The phone call with Giovanni seemed ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it was a mutual testing between Aoki and Giovanni.
Although Aoki's current strength was still somewhat lacking compared to Giovanni, he at least had some say.
Moreover, Aoki had a clear understanding of his position; he had no intention of rebelling against Team Rockets and still viewed himself as a subordinate when facing Giovanni.
Therefore, after knowing Aoki's attitude, Giovanni didn't say much more, only telling him that he had something important to discuss and that it would be best to meet in person if he were free.
Brad and Catherine had almost finished the important tasks they were assigned; as for other secondary matters, Aoki didn't ask and directly delegated authority to the two.
Just like the current Team Sky, except for a very few absolutely loyal people who knew Aoki was the true leader, the rest were unaware of his existence.
Following Aoki's orders, Brad and Catherine stayed within Team Sky, serving as two absolute combat forces in his absence.
After briefly explaining a few more things to them, Aoki used Teleport to Return directly to the League building.
The next morning.
Aoki left directly with Phoebe.
He originally intended to go to Mt. Pyre, but it wasn't that urgent.
After all, the Ghost-type energy within Darkrai required the special Power of Ghost from Phoebe's family to be manipulated. Although Phoebe's Power of Ghost had improved on the Space-Time Continent, it was still quite lacking; according to her, her Power of Ghost was incomparable to her grandparents'.
Thus, Aoki felt that the two elders of Mt. Pyre should be able to help him.
Additionally, considering the little Trick they played on his Gengar last time, this visit was also to question them about the real reason for doing so.
At the full speed of Aoki's Salamence, it only took a few hours to fly from the Hoenn League Headquarters to Mt. Pyre.
Arriving once again at this place where Ghost-type energy was relatively dense, seeing some common Ghost-type Pokémon and the Trainers who used them, he couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental. The mountain was still the same, the energy was still the same, but the people were constantly changing.
As for Phoebe, she hadn't returned since she left. Coming back this time, she was undoubtedly excited, her heart filled with complex emotions.
In fact, Phoebe had already been waiting at Aoki's door before he even woke up.
Knowing she was coming back today, she probably hadn't slept well last night.
They arrived at the back of Mt. Pyre, in front of an unknown giant stone.
This was Phoebe's home. Familiar with the place, she skillfully channeled her Power of Ghost and led Aoki inside.
When he first arrived, Aoki was somewhat surprised by the abundance of Ghost-type energy here, but coming back this time, that Ghost-type energy had almost no chance of approaching his body in the face of his Psychic.
At that moment, Aoki felt a slight sense of surprise.
Because he remembered Phoebe's grandfather telling him last time that the reason their Power of Ghost had similar capabilities to Psychic in many places was that its predecessor was Psychic, which had slowly transformed into Power of Ghost under the corrosion of Ghost-type energy.
At the time, Aoki hadn't shown much doubt. After all, Ghost-type energy does counter the Psychic Type, and it wasn't impossible for it to be corroded and adapt to the environment, becoming Power of Ghost.
But now, Aoki realized that while type advantages existed, they only mattered when the energy levels were on the same tier. When the quality of one attribute was at an absolute advantage, so-called type advantages were a complete joke.
Just like in the previous battle with the Divine Cult, the Fire-type Blaziken could fearlessly charge into a group of Water-type Pokémon simply because the flames he used were Sacred Fire. Ordinary water posed little threat to flames of such quality.
Similarly, how could the Psychic of an Advanced Psychic User like Aoki be corroded by the surrounding Ghost-type energy?
There were only two possibilities for such a situation: either the Psychic user actively absorbed the Ghost-type energy and allowed themselves to be corroded, or... the Ghost-type energy they were in contact with at the time was not weaker than their Psychic, and might even be much stronger!
While Aoki was still thinking, the moment he and Phoebe entered the interior of Mt. Pyre, they were discovered by Phoebe's grandparents.
When Aoki saw the two elders again, he was slightly startled.
Just as he thought!
Back then, these two elders had hidden their strength from Aoki. No wonder he hadn't doubted their words at the time.
But now, Aoki felt a strong sense of threat from the two elders.
It was like the feeling of encountering a natural enemy.
