After hearing Aoki's arrangements, the leaders of the other factions showed no reaction.
Since Aoki had demonstrated sufficient strength, he was entitled to claim what remained of the Void's assets.
The Void, as one of the controlling factions of the Goldenrod City fighting arena, had now been replaced by the Sky Hunters. Naturally, someone had to oversee the arena's daily operations.
Sending one person was reasonable.
As for gender, in an underground organization, did it really matter? Strength was all that counted.
The true power of the Sky Hunters lay with Aoki himself. The strength of his subordinates was secondary.
Before the five faction leaders and their followers, Kaitou was brought forward.
Aoki could only rely on four trusted subordinates for now. Sky was responsible for managing the Verdanturf Gym, while Miyamoto and Alec handled the Sky Hunters' affairs. Though Kaitou led the hunting division, they wouldn't need to act anytime soon.
Absorbing and integrating the Void's remnants was the priority.
Once the Sky Hunters secured their position in Goldenrod, Aoki planned to find a replacement for Kaitou, allowing her to pursue her own interests.
For now, managing the arena was temporary. Kaitou and the others lacked experience, so they would observe how the other factions handled operations in the short term.
Aoki had reconsidered his stance on Verdanturf Town.
Aoki hesitated to involve underground forces there. The Sky Hunters' presence would only increase the risk of exposure.
Moreover, Verdanturf lacked a black market, cutting off a major revenue stream for the Sky Hunters.
The absence of a black market was deliberate—Devon Corporation had developed a bustling commercial district near the Verdanturf Gym, which was steadily expanding. This served as a significant source of income for Aoki, and he had no intention of disrupting it with illicit trade.
Let Verdanturf remain a clean, League-aligned city.
Once the League recognized Verdanturf's stability, they would likely invest further.
Even in Mauville City, the largest city in Hoenn, underground factions thrived. Establishing a city entirely under League control would undoubtedly please the Hoenn League.
Of course, Aoki would remain Verdanturf's overseer.
At that point, underground forces would become less relevant.
Now, the Sky Hunters could relocate to Goldenrod, joining its six major factions.
Given their current size, absorbing the Void's remnants was already a challenge. But the transition period would allow the Sky Hunters to grow.
Aoki stood to profit as well.
Once the Sky Hunters secured the Void's share of arena profits, Aoki would gain another steady income stream, easing the financial burden of training Pokémon.
After introducing the Kaitou to the others, Aoki gathered Sky, his four companions, and key Sky Hunter members—those who had survived Trial Island with him, as well as later recruits who had proven their loyalty—for a meeting in the Void's former conference room.
The agenda covered absorbing the Void's assets and the Sky Hunters' future development.
The Pokémon seized from Void executives had been distributed among Sky and the others. Weaker ones were given to lower-ranked members—if they could tame them, their strength would rise sharply.
Of course, long-term growth still depended on individual training.
For now, this was enough.
Aoki promoted Sky and the others to Sky Hunter executives, while the rest advanced in rank—squad leaders became team leaders, and so on.
Though their current strength might be lacking, absorbing the Void's resources would bridge the gap.
The vast profits from Aoki's last Pokéblock venture had also bolstered the Sky Hunters' power.
It was only a matter of time before they matched the Void's former influence.
Crucially, in the eyes of other faction leaders, Aoki was now a Champion-tier Trainer.
Compared to the Void, which had lacked an elite, the Sky Hunters now wielded far greater intimidation.
Finally, the Sky Hunters could recruit again. The specifics were left to Sky and the others.
As Aoki surveyed the conference table, he mused that it might be time to promote more members or recruit additional executives. If operations expanded further, four would not be enough.
With business concluded, Aoki resumed his hands-off approach, opening a window on the Void Building's upper floor and leaping out.
He vanished into the night atop his Flygon.
Once alone, Aoki summoned Slowking and teleported back to Verdanturf's gym backyard.
Altaria and Mismagius had performed well today—they'd earned an extra treat.
Honchkrow, Weavile, and Gengar's battle had also been thrilling. It had been a while since Aoki enjoyed such an intense fight.
After releasing them, Aoki retired to his room to rest.
The evening's events had been exhausting, and he needed sleep.
With most issues resolved, Aoki could now embark on his long-planned journey with peace of mind.
His destination was a mysterious island between Hoenn and Kanto's waters—one he had scouted before but lacked the strength to fully explore.
This island was to become his secret base.
Part of his Pokéblock profits had been spent on equipment, now stored in his gear and ready for use.
However, before setting sail, Aoki had one final task: preparing talent-enhancing potions for his Pokémon.
This would prevent sudden, unassisted evolutions that could hinder their long-term potential.
Now that the Sky Hunters had replaced the Void, securing rare ingredients through Goldenrod's markets—and the League's connections—would be easier.
With Aoki's status, combined efforts from both sides would yield results soon.
Once the materials were gathered, making the potions would be simple.