Sato wasn't sure if it was simply an old habit, but he always preferred walking peacefully through clean and well-maintained city streets—yet, at the same time, he disliked the noise and chaos that came with them.
After leaving Goldenrod City, Sato headed west, making his way toward Azalea Town, before eventually reaching Goldenrod's twin city—Olivine City, the most prosperous city in Johto.
However, beneath Olivine's prosperity, a large underground network thrived—people constantly testing the boundaries of legality.
Pokémon trafficking, counterfeit TMs, illegal trade of held items and evolution stones—anything related to Pokémon came with high profits, tempting many to risk it all for quick money.
Technically speaking, Sato himself belonged to this gray zone.
However, as an independent hunter who barely sold a few Pokémon per year, as long as he didn't capture anything from a protected zone, the Pokémon League wouldn't even bother dealing with him.
Many trainers, like Sato, occasionally moonlighted as Pokémon hunters.
And most wealthier families preferred to buy a strong, reliable starter Pokémon for their children rather than rely on luck.
But therein lay a problem—Pokémon from the black market were often captured through brute force, leaving them with deep-seated fear and hatred toward humans.
In contrast, Pokémon caught in proper battles usually acknowledged the strength of their captors, meaning they didn't develop hostility toward humans after being captured—probably because they respected strength above all else.
With such a profitable ecosystem, it was no surprise that many struggling trainers turned to capturing and selling Pokémon to make ends meet.
—
On the road from Goldenrod City to Azalea Town, Sato focused on training Larvitar.
The number of Bug-type Pokémon in the forest was overwhelming.
Caterpie, Weedle, Pineco, and Spinarak could be seen every few steps, and many had already evolved. Occasionally, he even spotted one or two peaceful Heracross wandering about.
Sato refrained from using Dark Energy.
Although he could analyze a Bug-type's potential, constantly experiencing the inherent disgust from Dark Energy's reaction to them was highly uncomfortable.
Besides, most of these species had low base stats. Even if they possessed Elite Four-tier potential, it was nearly impossible for them to reach that level within their short lifespans.
Only when he encountered Heracross or Pinsir would Sato bother testing their potential using Dark Energy.
Moving at a steady pace, Sato fearlessly let Larvitar battle every Pokémon that challenged them, refusing no opponents.
As they neared Azalea Town, the density and strength of Bug-types increased, making this an ideal training ground for a Rock-type like Larvitar.
"Ssss!"
A Spinarak suddenly shot out a strand of silk, aiming straight for Sato.
However, before it could land, a small, precisely thrown rock sliced through the thread, severing it instantly.
"Larvitar, use a small Rock Slide!"
"Larvi!"
At the same time it responded, a sharp rock shot out like a bullet, striking Spinarak directly and taking it down in one hit!
"Ssss! Ssssss~"
In an instant, a swarm of Spinarak emerged from the surrounding foliage, encircling Sato and Larvitar, their pincers clicking menacingly.
At the center of the group, a single Ariados stood out as the undisputed leader.
It was clear—the Spinarak had been lying in wait, setting up a premeditated ambush.
Larvitar instinctively stepped closer to Sato, but almost immediately, it caught itself—as if realizing that such a reaction was unworthy of a future pseudo-legendary.
How could a Larvitar fear a bunch of insects?
"Stay calm. Take down the leader first! Larvitar, Rock Slide!"
"Larvi!"
Larvitar immediately understood the strategy, unleashing its modified Rock Slide in an instant.
Rather than targeting a single opponent, rocks scattered in chaotic patterns, creating a sense of overwhelming force.
As expected, the Spinarak panicked and scattered in every direction to dodge the attack.
Unfortunately for them, this Rock Slide wasn't random.
Among the flying debris, one rock—larger, heavier, and moving faster than the others—slammed directly into Ariados's abdomen!
"Ssssss!"
Ariados rolled across the ground in pain, kicking up clouds of dust—a single attack had nearly incapacitated it!
"Again! Strong Rock Slide!"
"Larvi!"
For a moment, Larvitar radiated the imposing presence of a Tyranitar.
The Rock Slide activated again—but this time, instead of scattering, the stones condensed into a single massive boulder!
With the momentum of an unstoppable force, it came crashing down onto Ariados and the Spinarak that had failed to escape in time!
Sato's eyes gleamed—in his previous life, Larvitar had taken far longer to master this move.
Its growth rate was clearly accelerating.
"That's it. One step at a time—catch up to your past self first."
Giving the exhausted Larvitar a high-grade Pokéblock, Sato led it deeper into Ariados's nest.
Ariados were known for being cunning predators, using poisonous webs to trap and slowly consume prey that wandered into their territory.
Their threat level in the wild was not to be underestimated.
And if luck was on his side, there might be something valuable hidden in their nest.
Inside the sprawling burrow, several young Spinarak huddled trembling in the corner.
Sato channeled his Dark Energy, scanning them briefly—but none of them possessed notable potential, so he lost interest.
After turning one more corner, he reached what was clearly the egg incubation chamber.
The walls of the nest were lined with silken threads, forming a large cocoon-like structure.
Scattered across the webbed floor were numerous eggs, varying in shades of green and purple, all placed without any discernible order.
A strange sense of discomfort rose from Sato's Dark Energy, sending an odd shiver through him.
His eyes flashed with recognition—this could only mean one thing.
Stepping closer, he carefully searched through the pile—then, his fingers brushed against something unusual.
"This energy signature… this one has Elite Four potential. Not bad."
Sato lifted a seemingly unremarkable egg from the nest, feeling the wave of disgust from his Dark Energy intensify.
Silently, he withdrew his energy—if he wasn't careful, he might damage the egg.
That would be a complete waste.
With utmost caution, he secured the egg inside his backpack.
After a final sweep of the area and finding nothing else of value, he decided that this egg alone was more than enough.
Leaving the Ariados nest, Sato ignored the injured Ariados that had barely escaped from under the boulder.
It still watched him from a distance, but made no move to attack.
With a calm demeanor, Sato walked away.
"Larvi!"
The effects of the high-grade Pokéblock were kicking in.
Though mentally drained, Larvitar still replayed the moment in its head—its first successful mastery of such a powerful Rock Slide.
As Sato moved forward, Larvitar instinctively followed along—only to suddenly straighten up, adopting its usual composed and serious posture.
Its exhaustion was irrelevant—a pseudo-legendary's dignity came first.
"Do you need to rest?"
"Larvi!"
Larvitar shook its head firmly.
It could feel the progress it had made in battle.
As the latest addition to the team, it had to catch up quickly.
"Alright, then. Larvitar, Screech!"
"Larvi!"
Though momentarily confused by the sudden order, Larvitar instinctively unleashed an ear-piercing cry.