It was Friday afternoon after classes had ended, and today the team was taking a break from training.
Taking advantage of this rare opportunity, Satoshi headed toward the EcoDome—not to catch Pokémon, but because he had received a special invitation.
Togawa Sakiko had invited him to tour the EcoDome. Of course, it was strictly sightseeing; he had no permission to catch Pokémon here. Given Sakiko's outstanding performance over the past year, inviting one guest was hardly an issue.
"Thanks a lot, Sakiko. I'll definitely repay you for this favor!"
The thought of seeing countless Pokémon filled Satoshi's heart with excitement.
[Why not repay her by marrying her, Satobaby? I think Miss Sakiko has completely fallen for you. With your family wealth, you could easily support her and give warmth to a poor corporate slave~]
Stop messing around! Our goal now is to find a suitable Pokémon to target later when we actually gain catching rights after the upcoming cup.
Normally, only the top five teams in the competition would earn the privilege to catch Pokémon within the EcoDome.
Though they could earn points and gain catching privileges, even top-ranked teams were limited to about three Pokémon per team. Considering the economic burden of raising Pokémon, this restriction was necessary.
There was no PC box storage like in the games, only ranches that stored extra Pokémon, but those ranches incurred a fee.
After reincarnating into this world, Satoshi felt the importance of money more acutely than ever.
Yet somehow, money didn't seem to be a problem. His family was apparently wealthy enough.
Except…
Wait, where exactly is my house?
Crap, after I catch more than six Pokémon, where will the extra Pokéballs go?
[Don't worry about that, Satobaby You can put all your stuff inside me, since I'm the System! I've got one of those infinite storage backpacks you only find in game worlds. Wanna try?]
Furiko, could you talk like a normal person for once?
If possible, Satoshi really didn't want to deal with her right now.
Why was his System such a weirdo? It was too ridiculous.
[Uwaaah~~ But I love you sooo much, boohoo…]
…Well, thanks, I guess.
[Yay! Satoshi, LOVE you~]
Satoshi sighed softly but still decided to thank her genuinely, knowing that this ability was incredibly useful. Just then, he noticed Sakiko patiently waiting for him not far away.
Satoshi's thoughts were immediately consumed by the excitement of imagining what Pokémon he might see inside. Lost in his enthusiasm, he quickly ran over to Sakiko's side.
"Good afternoon, Sakiko!"
"Yes, good afternoon." Sakiko's cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded gently.
Lately, the two had been chatting frequently over text. Sakiko wanted to better understand this childhood friend of hers and perhaps nurture a worthy rival to compete against, which is why she'd casually invited him here.
That was all—it was purely for understanding him better, nothing else!
Maybe… probably… possibly…
Sakiko inwardly berated herself for these wayward thoughts.
Her gaze subconsciously fell on her pocket—more precisely, on the six Pokéballs she had retrieved from the Togawa household recently.
At present, Sakiko was confident she could absolutely crush Satoshi in battle.
She would win!
The two entered the EcoDome using her guest access, though Satoshi was limited to looking through protective glass.
Beside him were his Raichu, Froakie, and Grookey.
The EcoDome was divided into four distinct zones, each with unique climates and terrains. The artificial sky projected onto the dome and walls reflected different weather conditions and times of day. Temperature was strictly controlled, creating suitable habitats for diverse Pokémon.
Right now, before Satoshi's eyes, were:
A heroic Kricketot!
An Azumarill, the Dragonslayer!
A juvenile Rayquaza!
A herd of Tauros!
The legendary Pokémon Arcanine!
And the Rain Brothers!
Just looking at them made it hard for Satoshi to restrain his excitement.
"Thank you again, Sakiko. I'm really glad you brought me here!"
Carried away by his emotions, Satoshi unintentionally leaned close to her.
They were so close that it felt as if their heartbeats could be heard clearly, almost close enough for their lips to touch.
A shy blush spread across Sakiko's cheeks, warmth surging through her chest.
"Wh-what are you doing? This… this distance isn't proper!"
Embarrassment overcame her, and she quickly pushed Satoshi away, trembling slightly.
Seeing her reaction, Satoshi felt a bit awkward.
"Ah, sorry, sorry! I got carried away without realizing."
[Remember to maintain proper distance, Satobaby~]
The three Pokémon beside him covered their eyes simultaneously, unable to bear watching.
Calm down… calm down…
The vulnerable me has long died… I won't feel embarrassed by something like this.
Sakiko closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart and confused feelings. But no matter how long she tried, she couldn't calm down, so she gave up.
"If you really like the EcoDome so much, why not aim to become one of Rainbow Wing Academy's Elite Four? You'd be allowed to catch Pokémon here every day."
And I could see you and battle you every day…
Sakiko couldn't bring herself to say the last part aloud, so she lowered her head shyly.
As for the Elite Four, it was a student ranking system modeled after the regional Pokémon League. Though students obviously couldn't rival the real Elite Four, their strength could match or surpass Gym Leaders.
"Nah. Compared to the school's Elite Four, I'd rather become Champion of the Kanto region—but I'll still challenge them anyway!"
Satoshi knew clearly that the school's Elite Four and Champion might be strong, but they were still students; their strength and mentality were limited.
Like how Uva Academy's champion Nemona kneeled after losing to the protagonist, or how Elite Four member Hassel mocked her for losing. That kind of Elite Four held no interest for Satoshi.
"Are you confident you can beat them?" Sakiko asked nervously upon hearing his plans.
"I will win!" Satoshi's confident declaration had the strength of someone legendary.
Yet after saying this, his eyes filled with confusion. He turned towards Sakiko, as if seeking answers.
"So, uh… who exactly are the school's Elite Four?"
Wait, you don't even know?!
Sakiko was left speechless.
"They're specialists like Ayase Eli for Ice-types, and Minato Yuki for Steel-types…"
Satoshi intended to pay attention, but his gaze suddenly locked onto a Pokémon.
"Chaamo~"
This Pokémon was diligently training, gathering energy into its feet to shatter rocks with powerful kicks. The scene captured his attention completely.
[Satobaby, what's wrong?]
Nothing, I've just decided on my next companion!
Handsome, powerful, and even capable of [Mega Evolution]!
Satoshi's blood began to boil with excitement.
Standing there, proudly training, was…
…a Torchic!