Aoki didn't feel any hostility from the two elders; he simply felt threatened by the pure pressure of their aura.
Such powerful Power of Ghost!
Although the predecessor of Power of Ghost was Psychic, it had now completely evolved into a special Ghost-type ability, which had a strong countering effect on Psychic.
No wonder Phoebe said her Power of Ghost was somewhat lacking compared to her grandparents'.
This wasn't just "lacking"; it was a complete world of difference.
Irrepressible, kind smiles hung on both elders' faces; nothing made them happier than seeing their granddaughter.
Phoebe also had a smile on her face, her eyes red as she hugged her grandparents.
Aoki stood silently to the side, watching this warm and touching scene. For some reason, he felt a bit of envy in his heart.
Probably because he had never had any relatives in this world.
Thinking of relatives, several disconnected fragments suddenly flashed through Aoki's mind. Such images had never appeared in his mind before, but they suddenly surfaced in that brief moment.
Aoki himself was a bit dazed because he didn't know why such images would appear in his head, especially since the things in those images had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Just as he wanted to use the chip to review those few images, the brief reunion between Phoebe and her grandparents finally came to an end.
Phoebe's grandfather walked up to Aoki with a smile, accompanied by Phoebe and his wife. His smile looked like a blooming chrysanthemum, and the wrinkles on his face didn't make him look ugly at all.
"Little friend Aoki, we meet again," Phoebe's grandfather said with a smile.
Aoki then snapped out of it, temporarily putting aside the images that had flashed through his mind, and said with a smile on his face, "Elder, it's been a long time. Your health is still as robust as ever."
"Hahahaha—you certainly have a way with words, little friend. I have a general idea of why you've come. Shall we go back and talk slowly?" Phoebe's grandfather laughed loudly; it seemed he was in a truly good mood today.
At this time, Phoebe's grandmother also looked very welcoming.
Aoki hesitated slightly but nodded with a smile. Last time he came, he hadn't had the chance to enter the small house where they lived.
Arriving at the simple small house where the two elders lived—to be able to live in such a thatched hut for decades, Aoki didn't believe they would have any ill intentions in their hearts.
Entering the thatched hut, the layout inside was similar to the outside. Aoki and the others sat around a table, and Phoebe's grandmother carefully brewed a cup of tea for Aoki.
Smelling the tea's fragrance, Aoki knew this tea was not simple. It likely wasn't ordinary tea, though he didn't know where they got it from.
Phoebe's grandfather smiled and took a gentle sip from his own exclusive broken cup, which contained tea leaves completely different from those in Aoki's cup, far inferior in quality.
But he didn't seem to mind at all after a sip, even showing a relaxed and contented expression, smacking his lips as he savored the bitterness.
Aoki gently sniffed the tea fragrance in his cup but didn't drink it immediately.
He didn't actually have much knowledge about tea, having only had a brief exchange with the Grass-type Gym Leader, Master Fu, when he went to the Kalos region.
"Little friend Aoki, I've guessed some of your purposes for coming here, but before I answer you, I wonder if you'd be willing to listen to this old man tell a story?" Phoebe's grandfather said with a smile.
Aoki nodded gently. "Please go ahead, Elder."
Upon hearing this, a look of reminiscence flowed in the elder's eyes, and his expression gradually became solemn.
"It is said that over a hundred years ago, at the beginning of the Hoenn League's founding, there was a genius with extraordinary Psychic abilities who was a core combatant of the Hoenn League at the time.
Because of his impressive strength and his Psychic abilities, he was favored by countless female peers of his time. That glory... cough cough..." Just as the tone took a sharp turn, the elder was hit on the head by Phoebe's grandmother.
Only then did he steer the conversation back from that detour.
"Cough cough, just as this young man was at the peak of his fame, he encountered the greatest crisis of his life. A powerful Pokémon, the likes of which he had never imagined, appeared before him.
Although this Pokémon had a long history and possessed immense power, its nature was extreme. It wanted to use its power to change or even overturn the rapidly developing Pokémon World of that time.
When such a Pokémon appeared before the standout of the Hoenn League's younger generation, being a young man, he was naturally arrogant and felt that with his strength, he could stop the other party from stirring up trouble.
