Today, silence always filled the office.
"Two teachers, and my friends, let's put aside the issue of my identity for a moment. As your disciple, your good friend, as a member of the Hoenn Elite Four, and even as the Hoenn Champion, have I ever done anything to let you down, to let down the Hoenn League, or to let down the entire League?"
Aoki spoke very calmly.
But as he uttered these words, no one present spoke up to answer.
The whole room fell silent again.
Even those who were not very familiar with Aoki at first now looked awkward and did not speak.
Aoki's words struck a chord in everyone's hearts, and it was also the reason why they still found it hard to believe that Aoki was a Team Rocket spy.
That is, in their impression, Aoki had never done anything to let them down, to let down the Hoenn League, or to let down the entire Pokémon League.
They replayed all their memories from the moment they met Aoki until now.
He had brought no harm to them or to the League.
Although there were certainly some special circumstances where Aoki took advantage of various opportunities to gain benefits, he did not harm their interests in doing so; in fact, it was often a win-win situation.
Not only that, the introduction of the Fairy-type, the first demonstration of Mega Evolution, and his contributions to the Hoenn League and even the entire League after becoming an Elite Four member and then Champion, all these were clear for everyone to see.
That's why so many people were willing to support Aoki, both online and in reality. At this moment, Aoki's popularity was undoubtedly the highest and greatest.
This was not without reason.
Especially in the year Aoki became the Hoenn Region Champion, he truly brought very significant changes to the entire Hoenn Region.
The overall strength of Hoenn greatly improved, especially the power of those relatively ordinary people, those trainers who started from humble backgrounds.
The issue of family trainers versus commoner trainers, which was a huge problem for the entire Pokémon League, was somewhat improved and alleviated in the Hoenn Region by Aoki's policies.
He used competitions to select Gym Leaders from commoners, and the top three could challenge all current Gym Leaders.
This not only gave hope to those of humble birth for upward mobility but also further stimulated those lazy family scions.
Furthermore, Aoki also opened up some upward mobility policies for commoners within the Hoenn League, even at the cost of offending various large and small families.
He put both sides on a relatively equal footing.
Absolute equality was impossible, but even this relative equality was something only the Hoenn Region had achieved so far.
Therefore, in the Hoenn Region, especially among commoners, Aoki's popularity was exceptionally high. In just one year, he had almost gained the adoration of all commoners in the Hoenn Region, and many even considered Aoki the savior of the entire Hoenn Region.
Even if the League announced now that Hoenn Champion Aoki was a Team Rocket spy and the leader of Team Sky, an estimated seventy to eighty percent of people would not believe it.
In fact, if Aoki were to stand against the Hoenn League and rally the people, at least half of the towns in the entire Hoenn Region might follow him and secede from the Hoenn League.
This was Aoki's current prestige in the entire Hoenn Region, an acknowledgment he had earned little by little through his actual actions.
And this, oftentimes, was the most terrifying thing.
Because Aoki had indeed done almost nothing wrong, which was also why Drake and Adams confidently entrusted the Hoenn League to him.
At one point, Itsuki had even approached Adams and revealed information about Aoki's identity, but after some struggle, Adams and Drake still chose to trust Aoki, to trust everything they had seen, and to trust the changes Aoki could bring to the League.
Unfortunately, all of this became an illusion today.
No one could answer Aoki's question, and no one could respond, because on this point alone, Aoki held the moral high ground.
After a long while, it was Matsuda who finally spoke, his expression complex.
"Aoki, you still have a chance. As long as you admit your mistake and withdraw from Team Rocket, Team Sky, and so on, with your contributions to the League, the League will definitely not do anything to you. I guarantee, as the President of the League, that no one within the League will lay a hand on you!
As long as… you temporarily hand over your Pokémon, and after being held for a period, you will be released. At that time, you can truly walk in the sunlight as a member of the League.
As your teacher, I think… you can trust me, and everyone here will do their best to protect you!"
