Not many people knew about the events that transpired in the Sinnoh region.
Team Galactic had quietly replaced its true master.
The next day, the Alliance held a funeral for Elder Ge.
Due to Elder Ge's specific instructions, the Alliance did not over-extravagantly organize the funeral. Even the regional magnates who wished to attend the funeral at Silver Mountain were turned away.
According to Elder Ge's wishes, the entire Alliance's focus needed to be on maintaining stability. Regardless of what Team Rocket and other underground forces planned, they had to first stabilize themselves.
Therefore, this funeral was not grand, and even the number of attendees was not very high.
After returning from the Sinnoh region, Aoki did not go to Hoenn but instead rushed back to Silver Mountain at the fastest possible speed.
He did not appear openly but silently watched the funeral proceedings for Elder Ge from a distance.
His master's wife, an elderly woman in her seventies, with hair already half-white, had to bid farewell to her grandfather at this time. For an elderly person like her, the blow was considerable.
Fortunately, Aoki's teacher, Yagyu Go, was by her side, allowing her to persevere.
Witnessing this scene, Aoki felt a mix of emotions.
"Presumably, when Elder Ge's son and others passed away, the pain in this old lady's heart must have been even more agonizing than what Granny Kui is experiencing now."
Gently rubbing his nose, Aoki felt a slight sense of melancholy.
This was truly a person worthy of heartfelt admiration, no matter the perspective.
Even Giovanni, who had once been his adversary, Aoki could clearly discern from Giovanni's words the respect he held for Elder Ge.
Not everyone, after possessing such a long lifespan, could consistently dedicate their entire lives wholeheartedly to the Alliance, or, after gaining such formidable strength, still adhere to their original intentions and diligently serve as the Alliance's guardian deity.
As the Alliance's President, Elder Ge could be said to be the most powerful person in this world. But why, even after his death, were his every word and instruction executed without reservation, even the seemingly unreasonable direct selection of a successor?
It was because his actions over the past century were virtually flawless. He was an elder worthy of respect.
Aoki stood in the distance, watching Elder Ge's coffin being gently buried in the earth, and bowed slightly to show his respect.
At the same time, he extended his psychic power very discreetly.
For no other reason, Aoki had confirmed that Giovanni was not truly dead, but had merely disappeared due to some special circumstances. Aoki couldn't guarantee whether Elder Ge was in the same situation.
Even if he had personally heard from Arceus that Elder Ge's three opportunities were used up and he would face death, Aoki still wanted to confirm it.
The Pokémon world is a very mysterious place; many things, whether you dare to imagine them or not, could potentially happen.
To lose Arceus's power and continue to sustain one's life was not impossible.
At least from Aoki's own perspective, knowing that he could face demise at any moment, he would certainly leave a contingency plan, and he genuinely had some methods, more or less.
But at this moment, as his psychic perception confirmed that Elder Ge was truly buried in the coffin, he somehow quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Giovanni, Elder Ge, even Lance, Team Galactic's Cyrus, and others were not easy opponents.
When playing against people of such strength and ability, one needed to be extremely careful, otherwise, it was very likely to fall into their trap.
Fortunately, Aoki had always been somewhat in the shadows, giving him a considerable advantage.
Moreover, with the departure of Giovanni and Elder Ge, Aoki was confident that his strength, if not the strongest, was at least in the top five.
Once Elder Ge was truly buried, Aoki left as quietly as he had arrived.
Almost everyone present did not notice his existence, except for the person hidden under the white robe, Yagyu Go's bodyguard, who subtly turned his head and briefly glanced at the spot where Aoki had stood earlier.
When Aoki returned to Hoenn, he hadn't rested for two days and one night.
However, the current situation did not allow him, the Hoenn region champion, to casually put down his duties and rest.
Not only Kanto and Johto, but the entire Hoenn region was also in a rather subdued mood at this time.
Aoki did not deliberately emphasize anything.
During this period, both the Alliance and the various forces led by Team Rocket needed to regroup. The future policies would depend on the decisions of both sides.
Currently, Team Rocket had returned to a state of calm. Without Aoki's command, Team Rocket members would not launch attacks on the Alliance at will.
