The battle between Aoki and Alder, the Champion of the Unova region, was still ongoing. After the intense clash between Conkeldurr and Blaziken, the fight reached a fever pitch!
Immediately after, both trainers tacitly summoned Ghost-type Pokémon: a Chandelure and a Gengar.
To match Chandelure's strength, Aoki didn't hold back, directly having Gengar Mega Evolve to contend with Chandelure.
Both Pokémon were not suited for direct combat; they were more adept at diversionary tactics to create space for other Pokémon.
Therefore, the final outcome of their battle was similar to that of Blaziken and its opponent. They both used various curse-type moves, shared pain, and ultimately fainted at the same time once again.
At this point, even the audience realized that the two regional Champions were very close in strength, otherwise, there wouldn't have been two consecutive instances of both Pokémon fainting simultaneously.
After Chandelure and Mega Gengar both fainted, the Pokémon Alder and Aoki summoned next were somewhat different.
Alder summoned Krookodile, a Ground/Dark-type, while Aoki summoned his other Pokémon, Slowking!
This time, Aoki's Pokémon was at a type disadvantage. Although Water-type is supereffective against Ground-type, it's not as severe as Dark-type's effectiveness against Psychic-type.
However, Aoki's Slowking was different from Alder's Reuniclus. At least Slowking possessed Oblivious and could use Teleport to remain sufficiently agile.
It was just a pity that, just as Aoki thoroughly understood how to battle with Trick Room, Alder also thoroughly understood how to battle against Aoki's Slowking using Trick Room.
The main reason was that Krookodile's raw power surpassed Aoki's Slowking.
When two Pokémon have mutual type advantages, the impact of a difference in raw power becomes very evident.
Therefore, this time, it was finally Aoki's Pokémon that fainted first, with Slowking falling to Krookodile's attack.
This was unavoidable. After all, Alder was much older than Aoki, so his Pokémon's overall strength was still slightly superior to Aoki's.
Although Aoki had various Mega Evolutions that compensated for the strength gap to some extent, Slowking was a Pokémon that couldn't Mega Evolve, and recently, there hadn't been suitable opportunities for Slowking to battle, so its strength growth couldn't keep pace.
In fact, the most crucial reason was that Slowking's aptitude was a bit weak now. However, it didn't matter, because from Aoki's perspective, Slowking's strength had already reached the peak of light blue aptitude, just one step away from blue aptitude.
Moreover, Machina's transformation into a true mythical Pokémon not only greatly increased her strength and allowed her to fully control the Sky Fortress, but also enabled her to fully develop her Soul-Heart.
With her Soul-Heart fully developed, it meant that its influence on surrounding Pokémon would also further increase.
Therefore, Aoki had great confidence in Slowking's aptitude improvement.
After Slowking's defeat, Alder's Krookodile was also at its last gasp.
After a brief consideration, Aoki summoned Salamence.
Salamence's strength was already formidable, and with the boost from Mega Evolution, its overall power even surpassed Slowking's. Alder's Krookodile faced a flying Salamence, rendering its Ground-type moves ineffective.
Furthermore, Dark-type moves are not particularly effective against Flying-type and Dragon-type Pokémon, so the outcome was unsurprising: Mega Salamence emerged victorious.
The audience was quite familiar with Mega Salamence. After all, theoretically speaking, Mega Salamence could be considered the first Mega Evolved Pokémon most people had ever seen.
It was also the signature pseudo-legendary Pokémon of the Hoenn region.
When Salamence appeared, the cheers it received were no less enthusiastic than those for Tyranitar.
As the Champion of the Hoenn region, Aoki summoning a registered Pokémon from the Hoenn region for the first time carried a different significance.
After defeating Krookodile, Mega Salamence, as a Dragon-type Pokémon, exuded an aura of dominance that swept across the entire arena.
Facing the agile Mega Salamence, the Pokémon Alder summoned next was a Braviary!
A very majestic bird Pokémon.
Although it might not be as fast as Mega Salamence in a straight line, in short-distance, small-area maneuvers, Braviary's speed was not inferior to Mega Salamence's, and it was even more agile.
This time, what was displayed before everyone was an aerial battle.
It was precisely because the battlefield was in the sky that the already dilapidated arena did not become even more damaged.
But the audience could constantly feel the strong winds that made it hard to open their eyes, and the oppressive Dragon-type moves that made it difficult to breathe.