Aoki looked directly at Matsuda , then at Steven, Flannery, and others, who looked hopeful and conflicted, including his other teacher Drake and Adams, who was like a half-teacher to him.
It seemed everyone was hoping he would "turn over a new leaf."
Aoki twitched the muscles on his face, forcing a smile. "No, Teacher, you once taught me that it's best not to casually promise or guarantee things you can't do, because such actions are very likely to damage not only your own reputation but also the lives that others value most.
I know what I did during my time as the Hoenn League Champion. Those large and small League families who lost significant interests due to my policies would never allow someone who opposed them to rise again after falling.
Furthermore, my actions have not only spread within the Hoenn Region but have also affected other regions, so the families would absolutely not want to see me climb to a high position where I could manage all of them. Before, as the Hoenn Region Champion, I had the support of the Hoenn residents and could disregard them.
But if they knew my identity, it would be impossible for me to rise again.
Teacher, you should be clearer on this than I am.
Even if you take over the Elder's position and become the President of the entire Pokémon League, you are ultimately not the Elder. Neither your power nor your deterrent force is as great as his.
Therefore, Teacher, you cannot stop them. Once I surrender, there will only be two outcomes: one is to live out my days in solitude in a League prison, and the other is to be harmed by treacherous individuals before I leave prison.
Do not make these unrealistic promises to me anymore.
The League's corruption has long since permeated its very bones. It was founded by leveraging these large and small family powers, and with their help, it quickly established itself in various regions.
What was once a helping hand has now become a burden; the tail is wagging the dog.
Unless you are resolute and sever ties with these families, you are merely delaying the collapse of the League's grand edifice."
Hearing Aoki's words, the people in the room fell silent once more.
Steven opened his mouth multiple times, wanting to refute, but ultimately could not utter a single word.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, Steven's rationality told him that every word Aoki said was true.
Once Aoki truly surrendered, putting aside everything else, those families in the Hoenn Region would definitely be the first to cause trouble. They would absolutely want Aoki, who had constantly targeted them, to never return to the public eye, even going so far as to kill him.
It's likely that families in other regions also understood the principle of mutual dependence and would not stand idly by.
At that time, Aoki would either be imprisoned for life or assassinated while in custody.
So, the path Matsuda offered was actually a dead end!
Matsuda did not speak because he also knew that what Aoki said was true; he could not withstand the pressure from those families if they united.
Let alone him, even the Elder had some difficulty resisting, otherwise, he would have already taken action against them.
Seeing Matsuda not refute, Aoki showed a very mocking smile, his face full of disdain. "Teacher, I know what kind of person you are, and I know that you becoming the President of the League was a forced situation. If you have any preparations, why not show them to your disciple now?
Or perhaps, did the Elder leave behind some contingency plan before his death, for you to use against me?
Or perhaps, the Elder didn't die at all, but is hiding in the background?"
His teacher, Matsuda, was not a person who liked to contend for power. Aoki knew his character very well. If it weren't for the Elder's arrangements, he would never have prepared such a grand setup.
Even this team of Psychic members had calculated his psychic abilities perfectly.
"Aoki, don't be stubborn. There's still…"
"There's no turning back now!" Aoki directly interrupted the Nurse Joy Clan Head.
He saw things more clearly than anyone else, because long ago, he had prepared for his identity to be discovered and for his situation once it was.
Aoki flipped his hand, and two Poké Balls appeared in his grasp. "If you want to arrest me, I suggest you do it soon!"
Instantly, the atmosphere in the office became extremely tense.
Aoki had been standing outside the door, hesitating to step in, because he knew that with just one step forward, those seemingly benevolent psychics would immediately seal off the surroundings. At that point, even with the help of the Unown, Aoki might not be able to come and go as he pleased.
Most importantly, Aoki didn't know what other special contingencies they had left in that office.
Since they were going to make a move against him, they must have understood his strength. Putting aside everything else, there must be Champion-level Pokémon. Even among the Pokémon left by the Elder, there were many Champion-level Pokémon.
To ensure Matsuda and Granny Kui could firmly hold their positions, they must have had some of the Elder's Pokémon at their disposal.
