Soon, Aoki and the others, being quite strong, didn't take long to reach the Hoenn League headquarters.
Flannery and Wallace could also ride their Pokémon.
After the incident on the Space-Time Continent, Flannery and Wallace had already been intentionally training Flying-type Pokémon, but training Pokémon isn't something that happens overnight, so their mobility was still somewhat limited.
Upon arriving at the League's main entrance, they found many people already waiting, most of whom were representatives from various large and small families in the Hoenn region.
These families were loyal supporters of the Hoenn League, so more or less, some members of their families held important positions within the League.
It was precisely because of the existence of these families that they continuously supplied talent to the League every year, forming a part of the League's backbone.
Although the League was currently vigorously training commoners and trainers from ordinary backgrounds, it was still in its early stages, and these large and small families were still of great help to the League.
The reason these people gathered here was self-evident; if they could get first-hand information about the Mega Evolution that Aoki displayed, even if it was only a three-day lead, it could potentially be a moment that changed their families' destinies.
Small and medium-sized families yearned to become large families, while larger families yearned to become giant families like the Stone family, capable of influencing the entire Hoenn League and even the entire Pokémon League.
Even a behemoth like the Stone family, why wouldn't they want to know this first-hand information?
It's just that Steven Stone was Aoki's good friend, and Mimi Stone was once Aoki's colleague and was now his direct subordinate, and in the Stone family's eyes, their relationship was also quite good.
Given such a significant advantage, they didn't need to send anyone to contact Aoki, lest they cause unnecessary resentment.
Although Aoki said in the live broadcast that he would announce it three days later, everyone present was a shrewd person and knew that Aoki was merely explaining it to the entire League and even the world. As Aoki's home region, Hoenn would undoubtedly receive special treatment; otherwise, Aoki wouldn't be able to justify it to Adams.
However, Aoki had long anticipated such a situation, so he and Drake and the others did not stop at the League's main entrance but flew directly inside on a Salamence.
As for the no-fly zone... this was the Hoenn region, and flying in were a Champion, two Elite Four members, and other high-ranking League officials. Who would dare to stop them?
Thus, these eagerly awaiting families could only watch helplessly as Aoki and the others flew into the League building.
However, avoiding the first day doesn't mean avoiding the fifteenth. After Aoki and the others entered the League building, they still had to meet another group of people also waiting for them, and this group of people truly determined the direction of the entire Hoenn region—the true core of power of the Hoenn League.
Adams led Ice-type Elite Four Glacia, Dark-type Elite Four Sidney, the head of the Jenny family, the head of the Joy family, and the heads of other departments.
These people were truly capable of communicating on equal terms with Steven, Aoki, and the others.
Recalling their Pokémon, Aoki and the others walked towards the crowd, led by Drake.
"Thank you all for your hard work! The constant stability of our Hoenn region is inseparable from your contributions!" Adams scanned Aoki and the others, lingering for a long time, especially on Aoki, Steven, and the other young prodigies of the League.
These people were truly the future of the Hoenn region. Adams was getting old, and every time he saw outstanding individuals like Aoki in the Hoenn League, the sense of satisfaction he felt was beyond imagination for others.
Perhaps... this might be the highest realm of nurturing.
With this group of people, Adams felt relieved even if he were to retire now.
Especially Aoki, Steven, Flannery, and Wallace, Adams admitted that when he was their age, the gap between him and them was not just a little bit.
"Let's go inside and talk. I think everyone is probably a bit impatient." Drake said with a smile as he walked up to Adams.
Drake's words immediately resonated with everyone present, and all eyes turned to Aoki, with some even showing fervent gazes.
For example, the heads of the Jenny family and the Joy family. These two families were even larger behemoths than giant families like the Stone family. As two families primarily composed of female members, it didn't mean they had no male members within their families.
In fact, both of their families recruited many powerful young talents to marry into their families every year, expanding their own strength through their powerful and invincible genes.
Moreover, these men who married in did not mean they had no space of their own.
