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In fact, Anna was born into a family of Pokémon Professors; both her parents were somewhat renowned in the Pokémon academic community.
Perhaps inheriting her parents' excellent genes, she had always been exceptionally bright, able to quickly master anything she learned.
Thanks to her highly controlling parents' intentional guidance, clever Anna became a League-certified Pokémon researcher by the age of fifteen.
Yet, despite her achievements, Anna's mature mind felt deeply dissatisfied. She resented the life her parents had planned for her and harbored a grudge against them for stealing her childhood.
So, after earning her certification, Anna decisively freed herself from their control and chose to live independently.
In the year that followed, Anna, eager to fulfill her long-repressed desire for freedom, convinced the League to grant her a substantial research grant under the pretense of conducting field research worldwide.
She then embarked on an extended journey across various regions.
But her parents' influence ran deep; like them, Anna possessed a strong desire for control, one that only grew stronger with time.
On her travels, Anna pursued various ventures to satisfy this need, but none held her interest for long—until she found something that did: Pokémon battles.
Ironically, it was her desire for control that gradually led Anna to shift from researcher to trainer, and she embraced this role with enthusiasm.
For Anna, Pokémon battles, with their many uncontrollable variables, presented a challenge she relished.
Figuring out how to eliminate these unpredictable factors and bring order to a Pokémon battle became the perfect way to satisfy her need for control.
She discovered that by gathering and analyzing data on other trainers' Pokémon, she had a high chance of dominating battles, orchestrating them so her opponents would gradually walk into defeat according to her plan.
To Anna, manipulating her opponents like marionettes was deeply gratifying.
The thrill was especially intense when she controlled opponents with strength on par with her own, as she could both satisfy her desire for control and revel in unparalleled enjoyment.
Now, in Sato, Anna had found a powerful new "puppet," having watched his battle with Gyarados the previous evening and developed a keen interest.
Today, her visit to Sato wasn't solely to have her Pokémon treated; it was also an opportunity to issue a direct challenge.
"Mr. Sato, your gaze suddenly turned so intimidating, but that's fine—I like that look on you. If we get the chance to battle in the tournament tomorrow, I hope you keep that fierce look and take me on with full seriousness. Here's your payment," she said with a smile, handing him the 4000 PokeDollars fee for the treatment.
Then, she recalled her Pokémon with a PokéBall and prepared to leave.
"One moment," Sato called just as Anna was turning to go.
"If you managed to gather such detailed data on my two Pokémon, you were likely present during my battle with Gyarados last night. Did you see the person who tried to ambush me?"
Reflecting on last night's Gyarados encounter, Sato realized that while he had fought the second Gyarados alone, his two Pokémon hadn't been very active in the battle, mostly staying on the fringes, and later taking on a support role from behind.
Thinking about it from a different angle, if Anna had collected that much data on his two Pokémon, she must have been observing him closely when he took on Gyarados alone.
Anna had managed to gather so much data on his two Pokémon from just one short, intense battle, showcasing her impressive observational skills.
There was a good chance she had also noticed the person who had tried to ambush him from behind.
"What's in it for me if I tell you?" she asked, stopping and turning around with a smile.
"While I'm not sure why you want to provoke me into a Pokémon battle, if you tell me who that person is, I'll agree to your request. I'll even wait until you've fully analyzed my Pokémon before we battle. Otherwise, I refuse to battle you, and if we meet in the tournament, I'll forfeit," Sato replied with a smile of his own, looking at her seriously.
Anna was momentarily speechless at Sato's unexpected ultimatum, but after a bit of thought, she decided to meet his demand.
After all, finding a strong "puppet" of her choosing was not easy, and accommodating his request wasn't a big sacrifice to achieve her goals.
In fact, Anna hadn't been on the deck herself; she had stayed in her cabin, observing through a few of her Rattata, each equipped with a small infrared camera.
Using her laptop, she was able to monitor key activities on the ship, uncovering quite a few of its secrets.
Of course, although Anna knew these secrets, she was wise enough to keep them to herself.
She'd long understood that there's always a bigger fish, so she was selective in who she engaged with.
After a minute, Anna left, but she handed Sato a simple sketch before she did. The sketch was minimalistic, yet it contained enough information for him.
The sketch depicted "a door with the number B-102 on it."
"I wonder what the person inside is up to. They seem... dangerous," Sato thought to himself, memorizing the details before having his Growlithe breathe fire on the sketch, turning it to ashes.
Aside from the numbered door, Sato's sharp eyes noticed subtle hidden clues in the drawing.
Perhaps unwilling for him to come to harm, Anna had left a small "X" to symbolize danger within the spaces on the sketch.
Clearly, Anna hadn't directly told him because she wasn't willing to risk angering the person in question.
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