Aoki saw the glint of calculation in Shelly's eyes and kept his distance. He knew better than to underestimate a desperate opponent. If Shelly managed a last-minute counterattack, it would be humiliating to fall right after victory.
"I'm giving you two choices," Aoki said calmly. "Either I hand you over to the League, or you join my team."
He didn't need to beat Shelly into submission. He needed subordinates, and Shelly was no ordinary grunt—she was on track to become a Team Aqua Admin. With her talent and potential, she might one day reach the Elite level. That was a resource too valuable to waste.
Shelly's eyes narrowed. "Join your team? You're with Team Magma, aren't you?"
It was the most obvious assumption. The two villainous teams were bitter rivals, constantly clashing in Hoenn's underworld.
Aoki shook his head. "I'm not with Team Magma. I haven't officially formed my own team yet. I plan to create Team Sky—a group dedicated to chasing down Rayquaza."
Shelly's brow furrowed. She knew Rayquaza was a legendary Pokémon of immense power, one that ruled over Kyogre and Groudon.
Aoki smirked. "Of course, I'm not stupid enough to think we can just go capture Rayquaza. That's just a mantra. The real purpose is to form an organization where strong trainers support each other. A single person, no matter how powerful, can't compete with an entire top-tier family or organization."
Shelly hesitated, his words striking a chord. His logic was sound. Even if a trainer reached Champion level, they could still be outmaneuvered by large organizations like Devon Corporation or the League. Strength alone wasn't enough—alliances mattered.
And Team Sky wasn't an outright criminal group. If it wasn't seen as a threat to the world order, it wouldn't get hunted down like Team Aqua or Team Magma.
Of course, her real reason for agreeing was simple—she was caught. She had no leverage.
"I accept," Shelly said decisively.
But her thoughts were already working on a plan. She'd join, gain Aoki's trust, and escape when the chance arose.
Aoki chuckled. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not naive. Before you join, we're recording something first."
Shelly's face turned pale.
"R-record?" she stammered, suddenly wary. "Wait… you don't mean…"
Her mind raced through disturbing scenarios. Could Aoki be that kind of person? And right here of all places?!
A few minutes later, Shelly's face was bright red, though not for the reasons she'd feared.
She had misunderstood.
The video was simply a confession—her admitting loyalty to Aoki while he wore a Team Magma uniform.
Aoki smirked as he replayed the footage. "This should be enough insurance. If you ever betray me, all I have to do is send this to Team Aqua, and they'll think you were a spy all along."
Shelly gritted her teeth. If that video got out, Team Aqua wouldn't just kick her out—they'd eliminate her. She was trapped.
"…Fine," she muttered. "I'm part of Team Sky now."
Aoki nodded approvingly. "Good. Your mission within Team Aqua is simple—build up your own team. Recruit competent trainers and secure valuable resources. When the time comes, I'll make sure your record is wiped clean so you can leave Team Aqua safely."
Shelly didn't respond, but she mentally noted the promise. Could Aoki actually pull that off? She doubted it, but if he could, maybe staying wasn't such a bad option.
Aoki turned to leave but suddenly paused. He reached into his bag and tossed a backpack to Shelly.
"Here. Pokéblocks. High-quality food for Pokémon. Use it to raise your team properly."
Shelly raised an eyebrow. Pokéblocks? She had never heard of them before. But if they really were top-tier food, they could be extremely valuable.
"Also, back up the data you stole before I take the rest," Aoki instructed.
Shelly sighed and did as she was told, copying the stolen files and then handing the original data to Aoki. He took it and watched as Shelly walked away, confirming that she was truly leaving before turning in the opposite direction.
As he approached Rustboro City, he spotted a group of people rushing toward him. Leading them was a distinguished man with neatly combed gray hair—President Stone, the head of Devon Corporation. He was accompanied by armed Devon security personnel.
When they reached Aoki, President Stone's sharp eyes scanned the area. "Young man, were you able to recover the stolen data?"
Aoki nodded and handed over the documents.
"I couldn't capture the thief, but I recovered these," he said casually.
President Stone's eyes gleamed with gratitude. "This is more than enough! Thank you, my boy."
Aoki knew Devon Corporation wasn't an enemy he wanted to make. Even if he was curious about the contents of the files, he was confident he'd get a copy from Shelly later. There was no need to risk suspicion.
"Then I'll leave the rest to Officer Jenny," Aoki said. "You should check whether any data is still missing."
President Stone sighed, nodding. "Indeed. There's no point chasing after the thief now. She's probably long gone."
Aoki glanced in the direction Shelly had fled but said nothing.
On the way back to Devon's headquarters, President Stone became even friendlier toward Aoki. He had recovered stolen corporate data and proven himself to be both strong and intelligent. That made him someone worth keeping an eye on.
The two talked and laughed along the way, appearing as though they had known each other for years.
By the time they reached Devon Corporation, Aoki had successfully cemented himself as an ally in the eyes of one of Hoenn's most powerful men.
And that, he knew, would be invaluable in the future.
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