With the support of the Joy and Jenny families, their own strength also further improved, which in turn enhanced the strength of the Jenny and Joy families themselves.
Among those present, the first to extend an olive branch to Aoki were the Jenny family and the Joy family, and the heads of both families immediately recognized Aoki's potential.
They once wanted to recruit Aoki into their respective families, even promising special treatment that no one else could enjoy.
But even they didn't expect Aoki's growth rate to be so incredibly fast.
The strength Aoki displayed in this battle was no longer something these two families could control. Even the Jenny and Joy families of the entire League could no longer sway Aoki's choice.
This was a genius who could unleash the power of a regional Champion, and this genius was not even twenty years old yet, with enormous room for growth!
Moreover, this genius now held a huge secret that could stir the entire Pokémon world. Because of this secret, not to mention the entire Hoenn League, the entire Pokémon League had already begun to gather in this place, very likely turning into another grand event for the Pokémon League in recent years.
The heads of the Jenny and Joy families were truly regretful at this moment. If they had known earlier that Aoki could possess such potential, or if they had known earlier that Aoki could realize his talent to such an extent so early, they would have definitely paid a greater price to recruit Aoki, even granting him absolute freedom, which would not have been out of the question.
Seeing Steven Stone, who was closely following Aoki, and Mimi Stone, who was Aoki's direct subordinate and Chief Investigator, the two family heads were filled with even greater remorse.
If only they had known sooner...
They glanced at Joy Yui and Jenny Ayame, who were silently following behind and were also Chief Investigators, not much inferior to Mumu Stone.
However, it was still not too late to act now.
Unbeknownst to Aoki, the two family heads had already made a decision in their hearts.
Aoki and Steven were the most talented among everyone present, but Steven was born into the Stone family and had no possibility of being recruited. Aoki was the only one with a chance.
However, with Aoki's current strength and status, the term "recruit" could no longer be used; only "cooperate" was appropriate.
At this moment, many people present shared the same thoughts as the heads of the Jenny and Joy families.
Thus, with their own ulterior motives, the high-ranking officials of the Hoenn League, led by Adams and Drake, entered the Hoenn League's highest conference room.
Drake, who had successfully become Champion, and Adams, as the League President, sat at the head of the table together.
The original management system of the League was such that the League President and Champion of each region jointly managed it. The League President was responsible for daily administration, while the Champion and Elite Four coordinated battles and defense.
Previously, Adams served as both League President and Champion, so he was responsible for everything. However, now Drake had taken on half of Adams's work and responsibilities.
Therefore, the combat personnel and other personnel on both sides of the conference table were all considered reasonable.
Adams and Drake sat at the head of the table, while Aoki was directly pushed by Steven, Glacia, and Sidney to the seat below Drake, which was the position Drake once held—the head of the Hoenn League's Elite Four.
Although Aoki himself really wanted to sit in that position, Glacia and Sidney were seniors, and as the youngest Elite Four member, he still had to show deference.
However, with the strength Aoki displayed today, no one present, including Drake and Adams, could confidently say they could consistently defeat Aoki.
Glacia and Sidney were self-aware; their strengths lay in handling various matters. In actual combat, let alone Aoki, even the current Steven was beyond their capabilities.
In such a situation, it was better to directly push Aoki to the head seat, which also put an end to their own aspirations.
Thus, after much reluctance, Aoki solidified his position as the Hoenn region's top Elite Four member.
This was just a small interlude; what everyone was most concerned about was the Mega Evolution that Aoki had mastered.
However, before that, the fact that Aoki, who was supposed to be trapped on the Space-Time Continent, reappeared more than a month after the continent was completely sealed off, was also a matter of concern for everyone.
"Aoki, what exactly happened to you this time? The League's teleportation device couldn't bring you back, and even your Space Stone couldn't summon you back." Adams asked directly.
He was also Aoki's semi-unofficial mentor, so asking directly wouldn't seem abrupt.
