Two days later.
The main competition arena of the Hoenn League Headquarters had now been transformed into a huge stage, Aokis stage.
Here, he would announce the details of Mega Evolution to the world and also give a demonstration.
Over these three days, various regions and factions had sent representatives to the Hoenn region. Among them, most of Aokis familiar companions, those who had shared hardships with him on the Space-Time Continent, had also arrived. They actually knew some things about Mega Evolution, just not as much as Steven Stone and a few others.
And to be honest, on the Space-Time Continent, it was Aoki and a few others who had protected their safety, a favor they all remembered.
Of course, besides them, many people Aoki didn't know were also present.
They were no longer in a hurry to get information about Mega Evolution from Aoki's mouth, as they would know everything in an hour at most. Instead of leaving a bad impression on Aoki, it was better to build a relationship and lay a good foundation now.
For three days, because he was going to announce Mega Evolution, most of the world's attention was on him. Plus, the fact that he became the Hoenn region's first Elite Four member was no secret.
There were even many rumors about him in the Hoenn region. The most common one was that the Hoenn region's first Elite Four member, the Sandstorm Elite Four, was now no weaker than his teacher, the Champion Wallace. The Hoenn League also intended for him to take over the Champion position. Now, even the Investigator organization, which originally belonged to the Champion's authority, was under Aoki's control. Taking over the Champion position was only a matter of time.
Coupled with the attention Aoki received, his step-by-step growth history was dug up by many people online, instantly overshadowing all the young generations in other regions.
Especially in the final battle, he overpowered the three main cadres of the Divine Cult, defeating them with overwhelming force. He even planned to capture all Divine Cult members in one fell swoop. If the never-before-seen Divine Cult Bishop hadn't suddenly appeared to stop him, at least half of the Divine Cult members would have ended up in League prisons.
Then, with Aoki and Wallace, his teacher and disciple, working together, they took down the person in charge, Wallace, directly dealing a heavy blow to the Divine Cult was not a luxury.
Although it didn't succeed, the reporters at the time recorded all of it.
Repelling the Divine Cult! Forcing out the hidden Divine Cult Bishop! Strength rivaling a Champion! The cream of the young generation! And also the youngest Senior Breeder in the entire history of the Breeder's Guild! About to announce Mega Evolution, which will sweep across the entire Pokémon world!
These events, one after another, became Aoki's titles at this time.
Some people even meticulously pointed out that the new Fairy type was also first discovered by Aoki, attaching a video of Aoki commanding his Fairy-type Florges to defeat Clair, a direct descendant of the Dragon Clan from the Johto region, during the Sinnoh League tournament. They then compared the official announcement date of the Fairy type by the League with the Sinnoh League tournament date.
The vast majority of Pokémon World residents discovered that Aoki had participated in every major event, and had even become a crucial or perhaps the most crucial part of them.
All these things happened within these three days. After three days of fermentation, many people had already crowned Aoki with the title of the strongest young generation in the Pokémon League, elevating him to the highest position. The number of people supporting this title was also growing, mostly in the Hoenn region, but also a significant number from other regions.
Some reporters knew this was a good time to stir up buzz, so they went to various regions to visit strong trainers, including many well-known young ones.
For example, Lance and Lorelei from the Kanto region, Cynthia from the Sinnoh region, and Diantha from the Kalos region.
These people all had extremely good relationships with Aoki, which, of course, was spoken of favorably. This was also one of the main reasons why many people online crowned Aoki as the number one.
Of course, besides the younger generation, there were also many from the older generation.
Through the battle with the three Divine Cult cadres that day, many older generation members felt that their strength might not even be as strong as Aoki's, and of course, they wouldn't speak carelessly.
Furthermore, what is currently most widely circulated in the Hoenn region is the hope that Aoki can quickly become the Hoenn region's Champion. Although this is quite unfriendly to Wallace, who is currently in the Champion position, they all believe that a disciple inheriting his teacher's position is actually a beautiful story.
And Wallace has already given power to Aoki, which means he doesn't mind these things.
In fact, whether in the Hoenn region, on the internet, or in various regions, many of the secret manipulators behind the rumors were Aoki himself.
It wasn't for any special purpose, just to build momentum for himself and make it more reasonable for him to take the Champion position.
