Back at the Hoenn League Headquarters, I briefly reported the situation to Adams and then shared our conjectures with him.
As expected, Adams confirmed he had similar suspicions but was at a loss for how to deal with them.
It wasn't until Aoki returned with such strength that he felt a little more at ease.
After leaving Adams' office, Aoki couldn't directly return to his residence at the League Headquarters.
Instead, he was invited by two people to a special, relatively quiet place.
The pretext was to introduce Aoki to a few trainers.
The two who stopped him were none other than the heads of the Hoenn region's Nurse Joy family and Officer Jenny family.
Led by the two of them, Aoki arrived at the location.
He saw a room similar to a classroom, except that each seat here was not as humble as in an ordinary classroom.
The people sitting there were clearly not ordinary; at the very least, the material of their clothes was something most people couldn't afford.
After introductions by the heads of the Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny families, Aoki learned that the people seated here were the heads of some prominent families in the Hoenn region.
The strength of these families could more or less encompass an entire city, and they were among the top tier in their local cities.
Some of these families even directly controlled local city Gyms or held significant positions within the League.
It could be said that all these people were influential figures in the Hoenn region, yet now, these formidable individuals, seeing Aoki, a commoner by birth, dared not put on airs.
Upon seeing Aoki enter, they immediately stood up enthusiastically to greet him.
Some felt that the introduction by the heads of the Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny families wasn't enough and briefly introduced themselves.
Most of these families were similar to the Devon Corporation model; they all controlled some Pokémon resources.
While they didn't possess the terrifying number of Steel-type Pokémon or the exaggerated talent and aptitude that the Devon Corporation did, compared to a gigantic family like the Devon Corporation, in the eyes of ordinary people, possessing such Pokémon resources was an insurmountable colossus, like a mountain.
If one were to compare, Akane's family, which controlled Miltank in the Johto region, would at most rank in the middle of this room, and might not even make it.
If one were to ask what the most valuable resource in the entire Pokémon world is, it would undoubtedly be rare or high-aptitude, high-potential Pokémon. These are the essence of the entire Pokémon world.
In fact, Pokémon are not uncommon in the entire Pokémon world, nor are they scarce resources, but high-aptitude or highly rare Pokémon are the most valuable.
For example, the pseudo-legendary Pokémon of each region; if a family can, to a certain extent, control the output of pseudo-legendary Pokémon, then that family will definitely not be a weak one.
Just like the Dragon Clan in the Johto region and the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region, the Dragon Clan controls the Dragon's Den, and through the efforts of successive members of the Dragon Clan, the Dragon's Den can stably produce a certain number of Dratini each year, bringing immense profits to the entire Dragon Clan.
And the Devon Corporation, a family that started with mining, also controls a certain output of Metagross, the pseudo-legendary Pokémon of the Hoenn region, enriching their family's strength while also bringing considerable profits.
Of course, these two families do not only control these few Pokémon. The Dragon Clan also controls a series of Dragon-type Pokémon like Kingdra, and the Devon Corporation also has a large number of Steel-type Pokémon like Aggron.
However, families that can achieve this level are ultimately still a minority. But this is the survival model of these families in the Pokémon world; if they can truly monopolize a type of Pokémon, then it would be difficult for that family not to grow.
The two largest families, the Officer Jenny family and the Nurse Joy family, have almost monopolized several Pokémon species, and their strength is immeasurable.
However, these two families are already completely intertwined with the entire Pokémon League, and their glory or destruction will also be intertwined.
As branches of such large families, the Officer Jenny family and the Nurse Joy family in the Hoenn region are also considered the leading families among all families in the Hoenn region.
Of course, if truly counted, the Devon Corporation might be the strongest family in the Hoenn region right now.
Aoki showed no coldness towards these large and small family heads; in fact, he smiled and exchanged pleasantries with them.
He understood the intentions of the heads of the Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy families.
Previously, Aoki was just a young man who had recently become a regional Elite Four member. He was able to secure the Elite Four position not because there was no one stronger than him in the Hoenn region, but because the entire League's direction was to empower young people, and at that time, Aoki happened to be the strongest among all young people, so he took the Elite Four position.