Aoki pondered for a moment, carefully choosing his words, and said, "It's like this. During this trip to the Space-Time Continent, I believe you, President, are aware of the cult's unwarranted intrusion. It was by chance that I obtained something essential to them, so they have been searching for my location..."
Some things Steven knew had probably already been told to them, so Aoki glossed over them, focusing on the things Steven and the others didn't know.
After listening to Aoki, even though he omitted a lot of content, everyone present still showed surprised expressions.
"..."
Silence fell as everyone processed what Aoki had said.
Finally, Adams, with his strongest ability to accept information, spoke, "So, it was because of the appearance of Dialga and Palkia that you were able to block Wallace and the others from the cult, but you were also forced to enter that... Space-Time Mountain barrier due to the power unleashed by the two legendary Pokémon's battle? And because the barrier was blocked, the League couldn't summon you back?"
Aoki nodded, "That's roughly it. Then, with the help of the Unown, when I emerged from that barrier, too much time had passed. And it was also with the help of the Unown that I barely found a way to leave the Space-Time Continent..."
It was roughly seven parts truth and three parts fabrication. Aoki merely omitted some crucial parts; it couldn't be considered lying, just omission.
Only then did everyone realize how lucky Aoki was to return. As for the Unown Aoki mentioned, there was nothing to hide. He showed everyone his wrist and also demonstrated powerful spatial abilities.
Everyone present knew he was a psychic, but with such powerful psychic abilities and even stronger spatial abilities, even Aoki himself at this moment was not someone ordinary Pokémon could approach.
After everyone had processed this information, they finally arrived at the most crucial part: Mega Evolution.
Speaking of which, from the special evolution methods of Slowking and Politoed at the very beginning, to the advent of the Fairy type later, and now to the emergence of Mega Evolution, all these things, one by one, had such a significant connection to Aoki!
Therefore, even though Aoki came from a commoner background, his achievements were unreplicable, but many people focused on his commoner background and overlooked the extraordinary encounters he had.
This was the real reason he surpassed those family trainers, surpassing even prodigies like Steven.
"Ahem, Aoki, let's talk about that Mega Evolution next." Drake began.
As Aoki's teacher, he was also the most suitable person among those present to ask this question. If anyone else asked, it would more or less come across as having ulterior motives or selfish intentions.
Here it comes!
Hearing Drake's question, everyone present straightened up, curious to see how Aoki would answer—would he explain it directly, or would he wait to announce it three days later, as he had said?
Aoki's face broke into a smile.
He knew this was the main point of the meeting, but he had already prepared for the announcement of this matter.
He unclipped a Poké Ball from his waist and summoned the Pokémon directly in the conference room.
Fortunately, the conference room was large enough to accommodate the Pokémon he summoned.
The Pokémon he summoned was Salamence, one of his main Pokémon. Everyone present recognized this pseudo-legendary Pokémon from the Hoenn region and had some understanding of it, especially Drake. He immediately recognized that Aoki's Salamence was the Bagon he had brought into the Dragon's Den back then.
However, no matter how he looked at it, he felt that this Salamence, compared to when he last saw it, had undergone a drastic transformation not only in its strength but also in its potential and demeanor.
Although everyone felt that this Pokémon was extraordinary upon seeing Salamence, they also recalled how handsome and powerful Salamence had looked when Aoki first appeared today.
Immediately after, Aoki flipped his hand, and a rainbow-colored Key Stone appeared in his palm.
"This stone is a Key Stone; it's the key to unlocking Mega Evolution, so I've named it 'Key Stone'."
Looking at the Key Stone in Aoki's hand, most of those present committed its appearance to memory, intending to mobilize all their resources to collect such Key Stones once they returned.
Aoki's smile remained unchanged. "The so-called Mega Evolution is actually a temporary, side-effect-free amplification of certain Pokémon after they reach the limits of their evolution, through a special energy, which is called Mega Evolution energy, allowing them to evolve again for a short period and significantly increase their strength.