...
A few days later, when all parties had stabilized, Aoki, as the new leader of Team Rocket, once again convened an internal meeting of Team Rainbow Rocket.
The seven chairs from the previous meeting were still there, but the chair that originally belonged to Aoki was now empty, and Aoki himself sat in Giovanni's seat.
Regarding this, the expressions of the six individuals present varied.
The most significant reaction came from Lusamine, the President of the Aether Foundation.
"I say, Vice-Leader of Team Rocket, I don't even know your name, and I'm not even sure if you truly possess the strength to sit here.
Initially, out of respect for Leader Giovanni, I wouldn't have said much, but now that Leader Giovanni is gone, you think you can replace him and try to lead us? Heh heh!" Lusamine said indifferently, her legs crossed, looking at Aoki, who was still concealing his identity.
At the same time, Lusamine shot a glance at Cyrus of Team Galactic, and also at N of Team Plasma, with whom she had always been at odds.
Their alliance was still intact. Team Rocket's leader, Giovanni, had disappeared, his fate unknown. Why should they continue to obey a Team Rocket vice-leader whose name they didn't even know?
In Lusamine's view, Giovanni had been too overbearing, making their so-called alliance almost a one-man show for Giovanni, turning their organizations into mere subordinates of Team Rocket.
Now that Giovanni was gone, she naturally wanted to try and take control.
At the very least, she didn't want anyone else to dictate to her.
Having been a strong, assertive woman for so long, having someone giving orders above her was somewhat unaccustomed.
If it weren't for Giovanni's truly powerful authority, she wouldn't have so obediently complied.
But now Giovanni was gone, and Team Rainbow Rocket should no longer be Team Rocket's sole domain.
Although she didn't know why Cyrus ignored her today, Lusamine believed that Cyrus should understand her meaning.
After spending such a long time together, Lusamine had come to understand that Team Sky from the Hoenn region and Team Flare from the Kalos region were all loyal supporters of Team Rocket, with everything revolving around Team Rocket.
Adding Team Rocket's leader Giovanni, and then vice-leader Aoki, that already made four votes. No matter what decision Giovanni made, they essentially had no power to object.
But now that Giovanni was gone, even if Team Sky and Team Flare still followed Team Rocket's lead, they only had three votes. As long as the Aether Foundation, Team Galactic, and Team Plasma united, they might have the ability to contend equally.
As for leaving Team Flare and returning to their original independent mode.
Others might have such intentions, but it was impossible for Lusamine.
The Alliance had already reached an agreement with various forces in their Alola region, and their entry was only a matter of time. If it weren't for Team Rocket's disruption, they probably would have already entered the Alola region.
Although the timeline had been repeatedly postponed, no matter what, the Alliance's entry was inevitable. At that time, they would come looking for trouble with the Aether Foundation.
Facing the behemoth that was the Alliance, even with Lusamine's confidence, she didn't believe she had any chance of winning. It wouldn't even be easy to preserve their foundation under the Alliance's assault.
Because they were different from organizations like Team Rocket, Team Sky, or Team Galactic. Even if those groups were besieged by the Alliance, their losses wouldn't be significant because their operations were hidden. However, the Aether Foundation's operations were all out in the open. If the Alliance wiped them out, she, as president, couldn't accept it.
Therefore, uniting with numerous forces to contend with the Alliance was imperative, and leaving Team Rainbow Rocket was even more impossible.
Her only hope now was to gain some voice within Team Rainbow Rocket, so that the Aether Foundation could receive some benefits.
"It seems President Lusamine is very concerned about the internal affairs of our Team Rocket. However, you got one title wrong. From today onwards, if you wish to address me by my Team Rocket identity, I suggest you call me Team Rocket Leader. Otherwise, if any subordinate takes offense and pays your Alola region a visit, it wouldn't be ideal."
Aoki's words were calm, but the strong threat within them was undisguised.
"You—!" Lusamine's eyes widened, pointing at Aoki, unsure what to say.
But inwardly, she was quite shocked. What kind of strength did this vice-leader, personally chosen by Giovanni, possess? What kind of prestige did he hold within Team Rocket? He had actually stabilized Team Rocket's internal affairs the very next day after Giovanni's disappearance! He had successfully taken over Giovanni's power!