Bang—
Matsuda slammed the table, his face full of helplessness and frustration, and roared.
"You leave! Don't you ever come back!"
Aoki stared blankly at Matsuda, and many people in the office also looked at Matsuda in surprise, some of them wanting to speak up and stop him.
One must know that Aoki's current strength could be said to be among the top tier in the Pokémon world. They had set up a net in the Hoenn League building today; even if he released all his Pokémon, he would still have a chance to fight. But if Aoki were to leave today…
The consequences would truly be unimaginable!
Aoki's growth rate was evident to everyone; it was practically like flying.
If he left this time, with the so-called Rainbow Rocket as his backing, what kind of resources would he not have?
What kind of strength would he possess if he returned and continued to grow for a few more years? Would anyone in the entire Pokémon world be able to stop him then?
In many people's eyes, Matsuda's decision was not much different from letting a tiger return to the mountains.
But Aoki reacted quickly. As soon as Matsuda's words fell, he turned around and left without looking back, not even taking the original path out. He simply walked to the end of the corridor and jumped directly out of the window.
And those who wanted to stop him were all held back by Matsuda's outstretched hand.
"Don't chase him; you can't stop him," Matsuda said, looking somewhat forlorn.
Whether it was as a teacher making a move against his own disciple, or as a teacher being betrayed by his most promising disciple, all of this made an old man like him feel mentally exhausted.
At this moment, Matsuda finally understood the Elder's sense of frustration when he learned that Lance and Giovanni, whom he had regarded as his successors, had successively attacked the League.
A sense of powerlessness welled up from within.
"No! We absolutely cannot let Aoki fall like this!" Steven's voice became incredibly firm, and he rushed out right after Aoki.
Following closely, Flannery, Wallace, and others also chased after him, including many of the hidden forces Matsuda had left behind in the room.
These individuals were among the League's hidden assets, a group of formidable people exceptionally skilled in coordinated combat.
Individually, their strength might not have been as outstanding as Aoki's or Steven's, but their combined combat ability would undoubtedly leave Aoki stunned.
"President Matsuda, why did you think you couldn't keep him?" After those people left, the remaining League executives' confusion was voiced by Officer Jenny's family head.
Hearing this, Matsuda hesitated for a moment and said, "Because I understand him. Since he didn't give up, it means he's confident he can leave. And most importantly..."
Matsuda looked at the white-robed figure standing beside him, the bodyguard Elder Ge had left for him: Dragon!
His appearance was unclear, but he was heard speaking slowly, "He couldn't be stopped. In that instant, I felt three extremely powerful deterrent auras lock onto this place. One came from Aoki, and the other two came from... the sky!"
"The sky?!"
Everyone was puzzled, but Dragon was unwilling to say more; he could only sense that much.
His sixth sense told him that if they had acted just now, their probability of apprehending Aoki was at most thirty percent. But regardless of whether they could truly capture Aoki, ninety percent of the people in this room might not have seen tomorrow's sun.
This was a terrifying casualty ratio.
Not long after, Steven and the others walked back, looking distraught, almost like zombies.
"Steven, what happened?"
Seeing his son in such a state, Mr. Stone couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
Steven plopped down in an empty seat nearby, a smile on his face that was impossible to describe: bitter, helpless, relieved, admiring, angry, and even resentful...
He slowly shook his head, "The gap is growing wider. Just one attack from Aoki's Mega Salamence repelled all of us. When we tried to chase him again, we found he had already vanished into the sky, leaving no trace. He didn't even use Teleport; there were no psychic or spatial fluctuations around."
Hearing Steven's words, everyone fell silent.
Had Aoki, who once had to catch up to Steven, grown to such an extent?
It wasn't that Steven's growth was slow; in many people's eyes, Steven and the others' growth speed was no different from monsters.
But even so, they were still somewhat inadequate in the face of Aoki's Mega Salamence.
They also knew about Aoki's Mega Salamence. This was a Pokémon taught by Drake himself after Aoki became his disciple, even learning Drake's signature moves.
