The battle between Lance and Steven was originally intended to determine a victor, but its purpose was primarily to help Lance practice his tactics before he proceeded to his official challenge match. Simultaneously, it served to show Steven exactly how far he was from meeting the minimum standard required of the Elite Four. The battle between the two Trainers lasted for a full thirty minutes and concluded only when Steven's Metagross lost its ability to battle. However, the injury to the Metagross was not particularly serious, and since they were at the League headquarters, there was no need to worry about long-term damage. Aoki simply treated the Metagross, and it recovered almost immediately.

The one who fought against Lance afterwards was Phoebe. Phoebe was still somewhat weaker than Steven. However, Lance did not employ his full strength during their match. He engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Phoebe specifically to hone his tactical prowess, and their encounter concluded after twenty minutes. Then it was Wallace's turn. Aoki was scheduled for the finale. Wallace directly sent out his ace Pokemon, Milotic, and Lance sent out his Gyarados in response. The arena witnessed a dramatic collision of two powerful Water-type Pokemon. The spectacle reminded Aoki of a battle between a Gyarados and a Milotic he had once seen on Trial Island, though the Pokemon used by Lance and Wallace were far more powerful than those he had observed in the past.

The outcome of Wallace's match was not much different from the previous ones, though Wallace managed to persist a little longer. After fighting for twenty-five minutes, the two Trainers ended their battle. Lance had now secured three consecutive victories. Although Aoki and the others did not mind the outcomes, Ash and Gary, who were watching from behind, kept cheering enthusiastically for the challengers. They were, of course, considered outsiders merely watching the excitement. Aoki and Professor Oak observed the proceedings with great interest. Judging from the actual strength displayed, Lance was indeed significantly more powerful than the three challengers. Yet, Lance was also much older than them, and both Aoki and the Professor could still clearly see the excellent talent possessed by Steven, Phoebe, and Wallace. Professor Oak often found himself sighing at the sheer luck Adams seemed to have in attracting such skilled individuals.

Finally, it was Aoki's turn to step onto the battlefield. Aoki did not refuse the challenge; he calmly took off his coat and placed it on his chair. "Come on, Brother Aoki!" Ash and Gary cheered for him in unison. Aoki smiled and nodded in acknowledgment of their support. He walked over to the position opposite Lance and asked, "How are you holding up?" Hearing this, Lance's expression became serious. He gave a firm nod and said, "Very strong!" Of course, they were referring to the strength demonstrated by Steven, Phoebe, and Wallace. Before his battles with Steven, Phoebe, and Wallace, Lance had sent out his Charizard, his Aerodactyl, and his Gyarados respectively. As far as Aoki knew, Lance also possessed his true ace Pokemon, Dragonite, and Aoki had never seen him use his remaining two team members. "Let's begin," Lance said, taking out a Pokeball and throwing it onto the field. Aoki had already decided which Pokemon he would use and threw his own Pokeball out directly.

A pure blue Pokemon materialized on the field with a low cry: Kingdra. The Pokemon Aoki had sent out was his Florges! Of course, Florges held a significant type advantage when facing Dragon-type Pokemon. Even if Lance were to send out his Dragonite, Aoki believed his Florges had the capability to put up a fight for a while. As for actually winning, the level difference was likely too substantial to overcome, making victory nearly impossible. But if the opponent was Kingdra, that outcome was not so certain. "Is that a Pokemon from the Dragon-type specialist clan?" was the thought that crossed Aoki's mind upon seeing the Kingdra. The ace Pokemon of Lance's cousin, Clair, was a Kingdra, and Aoki had even fought against it during the Sinnoh Tournament. The Kingdra that Lance was using now was most likely a more recent acquisition, possibly even a gift from the dragon-taming clan. It was probably given to him as a Seadra on the verge of evolution, requiring only a Dragon Scale and a little training to become a Kingdra. The thing the dragon clan had in the greatest abundance was Dragon Scales; as long as a Seadra was trained to a certain level, it could evolve into a Kingdra. For Lance, this provided a powerful and immediate addition to his team. There would be no lingering side effects from such a method, and he could continue to improve the Kingdra little by little in the future. This was the customary approach these great families used to cultivate their core members.

