"Here!" Aoki stood up immediately, his posture straight and his expression attentive under the gaze of the assembled League officials.
"You did a good job this time." A genuine, approving smile appeared on President Adams' weathered face, a rare sight in such a formal setting.
What made Aoki feel slightly speechless was that the way Adams was looking at him had started to bear an uncanny resemblance to the way Chief Jenny would look at him—a mix of deep pride and high expectation that was both flattering and immensely pressuring.
"Cough..." The sound of a deliberate, dry cough came from beside Adams. It was Drake. The unspoken message in his cough was clear: Hey, you old guys, tone it down a little; this is a formal meeting.
When Adams heard Drake's cough, a fleeting trace of embarrassment flashed across his face, but he composed himself almost instantly, his expression returning to one of solemn authority.
"Ahem, it is like this," Adams began, his voice resonating through the quiet chamber. "I conservatively estimate that there should still be quite a few traitors and moles deeply embedded within the League's various branches. As the Chief Investigator, you have never truly been assigned a fixed, suitable position that utilizes your unique talents. Now I officially appoint you as a Special Investigator with a dedicated mandate to hunt down these traitors. You will have broad authority. If there is an operational need, you are permitted to organize and recruit your own team of subordinates." Adams declared, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Hearing Adams' words, Aoki's body shook subconsciously, not from fear, but from the sheer weight and implication of the responsibility being dropped onto his shoulders.
He knew exactly who became the most annoying and, ultimately, the most feared figures in any large organization: the people who were specifically tasked with dealing with their own people, the internal affairs investigators.
Aoki gave a very strained, ugly smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. "President Adams, with all due respect... is it possible to assign this... momentous task to someone else? Perhaps someone with more experience in internal politics?"
Adams simply shook his head, his expression turning stern and unyielding. "Aoki, do not worry about political repercussions! From this moment onward, let it be known that no one will dare to target you unjustly. As long as every individual you apprehend is indeed a verified traitor, then no one will find legitimate grounds to complain about your methods. You are to proceed with your investigations without hesitation or worry. I will personally cover and authorize anything that happens as a result. You operate with my full backing."
This was a declaration made in front of everyone present; it was Adams stating unequivocally that Aoki was under his personal protection. Anyone who even thought of refusing to cooperate or obstructing the investigation needed to be mentally prepared for the consequences of defying the President himself.
"Really? You mean that? Full authority and full backing?" Aoki looked at Adams with a strange, unreadable expression and asked for confirmation, needing to be absolutely certain of the scope of the power being granted to him.
Adams nodded once, a firm, decisive motion, showing no regrets or hesitation in his decision.
"Aoki, just do it with confidence. We, the Elite Four, also add our full support to this endeavor!" Drake added, his voice carrying the weight of his station.
As one of the few people present who knew Aoki relatively well, Drake believed he understood Aoki's character quite well—he was not a reckless person who would abuse power without cause. Moreover, as the de facto leader of the Elite Four, his statement could be taken as representing all its members. Besides, Aoki's own teacher, Matsuda, was still serving as the acting Elite Four member and would undoubtedly support his protege without question.
"As for our Stone family," the patriarch announced, "Aoki, just go ahead and do what must be done. You have our support."
"My Jenny family offers its full support too!" declared another representative.
"And our Breeder's Guild pledges its assistance!" voiced the Guildmaster.
"So does our Coordinator Guild!" added another leader.
"Our family will provide any resources you require..."
"And we will ensure cooperation from our sector..."
"…"
Almost all the patriarchs or senior representatives of the major families and influential forces within the Hoenn region spoke up in turn, adding their voices to the chorus of support. Anyone who didn't speak up now would be committing a grave political faux pas, showing clear disrespect to President Adams. Furthermore, regarding Aoki, they all saw a young man with a blindingly bright future ahead of him. Now that he was being appointed Chief Investigator with such powers, he would definitely be able to move up the ranks in the future, so it was definitely a prudent idea to show goodwill and secure favor now.
In truth, even though Aoki looked reluctant and apprehensive on the surface, he was internally, extremely pleased. This was so perfectly suitable for his own, hidden agenda.
For Aoki, this authority was really the perfect shield. Nothing could protect his other, more clandestine identity better than this official, powerful one. He suddenly had the peculiar illusion of being an undercover agent, a feeling reminiscent of a deep-cover operative whose loyalty was constantly in question.
"Are you all completely sure about this? You grant me this power?" Aoki asked one final time, his eyes scanning the room.
Everyone nodded, their expressions a mix of encouragement and solemn duty.
"Okay then. I accept this duty." Aoki smiled, a slow, deliberate smile that didn't quite reach the cold calculation in his eyes.
