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"Should I enter the St. Louis Pokémon Tournament?"
Sato thought about it briefly and quickly made up his mind. His primary role was a Pokémon trainer, and only secondarily a Pokémon medical trainer.
This competition, offering the chance to further strengthen his Pokémon, was an opportunity he simply couldn't pass up.
With his decision made, Sato removed his disguise, then joined the orderly line at the back.
Soon, he reached the registration desk, where he signed his name on the form provided.
However, just as he completed his registration and was about to head to a private training room, a female trainer named Anna recognized him as the amateur Pokémon healer and requested treatment for her Pokémon.
Sato agreed, but to avoid further requests interrupting his training, he led Anna into a private training room and released Bellossom to treat her Pokémon.
Judging by Anna's refined clothing and studious demeanor, it seemed she came from a well-off background.
However, perhaps due to a lack of styling knowledge, she wore a somewhat plain hairstyle: a long, single ponytail, with bangs nearly covering her eyes and large, round glasses on her face.
Despite her simple appearance, Anna had a striking natural beauty.
At sixteen, her impressive figure was evident even in relatively modest and loose clothing, which still managed to accentuate her S-shaped curves, and her skin was very fair.
If Anna put in a little effort with her appearance, she would certainly be a stunning beauty.
While waiting for Bellossom to finish treating her Pokémon, Anna held a thick notebook, reading its contents intently.
Meanwhile, Sato patiently waited as well, holding off on his training until his guest had left.
He was somewhat surprised that the Pokémon Anna needed healed were six Rattatas, since most women tended to dislike Rattata.
"Mr. Sato, are you also entering this tournament?" Anna asked, closing her notebook and adjusting her glasses after Bellossom had finished treating her Pokémon with Grassy Terrain.
"Yes, Miss Anna. Even though winning the prize might not be certain, I won't pass up a tournament that can promote my Pokémon's growth," Sato replied, handing a Pokeblock to his tired-looking Bellossom.
"You're too modest, Mr. Sato. I witnessed last night's battle myself. To single-handedly defeat a rampaging Gyarados—it's not something just any trainer could accomplish. It takes both courage and considerable skill."
Anna reopened her thick notebook and quickly flipped to a specific page.
The page was filled with detailed notes about Sato's Golbat and Bellossom, complete with drawings of both Pokémon. There were annotations listing various data about their height and body size.
"Your Golbat is very impressive. It ranks as the third-largest Golbat I've ever seen, and its mastery of Air Cutter is exceptional. It can merge several small Air Cutters into a large one in seconds, powerful enough to break through even the tough scales of a Gyarados."
"And your Bellossom is equally powerful. It can rapidly launch nine or ten half-meter-diameter Energy Balls in seconds, with each Energy Ball having a high density that makes it incredibly potent."
"Based on my collected data on the other trainers' Pokémon on board, I'd say you have a very high chance of making it to the top eight—perhaps even the semifinals. You're definitely a formidable competitor in this Pokémon tournament."
Anna reviewed some details in her notebook, then calmly and quickly delivered this surprising analysis, leaving Sato slightly stunned.
"Miss Anna, your observation skills are truly remarkable. It seems you must be a very skilled trainer—I look forward to the chance of battling you in the tournament," Sato responded, unable to hide his shock.
As he looked at this female trainer again, a wary and cautious look appeared in his eyes.
In truth, Sato had already noticed Anna's thick notebook and glimpsed what she had written. However, he hadn't expected her to gather such comprehensive data on his Pokémon.
Judging by the tightly packed writing and numbers on the pages, she had quite a lot of information.
Being someone who also likes to collect data and draw insights from it, Sato was well aware that Anna might have already figured out some countermeasures for his Golbat and Bellossom.
Knowing your opponent holds such information—and might have devised strategies to counter it—is unsettling for any trainer, and Sato felt this unease too.
Even in the ever-changing dynamics of a Pokémon battle, intelligence is invaluable.
Sato's system's scanning capabilities had greatly benefited his Pokémon battles, making him keenly aware of the value of information.
"I'm also looking forward to a Pokémon battle with you on the field, Mr. Sato. But I believe I'll win, so be careful not to reveal too much data in front of me. The more you do, the slimmer your chances of victory become."
Anna nodded at his response, smiling confidently. Behind her reflective glasses, her bright, self-assured eyes fixated on Sato, as if appraising a favored prey.
When Sato looked at her intense gaze, peering through her thick bangs, he suddenly felt an eerie familiarity.
It was like when he had once encountered the massive Ursaring in the Viridian Forest during his weaker days.
He vividly remembered the way that Ursaring had looked at him—as though it could toy with him at will.
Now, that same look was in the eyes of this young female trainer named Anna.
In short, this look made Sato's mood suddenly sour, and a sharp, steely glint appeared in his eyes.
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