Whether it's the Pokémon World or the former Earth, the power of the general public is the strongest, and the public is the true foundation of society.
And controlling the direction of public opinion is actually not difficult, as long as you control the media.
The League didn't seem to pay much attention to this point, but Aoki saw it.
Under the management of Brad and Katherine, and with Aoki's intentional care, the Sky Team had secretly taken control of various large and small television stations, radio stations, newspapers, and so on in the Hoenn region, as long as the League hadn't interfered.
As long as he controlled public opinion, even if Team Rocket or the Divine Cult revealed Aoki's identity now, he wouldn't be afraid.
The power of the people is absolutely the strongest!
Aoki only subtly spread some information, such as the discovery of the Fairy type, and simultaneously amplified the video of his battle with the three main cadres of the Divine Cult. He never expected that public opinion would slowly shift to Aoki being crowned as the number one of the young generation, and in the Hoenn region, it even turned into people wanting Aoki to take over as Champion.
It wasn't something he controlled or spread, it was spontaneous from the residents of the Hoenn region. So when Adams, thinking someone was deliberately promoting it, went to investigate, he found that no one was deliberately manipulating it; it came entirely from the self-transformation of public opinion.
Although he discovered that there were indeed people promoting Aoki positively, this was something the League had always done, so Adams could only conclude that the general public truly hoped Aoki would become Champion!
It would play a significant role in both public trust and social stability.
This was something Aoki himself hadn't expected.
...
"Brother Aoki! Brother Aoki! Ouch…", a boy with black hair and black eyes, wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt, who looked to be around six or seven years old or a bit older, excitedly shouted, but halfway through, he was hit on the head by a woman in her thirties, in her prime, making his voice stop abruptly.
Standing beside him was another child with yellow hair, wearing an orange-yellow short-sleeved shirt, who seemed quieter but was about the same age. Although this child wasn't as excited as the one who was shouting, the excitement in his eyes was no less than the other boy's.
Behind them stood an old man in a white lab coat, his square face beaming with a wide smile, who said to the first child, "Satoshi, you can't call him that anymore."
This old man in a white lab coat was none other than Professor Oak, a world-renowned figure and a leading authority in Pokémon research!
The child who was hit at the beginning was indeed Ash, and the graceful woman who hit his head was, of course, Ash's mother, who Professor Oak took with him wherever he went.
As for the other child, there was no need to ask, he was Professor Oak's grandson, Gary Oak!
"Teacher!" Gary respectfully called out to Aoki. Although he seemed much calmer than Ash, he was still a child, so his excitement was undeniable.
"Tea… Teacher!" Ash rubbed his head, looking as if he was about to cry, but he still obediently called out to Aoki.
Teacher!
That's right, Aoki was now the teacher of Ash and Gary. Under the facilitation of Professor Oak and his teacher, Genji Yagyu, Aoki gloriously became the enlightenment teacher for these two children in Pokémon knowledge!
Actually, it was mainly for Gary; Ash was forcefully given to Aoki by Professor Oak.
He phrased it nicely, "Since you, Aoki, have also noticed that Ash isn't untalented, why not teach both of them together?"
Regarding the enlightenment teacher for Pokémon, it's not like the relationship between Wallace and Aoki; it's purely a literal interpretation of the word "teacher."
Teaching Gary and Ash basic knowledge about Pokémon.
Actually, it was purely a nominal title. With Professor Oak, the progenitor of the Pokémon research field and the creator of the Pokédex, present, would Aoki really be needed to teach Gary and Ash basic Pokémon knowledge?
Ultimately, this was about building connections for Aoki. Although Professor Oak didn't hold a key position in the League, his status was very special, and his influence within the General League was not low. If Aoki were to become the Hoenn region Champion in the future, he would gain access to the highest echelons of the Pokémon League's power.
The title of teacher to Professor Oak's grandson would still be somewhat useful.
This was also something Genji Yagyu did for Aoki.
With his two teachers thinking solely for his benefit, Aoki didn't refuse.
He probably never expected to become the teacher of Ash, the destined child of the Pokémon world. Thinking about it, he felt a little excited.
Aoki smiled and placed his hands on Ash and Gary's heads, gently rubbing them.
Being able to mess up their hair like this was probably something many people wouldn't expect. Aoki deliberately increased the force.