As a pseudo-legendary Pokémon with exceptional talent, Salamence did not immediately fall behind Braviary in the short term.
However, as time passed, Mega Salamence's disadvantage in raw power finally became apparent. Even after Mega Evolving, it was still a Pokémon at the first hurdle of the Champion level. It was already surprising that it could hold on for so long against a level 90 Braviary.
Whether or not to break through the second hurdle of the Champion level is crucial.
After all, for Pokémon, this can be seen as a huge chasm, difficult to cross, but once crossed, the boost in strength will undoubtedly be extraordinary.
Aoki's Pokémon were mostly at a level disadvantage when facing Alder's Pokémon, but today he demonstrated many instances of the weaker overcoming the stronger.
Whether it was Blaziken, Gengar, or Salamence, they all benefited from Mega Evolution, which was a significant reason.
But another reason was the boosts they received.
Aptitude was only part of the reason. Aptitude merely allowed these Pokémon, which Aoki had only trained for a few years, to not have a disadvantage in moves and battle techniques when facing Alder's Pokémon, which had been trained for decades.
After all, in terms of training age alone, the years of training Alder's Pokémon had undergone were incomparable to Aoki's Pokémon.
And on this point, they did not fall behind because of their excellent aptitude. They learned much faster than Alder's Pokémon, and their understanding of battle was incomparable to ordinary Pokémon. Coupled with Aoki's special training methods, they were able to bridge decades of training in just a few years.
Aptitude leveled the playing field in terms of move proficiency, technique, and battle experience, but it couldn't bridge the gap in raw power.
What truly bridged the gap in raw power were the special qualities of Aoki's Pokémon: Mega Blaziken's Sacred Fire, Gengar's dense Ghost-type energy second only to Giratina's, and Salamence's strong Dragon-type bloodline and the fragment of the Sky Plate it carried.
There was also the advantage Aoki gained through the chip, in terms of data. Knowing oneself and one's opponent made it easier to devise countermeasures.
As for the psychic's telepathic command ability, at their level, the advantage it provided was almost negligible, or even nonexistent.
Because in battle, most of the time, Alder and Aoki were not constantly giving commands.
Trainers and Pokémon at their level could truly achieve perfect synchronization, or rather, the accumulated understanding in their daily lives was already sufficient. The battle choices their Pokémon made in various situations aligned with their own thoughts.
Only at some crucial moments, or turning points in the battle, would the two trainers command their Pokémon to react.
And any Pokémon that heard their commands could instantly understand their battle strategies.
This had almost reached the highest realm for a trainer in commanding battles: no command needed!
However, very few people could reach this realm.
Alder was quite surprised that Aoki could reach this level at such a young age. After all, this kind of thing, in addition to requiring a strong bond between Pokémon and trainer, also required a long period of actual combat to cultivate, and most people wouldn't even think that the future path was like this.
Only a portion of the people present could understand.
After Mega Salamence was defeated, Aoki still had two Pokémon left to battle, one of which was Tyranitar, who participated in the first match.
Alder, on the other hand, only had two Pokémon left: Braviary, who was currently out, and one unknown Pokémon.
The two were more or less back to the same position.
However, Braviary had been entangled with Mega Salamence for so long and had sustained considerable injuries, so Aoki still had some advantage.
Finally, facing Braviary, Aoki pondered for a moment before summoning Aggron!
Then, he unhesitatingly used Mega Evolution. With Mega Aggron's defensive power, Braviary would find it difficult to break through.
As the Pokémon most adept at physical defense among Aoki's team, the Normal/Flying-type Braviary, lacking powerful special attack moves, could only feel a headache when facing Mega Aggron's terrifying defensive power.
Moreover, although Mega Aggron only retained the Steel-type, its Rock-type attacks were not weak either.
Countering the opponent's attacks while their own attacks posed a significant threat to the opponent—Aoki's choice of Pokémon was perfectly timed.
Mega Aggron's defensive power gave Alder a huge headache. Even if Braviary's level was significantly higher than Mega Tyranitar's.
However, Mega Aggron's defensive power could no longer be measured by level. This was a being capable of directly withstanding the attacks of a legendary Pokémon, Yveltal's Oblivion Wing.
Although it was with the help of other Pokémon, and after blocking one attack, Mega Aggron's own defensive power was largely depleted.
