Aoki, as the person involved, stated that he was completely unaware of this.
He boarded the Chief Investigator's private plane and headed to Fuyet Town.
The battle with Steven was just a month away. Aoki was different from Steven; although he said he didn't want it, his heart was very honest.
The position of Elite Four was the goal and direction he had always strived for. For him, this was a crucial turning point.
So, he had many things to prepare. The intense battles of the past few days meant his Pokémon also needed some time to recuperate.
Facing Steven, Aoki also needed to finalize his tactics.
Many Pokémon were also ready to evolve.
Sitting on the plane, a small blue and black dog lay on Aoki's lap, and a little green-haired girl floated in mid-air, swinging her legs, looking carefree.
These were Riolu and Kirlia, who hadn't appeared for a long time.
Aoki would let the two little ones out to play when he had free time, and they were always well-fed and well-taken care of, growing exceptionally well. Kirlia was also almost ready to evolve.
As for Riolu, although its level was increasing, there were no signs of evolution yet. Aoki planned to keep him by his side for a while.
Lucario would be the final piece of Aoki's Sandstorm team.
In Aoki's ideal plan, Tyranitar, Aggron, Blaziken, Salamence, Diancie, and Lucario would be the core Pokémon of his Sandstorm team. He could also switch in or add Swampert, Drapion, Florges, and Magearna, which were also excellent choices.
As for the Rain team, given Aoki's current situation, its formation speed wasn't as fast as the Sandstorm team, but the lineup was almost complete.
However, Aoki had new ideas for these two teams. Sometimes, team configurations shouldn't be limited to just one lineup.
The next day, as dawn broke, they arrived at Fuyet Town by plane.
His return this time was not secretive, nor could it be. The mayor of Fuyet Town, along with a large number of residents, welcomed his arrival in the square.
The current development of Fuyet Town was entirely due to Aoki.
And now, Aoki had become a highly sought-after celebrity in the Hoenn region, top-tier in terms of strength, fame, and influence.
Reaching his current level, being from a common background did not become a burden; instead, it made him a highly desirable figure.
If he wished, even if he established a small family, no one would say much; they would even try to curry favor, because everyone could now see his potential and room for growth.
Moreover, Aoki had already realized a part of his potential, which significantly reduced the risk for others.
If he could become an Elite Four, even a vast family like the Officer Jenny family, which spans all regions of the Pokémon world, would not restrict his personal freedom and aspirations. All resources would be open to him, provided he could fully mature.
For any family, this meant three to four decades of stable security.
Nothing was more important than ensuring the stable inheritance of a family. The only difference was that large families had more security, while small families had less.
As the true Gym Leader of Fuyet Town, Aoki gave a brief speech in the square.
Even so, he was warmly welcomed by the residents of Fuyet Town.
Although Aoki's current appearance was not particularly striking, even ordinary, when a man achieves remarkable success, his looks no longer matter as much.
Well, actually, it's still very important. If there was any flaw in Aoki now, it would only be his appearance.
However, wearing a human skin mask for a long time was indeed not a good thing for a person.
Originally, there was no choice; he needed two faces to conceal his identity, but now with psychic abilities, it was not so important.
Aoki had already thought of a way to solve this matter, but it would take some time. By then, he would be able to show his true face to people.
After finishing his speech, amidst everyone's applause, he returned to his backyard.
It had been a long time since he had returned.
However, with the care of many Pokémon, everything in the backyard was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Currently, in Fuyet Town, besides the Gym still being managed by Skye, the Sky Team had almost entirely relocated to Mauville City. Fuyet Town could be said to be the only town in the Hoenn region currently without underground forces, leading many people from other cities to choose to move to Fuyet Town.
As a result, the current population of Fuyet Town had more than doubled.
More and more people came seeking various things, whether to challenge the gym, catch Water-type Pokémon, visit the massive commercial street, or seek help from breeders. Fuyet Town was a very suitable place. The mayor even felt that if it continued to develop at this rate for another two or three years, Fuyet Town could apply to be upgraded to Fuyet City.
However, these things had little to do with Aoki.
In the backyard, he released all of his Pokémon.
Today was a rare day of rest; no battles, no training. All Pokémon were ordered by Aoki to rest. All training was forbidden today.
Even the most diligent Shelgon was stopped by him.
There was no other way; the Pokémon could only follow Aoki's instructions and enjoy the rare tranquility.
Slowking, Drapion, Swampert, and Shelgon lay lazily on the grass, resting and basking in the sun, feeling very comfortable.
Honchkrow, Weavile, Gengar, and Mismagius stayed together, discussing methods and techniques for using some moves.
There was no other way; Aoki didn't allow training, but surely he wouldn't stop them from discussing, right?
Florges, Diancie, Magearna, and Kirlia, the four Fairy-type Pokémon, stayed in a patch of flowers, playing with the butterflies among them. Girls' happiness was that simple.
Tyranitar, Aggron, and Blaziken sat together, competing to see who could eat more. However, Tyranitar and Aggron ate Pink Diamonds, while Blaziken ate Aoki's specially made energy blocks, which contained the most Moltres blood.
The energy in their respective foods was roughly the same.
Politoed and Seadra stayed in the backyard pond, swimming freely. There were many of Politoed's kin in the pond.
Riolu obediently lay on Aoki's lap, resting, as Aoki groomed its fur.
Riolu's dependence on Aoki was even more severe than Kirlia's.
Although it wasn't time for it to evolve yet, it probably wasn't far off.
As for Slaking, due to its excessive energy, even Aoki couldn't stop it. It had already rushed into the back mountain to become king.
Aoki also had a training plan for Slaking. Its specialized energy blocks would be completed tomorrow and would greatly benefit its evolution into Slaking.
As for Kommo-o, it lay alone in a corner of the backyard, sleeping.
Ever since it realized it seemed to have been tricked by Aoki, it hadn't given him a good look.
However, after Aoki told it that he might soon be able to help it find its kin, Kommo-o's expression improved considerably.
There were still four battle opportunities left.
Now that he thought about it, it really seemed like too many opportunities.
Cunning human.