"Furthermore, I hope that after today's meeting, everyone will address me as the Alliance Leader. The Rainbow Alliance, also known as the Rainbow Rocket Alliance, always needs a proper leader." Aoki dropped another bombshell into Lusamine's mind.
Thump—
Lusamine suddenly stood up from her seat.
Her eyes held shock and disbelief. She had thought she already held Aoki in high regard, believing that successfully becoming Team Rocket's leader was already an extraordinary feat.
But she never imagined that this newly appointed Team Rocket leader would have an even greater appetite than Giovanni, aiming to become the leader of their group, truly placing his power and status above all of them.
"You—! You—! How dare you!" Lusamine pointed at Aoki, unable to articulate a complete sentence.
Aoki also slowly stood up and walked towards Lusamine's projection.
Although from Lusamine's perspective, the approaching Aoki was merely a projection, she instinctively took a step back.
"If anyone is unconvinced, they can step forward and discuss it with me." Aoki glanced disdainfully at Lusamine, then surveyed the four individuals still seated.
Actually, whether this meeting was held or not made no difference; Team Sky, Team Galactic, and Team Flare were already under his control.
However, Team Plasma and the Aether Foundation were also not weak forces.
Mainly Team Plasma. Although their King was currently N, and N was indeed the strongest person in Team Plasma, Aoki taking down N was useless. Even if he took him down, behind him were the Seven Sages who could oversee the whole situation, unless all eight of them were taken down together.
But Aoki also knew that the Seven Sages were seven old cowards who only knew how to hide behind the scenes and make small moves, so Team Plasma could not be dealt with in the same way as Team Galactic.
As for the Aether Foundation, Aoki already had a certain plan in mind.
Listening to Aoki's words, Lusamine immediately shifted her gaze to Cyrus, who had always been on the same side as her.
However, he saw Akagi leaning back in his chair, one hand supporting his head on the armrest, his gaze fixed straight ahead, lost in thought.
Not getting the answer she wanted, Lusamine's heart tightened, then for some reason, a wave of panic washed over her. She looked at N of Team Plasma, as if he was her last ray of hope.
Perhaps Lusamine's hope was realized, or perhaps N was simply meant to speak. Under Lusamine's gaze, he stood up.
He looked Aoki directly in the eye, his light green hair swaying with his movements, and a look of determination appeared on his handsome face.
He stated directly, "Defeat me, and Team Plasma can agree!"
More than a year ago, when Aoki, with Giovanni's full support, joined their seven-member group, N was very interested in Aoki, who was rumored to rival a Champion in strength. He wanted to have a good battle with him, but there had never been an opportunity.
But now, the opportunity had arrived.
Aoki glanced at N in surprise.
However, without hesitation, and with no reason to hesitate, he nodded in agreement.
Seeing Aoki agree, N sat back down in his seat, satisfied.
N was a relatively pure person. He loved Pokémon and also loved spending time with them, growing together.
Being able to stay with his Pokémon forever was what he wanted to do most.
Because he and his Pokémon trusted each other, N was very strong. Moreover, Team Plasma was a rather special organization, one that believed in the theory of the strongest.
As long as you were strong enough, you could become the King of Team Plasma.
So, although N's birth was not remarkable, his talent was fully developed after he was adopted by Ghetsis, and he then became the King of Team Plasma through sheer strength.
Growing up in such an environment led to N's direct personality; if you wanted to talk, you had to show your strength.
Having dealt with N, Aoki didn't even look at Lusamine, shifting his gaze to Brad, who represented Team Sky.
"Team Sky has no objections."
What objections could there be?
Team Sky was already the faction Aoki held most tightly, and Brad was Aoki's trusted subordinate. How could he possibly disagree?
Next was Lysandre.
"We, Team Flare, also have no objections. Team Rocket's strength is already formidable. What I value is not who leads, but the benefits for us after cooperating with Team Rocket. So...
Who is the leader of Team Rocket has nothing to do with me," Lysandre said, spreading his hands.
