Hearing Adams's question, everyone's spirits lifted.
Watching the live broadcast, they could see Aoki annihilate those People's God Cult Executives with overwhelming force, but they didn't have a clear understanding of his specific strength.
Now that Aoki has taken the position of the Hoenn Region's top Elite, the second strongest combatant just below the Champion, it's best to give everyone a clear idea of his capabilities.
The strength of the Salamence Aoki summoned was very powerful, a fact felt by everyone present.
However, Aoki is, after all, the first Trainer to master the use of Mega Evolution, and he also has the deepest understanding of the power boost it grants Pokémon.
What Adams was asking about was mainly Aoki's full-strength power, meaning his strength after his Pokémon undergo Mega Evolution.
After Adams finished asking, Lance also looked intently at Aoki, "Your Gengar and Tyranitar, after Mega Evolving, should have broken through the second barrier of the Champion Level, right?"
Whoosh—
Even though they were somewhat prepared, everyone present was still slightly shocked by Lance's words.
Yet, no one questioned him. Lance was the strongest person from the Hoenn League present at the time, and the only one whose Pokémon possessed strength at the second barrier of the Champion Level. His Salamence was a genuine existence at that level.
Therefore, he had significant authority when speaking about the strength of Pokémon at that tier.
Although he felt his perception couldn't be wrong, the surprise in his heart was no less than anyone else's.
If Aoki's Gengar and Tyranitar, after Mega Evolving, possessed strength comparable to, or even surpassing, his Salamence, it meant his cheap disciple had surpassed his teacher at a rocket-like speed.
Regarding this, Lance's heart was a mix of shock, gratification, and a trace of loneliness.
A disciple surpassing the teacher—nothing could make a teacher more gratified. But alongside that gratification, there was inevitably some loneliness, a feeling of 'the new generation surpasses the old, and the old fades away.'
However, this feeling quickly vanished from his heart, replaced by overwhelming pride and satisfaction!
Listening to Lance's words, Aoki seemed to sense the genuine feelings in the heart of this teacher who had always sincerely cared for him from beginning to end, and the trace of self-satisfaction in his own heart slowly dissipated.
But now was not the time to be modest. He nodded lightly, confirming Lance's affirmative guess.
Seeing Aoki also acknowledge this point, everyone's breathing unconsciously became slightly hurried again.
They had once thought Aoki had extraordinary potential, but potential is just potential. Only when realized into strength does a genius become a powerhouse.
Yet, in just two short years, this youngster they once saw had grown to a point they could no longer ignore, and many of those present now had to look up to see him, to see the gradually imperious gaze in his eyes.
In the live broadcast, Aoki's overwhelming, unstoppable demeanor was replayed repeatedly in everyone's minds.
Recalling it again, they truly understood just how strong the power he displayed back then was.
"Good!!" Adams couldn't help but shout out loud, disregarding the setting and forgetting his identity as the League President. After a simple but all-encompassing "good," he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahaha!! This old man is happy!! Heaven blesses our Hoenn!! Hahahaha—" Adams's laughter held a trace of bitterness.
Only a few elders present could understand his feelings at this moment.
The smile on Lance's face slowly expanded from a mere smile into an unrestrained, hearty laugh, looking for a moment like a kindly grandfather next door hearing happy news.
Even the elderly Tsurugi Muken, sitting on the other side of Adams, now wore a smile on his face.
The stronger Hoenn became, the more stable their Zinnia Family would be. The Zinnia Family had long been intertwined with the Hoenn League, sharing both glory and loss.
He instantly felt the burden on his shoulders lighten considerably.
Adams laughed for a long time before slowly stopping. Given his status, it had probably been a long time since he had laughed so heartily.
He stared at Aoki for a long time, then at Steven, Flannery, and Wallace. His gaze seemed not to be looking at people, but at several priceless treasures bestowed by heaven.
Infected by Adams's laughter, everyone present was also affected.
"In that case..." Lance suddenly spoke up after Adams finished laughing.
But he had just started when Adams directly interrupted him, raising a hand to stop him, saying, "No, not yet."
Although neither of them specified what they were referring to, everyone in the meeting room understood.