But the gap between Braviary and Yveltal was still very large.
Ultimately, after Mega Aggron endured multiple attacks from Braviary, it seized an opportunity to defeat Braviary with Stone Edge.
At this point, Alder had only one Pokémon left, while Aoki still had two, and among them was the one with the strongest defense, Mega Aggron!
Seeing another Hoenn region Pokémon achieve victory, it was a very exhilarating moment for the audience from the Hoenn region.
What excited them most was that Aoki now held a significant advantage.
No one would doubt Alder's strength. He had been in the Champion position for over a decade, and his power was certainly above that of ordinary Champions. The fact that Aoki could now hold a slight advantage spoke volumes about what it represented.
The future of the Hoenn region was bright!
At the most crucial moment, everyone was naturally paying extra attention.
Alder's expression finally showed a hint of solemnity, but soon a smile reappeared on his face. "Haha—Little Brother Aoki is indeed incredibly strong. I've witnessed the bond between you and your Pokémon. In that case, for the final match, let my old partner battle!"
It was clear that Alder was genuinely happy.
He threw out a fiery red Poké Ball, and a Pokémon appeared, adorned with dazzling scales, looking incredibly mystical!
As this Pokémon appeared, the temperature of the entire arena suddenly soared, looking as if another sun had appeared in the sky!
Two Suns in the Sky!
Seeing this Pokémon, Aoki couldn't help but narrow his eyes. "I didn't expect to see such a sight again."
The scene he witnessed with Steven in the desert back then was now vivid in his memory. The sight of two suns in the sky was a rare occurrence in one's lifetime!
That's right, the Pokémon Alder summoned was Volcarona!
It was one of his two initial Pokémon!
Alder originally had two Volcarona, but one was sacrificed in a past battle. This was his last Volcarona, and his best partner.
The reason Alder's hairstyle is the way it is now is because he styled it to resemble Volcarona with its wings spread.
Volcarona is a large moth-like Pokémon with blue eyes and a pair of red antennae encircling its cheeks.
Its body is plump, with a ring of white fluff around its upper body and four small legs; the center of its abdomen is black, with a light blue exterior, and it has three pairs of orange-red wings on its back, representing the sun, while black spots, representing sunspots, are also distributed on its wings and the outer side of its abdomen.
Aoki looked at this Volcarona with a solemn expression, having to admit that it was a very tricky opponent.
Volcarona, a Bug/Fire type, has its Fire typing effectively counter Super Aggron's Steel typing, and its Bug typing can effectively counter the Dark typing of Aoki's last remaining Pokémon, Tyranitar.
Therefore, it seems that Alder keeping Volcarona as his last Pokémon was actually to counter Aoki's Tyranitar, and Super Aggron just happened to be caught in the crossfire.
Seeing the Volcarona Alder summoned, the audience from the Unova region immediately cheered, seeing hope for Alder's victory once again.
Volcarona was not without a chance!
Aoki looked at Volcarona and immediately obtained its data.
Pokémon: Volcarona (Dark Blue)
Gender: Male
Level: 93
Type: Bug + Fire
Ability: Flame Body
Held Item: None
Egg Moves: Harden, Odor Sleuth, Zen Headbutt, Morning Sun
Basic Moves: Quiver Dance, Fiery Dance, Hurricane, Rage Powder, Heat Wave, Flare Blitz, Outrage, Amnesia, Bug Buzz, Flame Wheel, Ember, String Shot, Absorb, Gust, Fire Spin, Defog, Silver Wind
Learnt Moves: Signal Beam, Bug Bite, Heat Wave, Defog, Giga Drain, Magnet Rise, Snore, Tailwind
TM Moves: Calm Mind, Toxic, Protect, Roost, Safeguard, Solar Beam, Psychic, Double Team, Flamethrower, Aerial Ace, Flame Charge, Will-O-Wisp, Fly, U-turn, Substitute
"I didn't expect Alder to still have such a powerful Pokémon!" Aoki thought to himself.
This Volcarona's strength was much greater than the Pokémon Alder had summoned before!
Super Aggron's situation was not very good. Fire-type attacks severely counter Steel-type Pokémon, and if Volcarona kept flying and releasing Fire-type moves from a distance, it would make Super Aggron quite uncomfortable.
Volcarona, specializing in special attacks and possessing extremely strong Fire-type moves, was Super Aggron's bane!
