"Drake of the Elite Four, Brandon, and the leader of the Eterna gym, you are all here." Nolan saw the three of them approaching and stepped forward to greet them.
Drake and the others flew over swiftly atop their Pokémon.
"Nolan, where is the powerful Regice you mentioned?" Drake inquired, his metallic-blue hair glinting under the sunlight.
Nolan stepped aside, revealing the towering Regice behind him "here."
"Hasn't it stabilized already? You called us here in such a hurry." Drake remarked after observing Regice's calm demeanor.
"You don't know how ferocious it was just moments ago. My Articuno could barely hold it back. If not for that young Trainer…" Nolan's words were abruptly cut off by Drake.
"Aoki!" Drake couldn't help but exclaim upon spotting Regice—and then Aoki standing nearby.
"Huh? Drake of the Elite Four, you know this young man?" Nolan asked, raising an eyebrow.
Drake nodded, a faint smile crossing his weathered face. "Indeed. Though, given your duties as a Frontier Brain, it's no surprise you haven't heard of him. Perhaps the Eterna gym leader can enlighten you."
The trio turned their attention to the Eterna gym leader, a woman of modest stature who had remained silent until now. Among the four, she held the least influence, but with Drake's prompting, she spoke up.
"Yes, I recognize him. One of the Twin Stars of Hoenn's rising Trainers—Aoki, the Verdanturf Town Gym Leader!"
Hearing this, Nolan and Steven exchanged glances, curiosity flickering in their eyes.
"Speaking of which, Nolan, what were you about to say earlier?" Drake redirected the conversation to the matter at hand.
"Ah, right. Regice nearly erupted into violence, but Aoki intervened. Using his Telepathy abilities, he managed to pacify Regice and has maintained its calm since." Nolan explained.
"Telepathy?" Drake and the others were visibly surprised.
Especially Drake. He had previously ordered a brief background check on Aoki, yet no records mentioned psychic abilities. If Aoki truly possessed such powers, the League would have taken greater interest—especially since he was already a rising star endorsed by the organization.
Drake didn't suspect ill intent; after all, Aoki wouldn't reveal such abilities here if he had something to hide. Still, the secrecy was unexpected.
The four approached Regice cautiously.
"Uncle Drake, Master Nolan, Madame Gardenia." As the youngest, Aoki greeted them respectfully.
"You've done well, Aoki!" Drake, being the most familiar with him, gave an approving pat on the shoulder.
Beneath Aoki, his Flygon shuddered. The sheer presence of so many legendary and powerful Pokémon—particularly the looming Salamence beside Drake—left it feeling overwhelmed.
Aoki scratched his head modestly but didn't deny the praise. He had done well, and he trusted the League would acknowledge his efforts. As for his Telepathy, it was going to get exposed eventually anyways, secrecy no longer mattered.
"Aoki, do you understand the situation?" Drake pressed.
Though Nolan had been briefed, the others hadn't. Aoki repeated his earlier explanation verbatim.
"So, Regice was searching for something, grew agitated when it vanished, and Nolan misinterpreted its urgency as aggression?" Drake mused, stroking his chin.
The others concurred. A peaceful resolution was preferable—especially with a Legendary Pokémon capable of catastrophic moves like Self-Destruct.
"Then the object of its search was here… but is now gone?" Steven clarified, his voice low.
Aoki nodded silently.
The four seasoned Trainers exchanged uneasy glances. Handling this delicately was paramount. Drake excused himself momentarily to confer with the League via communicator.
The high-ranking officials, after a brief discussion, opted for diplomacy. Regice hadn't acted maliciously, and Nolan's intervention, though well-intentioned, had been a misunderstanding.
"Aoki, attempt communication again. If Regice can depart peacefully, it's best for all. The League apologizes for the earlier confrontation." Drake instructed upon returning.
He shot Nolan an apologetic look, but the Frontier Brain waved it off. His priority had always been preventing disaster, not battling Regice.
"I'll try." Aoki agreed, edging closer to Regice as the others tensed, ready to act if needed.
The League's swift investigation had uncovered Aoki's latent abilities—confirmed by his mentor, Matsuda, and his friend, Steven. They'd known but respected his discretion. A commoner rising to prominence had to tread carefully; the Pokémon world wasn't as safe as it seemed.
This revelation only solidified the League's resolve to nurture Aoki. A Telepath-Trainer's potential was immense.
Reconnecting with Regice via Telepathy, Aoki conveyed the League's terms. The exchange was brief. With a final nod to Aoki and a lingering glance, Regice ascended slowly into the sky.
For safety, Nolan and Steven followed at a distance, ensuring no further incidents.
Drake clasped Aoki's shoulder proudly. "The League won't forget this." With that, he departed—his ship's crew awaited him.
The Eterna city gym leader extended a polite invitation to Aoki before also taking her leave.
Alone at last, Aoki allowed himself a small smile.