However, although Aoki was once very popular, he hadn't fully accessed the core of power in the entire Hoenn region. Therefore, these families held themselves in high regard, and if Aoki didn't actively engage with them, they maintained a sense of superiority.
Even the two major families, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, who had recognized Aoki's potential at the time, had a unified policy of having Aoki marry into their families to be used by them.
But now it's different. A trip to the Space-Time Continent caused Aoki's strength to skyrocket, surprising everyone.
The strength Aoki demonstrated now made him capable and qualified to directly become a regional Champion. If it weren't for Steven becoming Champion just before Aoki emerged, and Adams hoping Aoki would accumulate a bit more experience, he would probably be Champion upon returning to the League!
Even if he isn't yet, there isn't much difference. The Investigation Department, which he temporarily managed before, is now completely under Aoki's control, which is an incredibly powerful force.
Coupled with his announcement of Mega Evolution and the unearthing of some of his past major achievements, the call for him to become the next Hoenn region Champion is growing louder and louder.
These self-important families finally couldn't sit still.
They all knew Steven and had dealt with him quite a bit, but they had never once interacted with Aoki.
From the current situation, if he becomes the Hoenn region Champion before the age of twenty, there's a chance he could eventually become like Adams, holding both the Champion and President titles, wielding both military and political power!
And most importantly, Aoki is a commoner by birth. Who knows if he will continue to increase support for commoners after taking office?
In recent years, due to the main League's plans and policies, various regions have begun to vigorously support commoner trainers in each region.
For example, commoner trainers can now enjoy half-price services at Pokémon Centers, provided their strength doesn't reach a certain level and they pass several League tests.
Now, the League has even relaxed the assessment standards for direct members. As long as one becomes a direct member of the League, all these basic facilities can be enjoyed for free.
Free treatment at Pokémon Centers, free accommodation provided by Pokémon Centers during travel, the ability for direct members' Pokédexes to compensate for some knowledge deficiencies, and even the ability to exercise law enforcement power to a certain extent with a Pokédex to assist the League police, as well as the opportunity to continue climbing to higher positions within the League.
All of this is one of the main reasons why so many talents have emerged in the League in recent years.
The strength of the entire Pokémon League will no longer depend on the high-quality Pokémon provided by these families and the younger generation they provide; commoner trainers have also entered the competition.
Although the success rate among commoners is pitifully low, the commoner population base is very large.
Unless they are giant families like the Devon Corporation, the Dragon Clan, the Officer Jenny family, and the Nurse Joy family, all other families, big and small, will undoubtedly be significantly affected.
Therefore, Aoki, as someone from a commoner background, will be crucial in determining which direction he supports in the future.
So, these families united this time, hoping to communicate well with Aoki through the Officer Jenny family and the Nurse Joy family.
There's also a relatively important reason: although the Mega Evolution announcement seemed very simple when Aoki demonstrated it, the truth is not so.
Now, let alone the most difficult Mega Stones, they haven't even seen a shadow of the Key Stones, which Aoki said were less important. So, they wanted to see if Aoki had any in stock, and if so, they hoped to exchange for one or two.
The heads of these families came prepared, bringing characteristic resources produced by their respective families, including Pokémon and various rare resources, pushing them in front of Aoki, making him feel a bit dazzled.
Among them were quite a few Pokémon that even Aoki found slightly tempting.
After all, his current status was special, and these families wouldn't dare to use inferior goods to fool him.
That's right, simply put, these families were here to bribe Aoki, the rising star of the Hoenn League and one of its future power holders.
Aoki did not accept these people's Pokémon. He already had enough Pokémon and no immediate plans to train more.
Moreover, Aoki intended to start culling his Pokémon on his island, gradually eliminating those with poor aptitude and only keeping the elite. This would undoubtedly lead to a busy period on his island, and he certainly wouldn't have time to manage the Pokémon they sent.
The main reason, however, was that these Pokémon were all single, not in pairs.
Of course, if Aoki accepted these people's Pokémon, it would inevitably become a constraint in the future. But if he didn't accept their offerings, they wouldn't feel at ease. So, Aoki accepted the resource materials they brought, which served to reassure them.