It wasn't until Ash and Gary's originally handsome hair turned into a bird's nest that Aoki let them go. "You don't have to be so serious in the future. Gary, you too. Children should act like children. Learn from Ash; even though he's a bit silly, that's how you should be at your age."
Hearing Aoki's words, telling Gary to learn from him, made Ash so happy he could barely contain it.
Gary glanced at Ash, who looked like an idiot, and imagined himself becoming like that. His body instinctively shivered, and he quickly shook the thought out of his head.
Ash's mother and Professor Oak, standing behind them, smiled even more broadly when they heard Aoki say that.
What Aoki said wasn't important; what mattered was that he hadn't changed his attitude towards others due to his change in status and strength. That was enough.
"Professor Oak, Ms. Hanako…" Aoki really didn't know how to address Hanako. Although Ash called him Big Brother, directly calling a woman "Auntie" seemed impolite. So, Aoki figured it was always safe to address her as younger.
Indeed, after hearing Aoki's address, Hanako kept praising Aoki for being eloquent, and also asked him to take good care of Ash in the future, and so on.
Professor Oak and others also came, as Mega Evolution was another huge discovery in the field of Pokémon research, and Professor Oak, as the leader in Pokémon academia, naturally had to be present.
Afterward, Aoki and they chatted for a while, and after communicating with Cynthia and Diantha, who had traveled a long distance, it was finally time for Aoki to take the stage.
"The welcoming remarks are over! Next!! Let's get straight to the point!!!"
"Please welcome the first Elite Four member of the Hoenn region! Known as the Sandstorm Elite Four… Aoki!!! Elite Four!!!" The League's dedicated host was very good at building momentum at this moment.
Aoki slowly walked onto the stage. At this time, the photographers around the stage immediately perked up, and all the cameras, spotlights, and so on were aimed at Aoki.
Those who had been waiting for a long time in the stands also sat up straight. The host had talked so much nonsense; the main event was finally about to begin!
The path from backstage to front stage was not short. To demonstrate Mega Evolution, Aoki threw a Pokémon into the air halfway through his walk.
"Roar!!!"
A blue Pokémon with blood-red wings appeared in mid-air. As Aoki had initially taught it, Salamence flew a circle around the very edge of the entire stadium after appearing, unreservedly releasing its aura.
Many trainers with weaker strength in the stands, along with the Pokémon accompanying them, were directly intimidated by Salamence.
After all, a large portion of the people who came this time were families of varying sizes from different regions, and to allow the younger generation of their families to gain experience, they brought them along.
Originally, these scions of families, compared to ordinary people, were generally considered favored by heaven, and when they arrived, their faces more or less carried a hint of arrogance.
Times were progressing, and the resources they enjoyed in this generation were much better than the previous one, so compared to their elders at the same age, they were naturally much more outstanding, which was also part of the reason for their pride.
However, these people, who seemed to be around Aoki's age, were all intimidated by the fierce aura emanating from Salamence.
It was then that they realized how vast the gap in strength was between themselves and Aoki. What they were proud of was completely insignificant in front of Aoki.
Among them were many who had originally felt resentful about Aoki's immense popularity, believing that if given the chance, they could do just as well as Aoki, or even better.
Some people were indeed talented, so their families pampered and protected them to varying degrees. Those who had never seen true power were, after all, short-sighted.
This was also the main reason their elders brought their juniors to gain experience.
The speed of progress was beyond their imagination, and the strength of the young generation of the League, led by Aoki, was even more powerful than they could have imagined. Therefore, those scions of families indeed needed to come out and see the world.
After Salamence circled and displayed its strength, it flew back to Aoki's side, and at this moment, Aoki had also just walked to the center stage.
All the surrounding spotlights shone on him, and Aoki's face bore an extremely confident smile.
In Adams and Wallace's plan, Aoki's announcement of Mega Evolution this time was also incidentally to showcase the strength of their Hoenn region to the entire world!
Moreover, Aoki's popularity in the Hoenn region, and even the entire region, was so high at this moment. More public appearances would establish Aoki as the face and symbol of the Hoenn League.
When Salamence majestically hovered above Aoki's head, a large cheer erupted throughout the venue.