I believe everyone is already aware of the cult's special evolution, or what they call divine power infusion. Their method can also be considered a type of Mega Evolution, but their Mega Evolution is achieved through abnormal means, causing significant damage to the Pokémon. Repeated use can even lead to a decrease in the Pokémon's potential and strength.
And the Mega Evolution I belong to has no side effects. If there are any, it's probably the trainer themselves."
"Some Pokémon? Temporary boost? The side effect is on the trainer themselves?" Adams' voice held a hint of confusion.
Hearing Adams' question, Aoki couldn't help but sigh in admiration. As expected of the President, he immediately picked up on the most crucial points.
Nodding, Aoki showed no intention of hiding anything. "That's right. Through my research, I've found that not all Pokémon can Mega Evolve. At least, currently, I know of a few that cannot. Of course, it's also possible that I haven't discovered their evolved forms or found their corresponding Mega Stones."
Mega Stones?
However, no one raised any questions for the moment, suppressing the urge to ask and waiting for Aoki to finish speaking.
"As for the duration of the boost, that can actually be combined with the third question. The time a Pokémon can maintain Mega Evolution still depends on the trainer themselves.
Mega Evolution, in essence, is when the trainer and Pokémon achieve spiritual unity, using the power of their bond to provide a boost to the Pokémon.
During Mega Evolution, the trainer and Pokémon are in a state of high spiritual unity and concentration, able to feel each other's thoughts and will. For Pokémon, which are powerful individuals, this doesn't pose much of a burden, but for the human body of the trainer, it brings considerable pressure, and the side effects also stem from this.
Moreover! There's another important point: not everyone can sustain two or even more Pokémon in Mega Evolution. If overloaded, it can lead to dizziness and fainting, or in severe cases, even permanent mental impairment.
Steven should have some experience with this."
When he mentioned Steven, a rare mischievous smile appeared on Aoki's face.
Hearing Aoki tease him at such a critical moment, everyone else also looked at him, causing a hint of embarrassment to surface on the usually carefree Steven's face.
"Ahem, indeed, exceeding one Pokémon can indeed directly lead to fainting." Steven could only cough to express his awkwardness.
Actually, what they were more concerned about was: Steven could also Mega Evolve?
"This is a reminder from me. Because I'm a psychic, don't be surprised that I can Mega Evolve two, three, or even four Pokémon. That's different. Just as everyone is different, there are always some people who are exceptionally gifted. You shouldn't try it casually, or you'll have to bear the consequences." Aoki reined in his smile and said seriously.
"…" Everyone was speechless.
It sounded like he was showing off, even though nothing could be seen on his face. Nevertheless, everyone still believed Aoki was showing off!
Didn't they see that Drake, sitting above Aoki, had already clenched his fists? Even a teacher was getting fed up.
But Aoki hadn't finished speaking yet. They had to wait until he had conveyed all the important information.
"Ahem! Aoki, what exactly is that Mega Stone?" It was still Adams who was more composed, if you didn't notice him slowly moving one hand under the table.
Aoki himself felt the atmosphere in the meeting room was a bit off, so he immediately said, "Actually, Mega Evolution only requires three prerequisites. I've already shown everyone the Key Stone; that's the simplest of all the conditions.
And the Mega Stone is the most important and crucial condition of all!
Because, unlike the Key Stone, which all Pokémon can use, the Mega Stone must correspond to that specific Pokémon!"
As he spoke, Salamence walked to Aoki's side, raising its proud head and revealing its neck.
Everyone saw a special piece of equipment, or rather, an ornament, on Salamence's neck, which made it look even more noble. In the center of this equipment, a colorful stone, similar to the Key Stone, was embedded. This must be the Mega Stone!
Aoki had already decided to announce Mega Evolution in the Spatial Continent. Since that was the case, he no longer needed to hide the existence of Mega Stones. So, Aoki had crafted individual ornaments for his Pokémon, each embedded with their respective Mega Stones.
Just like the shield-like ornament on Salamence's neck at this moment, protecting its neck.
