Sakiko was so careless—she almost felt like punching herself twice.
It was obvious her little lie would be noticed by Satoshi.
What kind of corporate slave even gets free afternoons?!
"Oh, is that so~? Well, then how about you work for me this afternoon? I just so happen to need a training partner anyway."
Satoshi casually tossed out this suggestion while looking around, scouting the surroundings for a suitable training spot.
"Mm~ Alright, let's do just that." Sakiko's lips curved gently upward, revealing a faint smile.
[Satodear…are you only emotionally intelligent when it comes to Sakiko-sensei?!]
Huh? Isn't paying an employee totally natural?
I've wanted to take Sakiko home and battle Pokémon with her every day forever. With an opportunity like this, of course I'll battle her all afternoon!
Satoshi's heart quickly filled with burning excitement.
[Oh…I see. Looks like I was foolish to expect anything from you... Idiot…when they eventually pin you down and humiliate you, don't expect me to save you!]
...
"Ugh…why are Sakiko and Satoshi-kun so close?"
Watching their retreating figures, Nagasaki Soyo bit her lower lip fiercely, fists clenched until her nails pierced into her palms, blood trickling down, the sparkle fading completely from her eyes.
"It looks like tonight...I'll have to go on the offensive."
After making up her mind, her body trembled slightly as she quietly began following them again.
...
"Torchic, use Aerial Ace on me!"
"Cha!"
Torchic's feet glowed with a silvery-blue light, its tiny wings flapping gently behind it. Like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, it swiftly darted toward Satoshi but failed to hit him.
In this world, Aerial Ace was a high-accuracy move—but that didn't mean it was guaranteed to hit.
"This isn't nearly good enough!"
Currently, Satoshi was wielding a thick branch, landing precise strikes on Torchic each time he swung. Although Torchic desperately resisted, it couldn't handle Satoshi's relentless attacks.
First step: practice fighting an opponent completely different from itself in size, adapting to an Ursaring's massive build. Next step: battle against a foe vastly superior in both strength and speed, forcing Torchic to constantly find opportunities to evade, accelerate, and attack.
"Gardevoir, use Shadow Ball."
"Frogadier, try your best to cut through it with Cut!"
Meanwhile, Sakiko was busy training Satoshi's Pokémon—after all, she was being paid, so technically speaking, she was now his personal assistant.
Assistants exist precisely to handle these kinds of tasks.
In short, intense special training was underway!
As Pokémon trainers, both felt excitement deep down, fully absorbed in the moment.
Torchic repeatedly aimed its attacks, but despite its fierce Aerial Ace strikes, Satoshi always dodged skillfully at the very last second, countering precisely with his branch each time.
"Cha-cha!"
Torchic increased speed again, launching another Aerial Ace. Silvery-blue light flashed like lightning as it closed in instantly, yet Satoshi evaded with unbelievable agility.
There was no way the Super Rookie could be defeated that easily.
Not to mention, Satoshi endured daily training sessions from Raichu, Frogadier, and Grookey. While strengthening his Pokémon, his own capabilities naturally improved as well.
Right now, he figured he was strong enough to handle two Raichus!
…At least, that's what he guessed!
"Come at me again!" Without even a moment to rest, Satoshi continued training relentlessly with Torchic, both steadily pushing their limits.
Ursaring had a base stat total of 500. Closing that gap would be extremely difficult for Torchic.
Which meant it absolutely had to dominate in speed.
No worries…we'll win!
"What's wrong? Is this your limit? You won't protect anyone like this!"
"Cha! (Don't underestimate me!)" Hearing Satoshi's taunt, Torchic surged forward with all its strength, using a full-powered Aerial Ace. Wings beating furiously, it instantly closed the gap and sliced cleanly through the branch in Satoshi's hand.
[Compared to Tsareena's lovely legs, Torchic's little feet just don't hit the spot.]
How outrageous…
Ignoring Furiko's nonsense, Satoshi casually grabbed another branch.
"Not bad at all. Next, use Flame Charge on me!"
"Cha...? Cha!"
After a brief hesitation, Torchic cloaked itself in flames, charging aggressively at Satoshi. Building up momentum to boost its own speed, it lunged forward.
However, Satoshi watched Torchic's every move closely, pinpointing its openings. Just as Torchic was about to collide, he swiftly dodged and used the branch to strike at a spot not covered by flames.
"Pay attention to my movements!"
Hearing these words, Torchic turned around without hesitation, continuing its attacks relentlessly.
The training continued until the sun began sinking below the horizon.
"Finished already?" Sakiko gently pulled out an elegant handkerchief, softly wiping the sweat from Satoshi's forehead. Rays of sunset filtered through the trees, dappling them in warm, scattered light. Satoshi gazed at Sakiko, gratitude flickering briefly in his eyes.
"Mm, about finished. Thanks, Sakiko—for being here with me today."
"I haven't done anything that deserves your thanks… This was purely a work obligation." Sakiko's cheeks flushed rosy like the evening sky, and she shyly lowered her eyes, heart racing wildly.
But that's because you're someone I like…
Sakiko had fully admitted to herself that she liked Satoshi.
Just then, however, Satoshi's attention was completely diverted by Furiko's sudden voice:
[Mission: Teach Ursaring a harsh lesson!]
[Reward: TM—Eerie Impulse.]
Eerie Impulse: Releases mysterious electrical waves to sharply lower the opponent's Special Attack.
Such an underhanded move!
…I love it!
Without thinking too much, Satoshi shifted his attention forward again.
Right at that moment, Ursaring appeared directly in front of them.
"Roooar—!"
"Torchic, I choose you!" Satoshi's body trembled slightly, unable to suppress the excitement building inside him.
"Cha!" Matching Ursaring's ferocious roar, Torchic refused to back down, fiercely shouting in response.
A one-on-one battle, with Torchic's base stats at 310 versus Ursaring's 500—it was clearly at a disadvantage, but Satoshi adored battles like these.
"Use Flame Charge, carefully watch its movements!"
"Cha!"
Satoshi's voice echoed through the air as Torchic ignited blazing flames, maintaining careful distance, patiently observing and waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Ursaring's right paw clenched tightly, crackling with electric energy as it prepared a Thunder Punch. With a speed surpassing anyone's expectations, its massive body rushed toward Torchic, stirring gusts of wind in its wake.