Then, Adams said to Aoki, "Aoki, the matter with the God Cult hasn't stabilized yet. They might reappear at any time. Since you were in charge of the Investigation Department before you went to the Space-Time Continent, you will continue to manage it. Keep a close eye on the God Cult's movements!"
"Yes!" Aoki's expression turned serious.
Being responsible for the entire Investigation Department carried clear implications.
Previously, with no Champion in the Hoenn Region and Lance nowhere to be found, Aoki's temporary management was one thing.
But now Lance has returned and assumed the position of Hoenn League Champion. The Investigation Department was originally the strongest armed force under his command, yet now this power was directly handed over to Aoki.
This carried too many implications.
Summarizing it in one point: although Aoki was the top Elite, he was already temporarily handling some of the Champion's duties. Calling him a reserve Champion wouldn't be inappropriate!
At this point, no one could compete with him. Although Steven's talent was not inferior to Aoki's, he still lagged behind Aoki at this time.
As for Lance, the original Champion, he had even wanted to suggest abdicating and giving way to the worthy just moments ago, but was stopped by Adams.
Although Aoki's goal this time was the Champion position, he hadn't expected to become Champion today. The recognition from Adams and Lance, and the lack of opposition from everyone else present, was already enough!
Aoki had originally thought the Hoenn League Champion position was still vacant. With his current strength, taking the Champion seat in one go would have been no problem.
But unbeknownst to him, Lance had already taken the Champion seat. For him to take it now wouldn't be so easy.
Although Lance would undoubtedly be the first to agree to step down, the Champion position wasn't child's play. Lance had just taken the seat; changing it immediately would make the people of Hoenn seem fickle and diminish the residents' respect for the Champion.
Rather than that, it was better to let Aoki wait a while longer, giving him real power first, then the title.
Having essentially gotten what he wanted, Aoki wouldn't say more.
"There's one last crucial matter. Aoki, in Ever Grande City, among your Pokémon, you have a Darkrai, right?" Adams looked at Aoki and asked, his eyes flashing with an inexplicable light.
Hearing this, Aoki was taken aback.
Could even someone at the President's level harbor some special prejudice against a Pokémon like Darkrai?
But he still nodded honestly, "That's right. He is also my good partner, someone I can trust with my life. I have absolute faith in him!"
Aoki spoke resolutely, not shying away from Darkrai's existence in the slightest.
Hearing Aoki's words, Adams was also taken aback, then realized Aoki might have misunderstood him.
He didn't explain anything, just showed a meaningful smile on his face, "During this time, if you have the chance, you can visit Mt. Pyre. The place you entered before might bring you something unexpected."
Mt. Pyre?
Flannery's grandparents? The Elderly Couple of Mt. Pyre?
Actually, even if Adams hadn't said anything, Aoki would have made the trip. Not only to see if the issue with Darkrai could be permanently resolved, but also to ask them why, when helping Haunter evolve into Gengar, they infused it with the energy of the Renegade Pokémon Giratina, nearly causing him to perish at Giratina's hands.
Originally, it wasn't so urgent, but now it seemed he needed to schedule it soon. Adams's words seemed to carry a special meaning.
Hearing the two mention Mt. Pyre, Flannery also looked eager. She hadn't returned since leaving Mt. Pyre and missed her grandparents dearly.
Afterwards, the meeting discussed how to face and handle the God Cult.
However, after their large-scale mobilization this time, it would likely be at least three or four days before they appeared again.
Then they discussed the promise Aoki had made: announcing information about Mega Evolution at the Hoenn League Headquarters three days later.
Since Aoki had made the promise, a significant number of people would gather in the Hoenn Region. This was a rare major event for the Hoenn League, and they couldn't afford to lose face. They had to prepare well, ensuring all visitors felt the exceptional nature of the Hoenn Region!
However, these matters had little to do with Aoki. His responsibility now was combat; others would handle the Rest, each fulfilling their own duties.
After ending this lengthy meeting—or rather, this meeting that could alter the landscape of the entire Hoenn League—Aoki left with Steven and the others.
Because they truly had too many questions: what Aoki did during his disappearance, and what he did after everyone returned.
It also happened that Aoki wanted to learn more from them about what had happened in the Hoenn Region and the entire League during that time, and to understand more about the God Cult's recent activities.
By the time Aoki parted ways with Steven and the others, it was already dark. If it weren't for bedtime, they probably would have talked until dawn.