But the appearance of that Pokémon was intended for that young man from the start. Its purpose was to make the young man its messenger, spokesperson, or apostle in the Pokémon World.
At that time, this person and Pokémon each had their own goals. As soon as they made contact, it was like lightning hitting the ground. The scale of the battle then, the impact it caused... Ouch—"
Halfway through the story, Phoebe's grandmother, who had been waiting nearby, knocked him on the head again.
Meanwhile, Phoebe, sitting on the other side, covered her mouth and laughed.
She had been hearing this story from her grandfather since she was very young, and every time it reached a critical moment, the tone would inevitably drift. If Phoebe's grandmother didn't stop him, he could probably talk about that one point for a long time. Fortunately, Phoebe's grandmother was sitting right there this time.
Aoki also realized that this so-called story of Phoebe's grandfather was actually his own experience.
However, what Aoki paid attention to was that powerful Pokémon that suddenly appeared, whose purpose was also to recruit Phoebe's grandfather.
In Aoki's view, this powerful Pokémon should be Giratina!
Not to mention anything else, Aoki had personally experienced Giratina's attempt to recruit him. It was only because of Ho-Oh's presence that Aoki was able to ignore the other party.
Otherwise, with Giratina's strength, killing Aoki would have been as easy as blowing away a speck of dust.
Phoebe's grandfather continued, "However, the opponent's strength was indeed too powerful. The combat power of the two sides was not on the same level. But that powerful Pokémon also knew that this human was a rare talent and was unwilling to give up just like that. So, it injected its own unique energy into the other's body, all to make that young man submit."
"But I didn't expect that young man to have his own pride, his own backbone, his own arrogance... cough, cough, anyway, in the end, he didn't agree."
Taking a small sip of tea and rubbing his head, his expression slowly became somewhat lonely. "But after that battle, that young man's Pokémon were nearly all lost, and even his Psychic power was tainted, becoming a special kind of mutated ability. Because of that battle, that young man chose to vanish..."
The loneliness in his eyes couldn't be hidden, but the spark in his eyes when he was boasting just now was probably the look he should have had when he was young.
Hearing this, Aoki understood why the Power of Ghost appeared and why the two elders had lived inside Mt. Pyre for so many years.
As for why Phoebe's grandmother was also here and also possessed the Power of Ghost, it must be another epic story.
But Aoki didn't want to listen to this story anymore.
He more or less understood what Phoebe's grandfather meant. The other party likely knew he had discovered the tampering they did to his Gengar. The purpose of telling this story was just to tell Aoki that although they used the Power of Ghost, they were not on the same side as Darkrai, so he shouldn't think they had any special motives.
"Elder, stop with the dramatics!
I understand the story, but I don't know what exactly you're trying to express?" Aoki reached out to stop the old man who wanted to continue his storytelling.
Hearing Aoki's words, a look of regret appeared on Phoebe's grandfather's face. He probably felt it was a pity he couldn't finish telling the stories of his youth.
However, he quickly recovered and looked directly into Aoki's eyes, saying, "You've probably guessed it. The powerful Pokémon I mentioned is Giratina, also known as the Renegade Pokémon. Our former Psychic power turned into the Power of Ghost under Giratina's influence. So, strictly speaking, Giratina is a mortal enemy to us.
Actually, when you first asked us to help your Haunter evolve into Gengar, we felt the aura of Giratina's energy on you. Combined with the fact that you're a Psychic user, I had some doubts about your identity. Injecting Giratina's energy into Gengar wasn't actually a bad thing for him; we just wanted to test if you had a connection with Giratina..."
"If there really was a connection, I suppose I wouldn't have been able to leave Mt. Pyre back then, would I?
And the result of the test was that I didn't know about Giratina's existence, and the aura on me was just accidentally picked up. So, old man, you wanted to see if I had the courage to oppose Giratina like you do. If I didn't have that courage, the energy in Gengar would have given me a push, forcing me to stand on the opposite side of Giratina."
Aoki followed the old man's words and laid out the rest of the plan. He had roughly guessed these things before coming here, and to some extent, he could understand.