After all, the cooperation with Team Rocket was entirely orchestrated by Aoki, and the reason for listening to Giovanni was also because of Aoki.
Now that Aoki was in charge, things became even simpler.
Finally, he looked at Akagi, who had been leaning back in his chair, deep in thought.
To be honest, when Aoki planted the psychic seed in Akagi's mind yesterday, he put in a lot of effort, but the result was quite good.
"Team Galactic... also has no objections..." Akagi still seemed somewhat dazed, probably not having fully recovered, but he knew what he needed to do.
Akagi's words were spoken easily, but they struck Lusamine like a bolt from the blue!
Aoki subtly glanced at Lusamine with a half-smile, then returned to his seat, looking at the Aether Foundation president, who was still standing there, somewhat distraught.
Presumably, at this moment, thousands of 'grass-mud horses' were running through her mind.
The blow to her was probably quite significant.
Lusamine looked around, seeing these people still quietly seated.
She wasn't surprised by Team Sky and Team Flare, and she wasn't even very surprised by Team Plasma, but she never imagined that Akagi of Team Galactic would also choose to agree.
This was tantamount to isolating her alone outside the entire alliance!
Feeling everyone staring at her, Lusamine's face turned very ugly, and she slowly sat down.
Aoki completely ignored her expression.
The Alola region was not very important right now; even if the Aether Foundation withdrew, Aoki saw no loss.
Anyway, neither the current Alliance nor the Rainbow Rocket Alliance had the mind to deal with Alola right now. It was better to let her stew for a while and make her understand her predicament.
Rainbow Rocket was originally a very difficult and troublesome problem to deal with.
If not handled well, it could easily fall apart. Giovanni had spent so much effort and cost, uniting multiple forces, to create a coalition that could barely contend with the Alliance, which would have been a waste.
Fortunately, Aoki had laid his plans early; Team Sky and Team Flare had been under his control for a long time.
And Team Rocket was completely taken over yesterday.
After subduing Team Galactic, which had offered the most resistance, the remaining Aether Foundation was no longer a threat.
As for Team Plasma, Aoki valued N quite a bit, knowing that he was very strong and had high potential. As the current King of Team Plasma, he had not yet fully developed his potential.
Aoki had only met two people with such potential so far.
One was N, standing before him, and the other was Satoshi, who was still wandering around Pallet Town!
These were two people with the highest ceilings. Even Aoki's close friends, Steven and Lance, and even Aoki himself, believed their potential was not as high as these two.
However, potential is ultimately just potential; converting it into strength does not rely solely on potential.
But this did not prevent Aoki from admiring N.
He might be somewhat lacking as the leader of a faction, but there was no problem with him simply becoming a strong individual!
Of course, most importantly, N's strength was still somewhat insufficient in front of Aoki at the moment.
Aoki's approach to matters was significantly different from Giovanni's.
Especially regarding how to deal with the Alliance.
Because Giovanni was already preparing to attack the Alliance, the series of policies and plans he issued were very aggressive, which led to the entire Pokémon world and the entire Pokémon Alliance being in a very tense state during this period.
However, Aoki had no intention of attacking the Alliance at this moment, so he naturally hoped that the various forces could first stabilize, improve themselves, and at the same time enhance their own strength. Things should not be rushed.
And such commands, on the contrary, made Akagi and the others even more convinced.
It wasn't that Giovanni was not trustworthy.
It was just that because Giovanni was going to attack the Alliance, there was a feeling of military adventurism. All the forces cooperated and used all their strength, but in doing so, even if the Alliance was affected, they themselves were also significantly impacted.
It could be said that they lost eight hundred to inflict a thousand on the enemy.
Now, Aoki was telling them to rest more, recover, and bide their time, which actually hit a chord with them.
They were originally worried about Team Rocket taking power, fearing that they would fight to the death with the Alliance, which would benefit no one.
But now that Aoki had said to recuperate, they temporarily didn't have to worry about the organization's continuation.
Lusamine didn't even know what was happening when the meeting ended.
But undoubtedly, the Rainbow Rocket Alliance had pretty much become a force under Aoki's command.
Although he couldn't control them as perfectly as his own limbs, it was within acceptable limits.
...