Finally returning to his room, after lying on the soft bed for a moment, Aoki directly used Teleport and vanished from the room.
After leaving the League building, he didn't stop, using Teleport multiple times in succession until he arrived in an unknown forest.
"All of you, come out." By now, Aoki had changed his attire and spoke into the air.
As his words fell, several figures immediately appeared before him, kneeling on one knee and respectfully calling out, "Master!"
Two of their shouts were resolute and firm, filled with unconcealed reverence. The other two, though also respectful, showed more fear—respect born from fear.
Moreover, besides the four people, a special figure had also intruded among them.
"Greetings, Master, Meowth!" A talking Meowth!
"Rise and speak." Aoki glanced at the group and said calmly.
Hearing this, they all slowly stood up.
"Brad, Catherine, it seems you two have now adapted to your identities. I wonder how the tasks I assigned you have been going?"
That's right, among these four, two were Brad and Catherine, whom Aoki had subdued on the Space-Time Continent. Their strength might have been considered average on the Space-Time Continent, but in the current Pokémon World, they were undoubtedly at the top of the food chain.
"Reporting to Master, all tasks have been completed! It's just these two..." Brad replied. When saying the tasks were done, he was somewhat composed, but when mentioning the other two, his and Catherine's expressions became rather interesting.
"What is it?" Aoki raised an eyebrow, looking towards the other two trembling individuals.
Brad truly didn't know how to answer Aoki's questioning, mainly because he couldn't figure out what relationship these two people had with Aoki. If they were important to Aoki, he couldn't afford to offend him by speaking carelessly.
In the end, he summarized it in four words: "It's a long story."
But just from these four words, Aoki understood exactly what kind of impression these two eccentric individuals from the Pokémon World had left on Brad and Catherine, given the expressions on their faces.
"Musashi, James, and Meowth, they find you guys indescribable. Explain yourselves!" Aoki's eyes narrowed. When he was serious, his aura of high authority was already imposing. Now, with his greatly increased strength and his position as the top Elite of Hoenn, his prestige was unmatched. When serious, the invisible pressure he exuded was even more sharp.
Actually, rather than calling it an aura, it was more like a confidence radiating from within, an invincible self-assurance.
Hearing their names called by this esteemed person, Musashi, James, and Meowth all shivered simultaneously, momentarily at a loss for words.
That's right. Besides Brad and Catherine, the other two figures were Musashi and James, whom Aoki had sent to the island where Regice resided for training, along with the talking Meowth.
The agreed three-month training period. Before sending Brad and Catherine out, Aoki could still remember to give them instructions, showing he still placed some importance on the two.
In fact, after their last contact at the Trial Island, Aoki had observed them up close and knew that although their actions could be somewhat erratic, they were also rare talents with not-weak potential. With proper polishing, they might very well become two formidable assets in the future.
After all, they were people who had consistently battled someone like Ash, a Child of Destiny. Although they were always the ones getting beaten, they often succeeded initially; it was just that their follow-through wasn't great, leading to repeated failures.
But even Musashi, who later pursued Contests, managed to earn several ribbons through her own solid skills, proving she actually had ability.
As for James, even more so. Born into nobility, his knowledge was no less than others'. His way of interacting with Pokémon and his synergy with them even surpassed many League Trainers. His potential was certainly not weak.
And Meowth, as the first Pokémon in the entire Pokémon World to learn human speech through its own efforts. Even if its combat ability wasn't strong, its intelligence was significantly higher than many other Pokémon, complementing Musashi and James quite well.
Therefore, Aoki still valued this duo-and-a-half combination, not just because of Boss Sakaki's entrustment.
Musashi and James didn't know what to say. By now, they finally understood the status of the person who had taken them away from the Trial Island. This was the leader of Team Sky in the entire Hoenn Region. During this time, they hadn't been ignorant; especially under Brad and Catherine's tutelage, their awe and respect for Aoki had grown immensely.
As for Team Rocket's Boss Sakaki, they hadn't met him yet, nor had they truly become Team Rocket members. Not yet convinced by Aoki, Aoki was currently the sole object of their loyalty.
Musashi, James, and Meowth—if nothing else, once their loyalty to a leader took root, it would never fade. This loyalty alone was something ordinary people couldn't match.