This Salamence was, at best, a second-tier Pokémon for Aoki, but it had already grown to this point. So, what kind of strength did his Tyranitar, Blaziken, and other Pokémon possess?
Moreover, Aoki's disappearance into the sky also confirmed what the white-robed Dragon had said: there were two highly threatening auras in the sky targeting this place.
This indicated that there was some special presence above the Hoenn League headquarters building at this moment!!
"You all go about your business first. Aoki's departure, it seems, might not be a bad thing after all. At least these underground forces will be managed, and there won't be any unnecessary unrest. I believe Aoki will also keep these people in line, as he has always managed the Hoenn Sky Team this way.
No matter what, Aoki himself came from the bottom. He should not do anything to harm the common people again," Matsuda comforted them.
Everyone nodded.
"Does that mean Aoki might actually target those big and small families? He's always disliked those lazy, parasitic families?"
Hearing this, Matsuda's eyes narrowed, and he leaned his hands on the table, saying in a deep voice, "These existences, like blood-sucking maggots, do you think the League would feel pity for them?!"
"..."
No one spoke again. The people in the room slowly left, until only a few remained.
The three led by Matsuda, as well as Drake and Adams.
Once everyone had left, Adams slowly spoke, his face showing hesitation, "Is it really necessary... to do this?"
Matsuda, who had just managed to project authority, now reverted to his original demeanor.
Everyone present was an old friend, so he didn't need to act like the League's president anymore. "It should... be necessary. This was arranged by Elder Ge, and from the situation at the time, Elder Ge's arrangement was probably the best possible outcome."
"..."
"Trust him. He's not like us old guys!" Drake slowly said.
...
With the help of Mega Salamence, Aoki returned to Sky Fortress, located directly above the Hoenn League headquarters building.
As Aoki returned, Mewtwo, which had been poised for attack, retracted its movements.
Furthermore, a massive, invisible cannon barrel had extended from the enormous metal fortress. As long as Aoki willed it, he could unleash this combined attack—a masterpiece of mysterious science represented by Eliphas and the Soul-Heart of Magearna, who had become a Mythical Pokémon.
Given enough charging time, the attack unleashed would not be much weaker than Mewtwo's attack.
Aoki looked somewhat wistful upon returning to Sky Fortress.
"Heh—break to build?"
He uttered a nonsensical phrase and, accompanied by Mewtwo and Magearna, walked into the interior of Sky Fortress.
At this time, all the high-ranking members of the Sky Team had gathered there, waiting.
Originally, it was quite troublesome for Sky Team members to reach Sky Fortress. Not only did they need flying Pokémon to carry them, but they also had to cleverly use cloud cover to conceal the fortress's location. But now, with Nightingale's defection, the Sky Team also had its own psychic unit, making travel to various places incredibly convenient.
"Sir!"
Led by Brad and Catherine, followed by Nightingale and Ocean Team's Shelly, who had been recruited by Aoki long ago and now served as the head of the Sky Team's Ocean Division.
Through Aoki's efforts, the current Sky Team lacked nothing, whether in high-end combat power, the number of lower-tier members, or legions skilled in coordinated combat. It was already a top-tier force.
Ordinary family forces were no different from common ants in the eyes of the Sky Team at this moment.
Beyond these individuals were Aoki's familiar subordinates, the veteran members of the Sky Team.
Their strength might not be exceptional, but after so many years of training, their operational efficiency was highly proficient. Most of them were primarily responsible for processing documents, contributing to the Sky Team from another angle.
And Aoki had not abandoned them because their strength couldn't keep up.
The current Sky Team lacked no resources. As high-ranking members, they received a considerable amount of resources each month, and they were not very old. Their strength, and so on, could always be gradually improved.
Skye, Alec, Wanderer, and so on...
Besides these people, there were two individuals who slightly surprised Aoki, or rather, two people and one Pokémon.
Jessie, James, and Meowth!
This bizarre trio!
