"Puff--"
Aoki spat out all the water he had just drunk in a sudden spray of surprise. Everyone stared blankly at Lance, who had just proposed the idea of acting as a matchmaker, not knowing what to say to break the strange silence that had fallen over the group. "Ahem, I've passed, I've passed," Steven coughed, trying to ease the palpable awkwardness that had settled in the room.
The others simply nodded, not trusting themselves to speak. It was one thing for outsiders to try and recruit Aoki, but now their own colleagues were getting in on the act? Lance also looked thoroughly embarrassed by the reaction, his usual composure frayed.
But there was no way around it; this was a task his family had instructed him to complete, so he felt obligated to bring it up regardless of the setting. "Ahem, well, I'm just going through the motions. Don't take it to heart," Lance explained weakly, hoping to downplay the entire affair.
"In that case..." Steven suddenly spoke up, his tone thoughtful. He looked directly at Aoki. "Aoki, you also know my cousin. Would you like to consider it? As the saying goes, a woman three years older is a treasure..." He trailed off, leaving the implication hanging in the air. "…" Aoki was utterly speechless, his mind reeling.
If there was one persistent shortcoming in the life Matsuda had helped arrange for him, this was undoubtedly it. It seemed the matchmakers would never cease their efforts. There was a constant, unending stream of people suggesting alliances and partnerships. Although no one could force him into anything anymore, the sheer relentlessness of it was profoundly annoying.
Everyone looked at Steven, completely speechless at his addition to the already uncomfortable conversation. One by one, they then began to unconsciously recall whether there were any women of the right age in their own families they could potentially suggest. "Ahem, just like Lance said, I'm just going through the motions, don't take it to heart," Steven said, his own face flushing with embarrassment as he registered the stares of his friends.
"Wait... Everyone, please go to my room..." Aoki began, hoping to divert the conversation entirely. "Collect all the Pokemon information for me." Just as everyone's eyes began to gleam with a new, different kind of interest, Aoki quickly gave an explanation to clarify his intentions, dashing any speculative hopes. Finally, the meal ended in that persistently strange and unresolved atmosphere, with the group dispersing quietly.
...
The Elite Four Challenge was officially over. Lance's victory and ascension to the title of Dragon Champion announced the official arrival of the era of the younger generation in a very public and dramatic fashion.
Aoki, Steven, and the other two boarded a plane and left the next morning, returning to the Hoenn region. The Hoenn region itself was also unstable right now, a fact that weighed on their minds. Because of the events surrounding Aoki, Matsuda would probably not be able to return to the Hoenn region for a long time.
Consequently, the position of the Elite Four member that he had been temporarily filling would become vacant once more, and Adams would have another headache in choosing a suitable replacement for the Elite Four. There was also the matter of the Breeder's Guild in the Hoenn region; as soon as Matsuda left, a huge mess was left behind.
Originally, it was just a framework set up in the Hoenn region, and the Breeder's Guild had not yet been put on the right track. Aoki and the others needed to go back to help stabilize the situation and ensure the guild continued to develop.
After Aoki and the others left, Cynthia, Lorelei, and the others also chose to depart from the Johto region. Influenced by Lance's display of power and his new status, they also felt the need to return to their own regions and train with renewed intensity and focus.
The four of them went straight back to the Hoenn League headquarters upon their arrival. After getting off the plane, they immediately felt that the atmosphere in the entire League was a bit solemn and tense.
Many acquaintances would force a smile onto their faces to express their congratulations when they saw Aoki, but the congratulations felt hollow and strained. Aoki found he couldn't be genuinely happy about their congratulations, sensing the underlying anxiety that permeated the building. The four of them did not delay and immediately went to Adams's office to receive a proper briefing.
Sitting in Adams's office at this time was the fully recovered former Champion, Drake. The real dragon master! Both Adams and Drake had serious, grave expressions that did not lighten upon their entry. When Adams saw Aoki and the other four coming back, he showed a hint of surprise, mixed with a touch of relief. "Aoki, I didn't expect you to come back so soon. We haven't prepared for the celebration ceremony yet," Adams said with a strained smile, attempting some semblance of normalcy.
Drake, who was sitting next to him, also stood up and firmly patted Aoki on the shoulder in a gesture of approval and camaraderie. "Good job, son," he said, his voice gruff but sincere. There were few genuine smiles on the faces of Aoki, Steven, and their two companions; the tense atmosphere was too thick to ignore.
"President, what exactly happened?" Aoki asked, getting straight to the point. Hearing this direct question, Adams was momentarily stunned, then shook his head and said with a tone of deep resignation, "Did you feel it? But I didn't mean to hide it from you... It's just a developing situation."
He took a breath before continuing. "Team Magma and Team Aqua... they took action. Just last night, the two forces attacked together as if they had agreed upon it beforehand, a coordinated strike." Adams's expression gradually became more severe as he spoke, his brow furrowing with concern. "Last night they attacked the League's outpost at Meteor Falls... it was a significant assault."