In the end, it was Musashi, the leader of their little team, who stepped forward to explain to Aoki.
At first, she spoke with trepidation. Seeing that Aoki didn't seem angry, Musashi gradually grew bolder.
Aoki showed no outward reaction, but beneath the Psychic membrane, his eyebrows were twitching.
He had no idea how this trio's brains were wired.
With no one targeting them, they had truly turned the island where Regice resided upside down. These audacious individuals even dared to take action against Regice.
They went and blew up its ice cave. If Regice hadn't promised Aoki to ensure their safety, that single act probably would have turned them into ice sculptures.
Actually, they *were* ice sculptures for a while. At least when Brad and Catherine retrieved them, they were frozen solid, placed on the beach to'sunbathe'.
If not for their strong constitutions, they probably would have frozen to death.
Upon learning of their antics, Brad and Catherine, though somewhat surprised (but in this world, what strange thing hasn't happened?), still carefully instructed the two as per Aoki's orders. Following Aoki's intent, they took them on as disciples, aiming to train two capable disciples to serve Aoki.
Brad and Catherine had good judgment. They could see that Musashi and James's potential wasn't weak at all. It was just their death-seeking personalities... Gradually, Brad and Catherine finally understood why Regice had frozen these guys. They were simply too annoying—a minor incident every three days, a major one every five, never stopping.
They wasted a lot of time cleaning up their messes.
Now, although their strength wasn't high yet—only at the Elite Level—their ability to court death left the two of them no choice but to admit defeat.
The odd thing was, these two themselves had remarkably tough constitutions. Ordinary death-seeking wouldn't actually kill them, at most leave them crippled.
Elite Level!!
Aoki caught the key point.
Over three months, Musashi and James's strength had actually reached the Elite Level!
Although to the current Aoki, Elite Level was something he could crush with a flick of his hand, one must remember that when Aoki first completed his trial and emerged from the final test, he was also at this level. Their progress speed was actually not inferior to Aoki's.
Their potential was indeed quite outstanding.
However, listening to Musashi recount their "glorious deeds" bit by bit, Aoki also felt they were truly experts at courting trouble.
Fortunately, Team Sky was now a behemoth in the Hoenn Region. With Aoki's return and two powerful individuals like Brad and Catherine holding the fort, they could still manage this level of trouble-making. It just required the two to put in a bit more effort.
Before Musashi could finish, Aoki interrupted, "I have a general understanding of your situation. From now on, continue learning diligently from your teachers, do less of those useless things, and then..."
Aoki really wanted to tell them to court death less, but upon careful thought, no matter how much they courted it, they themselves didn't die. So, he might as well let them be.
Then, Aoki didn't say anything further. He waved his hand at them, indicating they could leave.
Musashi, James, and Meowth, thinking they were about to hear the most crucial part, were caught off guard when Aoki waved them away. They didn't react immediately.
It was Brad who, somewhat annoyed, kicked James in the shin, prompting them to snap out of it.
They immediately bowed respectfully to Aoki and said, "Then, sir, we shall take our leave. Rest assured, we promise not to cause trouble recklessly. We will definitely help you capture a stunning, earth-shattering Pokémon to repay your training!!"
With that, these two and one special Meowth left. Judging by their departing backs, they seemed to be in good spirits.
After they left, Aoki, Brad, and the others fell into a brief silence.
"You two... will have to endure a bit more hardship," Aoki said to them. This was the first time he felt a slight sense of guilt when speaking to Brad and Catherine.
Hearing this, bitter smiles inevitably appeared on Brad and Catherine's faces, but they still had to accept the order. "Yes."
Under the long-term influence of the psychic seed, their loyalty to Aoki had long been From the heart (from the heart), and they always considered things from Aoki's perspective.
Although Musashi and James weren't strong now and were experts at courting death, their inherent potential was good. If they grew up, they would surely become Aoki's right-hand men in the future.
For now, they could only shoulder a bit more responsibility.
"That's a minor matter. What about the other tasks I assigned?" Aoki asked again.
Indeed, to him now, Musashi and James were secondary matters. For them to be useful would take at least three or four years. Aoki obviously wouldn't wait idly for that long.