Seeing that particular smile spread across Aoki's face, many of those who had just nodded in agreement felt an involuntary shudder travel down their spines. Even the confident smile on Adams' own face tightened and became a little stiff. An unsettling feeling crept into the room—a collective premonition that something unpredictable and potentially dangerous was about to be set into motion.
After receiving another round of unanimous confirmation, Aoki's smile remained. He pushed his chair back, the legs scraping softly against the polished floor, and began to walk slowly around the large, circular meeting room.
Every eye in the room turned to follow Aoki. They watched, mesmerized and slightly bewildered, as he walked a slow, deliberate circuit around the conference table.
Adams' expression gradually darkened as he watched. This kid... He immediately takes advantage of the fact that he is being protected and starts to act recklessly, testing his boundaries right in front of everyone.
After Aoki had completed three or four full circles around the room, Adams could stand it no longer. He raised his hand, intending to slam it down on the table to remind Aoki to pay attention to the occasion and the dignity of the assembled high-level officials of the League, who were not his toys to play psychological games with.
But just as his hand was about to descend onto the polished wood, Aoki abruptly put away the circling, playful smile on his face. His entire demeanor shifted to one of cold, serious intensity.
He stopped directly in front of one specific individual, his posture rigid. He was standing before a slightly fat, middle-aged man sitting on a chair towards the side of the room, who had been watching the proceedings with an air of detached boredom.
Seeing Aoki stop squarely in front of him, the middle-aged man's face suddenly clouded over, looking distinctly unhappy. A hint of displeasure and indignation puffed up his already round cheeks.
"Then I'll start with the first act of this new play," Aoki said, his voice light but carrying an undeniable, chilling weight.
"Aoki! Stop this messing around at once!" Before the fat man could even get angry, Aoki's own teacher, Matsuda, jumped up from his seat, his face pale with alarm. To arbitrarily slander a high-ranking League executive without any concrete evidence presented to the assembly would have severe, irreversible consequences for Aoki's newfound position and standing.
Aoki ignored Matsuda's frantic warning. His gaze was locked onto the man in the chair.
He looked down at the fat man, his tone dropping, becoming heavy and accusatory. "Excuse me, Vice President Beakley. What exact benefits did the Hunter's Guild offer you that made you choose to betray the Hoenn League and provide them with our internally bred and secured Pokemon?"
This Vice President Bickley was the head of a specific association within the League hierarchy: the Starter Pokemon Association. This body was responsible for the distribution of starter Pokemon to new Trainers registered with the League. When direct members of the league received their first partner Pokemon, these creatures were predominantly allocated by this very association. There were exceptions, of course; esteemed individuals like Professor Oak could personally assign Pokemon to people they favored. The Pokemon bred by these renowned professors were often much more valuable and sought-after than the standard offerings from the three starter families, and such privileges were not easily obtained. With the vast number of members in the league, the majority of initial Pokemon were allocated by this Starter Pokemon Association, giving it significant, albeit bureaucratic, power. It was also a position known for having considerable opportunities for under-the-table deals and embezzlement, a fact everyone knew but rarely spoke of aloud.
Beakley's expression straightened into a mask of outraged integrity upon hearing Aoki's direct question. "Investigator Aoki," he said, his voice dripping with condescension, "although you were just personally appointed by President Adams, you should also be acutely aware of the severe consequences that come with casually slandering a high-ranking member of the League in a formal setting such as this. These are not baseless accusations to be thrown around."
Aoki stared intently at Beakley, noting that there was no obvious sign of weakness on his face or in his portly body language. The man still looked every bit the affronted, upright official.
Aoki just laughed, a soft, derisive sound.
"Of course I know the consequences," Aoki replied, his voice low but clear in the silent room. "But I still have to find you out and call you on it now, because with your identity and position, you sitting here in this council, privy to our most sensitive discussions, poses too great a danger to the entire Hoenn League." Aoki looked so utterly confident, so completely sure of his ground, that many of those who had initially had great confidence in Vice President Beekley's innocence now felt a seed of doubt begin to grow, their certainty crumbling in the face of Aoki's unwavering conviction.
Adams, who had raised his hand and still hadn't brought it down, watched Aoki—who had just received his immense new authority—go straight for the jugular of a senior League executive. A complex, indescribable feeling settled in his stomach. It seemed undignified to just lower his hand now, and he felt a strange need to see this through, to uphold the authority he had just bestowed.
Pah pah pah——
For reasons utterly mysterious to everyone else in the room, Adams actually started clapping, his face a completely deadpan, unreadable mask. The slow, deliberate applause echoed starkly in the tense silence.
In an instant, everyone's attention was ripped from the confrontation between Aoki and Beakley and drawn back to the President.
Some people exchanged confused glances, utterly failing to understand why Adams had chosen to applaud at this specific, volatile moment.