After resolving the leadership succession of Team Rocket, and dealing with Team Galactic, the most problematic organization, thereby fully gaining control of Rainbow Rocket's active forces, Aoki finally returned to the Alliance Headquarters building in the Hoenn region.
Just as he was landing in front of the Alliance building, for some reason, Aoki felt the atmosphere here was slightly serious.
Everyone's faces seemed to carry a solemn, murderous aura.
However, when Aoki appeared, these people still bowed respectfully to him.
But as he walked further into the Alliance building, more and more unfamiliar faces appeared before him.
Aoki's expression gradually became solemn as he noticed these changes.
Something's not right!
Very not right!
Not only were the people off, but the entire atmosphere was also very off!
Too many unfamiliar faces, and these unfamiliar faces all exuded an aura of considerable strength.
Originally, at this time, Aoki wouldn't be too surprised by so many unfamiliar faces appearing in the Hoenn Alliance, after all, this was a critical juncture for the highest power transfer in the Alliance, and it was normal for many newcomers to come to the Hoenn Alliance for inspection.
However, these unfamiliar faces exerted significant pressure on Aoki with their aura.
This was what Aoki's psychic abilities perceived, as his psychic power was currently unparalleled in the entire Pokémon world.
He walked skillfully to his office door, but stopped just before grasping the doorknob.
Aoki stood at his door, frowning, his hand poised to grasp the handle, and remained still for a full minute.
Neither his psychic abilities nor anything else detected anything, but for some reason, Aoki's sixth sense told him that at this moment, if he opened this door, he would encounter unpredictable danger.
This feeling hadn't surfaced in Aoki's mind for many years. Since his strength had increased, there weren't many people who could threaten him.
But Aoki trusted this feeling implicitly, because when he was weaker, it was precisely this feeling that allowed him to successfully survive various dangerous situations.
Even though it was his own office in front of him, he had a feeling of facing an abyss.
Taking a deep breath, a bitter smile appeared on Aoki's lips, and his raised hand slowly lowered.
"Did it finally come to this?" Aoki murmured.
It was as if some lock in his heart had suddenly opened, and a sense of relief appeared in his mind.
"Alright, I've been standing at the door for so long. If you really want to know something, don't make me wait outside. Why don't you open the door and let's talk properly?" Aoki called out to his office door.
He wasn't talking to himself. Even though his psychic abilities detected no one inside the office, Aoki seemed to be speaking to someone within the door.
Silence.
An immense silence permeated the corridor, creating a very oppressive and heavy atmosphere.
Creak—
Aoki did not touch the office door, yet it slowly opened on its own.
And as the door opened, a person appeared before Aoki.
Aoki, who had originally thought he had let go of everything, felt his heart involuntarily twitch when he saw this person, and the helplessness on his face became even more apparent.
"It's you, Steven..."
Aoki wasn't the only one with a bitter expression; the person standing before him also had a very bitter look, and within that bitterness, there was even more helplessness and disbelief.
"I never thought, Aoki... I really never thought..." After a long pause, Steven slowly spoke.
Before meeting Aoki, Steven had thought of many things and made many preparations, believing he would be able to accept everything. He also had many questions he wanted to ask Aoki, but when Aoki truly stood before him, all his words were stuck in his throat.
Speechless with choked emotion.
Perhaps this phrase could reluctantly describe Steven's state at that moment.
Aoki forced a very strained smile, a truly unpleasant one.
"It seems you all prepared quite thoroughly to wait for me. Why don't you let me see who is orchestrating all of this?"
Upon hearing this, Steven finally reacted, fully opening the half-open door to reveal everyone inside the office.
The person sitting at his desk was Aoki's teacher, Matsuda.
Seeing Aoki appear at the door, Matsuda's expression was also very complex, his demeanor constantly shifting.
It was as if he had many words he wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth, all the words, just like Steven's, were stuck in his throat.
On either side of Matsuda stood Granny Kui and the white-robed man, the bodyguard arranged for him by Elder Ge.
Sitting in the chairs next to the desk were another of Aoki's teachers, Drake, and the president of the Hoenn League, Adams.
The entire office was packed with many people, including a lot of unfamiliar faces, and from them, Aoki detected psychic fluctuations.