The main reason for choosing Salamence was that it was a pseudo-legendary Pokémon highly representative of the Hoenn region. Although Aoki's ace Pokémon were Tyranitar, Gengar, and Darkrai, Salamence was the most suitable for this occasion.
Then, Aoki raised his right hand high. On his wrist, a metal wristband completely covered his right wrist, and on this special wristband, there were small circular indentations. The innermost indentation was filled with a very peculiar-looking stone.
It was the Key Stone!
This was a wristband Aoki had specially commissioned a special League craftsman to make these past two days, using the Stardust he had collected a long time ago.
As Aoki's hand rose high and then slowly fell, all the cameras very sensibly zoomed in and focused on Aoki's wrist.
Aoki's wrist was also projected onto the two huge screens in the entire stadium.
His right wrist just happened to cover the special black tattoo left by the Unown.
"Mega Evolution! Salamence!" As Aoki uttered a low cry, a large number of colorful energy threads spread out from the Key Stone on his wrist.
Roar!!
Salamence roared to the sky, and the colorful energy threads visibly flew towards the Mega Stone on Salamence's neck.
Dense Mega Evolution energy burst forth from the Mega Stone, enveloping Salamence tightly.
In the blink of an eye, a brand new Pokémon appeared before everyone.
Whoosh—
Even though they were prepared, when the audience truly witnessed this scene with their own eyes, they were still incredibly shocked.
The process of Pokémon Mega Evolution was already very dazzling, and with Aoki and Salamence's deliberate control, it looked even more magnificent and captivating.
Mega Salamence!
Roar!!!!
At Aoki's signal, Mega Salamence directly aimed at the sky and used the move Hyper Voice. A milky-white sound wave aura was expelled from its mouth.
After the white sound wave aura left its mouth, it suddenly accelerated and expanded, and the loud sound wave shot straight up into the sky.
There were originally a few clouds in mid-air, but under the vibration of Mega Salamence's Hyper Voice sound wave, they instantly shattered! The entire stadium was cleared, revealing a bright and clear sky!
The strength displayed by Mega Salamence shocked ninety-nine percent of the people present.
Once again, just like when it first appeared, it slowly flew a circle around the entire stadium, allowing everyone to see the appearance of Mega Salamence at that moment.
"Mega Evolution!! Mega Evolution!! Mega Evolution!!"
No one knew who started it, but slowly, the entire audience in the stadium erupted into continuous shouts, and gradually these shouts merged into one.
"Mega Evolution!"
Everyone felt a sense of impatience about Mega Evolution.
Aoki's smile widened. Mega Salamence hovered beside him. Aoki waved to the audience in the stands, signaling them to be quiet.
Seeing Aoki's gesture, the audience very cooperatively stopped shouting, staring intently at Aoki and the Mega Salamence beside him.
Just by feeling the change in aura between Salamence and Mega Salamence, they knew how significant the boost from Mega Evolution was.
Aoki extended his right hand again, simultaneously holding up three fingers. With each sentence he spoke, one finger would lower.
"Mega Evolution, three requirements!!
First! The special stone on my wrist, the Key Stone! The key to opening the door of Mega Evolution!
Second! The Mega Stone! Every Pokémon has its corresponding Mega Stone, which is the special stone on Salamence's neck right now! This is the most crucial element of Mega Evolution, and also the most difficult thing to obtain!
Third! Bond! There must be a deep enough bond between the Pokémon and the trainer!
That's all! These are all the requirements for Mega Evolution. If even one is not met, I'm sorry, but you have no edge with Mega Evolution!"
After speaking, he leaped up, directly jumping onto Mega Salamence's back, and under the gaze of all the cameras, flew straight out of the stadium, heading towards an unknown destination.
No one expected that the announcement of Mega Evolution, which had been brewing for so long, would be so simple in its entire process.
Aoki was also very straightforward, directly explaining all the conditions required for Mega Evolution, and not mentioning any deeper aspects.
Anyway, how others used it ultimately didn't have much to do with him.
Many Pokémon researchers only lacked an entry threshold. Soon, they would gradually figure out and research everything about Mega Evolution, just like the Fairy type in the past.
The entire Pokémon world's Pokémon research system had actually developed quite comprehensively. Give them a lever, and they could pry open the entire Pokémon world.