Volcarona flapped its fiery wings, and silver scales scattered from them. As they passed through the high temperature of its body, these scales quickly ignited into flames!
The entire arena instantly turned into a sea of fire!
Fiery Dance!
Volcarona's exclusive move in the entire Pokémon world!
As a non-legendary Pokémon, it possessed its own exclusive move!
It showed the favor the heavens had for this Pokémon!
As the sea of fire grew more intense, Super Aggron's situation became increasingly dire, and each time Volcarona used Fiery Dance, there was a fifty percent chance of increasing its Special Attack.
It was a move that combined offense and stat-boosting for Volcarona!
Seeing this situation, Aoki decisively made a choice, took out the Poké Ball to recall Aggron, and then threw out Tyranitar's Poké Ball.
Super Aggron had no ability to resist. Rather than watching it gradually lose its combat ability, it was better to let Tyranitar enter directly, and it wouldn't give Volcarona more time to boost its stats.
After Tyranitar appeared, it didn't hesitate for a moment. "Mega Evolve! Tyranitar!"
This was the crucial moment that would truly decide the winner!
Mega Tyranitar entered the fray!
"Ban!!!"
As Tyranitar appeared, it immediately noticed the raging flames around it, showing no fear. Flying sand gathered around its body, and under the scorching heat of the flames, the sand gradually turned red.
"Here it comes!! Champion Aoki's famous domain, the Sandstorm Domain of Crimson Sand Purgatory!!!" The commentator, who had long been hiding in the stands, couldn't help but exclaim again upon seeing this scene!
The crimson sandstorm enveloped both Mega Tyranitar and Volcarona.
However, this was a fair and square duel, so Aoki did not let Mega Tyranitar envelop Alder as well, nor did he directly attack Alder.
Otherwise, with Mega Tyranitar's Crimson Sand Purgatory attack, Alder, if unprepared, could indeed be directly defeated instantly.
"Volcarona, Bug Buzz!" Alder said with a solemn expression.
"Jii———"
A high-frequency sound spread from Volcarona, and the sound waves diffused in all directions. Even the omnipresent crimson sand could not block the sound attack.
"Ban!!!"
The sound, which was not very clear to others, was deafening to its ears, making it roar out involuntarily.
Aoki's face changed. The Fiery Dance just now had indeed boosted Volcarona's Special Attack.
"Tyranitar, Dragon Dance!"
Mega Tyranitar endured the damage caused by Bug Buzz, twisting its body to appear like a mighty dragon hiding immense power!
"Volcarona, don't stop, Silver Wind!" Alder knew Mega Tyranitar was using Dragon Dance, but he made Volcarona continue its attack.
Silver Wind is also an offensive move that combines attack and stat-boosting, with a ten percent chance of raising all of the Pokémon's stats: Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, and Speed, a comprehensive boost across five attributes!
Although the probability was low, once it boosted, the increase it brought was quite terrifying.
"Precipice Blades!" Aoki's low voice echoed in Mega Tyranitar's mind.
Almost instantly, all the patterns on Mega Tyranitar's body lit up, and a giant stone pillar shot into the sky.
"Now!" Alder, who had been watching Mega Tyranitar's movements, immediately spoke out. Volcarona flapped its wings and moved sideways at its fastest speed.
Boom—
Although Volcarona dodged the direct impact of Precipice Blades, it was caught in the explosion caused by Precipice Blades.
Aoki looked at Volcarona, affected by the explosion of Precipice Blades, and instead of showing any joy, his expression grew even more solemn. "You knew Tyranitar had Precipice Blades, so you were ready to dodge from the very beginning?
You understood the precursors and characteristics of Tyranitar releasing Precipice Blades just by seeing it twice?
Indeed, worthy of being the Champion of the Unova region!"
Unbeknownst to Aoki, who was silently praising Alder's well-deserved title of Champion, Alder was also surprised by the strength of Mega Tyranitar!
He had prepared how to deal with Tyranitar's Precipice Blades long ago, and even communicated with Volcarona in advance, but he didn't expect that after Mega Evolving, Tyranitar not only increased its own strength, but also significantly improved the speed at which it released Precipice Blades and the power of Precipice Blades!
This was something Alder had not considered.
Unconsciously, Alder, who had previously regarded Aoki as a younger generation, now completely regarded Aoki as an existence on the same level as himself!