It was similar to the ornament on the Charizard in the anime Aoki had once watched.
In fact, many trainers like to adorn their Pokémon with various ornaments, so when Aoki's Salamence first appeared, everyone's attention wasn't on this item.
They never expected this to be the key to Mega Evolution, the location of the Mega Stone.
"This is Salamence's Mega Stone, also known as the Salamencite. Only Pokémon like Salamence can use it. Other Pokémon, such as my Blaziken, Gengar, and so on, also use their unique Mega Stones. These Mega Stones are the most crucial factor for a Pokémon to Mega Evolve!" Aoki solemnly demonstrated the Mega Stone to everyone.
Everyone, including Steven, looked at the Mega Stone on Salamence's neck.
Such a small stone could unleash such immense power; everyone was deeply moved.
This time, without waiting for Adams and Drake to ask, Aoki himself stated the final condition: "Besides the Mega Stone and Key Stone, the third key is the bond between the Pokémon and the trainer!
It can also be said to be their closeness. I believe that Pokémon worthy of a trainer using a Mega Stone will have a deep bond with them. This can be said to be the simplest condition."
Hearing Aoki say this, Steven, Drake, and others nodded, feeling that this condition was indeed not worth mentioning. However, not everyone was like Aoki and Steven, who genuinely regarded their Pokémon as partners; many might have treated them as tools.
There were indeed such people in the meeting room, and their expressions were slightly awkward.
Indeed, this condition could be directly ignored by some, but for a large portion of people, this might be the biggest problem.
Not everyone can train a Pokémon from start to finish like Aoki. Many people, when their Pokémon can no longer keep up with them, are very likely to choose to replace them. And to save the process of training Pokémon, many people choose to capture already powerful Pokémon or buy them directly.
And for these people, the bond between them and their Pokémon is questionable.
Most of these people are the wealthy, powerful, and influential scions of families, and there are quite a few such people in the Alliance.
However, the funny thing is that most of the people who will be rich and powerful enough to obtain Mega Stones in the future are also these very people!
So, this would lead to a situation where some people, even if they possess Mega Stones, might not be able to make their Pokémon Mega Evolve.
However, these people quickly reined in their embarrassment, as this was not something to be proud of.
"Finally, it's also some auxiliary knowledge that needs to be understood. Just as some ordinary Pokémon might change their ability and type after evolution, Mega Evolution also possesses such characteristics," Aoki said again.
Originally, this should have been something trainers gradually explored themselves, but Aoki felt that since he was announcing it, he might as well say a bit more, as it would be discovered eventually anyway.
"For example, my Salamence's original ability is Intimidate, but when it evolves into Mega Salamence, its ability changes to a brand new ability, which I call Aerilate. As for what this ability does, it's not convenient to disclose.
In short, changes in abilities and types are common.Steven For example, Steven's Mawile, after Mega Evolving, its ability will become Huge Power, instantly changing the Pokémon's previously unpopular characteristic."
Aoki didn't reveal the effect of his Salamence's Aerilate ability, but he directly exposed Steven.
After all, Huge Power isn't an unheard-of ability.
Listening to Aoki explaining the characteristics after Mega Evolution so well, he ended up talking about himself and revealing his own secrets.
Steven stared at Aoki, dumbfounded.
He had seen people betray their teammates, but never like this.
Everyone's gaze shifted back to Steven.
When Aoki first mentioned Steven, everyone was already a bit confused. This time, when Steven was mentioned again, someone finally couldn't hold back.
So, Aoki wasn't the only one who could Mega Evolve?
The first person to glare at Steven was his father, Mr. Stone, whose eyes held three parts confusion, three parts anger, and four parts a sense of re-evaluation.
Everything else was understandable, but the anger stemmed from the fact that Steven knew about Mega Evolution but didn't reveal it immediately. One had to know how much advantage the Stone family could have gained in the past month if they had known about Mega Evolution?