When all the family heads left with satisfied smiles, only Aoki, the head of the Officer Jenny family, and the head of the Nurse Joy family remained in the room.
They not only helped these family heads this time but also helped Aoki get to know more medium-to-large families in the Hoenn region, which would greatly assist him in his bid for the Champion title.
"Thank you, both family heads," Aoki said with a smile to the heads of the Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy families.
The head of the Officer Jenny family waved her hand, "It's a small matter. The main thing is that you, Aoki, are a hot commodity now. Even without us, they would have come knocking one by one. We just consolidated these people to save everyone's time.
Didn't you see how some family heads were looking at you with shining eyes, like they were looking at a rich son-in-law? These families all have young ladies around your age who are quite attractive. If you're interested, Aoki, you could get to know them better?"
Hearing the Officer Jenny family head's playful remark, Aoki smiled awkwardly but politely, not taking the bait.
Not just now, but he had been a hot commodity for a long time. It was just that now he was stronger and held a higher position, making him even more appealing to others.
"Hehe—Officer Jenny is right, and it's not just these families. If you fancy anyone in our Nurse Joy family, I can also allow you to fall in love freely. Don't you think our Joy is quite good? She's strong as a Chief Investigator and even has the legendary Pokémon Articuno. Although her personality is a bit cold and she's a little older, as the saying goes, 'a woman three years older brings gold bricks…'"
Nurse Joy's Matriarch was not to be outdone and quickly added, "That's right, our Chansey people are also very good. You've been around her for a while now, so you know she's not as rigid and serious as other Officer Jennys. She's approachable and always smiling when she talks to people. If you don't have a choice right now, you can consider her."
Aoki's embarrassment grew more and more apparent.
It felt like Officer Jenny's Matriarch and Nurse Joy's Matriarch weren't here to discuss serious matters, but rather to play matchmakers, promoting their own people.
He understood what they were thinking, but from his traditional mindset, he felt that at less than twenty years old, he was still too young.
"Matriarchs, please don't joke with me. Sister Yui and Sister Ayamé treated me very well in the Investigation Department, and I've always kept that kindness in mind. But I truly only see them as older sisters; I have no ulterior motives," Aoki said, waving his hands repeatedly.
Even if he refused them now, Aoki felt that such situations would not be uncommon in the future. As long as he hadn't found someone to marry, he estimated that this situation would continue for a long time.
However, marriage was simply too distant for Aoki.
Officer Jenny's Matriarch and Nurse Joy's Matriarch also knew their limits and wouldn't push too far.
They immediately ended their conversation, which was a mix of joking and seriousness, and turned to the main topic. "Aoki, after you announced Mega Evolution last time, our two families have been paying attention to these special stones. You also know that our two families have many members, so we quickly collected some, but…" Officer Jenny's Matriarch said with a helpless expression.
Upon hearing this, Aoki chuckled inwardly.
Because of his intervention, the entire Pokémon world's Mega Evolution process had been pushed forward by an unknown number of years.
Lacking a gradual process, without proper research, and without exploring all the information about Mega Evolution step by step, it was only due to Aoki's sudden announcement that people discovered the existence of Mega Evolution.
Therefore, even if some people now obtained some Mega Stones, it was quite difficult to find the Pokémon that matched these Mega Stones among the vast number of Pokémon.
Moreover, a Pokémon's Mega Evolution was not just about this requirement; it also required the bond between the Pokémon and the trainer to reach a certain level, and as for what level, that was even more unknown.
This was the situation with the Officer Jenny family and the Nurse Joy family now. With the immense power and numbers of their two large families, they had found some Mega Stones, but they didn't know how to use them, which was a very troublesome problem.
So they could only find Aoki, who was considered the originator of Mega Evolution, hoping he could tell them which Pokémon these Mega Stones belonged to and if their method of use was correct.
"As expected of the Officer Jenny family and the Nurse Joy family, to be able to find valuable Mega Stones so quickly, you are truly impressive!" Aoki subtly flattered them, but he didn't get to the point.
Officer Jenny's Matriarch and Nurse Joy's Matriarch exchanged glances, seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.
