After a brief reunion, Sina and the others returned to their Investigator duties. Now that they were officially employed, their missions were more frequent than ever.
Ryoko also went back to her position, advancing step by step toward her goals with steady determination.
The next day, Mark finally got what he wanted: a 1v1 sparring match with Sato.
Tyranitar VS Togekiss!
Logically speaking, Togekiss could use Aura Sphere, a homing move that posed a considerable threat to Tyranitar…
But in actual combat, Tyranitar effortlessly overwhelmed Togekiss. Using only Stone Edge from start to finish, it completely crushed Togekiss without giving it any chance to fight back!
This made Mark once again painfully realize that while his Boss was accelerating like crazy, he himself hadn't even found the right track.
"…I'm not going to the Elite Four candidate program anymore!" Mark said, somewhat sulky. But Sato and Joseph both shook their heads.
"The Pokémon League isn't your personal property. You can't just join or quit whenever you please! Your environment matters, sure; but ultimately… it's up to you."
Sato's tone was serious, almost scolding, and Mark froze, not daring to talk back.
"Sato's right. Don't forget, you entered through connections in the first place. And you're not the strongest among the Elite Four candidates. Of course the others wouldn't like you."
Joseph stepped in to smooth things over, even offering a helpful suggestion, "So set a small goal first. How about becoming the top-ranked candidate~?"
Hearing this, Mark's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.
For people who talk too much… just beat them until they have nothing left to say!
Sato watched approvingly from the side, then took out two items he had prepared beforehand.
"You two performed well in recent missions. I received some rewards, things I don't need. So… I'm giving them to you."
As he spoke, Sato handed a box to Joseph and another to Mark.
"BOSS, YOU'RE THE BEST!" Mark grabbed the box excitedly and immediately tried to open it.
Joseph blinked, but seeing how calmly Sato handed it over, he didn't hesitate and accepted his box as well.
"Huh…? What's this? Something you can eat?"
Sato turned his head and saw Mark preparing to lick the item inside the box. Black lines appeared all over his face.
"Heh! Go ahead and lick it. Guarantee you won't live to see tomorrow's sunrise!"
Mark jerked so hard from fright he almost dropped the box. The shock even made Sato flinch as well.
"HOLD IT TIGHT! Sigh… if you break it, you'll be the one crying!"
Mark awkwardly pulled the box back toward himself, then looked weakly at Joseph. At this point, only Mama Joe could save him…
"You'd better hold onto it properly. Serpent-Blood Crystal is the only known treasure that can enhance the potential of serpentine body-type Pokémon. It's perfect for your Arbok."
"Enhance… POTENTIAL?!"
Mark's eyes widened. He immediately clutched the box with both hands, guarding it like his life depended on it!
Arbok was Mark's first Pokémon. One that had been through countless hardships with him; their bond was no weaker than that of Sato and Zoroark. But due to limited potential, Arbok had gone from the team's strongest, to just a core member, then eventually slipped down to the second row.
Mark never said anything about it, and Arbok never showed disappointment, but deep down… the two of them always had regrets.
Now, Sato had given him this crystal…
Even calling it a timely rescue was an understatement!
"But Boss… don't you also have Ariados and Drapion?"
Joseph had still been smiling, but upon hearing that, he couldn't help but roll his eyes before snapping back…
"SERPENT-BLOOD CRYSTAL! IT'S CALLED SERPENT-BLOOD CRYSTAL! Just from the name, it's obvious that only serpentine body-type Pokémon can use it. Ariados and Drapion are both insectoid body-type Pokémon. Using this thing would be asking for death!"
Sato glanced at Joseph in mild surprise, but realizing it might be inappropriate, quickly looked away before Joseph noticed… 'How come he's gotten even grumpier after just a few months…?'
"WAAAH! B-BOSS!"
Mark called out tearfully, looking deeply moved and overwhelmed with gratitude.
Sato instinctively sidestepped… neatly avoiding Mark's second attempted bear hug.
Turning away, Sato pointed at the box in Joseph's hands. "Aren't you going to open it?"
Joseph smiled and slowly opened the box. As soon as it opened, a soft glow gently spread outward.
Inside was a crystal sphere emitting a pink light.
"WOAH! So pretty~"
Mark leaned over and gave the most genuine, unfiltered reaction.
"Psychic Crystal Sphere!"
Well-informed as always, Joseph recognized the treasure in an instant, and even his breathing grew a little heavier.
The Psychic Crystal Sphere allows Psychic-type Pokémon to nurture it, storing surplus psychic energy which can then be drawn upon in critical moments.
Whether escaping or unleashing a powerful move, it's an extremely useful support tool. Absolutely perfect for Joseph's Gallade.
"When you're out there alone, safety always comes first. This item is pretty good for staying alive."
'Pretty good…?'
It's nearly invincible!
Rumor has it the Psychic Crystal Sphere can store psychic energy from three Elite Four level Psychic-type Pokémon. If used solely for Teleportation, you could easily warp from Kanto all the way to Johto!
Joseph took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to push the crystal back to Sato.
Because he knew… if Sato said it was a gift, then it was a gift. There was no taking it back!
And despite the thousands of things he wanted to say, in the end, only two words made it out of his throat.
"…T-Thank you!"
Seeing both of them genuinely happy with the gifts, Sato felt fully satisfied.
During his time in the Apex Mimicry Zone, the Origin Forest, Sato had obtained five treasures in total. Aside from Typhlosion's Heart of Earthflame and Rhyperior's Geo-Blood Crystal, the other three did not originally include the Serpent-Blood Crystal or the Psychic Crystal Sphere.
…But remembering how Mark had selflessly shared the treasure he found with Joseph, Sato felt it was only right to save something for them in return.
So, he spent quite a while asking around, and finally managed to trade for two treasures that were perfect for Mark and Joseph just before the reunion.
And thus… this scene unfolded.
In this life, the thing Sato was most grateful for was the countless bonds he could never bring himself to abandon.
And for those… he'd always keep fighting to protect…
---◓---
With that matter settled, Mark and Joseph said their goodbyes and returned to pursue their own dreams.
And Sato began preparing for the upcoming exhibition match.
After all… the opponent was Cynthia!
Three days passed in a flash, and the Indigo Plateau suddenly became lively. The annual Kanto League Indigo Plateau Conference was about to begin.
Sato, after a bit of disguise, quietly arrived at Indigo Airport.
Silently waiting for someone to appear…