Aoki flew towards Mossdeep City on his Flygon. Flygon could no longer quite keep up with his current pace, but for journeys that were not urgent, it sufficed well enough. Once his Shelgon evolved into Salamence, the concern over a reliable flying mount would become a thing of the past.
...
Mossdeep City.
Devon Corporation Building.
In Steven's office.
Steven's office had been temporarily converted into a Pokémon training arena. He had set aside all his duties at the Devon Corporation for the time being. This decision was influenced by his previous conversation with Aoki.
Steven had spoken with his father about his goals and aspirations, and he had agreed, allowing Steven to temporarily relinquish his corporate responsibilities to focus entirely on training and raising his Pokémon.
Securing first place in the Sinnoh League Conference had proven Steven's potential. As a regular attendee of League meetings, his father understood the importance of pure strength.
Besides, he was still in good health, so it was an opportune time to let Steven develop further. The Stone family needed someone who could reach the pinnacle through sheer power.
Otherwise, others would always perceive the Stone family first as a merchant dynasty, then consider the family's overall influence, and only lastly their individual strength. Steven was the one in this generation of the Stone family with the greatest hope of reaching the summit through his own personal power.
After understanding the sequence of events, Aoki could not help but feel that Steven was progressing faster in this life and would likely become a Champion even sooner. With the full support of the Stone family behind him, Aoki wondered what kind of impact this would have on the future. The flapping of Aoki's own wings, like a butterfly's, had gradually begun to stir a storm. The mission he was about to undertake was, in some ways, connected to his own actions.
"Would you like a drink?" Steven asked, having just finished training with his Pokémon. He was lightly sweating and wiped his brow with a towel as he spoke. This was a habit he had picked up from Aoki. If one wanted to improve the bond and understanding between Trainer and Pokémon, participating in training together was remarkably effective.
"Some wine, please," Aoki replied after a moment's hesitation, smiling.
Steven was taken aback. He had never seen Aoki drink alcohol. "Wine? I thought you said you didn't drink. And aren't you still underage?" Despite his words, he retrieved a bottle of wine from the refrigerator, added ice cubes to two glasses, and poured a measure for both himself and Aoki. The alcohol content was low, so a little would not cause any impairment. Steven himself enjoyed a small drink occasionally, finding it helped fuel his passion for his work. He had offered Aoki a drink before, but Aoki had always refused. Now he was asking for it?
Aoki smiled without elaborating. He had always abstained because he felt a constant pressure, a need to maintain an absolutely clear and calm mind. But now that his strength had grown, his entire mindset had shifted. "A little is fine," Aoki said, taking a small sip. The wine was light, with a pleasant taste. In his previous life, he had enjoyed drinking; it had been a way to relieve stress and had gradually become a habit. But since his rebirth, he had not touched a drop.
"I've told you before, drinking is about the sensation, not the pursuit of alcohol. A little bit can make you more passionate about your work, but you mustn't overdo it. One glass a day is the limit," Steven said with a smile. This was something he had learned from his father. He was a little older than Aoki, so he was of legal age to drink. Since he only drank a modest amount daily, no one minded. Steven's self-discipline was very high.
The two of them sat on the sofa, drinking in a comfortable silence. For a while, neither broke the rare tranquility. After some time, Aoki set down his glass. "You received the mission notice too, right?"
"Yeah. I didn't expect it to happen so soon," Steven replied, also smiling.
After another moment of silence, Steven continued, "I never thought Lance would progress this quickly. We need to hurry up as well. The Hoenn region has been through so much lately... this is an opportunity for us too..."
"Then Lance is going to challenge the Elite Four," Aoki said, a flicker of complexity in his eyes. He had thought the transition would be slower, and he had been working hard to grow stronger himself, but he hadn't anticipated Lance pulling ahead. After parting ways in the Kalos region, the two had not been in contact.
Aoki had traveled to the Ho-Oh dimension, then journeyed to the Nibel Plateau, and spent another three months training. In total, about five or six months had passed. In that time, Lance's strength had undergone earth-shattering changes. "Could it be that because of what I said last time, he's let go of his grudge against the Blackthorn Family?" Aoki felt a little embarrassed.
It seemed his influence on these regional Champions was greater than he'd thought. According to the original timeline, Lance should still have been serving as a Chief Inspector.
"If he weren't challenging the Elite Four, what would we be going to watch? To get inspired?" Steven asked, a note of confusion in his voice.
Aoki smiled meaningfully. "That's one way to put it. But don't you know the current state of affairs in our Hoenn region? It's a turbulent time... I have a feeling it's going to get even more lively soon." After Team Sky had fully occupied Slateport City, they had established an intelligence network according to Aoki's specifications.
He didn't require deep infiltration, but at least they would be informed quickly when major events occurred. While the Hoenn League was dealing with the Hunter's Guild, Team Magma and Team Aqua had not made any overt major moves and seemed to be laying low, but they had actually been quite active in the shadows. At the very least, many former members of the Hunter's Guild had subsequently joined Team Magma and Team Aqua. Aoki estimated that these two organizations would not remain silent for much longer.
Hearing this, Steven smirked. "Even if we weren't going to watch, it would still be 'exciting' enough. President Adams's actions were completely unnecessary."
"Just the two of us?" Steven then asked.
Before Aoki could answer, two figures appeared at the doorway.
"Aoki! Steven! We're here!" one of them called out, rushing forward quickly. It was Phoebe.
The person who entered with her was Wallace, wearing a large white coat and holding a guitar case in his hands!
"See? Everyone is here," Aoki said, smiling.
Phoebe ran up to them, her nose suddenly twitching. She looked at Steven and Aoki in disbelief. "You two are drinking?! Aoki, you aren't even of legal age yet, are you?"
Wallace came over as well. "Looks like we've caught you red-handed."
Aoki and Steven looked at each other, their smiles unwavering, and said in unison, "Care to join us?"
Hearing this, Wallace was momentarily stunned. Then he smiled and nodded. "Alright."
Phoebe stood there in a daze, watching as Wallace joined them. For a moment, the image she held of the three of them shattered in her mind.