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Zoroark was currently the strongest Pokémon in Hughes' team. His other Pokémon were only in their forties. Now that Zoroark had fallen, Hughes was instantly pushed to the brink of defeat by Sato.
The last Pokémon Hughes released was a level-48 Honchkrow. However, this Honchkrow clearly lacked the ability to turn the tide.
Sato directly sent out Pikachu, whose stamina was almost completely intact.
Then, without any suspense, after Honchkrow used Protect to block Pikachu's Thunderbolt, it was knocked down the very next moment. Before it could even get close to Pikachu, it was struck down by a single Electro Ball.
The battle was over.
Sato ultimately won the Pokémon battle, successfully achieving ten consecutive victories.
.....
"Next time, I definitely won't underestimate you again. You'll be participating in next year's Hoenn League Regional Tournament, right? When that time comes, let's battle again. I'll go all out. In any case, I'm very glad to have met you, Mr. Tyler."
Although Hughes had lost, being from a distinguished family, he still maintained excellent sportsmanship. He didn't say anything harsh. As soon as the match ended, he walked over to Sato, shook his hand, and issued a challenge with a serious expression.
"I look forward to that day coming soon. But by then, my Blastoise and I won't be at this level anymore. You'd better be careful."
Sato accepted Hughes' challenge without hesitation and replied with a smile.
After saying that, he released the handshake and turned around with Pikachu, entering the players' tunnel that led directly to the contestants' lounge.
Hughes remained standing where he was, ignoring the gazes of the surrounding spectators. He watched until Sato completely disappeared into the tunnel before finally turning and leaving.
"Father was right… only by going out into the world do you realize how small you are. First Nord and Alice, and now Tyler. I have to work even harder. Otherwise, if I'm not careful, I'll be surpassed by them."
Along the way, Hughes remained silent, these thoughts weighing heavily on his mind. Yet aside from the disappointment of defeat, his face showed even more anticipation.
....
"Miss, should we go over?"
In the audience stands, Sonoko turned toward Alice and asked when she saw Hughes looking deep in thought.
"No need. Mr. Hughes won't collapse just because of a single defeat. Didn't you see? He's smiling."
Alice shook her head.
She had been watching Hughes the entire time. From his expression, she knew the man she admired wasn't discouraged by the loss. Instead, it had ignited his competitive spirit.
"A Pikachu capable of explosive burst damage… a Tentacruel that becomes extremely oppressive once it entangles its opponent… a Blastoise that can use Aura… and a Trainer who personally possesses psychic power. What a Trainer with limitless potential. Next year's Hoenn League Regional Tournament will definitely be exciting."
Alice turned her gaze toward the players' tunnel where Sato had disappeared, thinking thoughtfully.
....
After achieving ten consecutive victories, Sato didn't immediately leave the battle arena.
After resting briefly, he continued battling with his Pokémon, who had all recovered to full condition.
His winning streak continued to climb.
However, after reaching eighteen consecutive victories, he finally encountered a truly formidable opponent.
This time, he lost.
And he lost decisively.
His opponent used a level-63 Medicham, which single-handedly defeated Staryu, Tentacruel, and Cloyster in succession.
Sato's winning streak ended there.
After the streak was broken, Sato didn't continue challenging. He collected his reward from the service counter and quietly left the battle arena.
With eighteen consecutive wins, and each battle involving three Pokémon per side, Sato had completed 54 Pokémon battles that night.
Even though his stamina far exceeded that of ordinary people, by the time he left the arena his head was still spinning.
However, the gains from the intense battles were substantial.
Aside from the 5 million PokeDollars reward for the eighteen-win streak, his Pokémon had also gained valuable combat experience fighting opponents of similar strength, and many of them had leveled up.
The current levels of Tyler's Pokémon were:
Pikachu — Lv. 46
Kecleon — Lv. 48
Tentacruel — Lv. 45
Lanturn — Lv. 42
Cloyster — Lv. 44
Blastoise — Lv. 40
Staryu — Lv. 40
Kadabra — Lv. 35
Misdreavus — Lv. 21
Duskull — Lv. 27
....
Dragging his tired body, Sato entered a rather upscale restaurant nearby.
After such intense battles, he naturally planned to spend part of his prize money to reward his Pokémon. Without hesitation, he ordered the best dishes in the restaurant.
Before long, all kinds of mouth-watering delicacies were served.
Sato and his Pokémon began happily enjoying the feast.
More than an hour later, Sato and his Pokémon left the private dining room fully satisfied.
But when Sato went to the front desk to pay the bill, he was informed that someone else had already paid for it.
"Someone paid for me? What did that person look like? Also, did they leave any contact information?"
Sato was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained his composure and asked directly.
Being treated to a meal sounded nice, but Sato knew it was rarely that simple. If he accepted the favor without paying, it meant he owed someone a personal debt.
And if that person asked for repayment later, the favor might cost far more than just a meal.
Still, usually when someone treats you, it isn't a bad thing. Most likely the person simply wanted to attract his attention and use the meal as an introduction to make his acquaintance.
After all, tonight's meal had not been cheap.
Especially in such a high-end restaurant in the center of Slateport City. And with Kadabra—who loved ordering the most expensive dishes—as a notorious foodie at the table, the bill had reached 500,000 PokeDollars after rounding.
Therefore, no matter what, Sato had to meet the person who paid.
If he found them agreeable, he might be willing to befriend them. If not, he wouldn't take advantage of that 500,000 PokeDollars meal.
Sure enough, when Sato asked for contact information, the receptionist immediately handed him a gold-trimmed business card.
The moment Sato looked at the name on the card, surprise appeared on his face.
"Her? Why is she looking for me again?"
The name printed on the card was:
Sasaki Alice.