Aoki did not directly answer their question, either because he didn't want to answer them or because he hoped to gain some benefits from them.
However, they could understand this, as he was the only one in the world who mastered Mega Evolution at the moment.
"Aoki, if you have any needs, why don't you just say them directly? After all, we are also your elders, and if we can help, we certainly will," Nurse Joy's Matriarch said with a smile.
Aoki waved his hands repeatedly, "How could I? I was just joking with the two matriarchs. How about this: I can help you identify the types of Pokémon corresponding to these Mega Stones, but this will take a considerable amount of time, so the Mega Stones will probably stay in my hands for a while."
"No problem, but as you said, as elders, we can't let you suffer a loss." Officer Jenny's Matriarch put on an expression that implied she couldn't let him suffer a loss, and after a brief moment of thought, her eyes lit up and she said, "How about this: our Officer Jenny family is most famous for the Arcanine Pokémon. I'll send you two top-tier Arcanine as a reward then.
Don't refuse; this is a token of our Officer Jenny family's sincerity. After all, we can't let you work for nothing."
Nurse Joy's Matriarch next to her also nodded, "That's right, our Nurse Joy family is most famous for Chansey. As the best support Pokémon for outdoor travel, I'm sure you, Aoki, need them. At that time, along with the Mega Stones, I will personally select a few Chansey with extraordinary potential for you as a reward."
Aoki put on an expression of "how could I possibly accept this" and repeatedly declined, but inwardly, he couldn't help but laugh.
The matriarchs of these great families were indeed different; they knew how to handle things. After he subtly expressed his intentions, the two matriarchs immediately understood.
Look at how well the matriarchs of big families speak!
This was gratitude to Aoki, a reward, not a bribe, nor was it something Aoki himself proposed, but something they insisted on giving to Aoki.
It was definitely not what he wanted.
Thus, after several rounds of refusal, Aoki "reluctantly" agreed to the two matriarchs' proposal, accepting their bri... no, accepting their so-called reward for his compensated labor.
After seeing off the two satisfied matriarchs, Aoki also returned to his house, feeling content.
He had over a hundred Mega Stones in his possession. He had already thoroughly researched these Mega Stones in his free time, and he basically had the Mega Stones for most Pokémon now.
So now, he had already sorted out the Mega Evolutions for his Pokémon such as Swampert, Lucario, Gardevoir, and Venusaur.
However, his abilities were limited, and he could only maintain a maximum of four Mega Evolutions, and even with four, there was a risk of collapse at any time, making it not a commonly used method.
Triple Mega Evolution, however, could now be used in actual combat.
Aoki, like Adams and Wallace, had directly chosen a usable detached villa in the backyard of the Hoenn League Headquarters, based on their status, located not far from Wallace and Adams.
However, he could only use this villa for living; it wasn't considered his property, being a typical "public housing."
As Aoki approached his house, he saw someone waiting for him at the door, their back hunched, standing silently in front of the flowerbed.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Adams.
Aoki immediately stepped forward, "President, are you waiting for me?"
Adams was clearly deep in thought and didn't notice Aoki approaching until he heard Aoki's voice, which brought him back to reality.
His face immediately blossomed into a radiant smile, and he said to Aoki, "You're back? How was it? Did those two, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy, not make any unreasonable demands?"
Aoki meeting so many family matriarchs at the Hoenn League Headquarters certainly didn't escape the eyes of Adams, the president.
However, these people originally had no intention of hiding.
Approaching the strong was a basic survival instinct.
Aoki then gently shook his head and told Adams everything the Officer Jenny's Matriarch and Nurse Joy's Matriarch had said to him, as well as the gifts the other family matriarchs had given him, without any reservations.
There was nothing to hide. If Adams truly wanted to know, nothing could be hidden from him.
Listening to Aoki's words, the smile on Adams's face never faded. "It seems that all of Hoenn can see what direction our League will take next. These people leaning on you now is not necessarily a bad thing for you. With them, the entire Hoenn region will be more stable."
Aoki nodded without speaking.
Adams's expression became slightly more serious, and he warned, "However, Aoki, you must remember that these families can be utilized, but they cannot be heavily relied upon.