Steven could only offer a helpless and bitter smile, but he couldn't say much now, only giving his father a look that said, "We'll talk about this later."
And Mr. Stone returned Steven a look that said, "You little brat, you just wait."
And so, Steven's gaze towards Aoki became even more resentful.
This betrayal had truly caught him off guard.
Originally, he and Wallace had promised Aoki not to reveal the matter of Mega Evolution, so they had never demonstrated Mega Evolution in front of others. Because once it was demonstrated, whether they wanted to talk about it or not was no longer up to them.
He just didn't expect Aoki to sell him out like this… He probably had a tough time ahead of him when he returned.
Aoki's face once again showed a mischievous expression. Seeing Steven's embarrassment, he was in a very good mood.
"Cough, cough, cough. The general overview is like this. Actually, I've only understood a part of Mega Evolution. The rest still needs to be thoroughly researched by the various Pokémon scholars of the Alliance to reach complete conclusions." Aoki felt that he had said enough. Saying more would no longer be beneficial, but rather detrimental.
Sometimes, knowing too much means the longer the exposure, the harder it is to explain.
Hearing Aoki summarize, everyone fell silent, each with their own thoughts.
Among them, the ones with the most thoughts were undoubtedly the Joy and Jenny families. These two families covered the entire world, and their knowledge meant that all Joys and Jennys in all regions would know. This would undoubtedly bring them many benefits within these three days.
It wasn't just the two clan leaders who thought of this.
Adams' expression was solemn. Although this was good news for their Hoenn region, if not handled properly, it could lead to a huge disaster.
"Everyone! I know what's on your minds right now, but as the President of the Hoenn Alliance, I must speak now.
The matter of Mega Evolution is of great importance. I order you not to leak this matter prematurely, otherwise, I believe everyone present can imagine the consequences!" Adams no longer used the word "hope," but directly commanded as the President of the Hoenn Alliance!
Adams' main attention was still on the Jenny clan leader and the Joy clan leader.
Hearing Adams' words, everyone present who had been lost in their fantasies jolted, snapping out of their breathless reverie, and instantly felt their backs dampen with sweat.
Even the Jenny clan leader and the Joy clan leader were no exception.
For a moment, they had been mesmerized, seeing the immense benefits and advantages that Mega Evolution could bring.
The emergence of Mega Evolution might indeed change the entire pattern of the Pokémon world, but that was for the various small and large families and local forces. For the Alliance, this behemoth, although there was an impact, the impact was not particularly significant!
The Alliance's position as the hegemon of the Pokémon world would still not be shaken by this. The Hoenn Alliance, for everyone present, was also the same.
If they, knowing about Mega Evolution in advance, were to mobilize all their forces to collect Mega Stones and Key Stones, such a large-scale action would inevitably not escape public attention.
Especially at such a moment, those families and forces that excessively collected Mega Stones would inevitably become targets of public criticism. And the consequence of ignoring Adams' words would be that the Hoenn Alliance would no longer protect them. Under the temptation of so many Mega Stones, many forces would undoubtedly be willing to take risks!
At that point, this would no longer be a benefit, but a catastrophe!
Not to mention, even the Jenny and Joy families, they are divided by region. For those with selfish motives, their family in the Hoenn Alliance comes first, as a smaller family, before the entire larger family!
To obtain a few more Mega Stones at the cost of losing the family's foundation in the Hoenn Alliance would be a net loss!
Moreover, they were confident that even if they knew at the same time as other forces, given the vast regions covered by the Jenny and Joy families and their numerous personnel, they would still benefit the most.
There was no need to offend Adams, Aoki, or even the entire Hoenn Alliance for these benefits.
Once everyone understood this, they felt relieved.
Seeing the changes in most people's expressions, Adams roughly guessed the shift in their thoughts and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately after, he looked at Aoki again, "Aoki, from the live broadcast, your current strength…"
Here it comes!
Upon hearing this question, Aoki's heart trembled, then tightened. Finally, it had come to the most crucial part for him.