However, at first glance, the aura around these two people and one Pokémon had changed significantly. They no longer had that goofy look; instead, they exuded the feeling of an elite unit.
Aoki had entrusted these two to Brad and Catherine for training.
Regardless, they did have potential. It was just that their previous worldview was slightly skewed; once corrected, they would be two very good subordinates.
And Brad and Catherine were individuals who had endured the threat of the Church on the Time-Space Continent for decades. Of course, they knew under what circumstances they could maximize the training of two individuals.
They observed Jessie and James's growth and finally understood why Aoki had valued these two so much in the first place.
Their potential was indeed good.
Even that Meowth, though its own strength wasn't impressive, possessed intelligence comparable to humans, and to some extent, surpassed the intelligence of most people, making it a very special Pokémon.
Many times, this Meowth also served as the 'brain' within their trio.
When Jessie, James, and Meowth saw Aoki, besides being very respectful, they couldn't hide their excitement, looking eager to try something.
Finally, having become people within the Sky Team who could appear before Aoki, they had many things they wanted to tell him. They wanted to inform Aoki about everything they had experienced and how much they had grown during this period. However, when they actually saw Aoki, they didn't know what to say and could only express their excitement.
Aoki smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more.
Their trio was doing well within the current Sky Team, but in Aoki's eyes, they were still far behind; they had a long way to go.
"Brad, Catherine," Aoki called out calmly.
"Yes!" Both replied respectfully.
"The plan can begin."
Hearing this, Brad and Catherine's eyes lit up. "Yes!!"
Although it was still a one-word reply, the excitement of the two was clearly audible in this response.
"Oh, and to make the best use of everyone, let these two youngsters lead a team to carry out a mission!" Aoki pointed at Jessie and James, who were excitedly standing opposite him.
Brad and Catherine instantly understood Aoki's meaning.
After training them for so long, it was time to let them out and let them understand what real combat was like.
"Then... send all the preparations we've made during this time to Team Rocket, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, and Team Flare. Tell them all to get ready." After a moment of thought, Aoki said to the two.
Although he had only recently become the leader of Team Rainbow Rocket, as long as he gave the order, all the other forces, except for Team Plasma which was temporarily uncertain, would directly execute Aoki's requests.
The current Team Rainbow Rocket was very different from the one Giovanni had once led.
This was mainly because Aoki's methods of controlling his subordinates differed from Giovanni's. Giovanni relied on his personal charisma and the proper utilization and trust of his subordinates, but Aoki was different; he trusted no one unless they were completely under his control!
This was the difference between the two.
Aoki never considered himself a warlord who could swallow the entire Pokémon world. He was merely a person who acted cautiously, centered around himself.
Only after ensuring his own safety would he consider caring for others or pay attention to them.
After giving his instructions, Aoki left without looking back, leaving behind a group of eager individuals and the particularly excited trio.
Leaving Sky Fortress.
Sky Fortress was naturally the fortress base of the entire Sky Team, and even Aoki himself.
With Magearna having absolute control over all metal in Sky Fortress, and having truly become a legendary Pokémon with her own divine authority, Sky Fortress is virtually impregnable unless attacked by another legendary Pokémon.
Furthermore, Magearna's own strength is not weak, and with the Sky Fortress specifically built by Elephas, even ordinary legendary Pokémon would be useless against it, unless it was a first-tier legendary like Rayquaza!
However, Sky Fortress remains relatively low-key in the sky and has not attracted Rayquaza's attention to this day.
Moreover, Rayquaza has now obtained fragments of the Dragon Plate, and its focus is likely on absorbing and assimilating these fragments, leaving it no time to bother with the whereabouts of Sky Fortress.
After giving instructions, Aoki went to another place that was equally important to him.
His asset at sea, the Breeding Island!
Since he had prepared his subordinates on what to do and how to proceed, he naturally needed to make full preparations himself.
Setting aside other things, Aoki's individual combat strength was already strong enough, but in terms of overall combat strength, he still had some shortcomings.
