All the Zubats in the cave suddenly lost their earlier confidence.
The reason they had been so bold before was simply because they thought that Aoki was no match for their leader. Now that Crobat had fallen, their confidence plummeted.
Of course, Aoki's Pokémon seized the opportunity and launched a fierce counterattack.
At this point, Slowking no longer participated in the battle, standing tall with an air of regality. If the white shell crown on its head were replaced with flowing hair, its posture would be nothing short of majestic.
Being majestic was a lifelong trait.
As for strength and other attributes, those could always be improved.
After defeating the Crobat, Slowking's momentum peaked before settling back into calm. Then, with a mighty roar, Slowking successfully broke through to Champion level!
A level 60 Slowking was an entirely different beast from a level 59 one.
Had Slowking fought Crobat now, it would no longer need assistance from the other Pokémon. Its own Psychic Terrain could suppress the foe, and with its natural advantage and type matchups, it could effortlessly dominate the battle.
But this outcome was exactly what Aoki had hoped for.
His first true Pokémon had reached Champion level, signaling that his core team was now ready to push toward that same tier. The gap between his strongest Pokémon was shrinking.
After the swarm of Zubats was defeated, Drapion and Weavile each gained a level, reaching level 57.
Weavile, with its type advantage, had taken down two Zubats alone, making its contribution significant.
Drapion, meanwhile, fully utilized its Sniper ability. After defeating its opponent, it swiftly assisted the others—likely because it had been itching for battle. Unlike Weavile, which had been active in recent outings, Drapion had been sidelined for too long.
Honchkrow and Gengar also rose to level 57, inching closer to the peak of the pseudo champion tier.
Florges remained at level 58, making her the closest to Champion level among Aoki's team, aside from Slowking.
Who among them would break through next depended entirely on their efforts.
Beyond the core team, the secondary Pokémon also saw significant gains.
Swampert, long stalled at the peak of the Elite tier, deliberately challenged a high-level Zubat today. Though battered, its victory propelled it into the pseudo champion tier (level 50)—a milestone for Aoki's secondary squad.
This fulfilled Aoki's vision: as his primary team reached Champion level, his secondary team would rise to pseudo champion. And now, both had progressed on the same day.
Politoed also leveled up to 45, a respectable improvement.
Blaziken, having fought continuously, had already gained several levels. This time, its involvement was minor, so it only rose to 42.
Pupitar, however, successfully entered the elite tier (level 40), marking a qualitative leap. One more tier, and it would become the legendary sandstorm terror—Tyranitar.
Aoki already had the Smooth Rock and Tyranitarite ready. Once Pupitar evolved, its power would skyrocket.
Lairon, now at level 39, was just one step away from Elite tier. More importantly, at level 42, it would evolve into Aggron—Aoki's future tank. He had long secured its Aggronite for Mega Evolution.
This extended cave battle had dramatically strengthened Aoki's team.
Now, with three Champion-level Pokémon—Mismagius, Slowking, and Altaria—Aoki could confidently claim to be a Champion-tier Trainer.
Of course, Mismagius was reliable, but Altaria wasn't originally his Pokémon, so their synergy was still lacking.
Altaria had noticed this too, but there was little she could do. Lately, she had been considering entrusting her offspring to Aoki's care.
Having watched Aoki grow from weakness to strength—and now surpassing her—in mere months, she was deeply impressed. Trainers could elevate Pokémon in ways she hadn't imagined.
This was also why she and Aoki couldn't achieve Mega Evolution—their bond wasn't deep enough yet.
After dealing with the Zubats and ensuring Slowking's breakthrough, Aoki tended to his team's wounds.
Despite reaching Champion level, Slowking was still battered. After applying Potions, Aoki treated the rest of his Pokémon before taking a brief rest.
Then, he collected the fallen Champion-level Crobat and several Elite-tier Golbats. Their value was considerable—especially the Crobat.
A Champion-level wild Pokémon like this would fetch a high price at auction, likely even drawing interest from the Hunter's Guild.
Once his team was rested and healed, Aoki recalled the weaker Pokémon. The cave's depths were unknown, and caution was necessary.
But with Slowking now at Champion level, Aoki felt more secure. Few Pokémon could interrupt its Teleport now.