Moreover, Aoki and Adams didn't allow the various "insiders," big and small, in the Hoenn region to collect Mega Stones in advance. If they didn't give them some benefits, they would probably still have some complaints.
But now, without comparison, there is no harm. Only by comparing with others do they realize how much greater the advantage they gained is compared to others.
As for where Aoki went, no one knew.
At this moment, everyone present was mesmerized, repeatedly going over the three conditions Aoki had mentioned in their minds. Fortunately, the Hoenn League was quite thorough in its preparations, projecting photos of the Key Stone on Aoki's wrist and the Mega Stone on Salamence's neck onto the big screens.
It was foreseeable that with the announcement of Mega Evolution today, the entire Pokémon world would plunge into a massive search for Mega Stones.
And for Aoki, this no longer had much to do with him.
How much the organizations under Aoki's control, such as Team Sky and Team Flare, could collect would depend on their own capabilities.
At this moment, Aoki could supply Mega Stones not only for himself but also for others.
However, how much profit Team Sky and Team Flare could gain from this would depend on their abilities.
Aoki, riding Mega Salamence, left the Hoenn region at an extremely fast speed, flying towards the Kanto region.
At Salamence's current speed, almost no one could track Aoki's whereabouts. Moreover, while flying, he could also use Teleport. Combining the two, there was currently no one in this world who could track Aoki.
When Aoki quietly arrived in Viridian City in the Kanto region, the sky was already somewhat dim, which was perfect for him to conceal his presence.
At this moment, his identity was already quite special, and he received a great deal of attention. If people knew that he had secretly appeared in Viridian City in the Kanto region, it would definitely bring about rather negative consequences.
However, Aoki now controlled the barrier ability of the Question Mark Unown. If he didn't want to be discovered by others, unless the opponent was much stronger than him, it would be almost impossible to detect his presence.
He skillfully entered the Team Rocket base in Viridian City.
Upon entering, Aoki immediately felt that the Viridian City Team Rocket base at this time had undergone significant changes compared to his previous visits.
Among other things, the security forces of Team Rocket at this moment had more than doubled compared to his last visit.
By virtue of his status as a top executive of Team Rocket, he entered without any obstruction.
After entering, he found that not only had the guard force at the entrance increased many times, but the internal guard force had also increased many times.
Every three steps, a sentry; every five steps, a post.
One must know that this was Team Rocket's main base, where Team Rocket Boss Giovanni and many Team Rocket executives stayed. How could the security be so strict?
Aoki frowned deeply and slowly walked towards Giovanni's office.
Team Rocket's arrangement like this certainly wasn't without reason, but Aoki didn't know why.
However, he still had some guesses in his mind. What could make Team Rocket so vigilant could only be two things.
One was that there was an important enemy threatening them from outside, forcing Team Rocket to raise its guard. The second was that there was something very important in the Team Rocket base at this moment, and for safety's sake, such an arrangement was necessary to ensure security.
Arriving in front of Giovanni's office, two grim-faced individuals in black military uniforms stood at the door.
From their iron-blooded aura, it was clear that these two were definitely warriors from a very rare legion within Team Rocket. To serve as guards in front of Giovanni's office, their strength was definitely not weak.
This was a part of Team Rocket's hidden power.
If Team Rocket truly intended to overthrow the Alliance relying solely on a few Elite Four-level cadres, it would undoubtedly be unrealistic. There must be formidable power hidden behind them, and one can get a glimpse of it from these two individuals.
They actually brought out their hidden power?
As Aoki entered Team Rocket's base in Viridian City, his astonishment grew with every step.
Thump-thump—
Under the gaze of the two pillar-like guards, Aoki directly knocked on Giovanni's office door.
"Enter!" A deep, magnetic voice emerged from within; it was Giovanni's.
Pushing the door open, Aoki saw Giovanni sitting in his boss chair, stroking his familiar Persian. It was the first time Aoki had seen Giovanni not working, as if he was specifically waiting for someone.
Seeing Aoki push open the door, a rare smile appeared on Giovanni's face.
"It is you, Aoki, as I expected. I guessed you would return before tonight," Giovanni said with a smile.
It seemed he was waiting for me.
Aoki walked into the office, and the door was promptly closed by the two guards.
Approaching Giovanni's desk, Aoki placed his right hand on his chest, leaning slightly forward. "Leader!"