"Mewtwo, here, I believe you can make many friends, and your abilities can be developed to their fullest potential here," Aoki said with a smile to Mewtwo beside him.
Mewtwo stood with its arms crossed, feigning an arrogant look, but its eyes kept darting downwards.
Aoki knew that Mewtwo was just a bit childish and had a slightly tsundere personality.
But no matter what, for Mewtwo, making friends was something that made it very happy.
Aoki and Mewtwo entered the Breeding Island together, but Mewtwo immediately began searching for Pokémon to befriend, while Aoki headed directly towards the tall mountain in the center of the island.
Hidden there was the foundation of his wealth.
The Carbink Kingdom!
He recalled using the channels of the Stone Family, and with the mediation of old man Stone Miki, a diamond company covering the entire Pokémon world was established in the names of Aoki and Steven.
Aoki provided a continuous supply of diamonds, and the Stone Family was responsible for sales.
Every month, a very large sum of money would be deposited into Aoki's exclusive bank card. Each sum represented wealth unimaginable to ordinary people, but to Aoki, it was just a string of numbers.
However, it seemed that his cooperation with the Stone Family was coming to an end.
Even so, under the illumination of the Eternal Crystal, the Carbink Kingdom's population grew larger and larger. Despite selling a large number of diamonds every rain, there was still a massive accumulation of diamonds within the Carbink Kingdom on the Breeding Island.
For the Carbink, diamonds were the least scarce. If Aoki had too many to use, the Carbink would use them to decorate their kingdom.
Diamonds, for other Pokémon like Tyranitar and Aggron, were incredibly rare and excellent materials, but for Carbink, they had no use whatsoever.
Strictly speaking, these diamonds were energy crystals secreted from the Carbink's bodies after absorbing a large amount of energy. This was a unique ability of Carbink that other Pokémon could not achieve.
As for Diancie, her abilities were even stronger than those of Carbink. Carbink needed to digest and absorb energy before secreting good diamonds, but Diancie could condense large quantities of diamonds out of thin air, using the free-floating energy in the air, which was a more advanced method.
Upon returning here, the entire cave had undergone tremendous changes.
Everywhere he looked were sparkling, translucent diamonds, presenting a magnificent and opulent sight.
As soon as Aoki entered the Carbink Kingdom, he was immediately discovered by the ubiquitous Carbink.
However, they knew what Aoki's identity represented for their Carbink Kingdom, so they were not overly excited. Instead, they immediately sent a message inward.
Soon, Diancie, accompanied by a large group of Carbink and the Carbink Elder, came trotting out from the depths of the Carbink Kingdom.
They rushed towards Aoki, looking impatient.
That's right, Diancie had been arranged by Aoki to stay in the Carbink Kingdom on the Breeding Island for a long time.
It wasn't that Aoki didn't want to continue training Diancie; on the contrary, it was to maximize Diancie's potential.
Magearna's divine authority descent gave Aoki great inspiration.
Since Magearna could rely on the blessings of the entire Sky Fortress, then theoretically, the Eternal Crystal and the Carbink Kingdom, which were born after Aoki, should also be inextricably linked with Diancie.
If Diancie was to also possess divine authority like Magearna, the Carbink Kingdom was indispensable.
Having not seen Aoki for a long time, Diancie was overjoyed. She disregarded her princess's dignity and directly leaped from the ground into Aoki's arms.
"Hahahahaha—Diancie, you seem to have gained weight!" Aoki laughed heartily, holding Diancie with his psychic power.
Upon hearing this, the previously very happy Diancie immediately pouted, looking at Aoki unhappily.
No matter who it was, any young girl would dislike being told she had gained weight.
Seeing Diancie's reaction, Aoki laughed again, gently patting Diancie's head, "I'm just kidding with you, but your aura now is really starting to feel more and more like that."
Hearing this, Diancie's happy smile returned.
Diancie and Magearna were like twin sisters among Aoki's Pokémon. Not only were their types and appearances similar, but their preferences were also quite alike.
