Soro had completely figured out the correct usage and all the properties of this eerie ore.
"An effect like an Everstone... no, even more overbearing."
Ariel's index finger lightly tapped the potion bottle.
"So, this thing is best used on Pokémon in their final form that have already completed all evolutions."
He began to calculate the Pokémon in his hands.
"This ore forms near volcanic craters and naturally contains a rich essence of Fire-type and Ground-type energy."
"Because of this, Weavile's Ice-type and Frogadier's Water-type are incompatible with its energy attributes. Forcing their use would likely do more harm than good."
Attribute repulsion—this was an unshakeable truth of the Pokémon world.
Having ruled out two, there weren't many choices left.
"Looking at it this way, Krokorok is the most suitable for this thing."
Krokorok is Ground-type and Dark-type; not only does it not conflict with the potion's energy attributes, but there's even a certain level of compatibility.
But... Ariel's gaze fell back onto the potion bottle in his hand.
"Considering this thing inhibits evolution, it's better to wait until Krokorok evolves into Krookodile before using it."
He was in no hurry for quick results.
A final-form Krookodile strengthened by the potion would have value and potential far beyond what a strengthened Krokorok could compare to.
Take things one bite at a time; walk the path one step at a time.
Having thought this through, Ariel's mood cleared up instantly.
He put the precious potion back into his space ring and checked all his belongings once more.
Malamar, Weavile, Frogadier, Krokorok, and the two Camerupt serving as laborers were all in good condition.
"Alright, break's over."
Ariel stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and looked toward the distance beyond the forest.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled spots of light.
Having completely settled the matter with Soro and gained the unexpected strengthening potion and tm, the purpose of this trip had been more than accomplished.
Next, he would continue his journey, head to the next city, and challenge the next Gym.
The path to becoming stronger is endless.
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Ariel's mouth as he recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls one by one.
He set off, leading his Pokémon as he continued on that journey toward the unknown.
He left the bustle of the forest behind him, and the road ahead stretched into the distance under the sunlight, full of infinite possibilities.