But understanding was one thing; it didn't mean Aoki wouldn't be angry. If it weren't for the fact that the other party was Phoebe's grandfather and Adams' old friend, Aoki figured he would have flipped the table by now.
Although he didn't flip the table, the expression on his face at this moment wasn't very good.
However, Phoebe's grandfather's face remained the same, looking calm and unruffled.
"I'm old, and I don't know how much longer it will be before Giratina invades the Pokémon World, so I was eager to train someone who might be able to contend with him. It's just that because we are forced to stay within Mt. Pyre and cannot leave too far, you are the only one who has come in over the last few years, and one with remarkable talent at that..."
Seeing the atmosphere become slightly serious, Phoebe immediately jumped in and said to Aoki and her grandfather, "Grandpa, Aoki's strength is already quite formidable now. He's the leader among the younger generation in the entire Hoenn Region, and he's even surpassed many of the older generation one by one. Yesterday, he even became the first elite four member of the Hoenn Region, and he's not far from the position of Champion."
"Aoki, you don't know, but my grandpa and President Adams were best friends, just like you and Steven are now. Back then, President Adams' strength was even a notch below my grandpa's. If he hadn't gone through that event, maybe the Champion of the Hoenn Region would still be my grandpa."
Phoebe said each sentence, directly steering the topic away.
Since Phoebe was saying this, Aoki didn't really want to pursue the matter further. Even if he did, he wouldn't know what to do, so it was better to take this way out.
Besides, he didn't come here today to settle scores; he hoped to use their special abilities to help his Darkrai.
However, what Phoebe said about her grandfather being stronger than Adams was a bit surprising to Aoki, but on second thought, it wasn't impossible.
"The old gentleman is impressive!" Aoki offered a timely compliment.
Seeing that Aoki had no intention of pursuing the matter further, the smile on the old man's face grew even wider, and he also carried a bit of pride.
Although there were exaggerations in his battle with Giratina, his strength back then was indeed above Adams'. He wouldn't deny this. The reason Phoebe was so sure was that she had heard the exact same information from both her grandfather and President Adams.
"I didn't expect you to reach this step in less than two short years. The talent we were once proud of is indeed far behind yours." The old man also gave a timely compliment, a bit of mutual flattery.
But through this story, Aoki learned that Giratina had been restless and trying to recruit people for the Pokémon World since so long ago.
From that perspective, it was very likely that this Divine Cult's mastermind was him, or at least he was one of the manipulators.
"Cough, cough, it's like this. Actually, the main purpose of coming here is to hope that the two elders can do me a favor," Aoki said with a cough, as this was his most important matter.
"I know, it's for Darkrai, right?" Phoebe's grandfather directly pointed out Aoki's purpose.
Aoki looked at Phoebe in surprise, but he also saw a look of confusion on Phoebe's face.
The old man smiled smugly, "The reason we didn't make a move against you back then was that we also felt the aura of a Pokémon like Darkrai on you. Today, when you walked in, this aura was so strong that there was no way I couldn't notice it.
Although my Psychic power turned into the special Power of Ghost due to the erosion of Giratina's energy, losing many functions and characteristics, correspondingly, it also gave me some special minor abilities. Sensing energy fluctuations is one of them."
Slowly, Aoki's Darkrai emerged from his shadow, landing beside Aoki and looking at the old man with a confused expression.
The old man squinted his eyes at Aoki's Darkrai, and slowly, the surprise in his eyes grew even stronger.
"Impressive!! To be corroded by Giratina's energy to this extent and still survive! And to be able to restore a depleted body to this degree, Aoki, my young friend, you must have paid a heavy price and spent a lot of resources, right?" The old man saw through the situation inside Darkrai's body at a glance.
Even Phoebe could roughly see it, so it wasn't surprising that the old man saw it.
What surprised Aoki was that the other party didn't seem unfamiliar with his Darkrai, and might even know it.
"Hehe." The old man smiled mysteriously, took an ordinary Poké Ball from his waist, and threw it. "It's been a long time since you've been out, my old partner. Look who's here!"
As the old man's Poké Ball opened, another Darkrai appeared before Aoki, its body pitch black with a hint of what looked like white, flowing long hair.