Presumably, it was this group of people who used their combined psychic abilities to block Aoki's perception, which is why Aoki didn't sense anything, but his sixth sense told him that it was very dangerous inside.
Fortunately, he didn't walk in; otherwise, with so many psychics, they would probably have attacked him.
Besides these people, Aoki also saw many old acquaintances: a disbelieving Wallace, Lisia, and various high-ranking officials of the Hoenn League, as well as General Taishan of the Alliance's main army...
Of course, there were more unfamiliar faces, but without exception, these people were expressionless, looking coldly at Aoki, holding several Poké Balls in their hands. At the slightest sign of trouble, they would summon their Pokémon and launch the most fatal attacks on Aoki.
These people were clearly prepared specifically for him.
Moreover, the aura of each of these people was not weak. Knowing that Aoki was a Champion and possessed true Champion-level strength, they showed no fear. Just this courage alone was extraordinary.
Indeed, these were probably some of the hidden forces the Alliance had been concealing.
"Two teachers, and President Adams, as well as all my friends and colleagues, I didn't expect you to welcome me with such a grand ceremony. It truly makes me feel a bit overwhelmed."
Aoki's expression had recovered, and the muscles on his face were once again under his control.
His tone when speaking to everyone didn't carry much emotion, as if he were greeting old friends.
Bang—
Matsuda slammed his hand heavily on the table.
"Aoki!!! Why?!!!" Matsuda's voice was hoarse as he spoke, his eyes slowly filling with bloodshot veins, his eyelids slightly red, and his gaze towards Aoki contained all the emotions in this world.
This was...
This was his beloved disciple!!
This was his proudest! Most esteemed disciple!!
This was the disciple he would inevitably boast about to anyone he met!!!
But now, someone was telling him that his precious disciple had been deceiving him and using him from the very beginning! This made Matsuda's heart, which he considered very tough, feel as if it were being twisted by a knife.
Looking directly into Matsuda's eyes, a very bitter feeling surged in Aoki's heart. This feeling was stuck in Aoki's throat, making his entire throat unable to move, unable to swallow, and unable to rise. For a moment, he had words but didn't know how to speak them.
Aoki's eyes also reddened slightly, returning an equally complex expression to Matsuda, as if everything was conveyed without words.
Seeing the look Aoki returned, Matsuda was stunned.
All of this was indeed left unsaid.
Bang—
However, just because Aoki and Matsuda didn't speak, it didn't mean others couldn't.
Steven grabbed Aoki by the collar of his clothes and pulled him close.
"Why!! Why!! Aoki, why is this happening?! Why has it come to this?! Didn't you tell me we'd protect the Alliance together, protect the entire Hoenn region, protect the entire Pokémon world?! Why has it become like this now?!" Steven's hoarse roar erupted in front of Aoki.
Plop—
A large tear fell to the ground, and the sound of it shattering echoed throughout the quiet office, standing out so distinctly.
Aoki stared blankly at Steven, who was only half a step away from him.
He saw an unnatural flush on Steven's face, and his eyes were bloodshot, with tears flowing unhesitatingly from them.
Steven, who usually paid extreme attention to his image, even maintaining his overall attire during training in extremely harsh environments, was now shedding tears in front of so many people.
These tears contained too much...
So much that Aoki momentarily didn't know how to interpret Steven's gaze at that moment, this close friend with whom he had spent day and night, the only friend in this world with whom Aoki could communicate from the heart...
He no longer cared about his image, tears streamed from his eyes one after another, and the heart-wrenching pain was the only thing Aoki could feel at that moment.
Everyone in the office looked at Steven and Aoki at that moment, watching these two friends, who once were as close as brothers, question each other in such a way. For some reason, a hint of sorrow emerged in everyone's hearts.
A man's tears do not fall easily, only when his heart is truly broken...
The two were once truly bound together by the name "Hoenn's Twin Stars," and their friendship officially began at that time!
At that time, Steven's strength far surpassed Aoki's. The only reason Aoki was renowned alongside him was due to Aoki's impressive breeder abilities.