If we consider the entire Hoenn region as a person, our Hoenn League is the brain, determining the direction of the entire Hoenn region. These large and small families are the skeleton of this person. With them, the Hoenn region can be more stable and walk steadily. And all the residents of the Hoenn region are the blood and flesh of this person, equally crucial!
In the entire Hoenn region, these three parts are indispensable!"
From Adams's words, one could tell that he was imparting some of his management views to Aoki, which was a hint to Aoki.
"But now the entire League is vigorously promoting ordinary people, do you know why?" Adams asked, looking into Aoki's eyes.
Aoki met Adams's gaze without fear, his eyes shining. After a slight pause, he said, "Whether the skeleton is too large or the flesh is too cumbersome, neither is conducive to the development of the entire region. It's best to achieve a balance. However, at this time, due to many years of development, these large and small families relying on the League have grown too large, excessively absorbing the nourishment that belongs to the flesh and blood.
Therefore, now we need to strengthen the power of the flesh and blood, allowing this loose flesh and blood to gradually become muscle, and at the same time, forcing those bones to passively strengthen themselves. Only then can the entire skeleton be stabilized."
Hearing Aoki's words, Adams's expression gradually softened. He extended an old hand and gently patted Aoki's shoulder a few times.
At this moment, his eyes, as he looked at Aoki, were filled with gratification. "I believe in you!"
After speaking, he put his hands behind his back and slowly walked towards his house.
But Aoki stood rooted to the spot, frowning as he watched Adams gradually walk away. He had a feeling that Adams's conversation with him this time had a hidden meaning.
Especially when he looked directly into his eyes, and that last sentence he said, "I believe in you!"
Suddenly, Aoki's pupils, watching Adams's departing back, abruptly contracted, because Adams had his back to him, so he saw the six Poké Balls packed full on Adams's special belt behind him!!!
A trainer carrying six Pokémon didn't seem out of place.
But Aoki was a relatively observant person, and because he was wary of most people, he would subconsciously observe their Pokémon when interacting with others.
To date, Aoki had only seen Adams carry six Pokémon once, and that was during the Groudon and Kyogre chaos, which concerned the survival of the entire Hoenn region. So Adams brought his six main Pokémon and even summoned his powerful Latios.
At other times, even if he carried Poké Balls, it would be at most two or three, for self-defense.
But now! He saw Adams carrying six Poké Balls.
Aoki didn't think Adams brought six Pokémon to chat with him just to show off.
He slowly narrowed his eyes, wondering if Adams knew something, and what the true purpose of Adams's talk with him today was. He only knew that Adams still chose to trust him now.
"It seems I still need to speed things up," Aoki muttered to himself and returned to his house.
...
The next period was relatively stable.
Actually, it couldn't be called stable, as the cult members would always harass them from time to time. However, Aoki gradually found a pattern in their appearances.
Now, before the cult members appeared, Aoki could roughly guess their time and location, and could sense something before they arrived.
However, the timing of his captures wasn't good enough, so he hadn't been able to capture all of the cult members.
But he had still managed to capture quite a few cult members.
These people, however, were completely ignorant of the cult's plans, so their capture was useless. In the end, Aoki sealed their psychic abilities and directly imprisoned them in the League's jail.
A month had passed since Aoki and Adams' late-night conversation, and this month had brought the topic of Mega Evolution to its climax.
Now, everyone was searching for precious Mega Stones.
With Aoki's help, the Officer Jenny family and Nurse Joy finally completed their first Mega Evolution.
In return, Aoks successfully received two Growlithe, one male and one female, both with light blue aptitudes, which were considered excellent Pokémon.
He also received two Happiny, but neither Happiny, Chansey, nor Blissey ever existed as male.
Currently, only the Nurse Joy family knew the complete method of how these Pokémon reproduced.
However, this didn't stump Aoki; it was just that his current focus wasn't on training these specific Pokémon.
He transferred all four Pokémon to his breeding island.
After the expansion by Tyranitar and other Pokémon years ago, the breeding island had quadrupled in size and was now well-established to meet the living environment needs of various Pokémon.