"Another Darkrai!!"
Aoki's heart shook, and at this moment, the Darkrai beside him also showed a look of sudden realization upon seeing the old man's Darkrai.
Like the Legendary Birds, as long as the divine office doesn't descend, there are quite a few pokémon of the same species as Darkrai, just like Aoki's Darkrai and its former sister.
Now, there was another Darkrai in front of Aoki!
Aoki immediately scanned the data of this Darkrai.
pokémon: Darkrai (Light Purple)
Gender: Male
Level: 90
Type: Dark-type
Ability: Bad Dreams
Held Item: Reaper Cloth
Egg Moves: None
Basic Moves: Ominous Wind, Disable, Quick Attack, Hypnosis, Foul Play, Nightmare, Double Team, Haze, Dark Void, Nasty Plot, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse
Taught Moves: Foul Play, Snatch, Grudge, Wonder Room, Knock Off, Snore, Drain Punch, Trick, Last Resort, Throat Chop
skill learner: Calm Mind, Toxic, Taunt, Ice Beam, Protect, Thunderbolt, Return, Psychic, Shadow Ball, Double Team, Focus Blast, Shadow Claw, Snarl, Substitute
Seeing the data of this Darkrai, Aoki narrowed his eyes.
Just as expected, even though this old man was confined within Mt. Pyre, his strength was still not weak.
With his Darkrai plus Adams' Latios, Aoki finally began to believe the statement that his strength was once above Adams'.
In this kind of environment filled with Ghost-type energy everywhere, to still be able to train a Dark-type Pokémon to this level, such an ability was not something everyone possessed.
It's often said that since the League has been stationed in the Pokémon World for so many years, there must be quite a few powerful older generation Trainers hidden in the shadows.
So even with Giovanni's strength, he could only choose to slowly erode them rather than force his way through.
What the Divine Cult was doing now was, one had to say, going against the times.
The old man looked at his Darkrai with a complex expression, "Of all my old partners back then, only he is left in the end. The two of us have walked together until now..."
His battle with Giratina back then was actually a one-sided fight. In the end, only he and this Darkrai survived.
Then the old man's expression slowly returned to normal, and he continued to Aoki, "Among Pokémon like Darkrai, there is actually a legend that has been passed down.
Back then, there were two Darkrai who were most likely to receive the divine office. Because they angered Giratina, they fell after a battle with him, leaving only the legend behind. I didn't expect him to actually live until now." The old man's expression was somewhat emotional.
In fact, it wasn't just him; Aoki's Darkrai was also somewhat emotional at this moment, seeing one of its juniors grow to its current strength while its own strength had not only failed to improve but had decreased significantly.
No wonder Adams, after seeing his Darkrai, told him to come to Mt. Pyre to find Phoebe's grandparents to learn from their experience.
"For anyone else, there might really be no way to help your Darkrai. Even the fact that you helped him restore his strength to this level surprises me greatly. However, he is now stuck at the peak of the first hurdle of the Champion Level. What comes next is likely not something you can handle.
And our Power of Ghost, after all, incorporates Giratina's energy, so to a certain extent, we can move the energy within it." The old man spoke again. Seeing Darkrai, he had already thought of how to solve his problem.
"Yes, using the Breeder's method to eliminate the energy within him has reached its limit. To break through this barrier, some other power must be used.
Phoebe has helped Darkrai a few times before, but Phoebe's Power of Ghost still has some gap compared to you two, so..."
"No wonder. No wonder this little girl's Power of Ghost hasn't lagged behind despite being away for so long. It turns out she took on such a difficult task. Excellent!! Hahaha—this is a good way to gradually spread our Power of Ghost."
A smile also appeared on Catherine's face.
Currently, the only thing these two old people in this world cared about was their granddaughter.
"Leave it to us two old fogies. Although we can't guarantee a full recovery for him, we should be able to restore quite a bit!" The old man took on the task directly.
Then, under his lead, Aoki followed them once again to that special place that had previously helped Haunter evolve into Gengar.
"Catherine, you come too. Let your grandmother and me teach you some more special ways to use our Power of Ghost."