Drake, standing aside, did not look quite as grim as Adams, though his demeanor was still serious. "Don't worry too much. If they want to fight, then let's fight!" Drake said with full, booming momentum, his confidence seemingly unshaken.
He did not take Team Magma and Team Aqua entirely seriously. Perhaps except for their leaders, Maxie and Archie, whom he knew he needed to be a little cautious against, he didn't take the rest of their members as a monumental threat. Team Magma and Team Aqua were not Team Rocket; they didn't have that much time to develop and their foundation was not nearly as strong or deep.
After all, their development time was not as long as that of Team Rocket, and they had been mostly huddled in one region for a long time, so their overall strength was just considered passable by his standards.
"It's not that simple, Drake," Adams countered, shaking his head. "The two organizations had been silent for such a long time, lying low. For them to suddenly take action in such a coordinated way, there must be something that they paid special attention to, something they desperately want at Meteor Falls."
Adams's analysis was calm and measured, seeking the root of the problem rather than just confronting the symptom. Hearing the exchange between the two senior figures, Aoki's heart moved slightly and a cold realization dawned on him. He asked, needing confirmation, "Where exactly did the two forces appear?"
"Meteor Falls," Adams confirmed.
It was really there! Aoki's suspicion was confirmed. He quickly took out his communicator and checked it for any missed messages. He hadn't received any message from his contact. It seemed that either Solance had not found the two orbs yet, or, more worryingly, he had already found the Scarlet Orb and the Indigo Orb but they were now under the control of Team Magma and Team Aqua, preventing him from sending any information out.
But no matter what the specific situation was, it clearly showed one critical thing: that Team Magma and Team Aqua had somehow discovered that the Scarlet Orb and the Indigo Orb were located within Meteor Falls. This was a disastrous development.
"What's wrong?" Drake asked, his sharp eyes noticing Aoki's frantic checking of his communicator and his subsequent dark expression. Aoki shook his head. This kind of thing, involving the ancient orbs and his own informants, could not be easily explained here and now, not without revealing too much.
It was not necessarily a secret he could share with the entire League leadership. But he knew one thing for certain: he definitely needed to go and see the situation for himself. However, he couldn't just rush in rashly without a plan. He also needed to find a suitable, official reason to get involved without raising too much suspicion about his specific knowledge.
"President, let me go too," Aoki said firmly, looking directly at Adams. He continued, justifying his request, "I've been recuperating for three months, and now that I've seen Lance become an Elite Four, I feel like I can't remain silent or on the sidelines any longer. I need to be involved in defending Hoenn." His voice was steady and resolute.
"And me!" Steven said immediately, stepping forward to stand beside Aoki in a show of solidarity.
"And me!" Phoebe added, her voice quiet but determined.
"Me too!" Wallace finished, completing the quartet's unified front.
Of course, Phoebe and Wallace would not give up the chance to help; their sense of duty was as strong as anyone's. Hearing their eager, determined words, Adams's face turned even more serious, a fatherly concern warring with his duties as League President. "This is very dangerous," he warned them, his voice low.
"These are not petty criminals; they are organized forces willing to use significant power." He did not, however, directly reject the offer from Aoki and the other three. After all, the strength of the four of them was not weak now; they were all at the level of seasoned Veteran Trainers, bordering on the Elite tier. The younger generation had indeed grown up and was now ready to participate in such important, dangerous events.
And because Matsuda had been "persuaded" to return to the Kanto region, the position of the Elite Four in the Hoenn region was now vacant. If possible, it would be ideal if one of these four promising young Trainers could eventually replace him. This riot by Team Magma and Team Aqua might indeed be the trial by fire that reveals who is most ready.
"President, don't worry, we are not the fragile children we used to be," Aoki assured him, his voice filled with a hard-won confidence earned through countless battles. The other three immediately nodded in firm agreement, their expressions mirroring his determination. "In that case," Adams relented, a look of resigned pride on his face.
"You have just returned. You can take a day to rest and resupply, and set off again tomorrow. It won't matter if you take half a day to prepare properly; the situation is contained for the moment." After hearing this, Aoki and the others stopped insisting on leaving immediately. It was indeed necessary to prepare well, and Aoki also had some urgent things to explain to his own organization, the Sky Hunters. At the same time, his Pokemon team also needed some specific preparations and rest after their recent journey.
After the four young Trainers left the office to begin their preparations, Adams turned and spoke quietly to Drake. "You should go with them tomorrow to provide them with some protection and guidance," he instructed.
"Then what about here, at the League?" Drake asked, concerned about leaving the headquarters potentially vulnerable. Knowing what Drake meant, Adams's eyes gleamed with a cold, steely light that belied his usual gentle demeanor. "Don't worry about the League," Adams said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. "I'm not old yet, Drake. Just because I have chosen to ignore those clowns and schemers in the shadows doesn't mean I can't do anything to them! Anyone who dares to jump out now while we are focused on Meteor Falls will be made an example of. They will be crushed!" The authority and power in his voice left no room for doubt; the President of the Hoenn League was still a force to be reckoned with.