Ten days passed in a flash.
During these ten days, the Pokémon's training basically met Aoki's requirements.
This was inseparable from the large amount of resources invested; as soon as the Pokémon expended even a little stamina or energy, they would be replenished with special Energy Cubes.
Aoki would only order a Pokémon to stop if its spirit couldn't endure it.
In this regard, as a psychic, Aoki had a good sense of proportion and control.
Moreover, Aoki also had experience in recovering mental strength; he could basically return to peak condition with just a good night's sleep.
It was precisely because of these conditions that the Pokémon's growth was visible to the naked eye.
Among them, Tyranitar successfully broke through to the Senior Elite Four level, which was a clear sign of successful training.
The other Pokémon also showed varying degrees of improvement.
However, as soon as the ten days were up, Aoki decided to temporarily change things up; high-intensity training isn't necessarily better the longer it lasts.
Today, Aoki took his Pokémon to Rustboro City.
That's right, Aoki was going to Rustboro City to see Steven, or rather, seeing Steven was just one part of it; the main purpose was to discuss a collaboration with the Stone family.
Aoki discussed cooperation with the Stone family under his personal name, and the Stone family even agreed to this meeting, which shows the extent of Aoki's influence at this time.
Of course, Aoki's relationship with Steven also played a role.
Perhaps... there were also some unspeakable secrets of the Stone family involved.
In short, Aoki, accompanied by Riolu who had reached a normal size and Kirlia floating beside him, was welcomed into the Stone family's residence by a large contingent of their people.
This wasn't Aoki's first time here, but the difference in treatment this time compared to last time was truly significant.
Led by the Stone family's butler, Aoki arrived at the training ground specially designated for Steven during this period.
Steven was currently directing his Pokémon in a battle against someone, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be his second uncle.
His inherent trainer talent wasn't particularly strong, but even so, with the Stone family's extensive cultivation, he still possessed his current battle prowess.
Aoki stood quietly to the side, watching Steven and his second uncle battle.
As soon as the battle ended, Steven immediately walked towards Aoki, a playful smile on his face, "Tell me! Are you here to scout out military intelligence?"
Aoki also smiled and said, "Yes, the battle just now was very exciting. Aren't you afraid of revealing too much and letting me know your trump cards?"
The two laughed heartily and habitually bumped fists.
At this moment, as Steven got closer, he fully saw Aoki's face and was immediately stunned.
"Uh, Aoki... Did you get plastic surgery? Your face seems to have changed quite a bit recently, but upon closer inspection, I can't tell where the difference is. I just feel like you've gotten a bit more handsome," Steven said in surprise, looking at Aoki's face, even reaching out to pinch it to see if he'd had surgery.
"Slap—"
Aoki slapped Steven's hand away. "There hasn't been much change, but there have indeed been some changes recently. Every morning, I wake up handsome, hahaha—"
"Pfft—Shameless, but seriously, you really have gotten a lot more handsome, even though it doesn't look like there's much change," Steven said with a look of disdain.
There was still a slight difference between Aoki's current appearance and Steven's.
This was the main reason Aoki asked Giovanni to find someone to specially customize a special human skin mask for him.
Aoki had prepared many masks, all of which gradually transformed from an ordinary face to his true face. This slow change would make people feel surprised, but not overly so.
Just like Steven now, he clearly felt Aoki had become more handsome, but upon closer inspection, he couldn't pinpoint where the change was.
After just a few more changes, Aoki would be able to present his true appearance to everyone.
While this would carry some risk, for an Elite Four, the risk was no longer significant.
Moreover, Aoki also used special psychic abilities, and his body was still in a developmental stage, so he could completely attribute the changes to these reasons.
They say a girl changes a lot as she grows up, but who's to say a boy won't change a lot too? As long as the pace of change is controlled, Aoki is not yet eighteen years old, and anything is possible.
The human skin masks were originally made according to his original appearance, so there couldn't be any particularly exaggerated differences.
After all, the eyes, nose, and mouth are in the same positions; just by making subtle changes to the details, it can become a different face.
Now, Aoki's attire, temperament, and appearance, combined, made him look more like a graceful and powerful individual than before.
Steven's second uncle also walked over. Seeing Aoki's current appearance, he also showed a hint of surprise, but more so, satisfaction.
He kept nodding.
Aoki glanced at Steven's second uncle, always feeling that his gaze was a bit strange.
Like a father-in-law looking at his son-in-law?
"Aoki, is it okay if I call you that?" Steven's second uncle said with a smile.
Aoki nodded, also keeping a hint of strangeness and doubt in his heart, and said with a smile, "No problem, Steven and I are good friends, and you are an elder, so you can call me whatever you like."
The second uncle nodded repeatedly, "Then you can just call me Second Uncle, like Steven does. Don't be too reserved, don't be a stranger, just like you're at home. If you have any requests or needs, you can tell the butler directly."
Aoki nodded again.
He was a bit overly enthusiastic, wasn't he? But he still said, "Okay, thank you, Second Uncle."
"Second Uncle, let's stop training for today. Doesn't Aoki have something he wants to discuss with Dad?" Steven interjected.
The second uncle nodded, giving Steven a look that only the two of them understood. "That's true, let's not keep Big Brother waiting. Steven, you take Aoki over. I'll have someone arrange lunch. Aoki, you can have a casual meal with us later."
"Uh... okay." Aoki, being observant, naturally saw the look in Steven's second uncle's eyes.
He vaguely guessed some things.
However... the other party didn't say it explicitly, and he had no reason to refuse. When an elder invites you to eat, you always have to comply.
Steven led Aoki towards the deepest rooms of the Stone family's residence, encountering many of Steven's family members along the way.
When they saw Aoki, they all acted very friendly.
Although it's true that families with true heritage like the Stone family certainly have very good upbringing among their members, this seemed a bit overly friendly.
Steven's various aunts and uncles almost came up to Aoki for a thorough, "household registration investigation" type of conversation.
Fortunately, Aoki had been appearing on television quite a bit recently, so everyone had some understanding of him; otherwise, introducing himself to every person would have been very troublesome.
Finally, after passing through the labyrinth-like Stone family mansion, they arrived at the patriarch's office in the deepest part.