"Aoki, our people are ready, just waiting for you." Miki Stone, Joy Yui, and Jenny Saffron, the three chief investigators, were reporting to Aoki via video call.
Hearing this, Aoki put down what he was doing and said directly, "Wait for me, don't show yourselves casually."
With that, the video call was disconnected.
This was the first ambush so far, and it should be the most opportune one.
"The net has been woven, just waiting for you to fall into it!" Aoki stood up, took his exclusive Elite Four uniform from the chair behind him, flung it on, and with a surge of psychic power, instantly teleported out of the office.
After multiple consecutive teleports and the assistance of Salamence, when Aoki stopped, he had already arrived in Rustboro City in the Hoenn region!
It was Rustboro City, where the Stone family and Devon Corporation were located.
Aoki didn't teleport anywhere else but directly to the entrance of the Stone family's residence.
In Rustboro City, it was natural to pay a visit to Old Man Stone; even if the people of the Divine Cult could arrive at any moment, Aoki could still get there immediately.
He skillfully walked into the Stone family residence.
Given Aoki's current status, position, and relationship with Steven, he didn't need to be particularly reserved when visiting the Stone family.
He went directly to Old Man Stone's study, where the old man, having received the news, had been waiting for a long time, along with Aoki's close friend, Steel-type Elite Four Steven Stone.
Because Aoki had stayed on the Space-Time Continent for more than a month, which was over five months, almost six, for him, Steven was still occasionally harassed by the Divine Cult in the Pokémon world.
Compared to Aoki's quiet development for so long, Steven and the others had a certain time difference with him.
It was precisely because of this that Aoki's return felt like such an explosive surge in strength, as if he had suddenly left Steven and his peers far behind.
At their age, this period was when their strength improved the fastest. Aoki had shortened the time, which was why he felt such a significant difference between himself and Steven.
Coupled with the boost from Mega Evolution, Aoki had attained strength comparable to Drake.
And his visit here was also due to Old Man Stone's invitation.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they immediately got to the point.
Essentially, Aoki and the Stone family were, to some extent, in a cooperative relationship.
The diamond sales company, co-founded by Aoki and Steven and overseen by Old Man Stone, was raking in money daily with Aoki's continuous input of diamonds. Furthermore, the occasional release of pink diamonds, channeled through the Stone family's network, brought in even more substantial profits.
"Aoki, it's like this," Old Man Stone said, "Although we've collected some Mega Stones through our family's channels, and Steven knows which Pokémon these Mega Stones correspond to through your connections, whether it's bad luck or something else, none of these Mega Stones match our family's Pokémon, so…"
"So you want to ask if you still have any Mega Stones that we can use." Old Man Stone's words were still somewhat reserved, but Steven wouldn't be polite with Aoki. After all, he already owed Aoki a lot on the Space-Time Continent, and a lot of debt doesn't weigh you down.
Moreover, given his relationship with Aoki, being direct would save time.
Hearing Steven's words, Old Man Stone's face showed a hint of embarrassment.
But Aoki didn't mind; if Steven wasn't being reserved with him, he wouldn't be reserved with Steven either.
As far as he knew, forty-six Pokémon could Mega Evolve, and he currently had over a hundred Mega Stones, many of which were duplicates.
Anyway, trading resources and items with others was still trading, so he might as well trade with the Stone family.
However, even between close brothers, accounts must be settled clearly.
His selfless help in appraising Mega Stones for the Stone family was already an act of utmost benevolence. He had more or less repaid Steven for his past help, and now Aoki owed Steven nothing.
But Steven still owed Aoki a Mawile Mega Evolution.
Looking at Steven's expression, like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Aoki really wanted to give him a smack on the head, if not for his father being there...
This kid was getting more and more presumptuous!
However, Aoki had no intention of refusing. As he said, trading with anyone was still trading, and the Stone family's resources were clearly more capable of meeting his demands.
Ding—
A yellow and white magatama-shaped stone with a light blue transparent, glass-like periphery was placed directly on the table by him.
Seeing this stone, the other two in the room knew that this Mega Stone could definitely be used by a Pokémon in their family.