Later, in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, Aoki's strength gradually caught up to Steven's. Both achieved remarkable results in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and from that moment on, the names of Aoki and Steven became known throughout the entire Pokémon world.
Then, their strength soared as if they were on an airplane. Their healthy competition caused their strength to improve together, making the name "Hoenn's Twin Stars" even more well-deserved.
What truly created a gap and allowed Aoki to gradually surpass Steven's strength was when Aoki and Steven directly battled and Aoki successfully became a Hoenn Elite Four member.
After that, their dynamic shifted from Aoki constantly chasing Steven to Steven constantly chasing Aoki.
But no matter what, the two were often discussed together by others.
And Aoki and Steven were true friends; those melodramatic schemes, rivalries, and open and secret struggles never occurred between them.
In fact, this situation of mutual promotion and support created an unimaginable friendship between them.
If one were to ask who Aoki trusted the most in the entire Pokémon world, it would definitely be Steven, and vice versa for Steven.
They had spent a long time together and understood each other well.
But Steven never imagined that his most trusted best friend... was actually a Team Rocket mole from the very beginning, and he had only just learned all of this from others.
If the person revealing this fact hadn't possessed an unquestionable authority, or if irrefutable evidence hadn't been presented, Steven would never have believed it, never believed this point.
Facing Steven's questioning, facing the emotions Steven unleashed, Aoki, who had also been very emotional, slowly calmed down.
He pulled at the corners of his mouth again, revealing an extremely bitter smile, "Why what? I didn't have a choice before, but if I had the chance to choose, I would definitely choose to be a good person.
But birth is a fated thing, not something I can decide."
From the moment he was reborn, he had already appeared on Trial Island, giving Aoki no choice at all.
But in fact, even before Aoki joined Team Rocket, he would still have chosen to join Team Rocket, because it was the fastest way for him to rise, earn resources, and grow.
This was the sadness of this world, and also what Aoki hated most about this world.
Many times, a person's birth determines everything.
Some people are born into prominent families; even if they don't work hard, they can become trainers, and with a little effort, they can become superior to others.
But what about commoners?
For commoners, this world is truly very unfriendly, and the policies of the Pokémon Alliance are also very unfriendly to them.
That's why, after becoming the Hoenn Region Champion, Aoki has been dedicated to improving these unfriendly policies, and it has already shown initial results in the Hoenn Region.
However, he is, after all, only the Champion of the Hoenn Region, and the areas he can influence are limited to the Hoenn Region.
This is the limitation.
Hearing Aoki's words, Steven also stopped.
According to the information he had seen, Aoki was already a member of Team Rocket before he met him.
At such a weak stage, as a commoner, possessing that level of strength back then was itself a rather unexpected existence.
However, back then, Aoki had Matsuda as a cover, so Steven didn't think much of it.
Slowly releasing his hands from Aoki's collar, he looked at Aoki with a complex expression, "So, what should I call you now? Team Rocket's Vice-Leader? Sky Team Leader? Or Hoenn League Champion?!"
Clearly, Steven and the others did not yet know that Aoki had already succeeded Giovanni as the leader of Team Rocket.
"Perhaps, you can call me, the leader of Team Rainbow Rocket." Aoki slightly adjusted his clothes.
He had thought about it a long time ago, thought about his identity being discovered by the Alliance, thought about being questioned by these acquaintances, and also thought about how to answer such questions when facing them.
His heart slowly calmed down, and all the emotions that didn't align with the current situation were reined in.
Hearing Aoki's words, Steven subconsciously took a step back, "Rainbow... Team Rocket?!"
Aoki took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, suppressing all his emotions, and then scanned the entire room again.
"Aren't you curious why, when Giovanni launched his assault on Mt. Silver, almost every region attacked their respective regional alliances?
To counter the behemoth that is the Alliance, Giovanni united forces from various regions and created what I just mentioned, Team Rainbow Rocket!!" Aoki said calmly.
"So, you are now the leader of this united force? You successfully replaced Giovanni and became the leader of Team Rocket?!" Drake said in a deep voice.
In this room, the extent of his heartache was in no way inferior to Steven's and Matsuda's.
It was just that his personality was more resolute, so he didn't show it very obviously.