Then, everyone reported to Giovanni about the events that had occurred during this period and the progress of their respective responsibilities.
Throughout this, Aoki listened silently, as it had little to do with him.
When everyone else had left, Aoki remained in his seat.
To be honest, this meeting, on the whole, didn't concern Aoki much. After all, Team Rocket's main focus was still on the Kanto region. Although the Sky Team in the Hoenn League had grown to a decent size, it was an insignificant part compared to Team Rocket.
Unless Giovanni decided to establish a presence in the Hoenn region one day, he wouldn't interfere much with whatever Aoki did with the Sky Team.
And the once chaotic Hoenn region had finally been cleaned up by the League. It wouldn't be easy for an external force like Team Rocket to enter.
Moreover, Team Rocket was not yet focused on this matter.
"Are you surprised I called you back?" Giovanni asked, smiling at Aoki, who remained silent in his seat.
Aoki nodded slightly, a hint of doubt in his mind.
"I know that the Kinugawa family might have been manipulated by the Divine Cult, and the Kinugawa clan head had been missing from the Kanto region for a long time. I didn't expect him to run to the Hoenn region to cause you trouble.
However, it seems his appearance didn't cause you too much trouble. Your rapid increase in strength greatly surprised me.
But… it's good!" Giovanni said a lot, explaining to Aoki why the Kinugawa clan head suddenly attacked him and why Team Rocket hadn't given a warning.
Although Aoki might not care, he was no longer the person who could be easily dealt with by any junior executive. Even Koga, the strongest among the group earlier, was wary of Aoki.
The scene of Aoki's battle with the Divine Cult's Black Emissary was posted online. Although there were no detailed battle specifics, just seeing the sky full of red sand and the shattered island was enough to roughly estimate some of his strength.
Most notably, the Black Emissary was eliminated. A third party intervened after the Black Emissary fled, but that was only because the Black Emissary had lost even basic self-preservation abilities after fighting Aoki.
There were people within Team Rocket who had fought the Black and White Emissaries. Koga admitted he had no confidence in fighting the Black Emissary, yet Aoki achieved victory.
Moreover, Giovanni's style of conduct was always like this: seemingly authoritative, but a leader with a human touch.
One should know that in the future, with Team Rocket's trio, Jessie and James, Giovanni would tolerate their actions again and again, and even provide them with assistance.
Hearing Giovanni's explanatory words, Aoki immediately said, "It's a good thing he came looking for me himself, otherwise I would have gone to find trouble with him. I'm a rather timid person, so…"
Saying this, Aoki spread his hands, indicating he didn't care at all.
"However, Boss, this Divine Cult appeared so suddenly and aggressively, covering so many regions all at once. Did the League and Team Rocket not have any warning signs?" Aoki asked the question that had bothered him for a long time.
Hearing Aoki's question, Giovanni's expression became slightly solemn.
"It's not that there were no signs. In fact, they started to become active very early on, but at that time, they were just an obscure psychic organization. Although they received some attention because all their members were psychics, they were later found to be all bark and no bite, and were forgotten.
I didn't expect that when they reappeared, they would be somewhat unfathomable, and it seems that everyone's psychic abilities among them are not weak. It's a relatively tricky situation.
That's why the League immediately launched the Kanto two-division plan."
Mid-sentence, Giovanni paused slightly, "Actually, the League had decided on this plan a long time ago, but they just couldn't find the right time to implement it. You know there are too many geniuses in the Kanto region, more than you can imagine, but because there are too few positions, many talented people are overlooked.
Just like the Black Emissary you fought this time, wasn't he a Legion Commander? There are too many people like that, and they are easily swayed by the Divine Cult, and the Divine Cult indeed knows how to exploit people's weaknesses.
So this Kanto division is to give these overlooked talents an opportunity, and at the same time, it is for the League to expose those who have already been manipulated by the Divine Cult.
I have to say, those old guys in the League are still capable.
It's a pity their vision is too narrow. Their management methods are no longer suitable for this era, yet they are still stubborn, a bunch of old fuddy-duddies…"
By the end, it turned into Giovanni complaining about the higher-ups of the Pokémon League.
Aoki looked at Giovanni's expression and knew that Giovanni must have had contact with these people and was very dissatisfied with their management methods and policies.
I wonder if this has anything to do with Team Rocket reaching this point...
Just as Aoki was deep in thought, Giovanni suddenly turned to him, "You grew up within the League, but as a member of Team Rocket, you should actually see much more than them. Now that you are a Elite Four, haven't you felt the League's rigidity?"
Bringing himself into the conversation so suddenly was a bit unexpected, but Giovanni's words resonated with Aoki. As a commoner who had lived two lives, he had experienced both the bottom of society and the upper echelons of the League. He had to admit that in some areas, the League indeed fell short.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be situations like Tenho Gyro, a direct descendant of the League, choosing to abandon it due to the collapse of his worldview.
Clap, clap—
Giovanni suddenly stood up, patted Aoki's shoulder, and said, "You have now become an Elite Four in the League. I believe there are many things you are exposed to, or are currently being exposed to. I hope you can continue to climb higher and see if you can make some changes in the League. If you can make the Hoenn League change in the Hoenn region, then it means the League is not rotten to the core yet.
If you climb to that position and still cannot make the League change, then I will… overthrow it! Establish a new order!!"
Looking at the overbearing aura emanating from Giovanni, Aoki felt no pressure at this moment; instead, he was very surprised and felt a sense of finding a kindred spirit.
Giovanni suddenly smiled and said, "Who hasn't had a wild youth? I know you are a person with your own ideas and ambitions. None of us in Team Rocket are without ambition. The Hoenn region can serve as an experimental area, which is also why I kept your secret from that time on.
If the current Team Rocket cannot overthrow the League, then I will build an even stronger force. There will be a day when it is realized!
The sun always shines after the storm. So, the most beautiful rainbow that appears after the rain will be called… Team Rainbow Rocket!"
Team Rainbow Rocket!
Aoki's heart trembled. So, Giovanni's concept for Team Rainbow Rocket had already emerged at this time!