Hearing Aoki's words, Catherine and Brad's expressions immediately turned serious. They cautiously observed their surroundings to ensure no eavesdroppers were nearby.
Seeing their actions, Aoki waved his right hand. A special barrier, similar to the one at Space-Time Mountain, materialized out of thin air, enveloping the three of them.
Now Aoki was confident that even someone of Wallace's caliber wouldn't be able to detect them.
After seeing Aoki's action, Catherine carefully took out a cloth bundle from her pocket and slowly unwrapped it. As the bundle was opened, the originally pitch-black night was illuminated by a brilliant, multicolored glow.
Fortunately, Aoki had created this barrier in advance. Otherwise, the forest would likely have been bathed in this Seven-colored light (seven-colored radiance).
Looking at the cloth bundle in Catherine's hand, even someone with Aoki's temperament couldn't help but feel his breathing quicken slightly.
This was a whole bundle of mega stones!!
That's right. These special stones shimmering with Seven-colored light (seven-colored light) were a large quantity of mega stones—mega stones for various different Pokémon!
These were what Aoki had long ago asked Ghetsis of Team Flare to help collect.
As the region where Mega Evolution would become most prevalent in the future, it was also because the Kalos region had the most mega stones.
Ghetsis controlled Team Flare. After such a long period of development, Team Flare's strength had grown stronger and stronger, even managing to plant someone like Bertha within the Kalos League.
With no one competing for them, they secretly collected mega stones without attracting anyone's attention.
Having collected for such a long time in advance, the quantity gathered was quite considerable. At a glance, Aoki estimated there were nearly a hundred.
Right now, these stones were almost worthless. But in three days, when Aoki announced Mega Evolution, these stones would become priceless.
Fortunately, Ghetsis also had Aoki's psychic seed in his mind, though unlike Brad and the others, it wasn't a master-servant type.
It was more akin to a religious faith type, with Aoki being Ghetsis's unwavering belief. So even if he knew Aoki was taking the mega stones he had collected for so long, he would only think Aoki had some special use for them, without any other thoughts.
Furthermore, once Aoki identified which Pokémon these mega stones corresponded to, he would naturally have the ones Ghetsis could use sent to him.
Rather than holding a pile of stones whose use was unknown, it was better to have a few mega stones that could be used directly.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!
Carefully taking these mega stones, Aoki's hand also trembled slightly.
He was seeing so many mega stones for the first time. Some were duplicates, but more were ones Aoki had never seen before.
As someone who knew about Mega Evolution in advance, how could Aoki not secure some benefits for himself? After all, only he truly understood the significance Mega Evolution represented.
Even if he could collect them himself, among his own Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution, many couldn't undergo it due to the lack of mega stones.
After this, all his Pokémon should be able to Mega Evolve.
Among them were Swampert, Gardevoir, Lucario, Venusaur, and even Pokémon suitable for use in the future.
These were definitely good things to have on hand, You will definitely not lose money (absolutely not a loss).
Aoki collected the entire bag of mega stones and then said to Brad and Catherine, "I'll go back and see which Pokémon each of these mega stones belongs to. When the time comes, you two will certainly get your share."
As Aoki's most capable subordinates at this time, their strength improvement was essentially an improvement in Aoki's own strength. He was never stingy with loyal subordinates.
Upon hearing this, smiles of pleasant surprise immediately appeared on Brad and Catherine's faces. "Thank you, sir!"
Even their voices trembled slightly with excitement.
This was genuine excitement.
As subordinates who had followed Aoki through life and death, he had never concealed his use of Mega Evolution from them.
Although they never said it out loud, both of them deeply envied Mega Evolution from the bottom of their hearts. When they received this bag of mega stones from Ghetsis, their eyes nearly popped out.
They had fantasized in their hearts whether Aoki would give each of them one. Their expectations weren't high; just one usable stone each would be enough.
They never expected Aoki had truly not forgotten them.
The reason he didn't give them out immediately was partly because the types were difficult to identify, and partly because Brad and Catherine's relationships with their Pokémon were actually quite ordinary.
Aoki hoped they would develop sufficient rapport with their Pokémon sooner.
Having collected these most important mega stones, a heavy weight in Aoki's heart was temporarily lifted.
"What about the other matter?" Aoki forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart, his expression turning somewhat serious.