Although he no longer knelt on one knee to salute, it was because Aoki's current strength and status no longer required him to do so.
"Sit," Giovanni extended his hand towards Aoki, motioning for him to sit down and speak.
Aoki complied, sitting on the familiar sofa.
"I just finished watching your live broadcast. This Mega Evolution is truly remarkable," Giovanni sighed, slowly rising from his seat and walking to the sofa not far from Aoki.
A smile appeared on Aoki's face. He directly took a Key Stone from his pocket, placed it on the coffee table in front of the sofa, pushed it towards Giovanni, and respectfully said, "This is a Key Stone, one of the essential items for Mega Evolution. When combined with a Mega Stone, it can directly perform Mega Evolution!"
Seeing the Key Stone Aoki pushed over, even with Giovanni's status, he was slightly moved.
As long as he obtained the Key Stone and Mega Stone Aoki mentioned, he could allow a Pokémon to Mega Evolve, thus undergoing another transformation in strength!
Now, while the whole world was searching for Mega Stones, he already had a pair in his hand, especially since this pair of Mega Stone and Key Stone belonged to a Beedrill!
Beedrill!
The entire world, including many members of Team Rocket, and even many of his close confidants, did not know that he possessed a Beedrill, let alone that his true trump card was a Beedrill.
However, the stone that Aoki sent was a Beedrill's Mega Stone, which showed that he indeed knew many hidden things.
He held the Key Stone in his hand and examined it carefully.
At first glance, it actually had no special features other than its slightly peculiar color, which was precisely why no one knew about Mega Evolution until now.
"Then I'll accept it, after all, it's your kind intention, Aoki.
I'm just curious, how did you know I have a Beedrill? You know, my Beedrill hasn't appeared for many, many years.
Now, outside, they call me Giovanni of the Earth, an expert in using Ground-type Pokémon." Giovanni looked at the Key Stone and clicked his tongue in wonder, but he also directly asked his question.
Unbeknownst to him, as Aoki's strength increased, he was already able to communicate with Giovanni on an equal footing to a certain extent.
In fact, only someone with Giovanni's broad mind could achieve this level. Otherwise, setting aside everything else, just the Sky Team's intention to separate from Team Rocket would absolutely not be acceptable to an ordinary person.
The current Sky Team, although still a considerable distance from Team Rocket in terms of strength, is nonetheless a vast underground organization covering an entire region. Absorbing such an organization means absorbing a region.
However, Giovanni's thoughts differed from those of ordinary people; his views were more advanced, and what he currently pursued was not in this area.
In fact, if Giovanni had truly been intent on invading the Hoenn region, even if the then Team Magma and Team Aqua in Hoenn had strongly resisted, could Team Rocket, with its strength, truly not have entered?
To be honest, Team Rocket's strength, capable of contending with the Kanto Alliance at the time, was truly not something that the hidden Team Magma and Team Aqua, who were trying to avoid being wiped out by the Hoenn Alliance, could stop.
Therefore, Team Rocket's entry into the Hoenn region was not impossible, but rather unwilling.
The current Hoenn region has transitioned from the era of Team Magma and Team Aqua to the era of the Sky Team. Although the people under the Sky Team, more or less, want to break free from Team Rocket, Aoki does not think so at all.
At least, some of Team Rocket's missions can still reach the Hoenn region and be completed by the Sky Team, which is much better than before.
Hearing Giovanni's question, Aoki pondered slightly, "Your subordinate also heard it through hearsay."
Upon hearing this, Giovanni frowned, "Oh? Hearsay? Who? Someone from the Cult? Or, to be precise, that mysterious Bishop of the Cult?"
Aoki was startled. The Cult's Bishop? Could there be some connection between him and Giovanni? Seeing Aoki stunned, Giovanni knew it wasn't the case, that he had guessed wrong, but he didn't hide anything.
"Before you came, didn't I tell you I wanted to talk to you about something?" Giovanni said.
Aoki nodded, not interrupting.
"I watched the video of you and Steven Stone battling the Cult members. The Cult Bishop who appeared at the end, though he concealed his appearance, I roughly guessed his identity when I saw him. I think... I'm probably not the only one who guessed his identity upon seeing him appear."
