The communication with the Regis this time was not as simple as it appeared.
Aoki had concealed many details, though the final outcome remained largely unchanged. For instance, the reason Regice suddenly rushed in this direction—ignoring Nolan's attempts to stop it—and even aggressively confronted Articuno, stemmed from a misunderstanding.
In truth, this incident was closely tied to Aoki and Slowking.
During Slowking's earlier battle, the trace of Mew's essence within it had been fully awakened. Sensing this, Regice, despite being far away, detected the aura of Mew and hurried toward its source. However, when the aura abruptly vanished, Regice grew furious and lashed out at Articuno, which had been obstructing its path.
Thus, the root cause of this incident lay in Slowking's absorption of Mew's essence.
Later, Aoki projected an illusion of Mew into Regice's mind, followed by the appearance of a relic tied to Mew's legend. This finally calmed Regice, allowing communication to begin.
Pokémon like the Regis were inherently rigid, making the exchange between Aoki and Regice somewhat disjointed. Still, the outcome was favorable.
Aoki informed Regice that he might know Mew's whereabouts and urged it to remain quiet for the time being. If it acted recklessly, stronger individuals might intervene, leading to its capture.
As a Pokémon with a straightforward nature, Regice, after seeing the illusions Aoki conjured, chose to trust him without hesitation.
Brought to the ruins by Mew long ago, Regice existed solely to guard the Mythical Pokémon. Its loyalty was absolute, ingrained from birth.
Aoki explained that locating Mew might take years, but for Regice, a few years were no more than a brief rest. It agreed readily, convinced that Aoki was trustworthy.
By contrast, the ones who had blocked it—including the powerful Articuno—were not to be trusted.
Finally, Aoki pressed for more details. Why did Regice need to find Mew? And why had it left the Ruins of Mew in the first place? These questions weighed heavily on Aoki's mind.
Regice explained that locating Mew was its duty, and it required Mew's assistance to resolve a long-standing issue. As for why it had left the ruins, it had been pursuing another Pokémon that had intruded into the sacred grounds. However, once outside, Regice found itself unable to return. Check latest chapters at NoveI~Fire.net
It no longer knew the way home.
So it lingered, searching for traces of Mew.
As for why its power had diminished, Regice itself could not explain.
Aoki's promise to help locate Mew within a few years was not baseless.
Team Rocket's recent discovery of the Ruins of Mew would inevitably lead to research on Mew's genetic material. Mewtwo's creation was only a matter of time. Once Mewtwo broke free from Team Rocket's control, Mew itself would likely appear to intervene. Aoki was not deceiving Regice—he genuinely believed this would happen.
The communication with Regice had been difficult, but once Aoki convinced it to remain silent, further discussion became impossible—Drake and the others had arrived.
Before parting, Aoki instructed Regice to return to its hiding place, assuring it that he would seek it out later.
Without suspicion, Regice revealed the location—a secluded island in the sea.
Coincidentally, Aoki already knew of this island. During his travels aboard the S.S. Anne, he had left Psychic markers there. Even the island where Regice had hidden was marked, thanks to the Slowpoke he had sent earlier.
Such a rare and communicative Pokémon was hard to ignore, and Aoki couldn't help but entertain certain thoughts.
Of course, capturing Regice was impossible. These Pokémon were bound by unwavering loyalty. Unless Mew itself released them from their duty, they would never abandon their mission.
It was akin to the three Regis guarding the ancient ruins in the Hoenn region. They served the ancient rulers, and whoever inherited that legacy would command their obedience without question.
As for the Pokémon that had drawn Regice out of the Ruins of Mew, Aoki had a suspicion—the father of the two Swablu he had at home. Only an outsider Pokémon could have provoked such a reaction.
The mysteries weighed on him, and Aoki longed to pierce through the fog of uncertainty. But his current strength was insufficient.
Even with Slowking now at the pseudo-Champion level, it still wasn't enough.
Patting Flygon's back, he signaled for it to descend.
Meanwhile, the League's high-level meeting continued despite Regice's retreat.
While one major crisis had been averted, a new, "smaller" issue now dominated the discussion.
Adams, seated at the conference table, had been oscillating between pride and frustration lately.
His pride stemmed from the emergence of two promising young Trainers in Hoenn—Steven of the Stone family, and Aoki, a commoner with extraordinary potential.
Initially, Adams had assumed Steven's strength surpassed Aoki's, given the Stone family's vast resources. Aoki, meanwhile, had been valued primarily for his talent as a Breeder.
But today's events had proven that assumption wrong. Aoki's potential as a Trainer was just as formidable as his skill in breeding.
Originally, Adams had supported Aoki as a gesture to the Breeder's Guild, fostering goodwill as they expanded into Hoenn. Now, it was clear that Aoki's abilities as a Trainer were equally exceptional.
After Drake's battle with Aoki concluded, Adams immediately conveyed his thoughts to the League's upper echelons.
His stance was clear: Nurture him.
An endorsement from an Elite Four member carried immense weight, and today's events had revealed yet another facet of Aoki's potential—his Psychic abilities.
Everyone present understood what Telepathy meant for a high-level Trainer.
With the meeting still in session, Adams sought to secure greater support for Aoki. Previously, he had only promoted Aoki's reputation without offering tangible benefits. Now, he needed to rectify that—before the factions below began fighting over him.