When Aoki and Steven entered Verdanturf Town, it was already a bit late.
But there were still quite a few people in Verdanturf Town, all gathered at the gate of the gym.
They had been waiting for their gym leader. Although he was not originally from Verdanturf Town, he wanted to help develop it.
A boy only sixteen years old, yet possessing such strong determination—he was affectionately called the savior of Verdanturf Town by its residents.
Now, knowing that Aoki was returning and that the gym might officially open today, they gathered together to celebrate.
The future development of Verdanturf Town would only get better!
To save time, Aoki and Steven did not dismount from their flying Pokémon when they entered Verdanturf Town. Instead, they flew directly to the open space in front of the gym.
The opening ceremony was not as grand as one might expect, but for the residents of Verdanturf Town, it was more than enough.
Under the witness of Steven, Matsuda, and some League commissioners—including Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny—Aoki officially announced the opening of the Water-type gym in Verdanturf Town!
At the same time, he began recruiting management personnel and cleaning staff from the residents, mainly for the gym's daily maintenance and upkeep.
Not only that, but he also provided new job opportunities to a large number of strong men in Verdanturf Town.
Aoki planned to build a huge artificial lake next to the gym, a massive project that, even with the assistance of Pokémon, would take time to complete.
However, this move by Aoki was the first step in Verdanturf Town's economic development.
Once residents earned their first wages through this work, they would start spending, stimulating further economic growth.
Although it seemed like Aoki was investing a large sum of money upfront, once the economy flourished, the profits from this endeavor would more than make up for the initial costs.
All jobs would be paid according to standard wages, and workers would also receive priority access to gym admission tickets.
Naturally, the residents of Verdanturf Town were excited about this.
Everyone was eager to sign up, but today was the gym's grand opening, not the time for Aoki to recruit workers, so hiring was temporarily postponed.
After addressing the crowd and asking Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny to assist in organizing the hiring process, Aoki, Steven, and his mentor Matsuda entered the gym.
The League commissioner was simply there to go through formalities. With Matsuda present, no one dared to object.
All the main facilities inside the gym had been fully arranged. Except for the upper floors, which were still empty, the entire gym was on par with a standard League gym.
"Aoki, from now on, you're officially a gym leader!" Steven laughed, patting Aoki on the shoulder.
Now, his friend had become a gym leader, while he had yet to achieve his own goal. It was time for him to start making his move.
Steven thought to himself.
Aoki glanced at him.
He said with some frustration, "If it weren't for Verdanturf Town, I wouldn't have opened this gym. It ties me down too much."
Matsuda just watched Aoki and Steven—the two young rising stars of the League—with a smile that deepened the wrinkles on his face.
He had heard from Lance that Aoki and Steven had recently explored Mount Chimney together and even defeated a Pokémon at the pseudo-Elite level. Though there were some unexpected events along the way, that didn't change the fact that Aoki and Steven had made a name for themselves with this battle.
Previously, Aoki's reputation was mostly tied to Pokémon breeding, while Steven was primarily known as the heir to Devon Corporation. But from today onward, their names would spread widely among the upper ranks of the League.
As Lance personally put it, both of them had talents on par with his own.
Originally, the Hoenn League had been looking for promising young Trainers to nurture. They had just found two perfect candidates.
Steven! Aoki!
Aren't these two living prodigies?
The president of the Hoenn League branch, Adams, immediately declared that the League would vigorously support Steven and Aoki, hoping they could soon become the faces of the Hoenn Region.
Of course, the League's expectations for Aoki leaned more toward his expertise as a Breeder, while Steven was being groomed as a top Trainer.
However, neither Aoki nor Steven knew anything about this yet.
Matsuda was aware but chose not to say anything.
He wanted Aoki and Steven to develop at their own pace.
Whether the League supported them or not, Matsuda believed that prodigies like Aoki and Steven would inevitably grow into powerful Trainers.
What they needed now was a relatively safe environment to develop.
And that was exactly what the League would provide.
After chatting with Steven for a while, Aoki looked at his mentor.
Freezing an ordinary person in their tracks wouldn't be easy, but Matsuda had a soft spot for his only apprentice—especially one with such incredible potential.
"Teacher," Aoki said apologetically.
Matsuda waved his hand dismissively.
"I came here for two reasons," Matsuda explained. "First, to witness my student opening his own gym. That's a great honor for me. Second, the elders at the Breeder's Guild Headquarters wanted to establish a branch here in Verdanturf Town, but I didn't agree right away. I wanted to hear your thoughts first."
Calling it "your Verdanturf Town" made Matsuda's stance clear.
Right now, in Verdanturf Town, Aoki had the final say.
There were no underground criminal organizations causing trouble, and the League's official presence was united under Aoki's influence.
At this point, Aoki was not only the gym leader but was more like the town's leader than the actual mayor.
For a League prodigy like Aoki, who essentially controlled Verdanturf Town, the League was willing to turn a blind eye.
Hearing Matsuda's words, Aoki, who had already anticipated this, only thought for a moment before responding.
"Teacher, tell them they can open a branch, but I will be the president!" Aoki said firmly.
Normally, only high-level Breeders could serve as branch presidents. Although Aoki was incredibly talented, he was still only an intermediate-level Breeder.
However, with a veteran Breeder like Matsuda supporting him, along with the people Aoki had personally trained, it wasn't impossible.
It just meant that this new branch would have very few high-level Breeders—perhaps none at all.
After all, senior Breeders were proud individuals. Not everyone would be willing to work under an intermediate-level Breeder, even one with a promising future.