If Jessy and James's affair was incidental, and the mega stones were the most important, then the matter he was about to discuss this time was the most dangerous.
Knowing what Aoki was referring to, the expressions of Brad and Catherine also turned grave.
Brad hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "The item has been delivered. Although the other party didn't give us a hard time, this person truly is, as you said, sir, probably the most imposing figure in the entire Pokémon World!"
Regarding the person they went to see under Aoki's orders, although they had heard of him long before going to the Space-Time Continent, meeting him face-to-face was indeed their first time.
Brad's words gave Aoki a deep sense of agreement. He didn't feel anything wrong with his subordinate praising someone else's imposing aura, because even he himself felt the same way.
"What were your impressions?" Aoki asked with a smile, the image of that person surfacing in his mind. Even though nearly a year had passed since their time on the Space-Time Continent, it was still firmly etched in the deepest part of his memory.
"Strong! But also exceptionally charismatic," Brad answered honestly.
"Terrifying! Yet combined with a unique grace," Catherine also voiced her opinion.
Although the words they used were different, the essence of their descriptions was quite similar.
Hearing their seemingly contradictory yet fitting descriptions, Aoki couldn't help but sigh. That man, his success wasn't all reliant on luck.
Giovanni!
Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket!
He was the person Aoki had sent Brad and Catherine to meet. It seemed the pressure they felt from Giovanni was not insignificant.
Aoki's purpose in sending them to see Giovanni wasn't for anything else, purely just to deliver an item.
A mega stone!
This was a mega stone Aoki deliberately had Ghetsis leave behind. It was also one of the few mega stones Aoki could recognize without testing, knowing exactly which Pokémon it was suited for.
Because before he came to the Pokémon World, it was precisely this Pokémon that was prevalent.
One could say, just like Pokémon such as Mawile, it experienced a massive turnaround because of a mega stone, because of Mega Evolution. In fact, the extent of its turnaround was even greater than Mawile's.
Beedrill!
Or rather, Beedrill's mega stone!
Everyone knows Giovanni's nickname is the 'Earthbound Giovanni', and the Pokémon he uses are mostly Ground-type.
But very few people know that Giovanni's true ace Pokémon is a Beedrill!
It's a special Beedrill he caught in the Viridian Forest. Combined with the Viridian Power Giovanni possesses, it directly broke through the inherent limitations of the Beedrill species, becoming his strongest Pokémon.
In front of Giovanni's Beedrill, all his other Pokémon have to take a back seat.
And Aoki just happened to be someone who knew this secret of Giovanni's.
Since that was the case, how could he forget Boss Sakaki of Team Rocket when it came to something as good as mega stones?
A Beedrill that was already super, combined with a mega stone...Aoki could hardly imagine what kind of combat power Giovanni could unleash.
This was a gesture of goodwill from Aoki, but also something he felt compelled to do.
Even with his current status, even as he was about to become the Champion of the Hoenn Region, he wasn't really willing to give up his identity as a Team Rocket Executive.
However, over these years, Aoki, developing independently in the Hoenn Region, had created Team Sky. After absorbing the remnants of Team Aqua and Team Magma, and with the support of the Hoenn League, it had essentially become independent from Team Rocket.
Everything was self-sufficient, no longer relying on Team Rocket.
Although this matter was never explicitly stated, both Giovanni and he were well aware of it.
Now, if you randomly pulled out any member from Team Sky in the Hoenn Region, ninety-nine percent wouldn't know the relationship between Team Sky and Team Rocket. To the vast majority, Team Sky was Team Sky, and Team Rocket was Team Rocket. If you had to say there was any relationship, it was that both organizations were the largest underground forces in their respective regions.
Controlling all the dark aspects of their regions.
In fact, in the eyes of many Team Sky members, what was Team Rocket? If there was really a conflict, they wouldn't mind testing their strength.
Only a small portion of the Executive layer knew the relationship between Team Sky and Team Rocket, but they also deeply didn't want to return to Team Rocket's management. That's why they hadn't emphasized the relationship between Team Sky and Team Rocket to those below.
To even increase Team Sky's cohesion, they imitated Team Magma and Team Aqua, treating the sky dragon Rayquaza as the Pokémon the entire Team Sky pursued.