When Diancie learned that Magearna had successfully received divine authority, she congratulated her but also felt very envious.
Of course, it was only limited to envy.
However, during this time, Diancie clearly felt that not only had her strength improved, but more importantly, there was a subtle improvement in her aura.
She didn't know what this meant, but Aoki did.
This indicated that the legendary aura around Diancie was gradually becoming stronger.
When Magearna's divine authority descended, Yveltal came to destroy it. If it weren't for the intervention of Xerneas, the God of Life, the final outcome would have been quite uncertain.
Why did these two first-tier legendary Pokémon care about Magearna's divine authority descent?
Because as Fairy-type Pokémon, after the divine authority descends, the concentration of Fairy-type energy throughout the Pokémon world would significantly increase.
This was what Xerneas hoped to see, and what Yveltal did not want to see.
So Diancie was also a major beneficiary after Magearna became a legendary Pokémon.
In fact, strictly speaking, neither Diancie nor Magearna could be considered true legendary Pokémon; they were more like Mythical Pokémon such as Mew and Celebi.
Their direct combat abilities might not be their strongest, but their various special abilities were endless.
Therefore, they didn't need to meet a certain level of raw strength to inherit divine authority, like Darkrai.
As long as they accumulated enough, a sudden burst of potential could lead to receiving divine authority.
However, Aoki came here today not for Diancie's divine authority. Although Diancie's legendary aura was growing stronger, she was still a bit short of inheriting divine authority.
"Diancie, how are your Royal Guards doing?" Aoki gently placed Diancie on the ground.
Hearing Aoki's words, Diancie's eyes lit up, and she immediately conveyed Aoki's meaning to the Carbink Elder beside her.
The Diamond Royal Guards!
This was the diamond army that Aoki had been planning for a long time, a project he had started preparing for even before he went to the Space-Time Continent.
He increased the resources invested into the Carbink population, especially showing a clear resource bias towards those Carbink with good talent and potential.
This was a massive undertaking, and the resources required were something Aoki had never dared to imagine. It was only after establishing a good foundation that he began such a plan.
After more than a year, Aoki estimated that this Diamond Royal Guard should have taken shape.
They might not yet be able to participate in actual combat, but that was only because Aoki's opponents were too strong.
Thump—Thump—Thump—
A very uniform sound came from behind Diancie.
A vast, dense, but very orderly group of Carbink appeared before Aoki.
At a glance, it seemed almost endless.
Because the Carbink Kingdom now had a very large number of Carbink, Aoki's plan was to select five hundred Carbink with superior aptitude and talent for focused training.
At the same time, he could continue to add to the Diamond Royal Guard in the future, but with even higher requirements.
All the growth needs of these Carbink were provided by Aoki, and their training plans for each period had to be strictly implemented according to Aoki's requirements.
As long as they could persevere, they would become members of the Royal Guard in the future and could also join Aoki's Sandstorm Legion.
This was one of Aoki's trump cards.
Originally, it would take some more time for the legion to fully form.
After another year or so, this legion would be complete. At that time, Aoki would possess combat power comparable to, or even surpassing, Elite Four Agatha's strongest Ghost-type legion!
But now there was no other way.
In order to be able to summon and use them in time, Aoki might have to accelerate the resource investment into the Carbink, speeding up their formation.
However, there was still some time, more or less.
Aoki patted Diancie's head again, "Well done, Diancie!"
Hearing Aoki's praise, Diancie's eyes narrowed happily, as if she had eaten some delicious sweet treat.
Aoki looked with satisfaction at the Carbink before him.
In his chip, all the information on these Carbink was displayed before him.
Although if any single one were picked out, it might seem very ordinary to Aoki, without any special features.
But their combat power was not meant to be demonstrated by individual Pokémon.
If five hundred Elite-level Carbink were to collectively unleash a perfectly coordinated skill attack, the combat power unleashed could be even more terrifying than a single Champion-level Pokémon's skill.
Most importantly, this way, human wave tactics would be useless against Aoki; in fact, Aoki could even launch human wave tactics against anyone!