This guess was confirmed for Aoki after he mentally scanned the Kingdra's information.

Pokemon: Kingdra (Light Blue)

Gender: Male

Level: 73

Attributes: Water + Dragon

Ability: Sniper

Held Item: Dragon Scale

Inherited Moves: Aurora Beam, Dragon Rage, Dragon Breath, Smokescreen

Basic Moves: Hydro Pump, Yawn, Bubble, Leer, Water Gun, Twister, Bubble Beam, Focus Energy, Brine, Agility, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Dance, Water Pulse

TM Moves: Draco Meteor, Scald, Bounce, Iron Head, Outrage, Icy Wind, Surf, Snore

Egg Moves: Protect, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Hyper Beam, Rain Dance, Double Team, Scald, Rest, Waterfall

But to be honest, while Aoki might not covet much else, he certainly felt a pang of envy at the sight of the held Dragon Scale. He was just... envious. Here was a Kingdra that, even after evolving, still had a spare Dragon Scale equipped. Aoki's only source for a Dragon Scale was the Kommo-o that now resided on his island, but if he tried to pull another scale from it, the Pokemon probably wouldn't stand for it. The Sniper ability, the Light Blue potential, and the extensive move list—this was quite simply a Kingdra that had been raised in a dragon's nest. Just having a dragon's nest allows you to do whatever you want? The dragon-taming clan would tell you... simply having a dragon's nest isn't quite enough, but possessing an entire dragon's lair certainly does allow for such extravagance. However, since this Kingdra was a recent addition to Lance's team, even with the formidable support of the dragon clan, it had not been able to break through to the semi-Champion level in such a short time. Even reaching its current level was likely the result of the clan consuming an unknown quantity of resources. It was clear that Lance was held in very high esteem within the dragon-taming clan.

"This Kingdra is..." Aoki didn't state it directly, but a meaningful look passed between the two Trainers. Lance nodded calmly. "Yes. Now that I think about it, I still have to thank you for your guidance and help the last time we met." "It's simple. Just treat us to a meal later," Aoki said with a wave of his hand. Hearing this, Lance also smiled and nodded. "That's no problem at all." Steven, Phoebe, and Wallace, who were sitting nearby, watched the silent exchange between Aoki and Lance... "There's something fishy going on between those two," Phoebe whispered. Steven and Wallace nodded in agreement, their expressions suggesting they were trying to uncover the source of this unspoken understanding. "Let me see just how much a Fairy-type Pokemon can restrain a Dragon-type," Lance stated. Aoki simply smiled in response without saying a word. His Florges was not a pure Fairy-type, but its primary typing was a significant advantage. If Lance had sent out his Dragonite, Florges would have stood no chance at all. But by sending out his Kingdra, which was a dual Water and Dragon-type, the outcome was truly uncertain. Moreover, unlike Lance's previous Pokemon that had broken through to the quasi-Champion level, this Kingdra was still at the senior King level. Although its level was higher than Florges's, the advantage conferred by level was often not as decisive as the advantage conferred by type effectiveness. The primary thing to be cautious of was the Kingdra's Sniper ability, which could make its critical hits devastating. At this point, the strength of Aoki's Florges was nothing to scoff at.

Pokemon: Florges (Dark Teal)

Gender: Female

Level: 70

Attribute: Fairy

Ability: Flower Veil

Held Item: Miracle Seed

Egg Moves: Copycat, Captivate, Camouflage, Tearful Look

Basic Moves: Tackle, Vine Whip, Fairy Wind, Lucky Chant, Magical Leaf, Wish, Leaf Blade, Grassy Terrain, Petal Blizzard, Aromatherapy, Disarming Voice, Flower Shield, Grass Knot, Misty Terrain, Moonblast, Petal Dance

Learnt Moves: Worry Seed, Synthesis, Heal Bell, After You, Seed Bomb, Giga Drain

TM Moves: Safeguard, Energy Ball, Grass Knot, Misty Terrain, Psychic

"Florges, use Misty Terrain!" Aoki commanded, initiating the battle.