Everyone in the Hoenn Region knew about Rayquaza overpowering Groudon and Kyogre. Pursuing the even stronger Rayquaza also signified that Team Sky had already surpassed the former Team Magma and Team Aqua!
Giovanni also kept an eye on Team Sky's affairs. Although he didn't say anything, it didn't mean he had no thoughts about it.
Therefore, Aoki sent Brad and Catherine to show goodwill, indicating that Aoki was still willing to heed Giovanni's commands.
It was probably the meaning of the so-called 'a general in the field is not bound by orders from the court'—obeying commands but not necessarily all decrees.
"Did the other party say anything?" Aoki asked.
Brad nodded. "He said that if you, sir, have returned, you could give him a call. There are some matters he'd like to discuss with you."
Upon hearing this, a thoughtful expression appeared on Aoki's face.
Discussing with me?
It seemed Giovanni, through this mega stone, also understood the meaning Aoki wanted to convey.
Since that was the case, Aoki didn't hesitate either. He took out the communicator hidden in his innermost pocket.
He had always carried this communicator with him, indicating he had never forgotten Team Rocket, nor had he ever considered becoming an enemy of Team Rocket.
If he truly wanted to break with Team Rocket, break with Giovanni, then Koga would absolutely not have been among the people who returned this time.
Although this assassination expert was like a fish in water in the wild, and at that time he could influence The Cult's choices to a certain extent, if Aoki really wanted to kill Koga, he could have done it.
But from the moment he chose to cooperate with Koga, it meant he wouldn't make that choice.
He dialed Giovanni's dedicated communication number. It rang twice before being directly answered. From the other end of the communicator came that very familiar, hearty laughter.
"Hahaha, I've finally waited for your call, Aoki. It seems that suddenly returning, the affairs of the Hoenn Region are still quite busy, huh?"
"With your current strength, you must have at least become the Hoenn Region's First Elite by now, right?" From Giovanni's voice, one couldn't detect any displeasure. It was as if his words represented his entire meaning.
A smile also appeared on Aoki's face. "I did just return. I've troubled you, leader. I wonder if the subordinate's gift was to your satisfaction?"
Even through the communicator, one could sense that a smile should have appeared on Giovanni's resolute face at this moment.
"Satisfied! I'm very satisfied. You were thoughtful. If you could also tell me how to use it, that would be even better." Today, Giovanni had also watched the live broadcast of Aoki's battle with The Cult members, seeing the Mega Evolution used by Aoki's Pokémon. He too was very eager for this power.
It was just that when Brad and Catherine came to deliver the stone, they didn't know how to use it either.
Although Giovanni thought he had already taken it seriously enough, he hadn't expected it to be far more important than he imagined.
The energy of Mega Evolution could definitely allow his Beedrill to further improve its strength, possibly even bringing about a qualitative change. For someone whose strength had reached his level, this was very rare.
"Leader, don't rush. You'll definitely know in three days. Moreover, I will personally deliver all the items required for Mega Evolution to you then," Aoki said.
After all, what Brad and the other delivered was only the mega stone, not the matching key stone.
"That's good to hear. Coincidentally, I also have something I want to discuss with you. Once you've finished handling all the matters on your hands, come to the Kanto headquarters. We'll talk face-to-face then!" Giovanni didn't press for anything.
Back when he took a liking to Aoki, part of the reason was his ambition.
He himself was very ambitious, so he appreciated ambitious people.
As for Team Sky breaking away from Team Rocket, or not being under Team Rocket's control, this wasn't a big deal in Giovanni's eyes.
Originally, before Aoki went to Hoenn, Team Rocket couldn't possibly have any influence in the Hoenn Region, not even the possibility of cooperation.
But now?
Although they still couldn't directly influence Hoenn, given Aoki's relationship with Team Rocket, having Team Rocket and Team Sky cooperate in a collaborative form now was something neither side would likely refuse. This was significant progress.
Because deep down, from the very beginning, Giovanni truly hadn't believed Aoki could reach this point.
To the extent that they could now communicate on relatively equal terms.
"Good!" Aoki gave an affirmative reply. After casually chatting a few more sentences, he hung up the communicator.
There were things within Team Rocket he was very concerned about. Giovanni's deterrence was one reason, but more importantly, Mewtwo!
It should be about to emerge soon!