Aoki was kept outside by the three of them. Catherine and her grandparents went inside with Aoki's Darkrai and the old man's Darkrai.
Because the interior would inevitably be filled with a large amount of Ghost-type energy, although it couldn't harm Aoki as a Psychic user, he would definitely use Psychic to resist it. This would more or less affect the processing of the Ghost-type energy inside Darkrai's body.
So Aoki couldn't go in and just waited silently outside.
From outside, he could hear the roars coming from Darkrai inside. Shifting the Ghost-type energy within its body on such a large scale must have been unbearable, causing it to cry out.
At this moment, Aoki was like a husband waiting for his wife to give birth, pacing back and forth outside the ward. Hearing the shouts from inside, he couldn't find peace in his heart.
So, is it a boy or a girl?
Cough, cough. He didn't know to what extent Darkrai would eventually recover, but it should at least be much stronger than its current self, which would certainly mean the strength of the second stage of the Champion Level.
The only difference would be whether it could Return to its peak.
Aoki paced back and forth outside restlessly for three or four hours before finally hearing the voices inside gradually quiet down.
After a long time, the tightly closed door finally opened slowly. Several people walked out looking exhausted, followed by two Darkrai that seemed to be in good spirits.
Aoki recognized his Darkrai at a glance, and seeing its state, his eyes instantly lit up.
Just from external perception, the Pokémon's overall state and temperament were vastly different compared to before!
It was somewhat similar to Aoki; after an increase in strength, its inherent confidence and pride had returned. This wasn't intentional, but purely a change in mindset caused by the enhancement of strength, which then influenced its entire appearance.
Aoki scanned Darkrai.
Pokémon: Darkrai (Purple) — Eroded State
Gender: Male
Level: 91
Type: Dark-type
Ability: Bad Dreams
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: None
Basic Moves: Ominous Wind, Disable, Quick Attack, Hypnosis, Foul Play, Nightmare, Double Team, Haze, Dark Void, Nasty Plot, Dream Eater, Dark Pulse
Taught Moves: Foul Play, Snatch, Grudge, Wonder Room, Knock Off, Snore, Drain Punch, Trick, Last Resort, Focus Punch, Throat Chop, Shock Wave, Icy Wind
skill learner: None
Pure purple aptitude!
And Level 91!
A pokémon that had truly broken through to the strength of the second stage of the Champion Level, with the pure purple aptitude of a Mythical pokémon!
No wonder in the legends of Darkrai, Aoki's Darkrai was the one most likely to have accepted a divine office and become a true Mythical Pokémon!
Purple aptitude was already not much weaker than some true Mythical Pokémon!
Catherine's grandfather looked at Aoki, the fatigue in his eyes clearly visible; he must have spent a lot of mental effort to help Darkrai recover.
Aoki felt heartfelt gratitude. Although the other party had once intended to scheme against him, helping Gengar evolve had essentially settled that debt. Helping Darkrai recover today meant Aoki owed them a significant favor.
Favors were often the hardest things to define and the hardest to repay.
"This is as far as we can help Darkrai. The rest will depend on him!"
The old man looked at Aoki's Darkrai and continued, "Now that he has this strength, the energy inside him can no longer stop him. As long as he puts in persistent effort, he can restore his original strength on his own."
"Furthermore, I don't believe fully helping him recover is necessarily a good thing. Recovering his strength while expelling the Ghost-type energy in his body is a form of tempering, refining his own core energy and making his strength even more sophisticated."
"The reason his strength was stuck and unable to progress further back then might have been because his growth was too smooth. This experience is also a trial. Perhaps in the process of self-recovery, he might even find a way to break through the threshold he faced before. It mainly depends on him."
Listening to the old man's words, Aoki couldn't help but nod.
Indeed, if they helped Darkrai restore to his peak now, his strength might Return, but it wouldn't be as good as him slowly wearing down the stubborn Ghost-type energy while tempering himself. This way, he might even go a step further after full recovery.
Seeing that Darkrai wasn't surprised at all and even had a face full of confidence, it seemed he already knew the situation and had made his own choice.
Aoki wasn't at all surprised that he would make such a choice.
"Thank you both!" Aoki bowed respectfully to the two elders.