This was an invisible form of recognition.
Their strategic battle had begun long ago, but at this moment, it was elevated to its extreme!
The battle continued!
If Aoki's Tyranitar was only as it appeared on the surface, Volcarona's chances of victory would indeed be much greater, but unfortunately, Aoki's Tyranitar was not an ordinary Tyranitar.
Its hidden power was probably beyond anyone's imagination!
Volcarona's strategy was to evade Mega Tyranitar's attacks while launching long-range attacks, while Mega Tyranitar, while enduring Volcarona's attacks, sought an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to Volcarona!
"Precipice Blades!"
"Dodge! Silver Wind!"
"Stone Edge!"
"Hurricane!"
"Dragon Claw! Aqua Tail!"
"Heat Wave! Giga Drain!"
"..."
The two Pokémon exchanged moves back and forth. Sometimes Volcarona successfully dodged Mega Tyranitar's attacks, and sometimes it couldn't completely dodge.
As for Mega Tyranitar, facing Volcarona's attacks, although it didn't have the agile speed to dodge, Mega Tyranitar had the Crimson Sand Domain. The crimson sand could form a defensive shield to a certain extent, blocking some attacks.
So, both Pokémon, more or less, were injured.
The difference was that Mega Tyranitar's body looked stronger and endured more attacks, while Volcarona didn't look as strong as Mega Tyranitar, so although it received fewer attacks, its condition didn't seem much better than Mega Tyranitar's.
The two Pokémon truly brought the entire battle to a climax!
The audience's hearts were also swayed by every move of the two Pokémon, and cheers rose and fell.
"Mr. Alder, let's end this battle with this last strike!" Aoki, for the first time, did not use his psychic abilities, and his voice carried across.
Hearing this, Alder was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded, "Okay!"
If it was a direct clash of signature moves, Volcarona still held some advantage.
"Volcarona, Hurricane Fire Dance!! (Hurricane + Fiery Dance)" Alder said to Volcarona.
Who doesn't have a combination move? This hidden ultimate move, originally saved for last, was Volcarona's trump card.
Have you seen a widespread sea of fire?
You have? Then you definitely haven't seen a super sea of fire that covers both the ground and the sky, with no blind spots in 360 degrees!
"Mega Tyranitar, use your final Outrage!" Aoki low-voiced to Tyranitar.
Alder, hearing this, was slightly surprised. He had originally thought Aoki would have Tyranitar end with a full-power Precipice Blades.
But he didn't expect it to be Outrage, a non-STAB move.
Mega Tyranitar's body was enveloped in an extremely dense purple Dragon-type energy, and it shot into the sky, carrying this energy, its eyes filled with intense rage and ferocity!
Meanwhile, Volcarona flapped its wings, directing the flames, which seemed like its arms, to constantly impact Tyranitar.
But in front of the now rampaging Mega Tyranitar, all the flames were less important to it than the Volcarona in its eyes at this moment.
Even though these flames scorched its body, causing intense pain and stimulating its nerves, it was precisely this pain that made it even more frenzied.
Finally...
Boom!!!
Mega Tyranitar's Outrage unhesitatingly slammed into Volcarona's body, dealing damage and knocking it out of the sky.
But Outrage is a continuous move; it won't stop attacking until the Pokémon using it regains its sanity.
The moment Mega Tyranitar made contact with Volcarona, it meant Volcarona had lost.
However... to directly defeat a Champion invited by the Hoenn League in such a straightforward manner would not only be disrespectful to him but also make it difficult for Steven and the others to provide a reasonable explanation.
Although, for Aoki, this would only be beneficial.
"Stop!"
But the frenzied Mega Tyranitar still stopped, stopping abruptly before Volcarona was completely defeated!
Alder, standing opposite, was stunned for a moment, and the bitter smile on his face also froze.
He was prepared to lose to Aoki, and he didn't feel much pressure, but at the very end, Aoki made Mega Tyranitar's Outrage stop!
At this moment, everyone could see the surprise on Alder's face. The first thing was that Aoki's Mega Tyranitar could use Dragon-type moves with such power, not inferior to the power brought by Outrage released by a Dragon-type Pokémon of that level.
What surprised him even more was the second thing: he never expected that a Pokémon could forcefully break through the mental influence of Outrage, making the Pokémon forcibly stop the side effects of the Outrage move!