At this moment, Old Man Stone was already contemplating what could be exchanged for such a precious Mega Stone, though he didn't know which Pokémon's Mega Stone it was.
However, Aoki didn't keep them in suspense. His next words shocked both Old Man Stone and Steven, two individuals with excellent temperaments.
"This is Metagross's Mega Stone!" Aoki said calmly, as if this Mega Stone wasn't very valuable in his eyes, just like an ordinary stone.
But it almost made Steven bite his tongue and exclaim, "Met—Metagross's Mega Stone?!"
Aoki smiled and nodded, his expression unperturbed.
However, Steven's next words almost made him stumble, "You brat, why didn't you give me such a good Mega Stone when we were on the Space-Time Continent?!"
Steven's focus was on that?
As he spoke, Steven even rushed to Aoki, hooked his arm around his neck, and with his other hand clenched into a fist, proceeded with a "death massage"!
Seeing Aoki and Steven playfully bickering, a smile also appeared on Old Man Stone's face.
He had a child late in life, but he didn't let Steven become a pampered idler. Instead, he fully developed his potential. Now, Steven not only provided him with significant help in managing company and family affairs, but his own strength also showed no signs of stagnation.
In Old Man Stone's own opinion, if it weren't for Aoki, such a "monster," being around, and Drake staying as Champion for a few more years, Steven was the most likely to take over the banner of the younger generation and become the Hoenn Region Champion.
It wasn't that he thought there was anything wrong with Aoki; after all, if it weren't for such a strong competitor as Aoki, Steven's improvement speed wouldn't have been so fast. Moreover, what was gratifying was that Aoki and Steven had a healthy competition, and no negative incidents occurred.
However, this time, he had a headache. Aoki and Steven had such a good relationship, and this time, he "sincerely" brought out the Metagross Mega Stone. Clearly, as an elder, he couldn't take advantage of Aoki, at least not let Aoki suffer a loss.
But given the current value of this Mega Stone, Mr Stone truly didn't know what could match its worth.
Originally, he had only hoped for a Mega Stone of the level of Aggron, Steelix, or even Mawile, but who knew Aoki would come out with a big move right away?
He wasn't even prepared to receive such a big move.
"Cough, cough, Steven, that's enough, that's enough. If I had it at the time, would I not give it to you? Given our relationship, didn't I give the Garchomp Mega Stone to Cynthia? If I had it, would I not give it to you?" Aoki forcibly broke free from Steven's "death grip."
But Steven retorted unhappily, "Tch, who knows if you and Cynthia have some special relationship? Back then, among so many of us, you and Cynthia had the best relationship."
Seeing Steven's "I don't believe you" expression, Aoki was truly speechless.
But Old Man Stone, who was standing by, was stunned again. He wondered if he had misheard.
The Garchomp Mega Stone, comparable to the current Metagross, was given away?
Even he had to wonder if Aoki and this Cynthia truly had some special relationship.
Noticing the change in Old Man Stone's gaze, Aoki was speechless. This father and son, truly...
After some playful banter, Steven clearly sensed his father's mood and said directly, "Dad, I told you long ago to give that thing to Aoki. He definitely won't spread it."
Hearing Steven's words, Old Man Stone couldn't help but fall silent. Steven had told him about this many times, but he had always been unable to make up his mind.
Aoki watched the two exchange glances.
Something fishy...
Just as the two had been communicating through eye contact for a while, Aoki, who had been completely ignored, couldn't help but clear his throat, "Cough, cough!"
Only then did the two realize there was still someone else there.
Old Man Stone's expression was slightly awkward. "It's like this: Steven told me a long time ago that he wanted to teach you our Stone family's unique method of improving the aptitude of Steel-type Pokémon. He also guaranteed that you would never spread it, but this thing is truly precious, and although I am the patriarch, it's not solely up to me, so I've never agreed.
But the Metagross Mega Stone you brought out this time is indeed invaluable, and I can't think of anything to exchange for it right now.
However, this method is only passed down to direct descendants within our family…"
"…" Aoki was speechless.
What do you mean, only passed down to direct descendants? Old man, what are you trying to do? Just say it directly...