Another ten days passed in a flash.
The main arena at the Hoenn League Headquarters.
The previously empty stands were now packed with people.
They were all spectators who had come to watch the competition.
Unlike the Kanto League, the Hoenn League did not hold any special Elite Four challenge matches, nor did it invite geniuses and high-ranking officials from various regions. Instead, it simply ran a month-long television advertising blitz within the Hoenn League.
Most of the people in the audience were residents of the Hoenn region, though there were also many from other regions.
There were also high-ranking League officials from various major regions.
Although no invitations were sent out, these individuals still made their way here.
Today, the entire Hoenn region would also broadcast the event live, allowing everyone who couldn't come to the League Headquarters to watch the live stream.
Because this was the first clash between Hoenn's renowned Twin Stars, many people liked Steven, and many also liked Aoki. They wanted to see whose strength was superior.
The winner becomes an Elite Four member!
No battle could be more exciting than this!
However, the two individuals involved were currently sitting in a waiting area behind the scenes, chatting leisurely.
There was no hint of animosity or tension between them; in fact, they even started laughing as they talked.
Of course, it wasn't just the two of them; Phoebe and Wallace were also there.
And the main topic of their conversation was surprisingly irrelevant to the battle.
It was… Aoki's appearance.
"You're changing every day. It's only been twenty days, and you seem to have gotten even handsomer!" Steven looked at Aoki's face with deep surprise.
Phoebe, on the other hand, went straight up to him, grabbing Aoki's face and looking left and right, trying to see if he had undergone any cosmetic procedures.
"Alright, Phoebe, stop flipping. I haven't had any plastic surgery, nor do I wear makeup. I've told you, this is a normal developmental stage where some subtle changes occur in the facial structure. The overall change appears significant, but if you look closely, you won't see anything," Aoki said, full of helplessness.
During this time, anyone he met would try to figure out if he had undergone plastic surgery because his face had changed quite a bit.
"Didn't we even ask a professional Nurse Joy to take a look? Although it's a very rare occurrence, it's not impossible, and there haven't been any actual changes in the facial structure," Aoki added.
"That's true. Twenty days ago, when I saw him, he wasn't like this. Twenty days later, he's even more handsome. It's just not fair," Steven chimed in.
Aoki's face didn't change suddenly, so while it surprised everyone, it was just surprise, and they accepted it after a while.
Meanwhile, Wallace, holding his harp, stood by, looking thoughtful.
Seeing him like this, Phoebe nudged him with her arm, annoyed.
This guy must be thinking about who is the most handsome again.
Sure enough, Wallace, having come to his senses, ran his long, pale, woman-like fingers lightly over the harp and said faintly, "I used to think Aoki brought down our average attractiveness, but now I'm very pleased that our average has finally gone up."
He looked very happy, as if saying, "Aoki, you've done well."
"Then shouldn't the three of you form a group and debut together? You could even release an album, and the name could be..." Phoebe said, annoyed.
"Handsome Guy's Cultivation Manual!" Wallace instantly interjected.
Pfft—
Aoki spat a mouthful of water onto Wallace's face.
The conversation was getting more and more absurd. Were they even going to call this group 'Boys' or something?
Just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine.
"Ahem." At this moment, Steven, who was sitting nearby, cleared his throat.
The three of them looked at him.
Steven continued, "I think... it's a good idea! I'm definitely the visual in charge (visual in charge), Wallace is the music in charge (music in charge), and Aoki… can you dance?"
"..."
Aoki just stared at Steven, at the confident Steven.
He felt like they weren't on the same wavelength anymore...
"You guys are still chatting? It's time for you two to go out!" At this moment, Drake walked into the room and said, looking at the four people still chatting.
Outside, the various important figures and the audience were already getting impatient.
Aoki and Steven stood up simultaneously, their joking expressions vanishing completely, replaced by a strong will to battle.
They had been waiting, preparing, and anticipating this battle for a long time, and it was finally about to begin.
"Fight well. Don't cry if you lose," Steven said with a smile.
"You too," Aoki also smiled.
They walked out of the room, heading in two different directions.
Phoebe and Wallace also returned to their seats in the stands.
Today, all the big names of the Hoenn League had come to see who would become an Elite Four member.
Steven was the first to emerge from his tunnel, a handsome, confident smile on his face. The noble aura cultivated by the Stone family was fully displayed on him.
"Steven! Steven! Steven!"
The cheers were continuous!
Immediately after, Aoki also emerged from the opposite tunnel, a slight smile on his face and determination in his eyes. Today, he was determined to win!
Whoosh—
"Aoki! Aoki! Aoki!"
"Aoki-sama seems much more handsome in person than on TV and in photos."
"Yes! Yes! I can't take it, I was originally supporting Steven-sama, but now I'm torn!"
"Aoki-sama is so handsome!"
"Even if Aoki-sama is handsome, our Steven-sama is clearly more handsome!"
"..."
On the main stage.
Adams and Drake were sitting together.
"This young Aoki, his face has changed quite a bit," Adams said with a smile.
"I felt the same way when I first saw him, but after spending ten days together, I don't notice the change anymore. Youth... is good," Drake also sighed.
"You, you're taking advantage of the situation and still acting coy. "
"..."
Adams and Drake chatted happily, back and forth.
And Aoki and Steven, amidst the cheers of the crowd, entered their respective sides of the arena, ready for the battle to begin at any moment.
At this time, many people were gathered in front of their televisions, not just in the Hoenn League. In the Kanto, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos regions, many of Aoki's acquaintances were watching the live broadcast.
The battle between Aoki and Steven represented the pinnacle of strength among the League's younger generation!
The previous battle between Lance and Elite Four Siebold was a transition from old to new, while this battle was between the strongest rookie and the strongest rookie.
The first-place winner of the Sinnoh Grand Festival versus a top-four finisher of the Sinnoh Grand Festival! The gap was not very large.
"The battle begins! Both contestants, please take turns summoning your Pokémon!" the head referee shouted.
This was the rule for full-team battles: both contestants would summon their Pokémon one by one, making the match fairer.
The first person to summon would send out one Pokémon, the second person would then send out two, and then it would proceed with two at a time. Finally, the person who summoned first would have one Pokémon left as a last resort, which could be chosen based on the opponent's Pokémon.
The format was very fair; the battle would completely depend on the true strength of both sides!