Outrage, this terrifying Dragon-type Pokémon's strongest move, is indeed powerful, but its flaws are too obvious, clearly not something ordinary Pokémon can master.
As far as Alder knew, there was only one person in this world who had such a method, and that was... Drake!
Thinking of this, Alder understood. Wasn't Drake Aoki's teacher?
In an instant, all the red sand dispersed, and the ubiquitous flames also vanished.
Aoki and Alder exchanged glances and slowly walked towards each other.
At this time, Drake and Adams, in the special viewing area, were also discussing Aoki's recent battle with Alder.
"I never thought this kid would actually master this method of suppressing Outrage. Good job!" Drake smiled like a blooming flower.
Adams also had a smile on his face. "I really didn't expect him to actually defeat Alder. This is... a genuine Champion. Even I don't have the confidence to win."
Drake reined in his smile and nodded, saying, "Did you see that Mega Tyranitar at the end just now?"
"Yes, Rock, Dark, Ground, Fire, and finally Dragon-type Outrage. Mega Tyranitar's moves didn't weaken in power due to attribute mismatch..." Adams couldn't help but speak with astonishment.
"Indeed, I don't know if it's the amplification brought by Mega Evolution, or if it inherently possesses so many attributes. It's truly a terrifying existence..." Drake also sighed.
"It shouldn't be Mega Evolution. We've done a lot of research on Mega Evolution during this period, but no Pokémon has ever had such an amplification after Mega Evolving. This is probably something this kid cultivated little by little, a terrifying Tyranitar with no limits!"
"..."
While Drake and Adams marveled at Aoki's strength, they also more or less discerned the uniqueness of Aoki's Tyranitar.
At this moment, Alder and Aoki had already walked together, and their hands were tightly clasped!
The identities these two represented signified many things.
Why did the Champion of the Unova region come to the Hoenn region to help Aoki, a junior from the Hoenn region, have a battle for fame, even at the risk of losing the match and diminishing his reputation? At this point, Aoki pretty much understood.
The Unova region was going to cooperate with the Hoenn region!
And Alder's agreement to fight an exhibition match with Aoki this time was the best display of sincerity!
The Champions of two regions can be said to represent the strongest individual strength of the two regions, and also the greatest face of the two major regions.
At this moment, in the ruins, their clasped hands also symbolized that the cooperation between the two regions would officially begin!
Everyone applauded, looking at the scene with great excitement.
After shaking hands with Alder, Aoki took the microphone from the host who had jogged over.
Clearly, they hoped Aoki would announce something after the battle concluded.
Aoki also understood Drake and the others' intentions. Holding the microphone, he looked around at the excited audience.
"Now! I am the Champion! Hoenn Region, I will protect it!!" Aoki's powerful voice echoed throughout the entire plaza.
Whoosh—
The audience first erupted in an uproar, followed by thunderous cheers!
"Champion Aoki!! Champion Aoki!!"
"Champion Aoki!! Champion Aoki!!"
"..."
Aoki spread his arms, accepting everyone's cheers.
Alder saw this and silently moved to the side, returning this ruined stage to Aoki.
This moment belonged only to him!
...
Aoki successfully became the Champion of the Hoenn region, ushering in a new chapter for the entire Hoenn region.
He only enjoyed one day of freedom, during which he received friends from various regions.
He set a good example for all of them, an example of becoming a Champion.
Then, he was lectured for an entire night by professors like Professor Oak, who specialized in Pokémon research, on the knowledge of Mega Evolution.
This allowed them to take a huge leap forward in their understanding and exploration of Mega Evolution, saving a lot of trouble.
If they had to figure it out little by little themselves, they could certainly thoroughly research Mega Evolution, but since there was someone who knew more, why not learn some things from him first?
So, on Aoki's first day as Champion, from morning till night, he truly had no time to rest.
On the second day, there was even less thought of rest.
Adams had long wanted to hand over all the Champion-related matters, but Drake was just a bystander; Adams wanted to give it to him, but he was unwilling.
Now that Aoki had finally taken office, of course, all the big and small responsibilities and duties that a Champion should undertake were handed over to Aoki.
And this took Aoki a full week!
Aoki's office was next to Adams's office.
After all, in terms of both status and authority, the two were equal, so their positions in the Hoenn League were on the same level.
