Two days later, Aoki found himself within the confines of Jarvis's private study. The contents of every book on the shelves had been meticulously scanned and uploaded into his internal system. During these same two days, Jarvis had successfully established control over the three Champion-level Pokémon provided to him.
The morning court session of the Azoth Kingdom was set to commence. Due to the advanced age of the current king and the young Prince Rakel's inability to participate in governance, these meetings were no longer a daily occurrence. After a period of deliberation among the ministers, this particular session was identified as the ideal stage for the performance Aoki and Jarvis had orchestrated.
Jarvis departed for the morning meeting at the customary hour. Shortly after proceedings began, Aoki, playing the part of the villain, stormed into the throne room with a contingent of Team Flare grunts, launching a brazen assault aimed at the king. However, Jarvis, having prepared for this very event, intercepted them. He valiantly blocked the attack and repelled the invaders, driving Aoki and his minions into a retreat.
This sudden display of formidable strength from Jarvis earned him the recognition he had long sought from his father, the king. The monarch acknowledged that while his son's pursuits in mysticism might be lacking, his prowess in Pokémon training was clearly exceptional. Furthermore, the other ministers and royal family members present witnessed Jarvis's power firsthand, ensuring that for the foreseeable future, none would be so foolhardy as to cause him trouble. Most crucially, the spectacle deeply impressed the young Prince Rakel. The boy committed the image of Jarvis's heroic defense to memory, and the fact that Jarvis had protected their elderly father solidified a bond of trust. It was certain that when Prince Rakel eventually ascended to the throne, his reliance on Jarvis would be absolute.
In a single day, through a play that, while containing some artifice and minor plot holes, was convincing enough for its audience, Jarvis had reclaimed the respect and recognition he desperately desired.
Later, Aoki met with Jarvis once more at his mansion. He presented Jarvis with a specialized communicator, instructing him to keep it secure and carry it with him at all times to maintain contact. This device was suspected to contain a monitoring system not unlike the one carried by Lysandre.
"Thank you for your assistance, sir," Jarvis said, his tone filled with genuine respect. The process might have seemed straightforward, but he knew unequivocally that without Aoki's intervention, achieving this outcome would have been impossible. Combined with the psychic presence now residing in his mind, any reluctance was overshadowed by acceptance. With Aoki's support, his own ambitions felt within reach.
"Incidentally, I have a particularly fascinating research topic for you," Aoki stated. "If you can unravel its secrets, I believe it will be of significant benefit to both of us."
"Oh?" Jarvis's interest was immediately piqued; he had a deep passion for investigating the unusual. "Might I inquire as to what you are referring to..."
Aoki smiled faintly and retrieved a Key Stone from his pocket. Simultaneously, his Gengar materialized slowly from the shadows of the room. "Observe carefully. I will only demonstrate this once." After giving the instruction, Aoki nodded to Gengar. "Gengar, Mega Evolve!"
As the Key Stone in Aoki's hand erupted with the unique energy wave of Mega Evolution, it resonated with the Gengarite held by Gengar. Instantly, a brilliant, swirling energy enveloped the Ghost-type Pokémon before being completely absorbed into its body. Mega Gengar now hovered before Jarvis, its form dramatically altered and its presence vastly more powerful.
Jarvis's eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated astonishment. "This... this is... Mega Evolution?" he stammered, his gaze darting between Aoki and the transformed Pokémon.
Aoki touched his Key Stone again, canceling the evolution and reverting Gengar to its regular form. He gave a confirming nod. "Yes. This is Mega Evolution. And I am convinced that the principles of mysticism can be applied to study and analyze this phenomenon."
"Mysticism... can achieve that?" Jarvis murmured, barely able to comprehend the possibility.
"You have the resources. I will await your positive news," Aoki said. Without further ceremony, he utilized his psychic abilities to levitate into the air and departed swiftly from Jarvis's mansion, disappearing into the sky.
Left alone, Jarvis stared blankly at the spot where Mega Gengar had been, then at the now-normal Gengar. An exhilarating, feverish excitement surged within him. This was it! This was the breakthrough he had always been searching for! Success in this endeavor would not only shock the entire Azoth Kingdom but would also establish a branch of mysticism entirely independent of Nikola's legacy. He had finally found his true direction. Immediately, Jarvis sequestered himself once more within his study, desperately trying to recall every sensation and detail of the transformation, fervently recording his thoughts and inspirations into his notebooks.
Aoki harbored no concerns about Jarvis leaking information regarding Mega Evolution. The geographical isolation of the Azoth Kingdom from the main League regions was a significant factor. Moreover, Jarvis had not clearly seen the Gengarite; his view of the Key Stone in Aoki's hand had been brief and obscured. The ultimate safeguard, however, was the real-time monitoring and the control Aoki held over Jarvis's life. If such worries were paramount, he would never have entrusted Jarvis with the research in the first place.
...
Five days later, Aoki returned quietly to the Hoenn region. Having temporarily resolved the affairs in the Kalos region, he had handed oversight of Jarvis to Lysandre, instructing him to assign personnel to monitor the situation closely. He even suggested that, if the opportunity arose, Team Flare could consider overthrowing the Azoth royal family and establishing the kingdom as a new base of operations—a far more secure location than the secret mountain base outside Lumiose City. Aoki had no intention of involving himself deeply in the subsequent details.
He did not return directly to Verdanturf Town. Instead, he took careful measures to conceal his trail before appearing at the Sky Hunter Team's secret base in Goldenrod City. The Sky Hunters had now completely supplanted the former Void syndicate, cementing their position as a major power within the city. However, under Rose's capable management, merely dividing territory within Goldenrod City was no longer sufficient to meet the growing organization's needs.
Some time ago, Rose had proposed that Aoki take direct action to eliminate all rival forces in Goldenrod City, unifying the urban underground under their banner. Aoki had previously been unavailable, but now, with a window of time, he had come specifically to address this. Ideally, the Sky Hunters would assume control over the entire city. Furthermore, with Wattson having retired to Goldenrod City after his severe injury and resignation from the Elite Four, he was unlikely to interfere. His current pursuits were peace, stability, and a quiet retirement. As long as the Sky Hunters maintained order, Wattson would likely view their consolidation of power favorably.
Upon Aoki's return, the Sky Hunters began to move decisively. In truth, Aoki's personal involvement in these operations was minimal. He spent most of his time training his Pokémon within the team's secret base. When enemies emerged that Rose and the other admins could not handle, he would dispatch his Honchkrow and Weavile. The combined power of these two Pokémon was more than adequate to overcome any opposition in Goldenrod City, save for the retired Wattson.
Aoki also entrusted the remaining Champion-level Pokémon acquired from the Jinchuan family to Kaitou. She was the only member of the Sky Hunters, besides Rose, who possessed the potential to eventually command a Pokémon of that caliber. With the Hunter's Guild uprooted in Hoenn, the region experienced a temporary halt in the illicit Pokémon trade. Various families and underground forces that relied on Pokémon resale were undoubtedly pleased by this vacuum. The Sky Hunters, however, had no intention of ceasing their capture of wild Pokémon. With the Guild gone and their sights set on dominating Goldenrod City, establishing their own controlled distribution channel was the logical next step. Kaitou, with her extensive experience in acquisition, was perfectly suited to oversee this new enterprise.