The old man waved his hand, "Aoki, you know that we two old fogies cannot leave Mt. Pyre. We've lived here for most of our lives, and whether we leave or not is no longer important. But our precious granddaughter is the only person we worry about now."
"However, we just learned from her about the care you've shown her, even saving her life in the Space-Time Continent regardless of your own safety. We two old fogies with half a foot in the grave have nothing to give in Return, so consider this as repaying a favor."
"We just have one more presumptuous request that we hope you can agree to."
Aoki was taken aback, then said seriously, "Please speak, elders. As long as I can do it, I will definitely not refuse!"
Hearing this, Catherine's grandparents showed a kind smile. "We heard you've become the first elite four member of the Hoenn Region, and it's not impossible for you to go a step further in the future. We only hope you can look after Catherine a bit more. This girl has lived with us for over a decade; she's simple-minded. Although we taught her some things, and Adams taught her some things after she went out..."
"...her simple nature won't change. We hope you can help look after her in the future. We don't ask for her to have great strength or high status, only that she can live well. That is enough!"
"Grandpa—" Catherine's eyes instantly reddened upon hearing the old man's words.
Aoki's expression became increasingly solemn. Why did this sound like a deathbed testament? He said seriously, "Rest assured, elders. I have always treated Catherine like my own sister. As long as I, Aoki, am alive, I will definitely do my utmost to Protect her safety!"
Hearing Aoki say this, the two elders' expressions relaxed, though their fatigue became even more apparent.
The old man stretched and walked toward their small thatched hut with satisfaction. "That's good. I'm old; after working at such high intensity for so long, I'm a bit tired and need to rest early."
"Right now, the entire League is in a period of turmoil. I've even heard some things about the Divine Cult's reputation here. You all must act carefully."
"Finally... beware of Giratina!"
After speaking, with his back to Aoki and Catherine, and supported by Catherine's grandmother, he walked hunched and stumbling toward his small thatched hut.
Catherine bit her lip, her eyes red as she watched her grandparents gradually walk away.
A young bird must eventually fly high. At this time, she no longer needed her grandparents' protection, but she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from them again.
But just now inside, her grandparents had told her many things, telling her to Return quickly after things were finished. They could still live for a few more years, so she could just visit them next time. Now, after the Divine Cult's multiple raids, the Hoenn League needed them.
Aoki bowed once more to the two elders to show his respect.
The Pokémon League's status in the Pokémon World became increasingly stable precisely because of these anonymous but powerful older generation members who had always been supporting it from behind.
Seeing her grandparents really go back, Catherine finally couldn't hold it in and threw herself into Aoki's arms, crying out loud.
What child leaving home wouldn't feel bad? But then again, which child doesn't leave home?
After comforting Catherine a bit more and confirming that Darkrai's current state was fine, Aoki left Mt. Pyre with Catherine.
He originally thought they would stay for at least a day or two, but unexpectedly, everything was settled in just half a day.
However, looking at the elders' appearance, they likely exhausted an unknown amount of mental effort. It would certainly be impossible to ask them to do it again in the short term.
Fortunately, Darkrai could now use its own energy to slowly wear down the Ghost-type energy in its body. It could even use this tempering to improve the quality of its internal energy, preparing itself for another breakthrough in the future.
When Aoki and Catherine returned to the Hoenn League, the sky was just beginning to dim.
With two days left, Aoki needed to prepare well for the announcement of Mega Evolution in two days.
Three days should also be enough for the Leagues of various regions, the family forces of various regions, and the underground forces of various regions to get ready.
To welcome the coming new era!
Once this announcement of Mega Evolution was made, the younger generation of various regions should be able to completely replace the older generation and step onto the stage.
At most, one or two elders would remain as guides, but most of the older generation in the regions would likely have to relinquish power. At that time, people like Lance, Cynthia, and Diantha would also gradually take over the reins of their regions.
The transition of power might have already begun, and the era belonging to the younger generation was about to arrive.
Under such broad conditions, although the existence of the Divine Cult was a threat, it was also a trial for their younger generation. As long as they could persevere, the older generation could retire in peace.
A new era was about to descend!