A week later, Aoki finally understood that the position of Champion was not just glamorous; the responsibilities that came with it were also very troublesome.
The Champion represents the pinnacle of military power in the Hoenn region. He is not only the spiritual pillar in the hearts of the region's residents but also the highest authority in the Hoenn region's physical institutions.
As Champion, the most basic duty is to command the Four Elite Trainers and ensure the safety of various towns in the Hoenn region.
Whenever they encounter some difficult matters, or rather, troubles that are hard to deal with, he, along with the Four Elite Trainers, must handle them.
The Champion controls the Investigation Department and also has the right to deploy the League military.
However, for the League military, the Champion only has the right to conscript, but no right to appoint or dismiss, which lies with the League President.
Not just the League military, but even the appointment and dismissal of large and small League officials require the League President's signature and seal to be formally approved.
The Champion controls military power, and the President controls personnel. This is fundamentally a mutually enforcing responsibility, but since both the Champion and the President are dedicated to the region they are responsible for, this mutual enforcement appears to be merely a formality.
The Champion can appoint personnel, which requires the President's signature, but this signature is just a formality.
In the Hoenn region, both the Champion and the President were originally held by Adams, so everything could be processed with Adams's approval. But now it's different; in addition to Adams's approval, it also needs the approval of Aoki, the Champion.
Aoki also made a division and redistribution of the tasks a Champion needs to do.
Previously, Adams's unified management, although every detail went through his hands, was too troublesome, making his role as Champion constantly bogged down by trivial matters.
Aoki could set aside a period of time each day to handle official duties for the sake of the Champion position, but he was unwilling to spend his entire day at his desk dealing with these big and small trivialities.
After all, he desperately wanted to become Champion not to find a place to deal with these annoying things.
He still had strength that he absolutely had to improve. He was still in the fastest period of his life's strength ascent and could not waste it here.
At most, two hours. In Aoki's opinion, he would spend at most two hours a day dealing with these troublesome matters. For the remaining time, he still needed to focus his energy on Pokémon training.
Although he had defeated Alder that day, only Aoki knew how much of an advantage he had.
If he were to engage in a full team battle with Alder, his win rate would probably be at most 40%, and that was with him knowing Alder's Pokémon data beforehand.
Because Aoki utilized Mega Evolution the most, but in a full team battle, he couldn't have all of his Pokémon Mega Evolve.
The only good thing was that Aoki's Pokémon's base strength still had significant room for improvement compared to Alder's Pokémon.
If the Pokémon's own strength could also reach the level of Alder's Pokémon, then after Mega Evolution, crushing him would not be an issue.
So, after spending a week finally sorting out the matters he was responsible for, Aoki spent another week classifying these matters by difficulty, from smallest to largest.
The smallest, most trivial matters were classified as "E" class events. If these matters dared to appear on Aoki's desk, then the person who submitted the document could directly go back to their hometown and farm.
After "E" class events, the "D" class and "C" class events were the most numerous and most troublesome part.
Matters requiring combat and investigation were assigned to the three chief investigators of the Investigation Department; they were responsible for handling these. If it was merely document processing, then it was given to Ice-type Elite Trainer Lorelei and Dark-type Elite Trainer Sidney, who were best at handling these matters.
In fact, Aoki treated the two Elite Trainers and the three beautiful chief investigators as his secretaries.
He fully entrusted them with matters that would pose no problem even if he didn't personally review them, calling it, in polite terms, a decentralization of power.
As for the "B" and "A" class events above that, they were relatively more important, mostly involving significant personnel transfers, or matters concerning the future development of the entire Hoenn League, or extremely short periods requiring extremely high military power to handle.
These two levels of matters were more serious, but there would absolutely not be many of them daily. These were the things Aoki needed to personally review.
If combat was needed, depending on the situation, a small investigation team could be dispatched, or a large team led by one or even two Elite Trainers could be sent to handle it.
And above "A" class events, there was a top-level emergency event, an "S" class event.
Once an event of this level appeared, it meant it concerned the safety of the entire Hoenn League, requiring Aoki, the Champion, representing the highest military power of the Hoenn region, to personally intervene, and it would be an extremely urgent situation.
Generally speaking, "S" class events, and not everyone has the right to classify an event as "S" class, but if it truly occurs, then no matter when or where, Aoki must immediately drop what he is doing to handle it.