It had already been three days since Sato left the Origin Forest, and under Charles Goodshow's instructions, he was temporarily staying at League Headquarters.
At the same time, as someone universally acknowledged -and practically guaranteed- to break into the Elite Four level[1], the League generously assigned Sato a villa under his name.
The villa had a great location, in the same residential area as Drake's, making it convenient to drop by for a visit now and then.
Of course, Drake spent most of his time on the ship and only occasionally returned to League Headquarters. He wasn't around at the moment.
Sato's temporary stay at League Headquarters wasn't just to help him settle and reflect; it was also because the latest Pokémon League Conference was about to begin, and Sato had been specially invited as a guest.
Though it was the lowest-tier of major competitions, the League Conference had by far the widest reach and recognition.
After all, the majority of Trainers would only ever reach the Elite level in their lifetime…
For them, passionate battles they could understand were what they enjoyed most. If the tactics were too complex and hard to follow, they wouldn't be able to relate.
It's like reading a novel… if the MC isn't cool, how can the readers immerse themselves…?
Thus, the exhibition match was born!
Sato put down the guest invitation letter in his hands. It clearly stated that he was expected to put on a "spectacular" exhibition match.
And his opponent?
None other than the newly rising star of the Investigators, and Sato's old friend…
Cynthia of Sinnoh[2]!
Even though it was just an exhibition match, Sato couldn't help feeling a bit excited knowing his opponent was Cynthia…
He wondered just how far the proud prodigy had come since they last parted, and how close she was now to truly reaching the Elite Four level.
But hey, he wasn't lagging behind either!
Thinking back on everything he'd gained from the Origin Forest, Sato silently pumped himself up!
But for now… he had to answer the door.
Click~
The front door of Sato's villa slowly opened, and a group of noisy voices poured in as a crowd of people walked in, looking around while chattering and pointing.
"BOOOOSS! LONG TIME NO SEE! Did you miss me~? Huh…"
Mark was the first to spot Sato standing at the door and immediately tried to rush in for a bear hug.
But Sato smiled coldly and sidestepped him without hesitation, not even sparing him a glance.
"YOU'RE HEARTLESS, YOU'RE COLD, YOU'RE UNREASONABLE… WHOA! Boss, your floor is super clean!"
Sato casually retracted his gaze. Sure enough, even after all this time, Mark was still the same wild-haired chaos gremlin as ever.
On the other side, Joseph and Ryoko approached with warm smiles, clearly used to scenes like this.
"Long time no see, Joseph, Ryoko!"
"Mm, I brought lots of food. I'll go set it up for you first~" Joseph smiled gently and, without another word, took control of the villa's kitchen.
Ryoko also smiled brightly and nodded at Sato. It really had been a long time since she'd last seen everyone…
Behind her, Akira, Sina, and Sosuke had also come along.
"I didn't even see you when I was doing the Investigator assessment," Sato said, casually starting the conversation while leading the four of them into the living room.
Ryoko gave Sato a helpless look before finally replying, "Sigh… you're the League's golden boy now. The moment you entered, you were made an Independent Investigator. A humble little instructor like me isn't qualified to teach you anymore…"
Sato curled his lips slightly, realizing he'd picked an awkward topic, and suddenly wasn't sure how to continue…
Fortunately, there were more people in the living room than just the two of them, and Sina quickly picked up the conversation.
"Ryoko-san is our advisor now, and also our tactical co-instructor!" Sina said enthusiastically, with Akira and Sosuke nodding in agreement beside him.
Sato was just about to praise Ryoko to ease the awkwardness… when Mark interrupted him outright…
"BOSS! Why aren't you asking how I've been doing lately~?" Mark ran over eagerly, clearly fishing for attention.
"…So how have you been? Are the other Elite Four candidates still collectively rejecting you?"
"IMPOSSIBLE! A handsome guy like me, beloved by all, admired by flowers-"
"You're being excluded?"
"I-I…" Mark choked on Sato's words, but eventually just nodded in resignation.
"They all think I rely purely on luck… that I don't have any real strength, but…"
The more Mark spoke, the more upset he became. He was so frustrated, he couldn't even find the words to argue back; completely unlike his usual talkative self.
Sato raised an eyebrow. He had only been teasing a little, he didn't expect it to actually hit the mark.
"…Don't worry about what they think. Think about how many of the current Elite Four were once candidates like you?"
Sato patted Mark's shoulder, for once offering some genuine comfort.
Mark was stunned for a moment. After thinking it over, he realized that of the current four Elite Four, Bertha had been around so long her origins were practically forgotten. Bruno and Lorelei had both risen to fame in their home regions before standing out in the Elite Four Tournament.
And Lance? No need to even mention it!
While serving as an Investigator, he'd shown outstanding performance, and when a position opened in the Elite Four, he beat out all the other candidates and directly took the fourth seat.
Mark thought even further…
'Boss was basically another Lance… If the eldest member, Agatha, were to retire, then across all of Kanto, Boss would be the most likely to take the spot.'
But what about himself?
Spending every day frowning over being excluded by the other candidates, worrying nonstop… wasn't that only making him drift even further from becoming a true Elite Four?
He was just bored!
Just then, Sato's calm encouragement continued: "Luck is always a part of strength. Those cliques who look down on you? They're just bitter. Sour Pumkin berries!"
Smack!
Smack!
Suddenly, Mark slapped his face hard twice, leaving visible red marks; he wasn't holding back.
"Boss, fight me! I want to know just how much I've fallen behind during this time!"
Sato laughed. Seeing Mark fired up like this, he didn't mind giving him a push. But before he could say yes, Joseph came over wearing an apron and holding a spatula…
"…Fight what? Did you eat yet? All you know is fighting every day!"
Joseph frowned. He'd been planning and preparing their reunion dinner since last night… handpicking the freshest ingredients!
'And now these two clowns meet up and immediately want to battle…?' Was his cooking suddenly worthless…? NOT EVEN A HINT OF APPRECIATION!?
The next second, Sato replied instantly, without even needing to think!
"Exactly! What fight?"
"This is a rare reunion. Shouldn't we talk about something fun~?"
"Don't the Pokémon need to rest?"
"Can't the battle wait until tomorrow…?"
Mark stared wide-eyed. He looked at Sato, then at Joseph. Then at Ryoko and the others, who sat quietly with downcast eyes.
In the end… he was the only one bearing it all alone!
[1] With full team at E4, not just one
[2] KYAAAAAAAA!