"This... What exactly is the identity of the Cult's Bishop?" Giovanni knew this Cult Bishop? This was truly unexpected for Aoki.
But Giovanni did not answer Aoki's question; instead, a meaningful smile appeared on his face. "You will know in a while. There's no need to say it now.
I can only say, don't underestimate him!
Just like you, you wouldn't dare to underestimate me at all!
Even with your current strength, you haven't become arrogant and are still so respectful towards me, because you know your current strength is not yet equal to mine!
Although I don't know how you knew my strength, or from what aspect you saw the power I possess, I'm not very surprised that you know my strength, after all, you even know that I use a Beedrill!
You should know, I haven't used a Beedrill in front of others for about ten years, let alone used it, I haven't even summoned it.
Even within Team Rocket, the number of people who know I have a Beedrill doesn't exceed five, and all of them are my absolute confidants."
Giovanni's words carried a somewhat special meaning.
"When I first met you, I knew you had great ambition and were not content with mediocrity, so I would help you establish yourself in the Alliance.
I just didn't expect you to do much better than I imagined, even exceeding everyone's expectations, including mine.
But it doesn't matter, you and I are different. Your ambition is the pursuit of strength, while what I pursue is absolute power!
We inherently have no conflict; in fact, if we unite, we can even help each other achieve what we each pursue!
This is also the main reason I turned a blind eye to what your so-called Sky Team is doing, or preparing to do, in the Hoenn region and didn't intervene!
Otherwise, do you really think I have no one in the Hoenn region? If the Cult can infiltrate various regions and organizations, why can't I, Giovanni of Team Rocket?!" This was probably the most Giovanni had ever said and explained when facing Aoki.
The main reason was that Aoki's current strength had gained Giovanni's recognition.
Listening to Giovanni speak so much, Aoki's astonishment never ceased; in fact, it was like waves, each higher than the last.
One can only say, as expected of the Pokémon world's number one schemer? His judgment of people and decisiveness in action are arguably the best in the Pokémon world?
Giovanni's ambition was great, Aoki knew, because even if he hadn't met Giovanni, he knew some things, but he never expected that Giovanni, after only seeing him a few times, would understand him almost seventy or eighty percent.
Just this insight into people is something ordinary people cannot compare to.
As Giovanni said, both his ambition and Aoki's ambition were very great.
But the ambitions of the two were different. Giovanni believed in absolute power; as long as power was great enough, the entire world would be his.
Aoki, on the other hand, believed in absolute strength; as long as strength was strong enough, let alone any force or organization, it could be annihilated with a flip of the hand.
These were the ambitions of the two; one cannot say whose was definitely right or wrong.
These were completely two different paths; as long as they reached the pinnacle, they could indeed achieve what they envisioned.
Moreover, their ambitions did not conflict; in fact, they could complement each other, at least until they both reached their limits.
That's why Giovanni didn't take the Sky Team's matters to heart.
It was just one region; how could Giovanni's heart be contained by just one region?
Using the two Kanto regions as a fulcrum, engulfing the entire Pokémon world was not impossible, as long as his next goal was achieved!
Although their pursuits were different, Giovanni would not abandon the improvement of his own strength, and Aoki would not abandon the benefits and resource income that the Sky Team brought him.
Currently, the relationship between the two was still relatively clear: Giovanni was primary, Aoki was secondary.
It must be said that Giovanni's charisma was indeed incredibly powerful. Aoki had no intention of betraying Team Rocket from the bottom of his heart, at least not until his strength reached a certain level.
To be able to say "cooperation" to his subordinate, while being the leader, how broad-minded and magnanimous must one be to accommodate so much.
No wonder he felt that the current Alliance was already corrupt and beginning to decline.
Aoki did not speak, bowing slightly to Giovanni, expressing his understanding.
Seeing Aoki's gesture, Giovanni said something that even shocked Aoki.
"Since that's the case, with your strength, it's indeed sufficient. Team Rocket has never had this position before, but now, for you, what's wrong with establishing a new one?
Aoki, would you like to be the Vice Leader of Team Rocket?!" Giovanni stood up. At this moment, in Aoki's eyes, he was definitely radiating light.
He almost matched an image in Aoki's mind, that one who liked to say, "Koolala, be my son!"
The two images gave Aoki almost the same feeling!