Sato moved efficiently through his morning routine—washing up, dressing, and preparing his gear. Within ten minutes, he was fully ready to leave.
As he passed by the full-length mirror in the bathroom, he caught a glimpse of himself and couldn't help but feel satisfied. Thanks to the subtle nourishment from Dark Energy, he now looked more like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old teenager, brimming with vitality.
The shopping mall, where the tournament was taking place, wouldn't open until 10 AM. Instead of heading over immediately, Sato chose to train at the hotel's provided training facility.
Watching Haunter move energetically around the battlefield, Sato let out a quiet sigh. Both Zorua and Larvitar still couldn't participate in high-exposure battles like this one, leaving Haunter to bear the entire burden.
It wasn't hard to predict—after this period of high-intensity battles, Haunter's strength would experience an explosive breakthrough.
At 9:30 AM, Sato recalled his three Pokémon and fed each of them a high-grade Pokéblock before making his way toward the nearby shopping plaza.
He was the last trainer to arrive. The moment he stepped into the waiting area, the host seamlessly transitioned into the tournament announcements, signaling the start of the next round.
The first battle of the day featured none other than the wealthy young master from the previous rounds. His Feraligatr's aggressive and relentless combat style had left a lasting impression.
The competition stage had been completely revamped overnight. The three smaller, temporary battle arenas were gone, replaced by a single, larger and sturdier one in the center.
The rich kid strode leisurely to his position, while his Feraligatr gleamed under the sunlight, its sharp claws and fangs radiating an icy menace.
His opponent was unremarkable—Sato couldn't even remember them. Sure enough, when the trainer sent out a decent-looking Crobat, there was a visible wave of disappointment in the crowd.
The battle lasted less than three minutes. Feraligatr closed the distance with terrifying speed, and a single Ice Punch knocked Crobat out of the match.
The next battle commenced immediately. Aside from a few overwhelmingly strong contestants, most matchups turned into fierce, drawn-out struggles, earning excited cheers from the audience.
One match, however, stood out.
A female trainer, completely wrapped up in heavy clothing, stepped onto the battlefield. Despite the concealment, a glimpse of pink hair and the sight of her Blissey made her identity all too obvious.
"Heal Pulse, Toxic, and Minimize…"
Blissey was known for its ridiculous movepool. It lacked raw firepower, but its ability to stall battles and endure through sheer resilience made it a nightmare for opponents.
Her opponent, a Pidgeot, was significantly stronger. However, caught off guard by Blissey's strategy, the trainer made a critical mistake—underestimating the endurance game.
A moment of hesitation was all it took. The Toxic status wore Pidgeot down, and eventually, it succumbed.
By noon, only four battles had concluded, but two of them showcased outstanding performances. Both Blissey and Feraligatr were formidable opponents—if Sato was going to use Haunter against them, he needed to think carefully about his strategy.
At precisely 1 PM, the tournament resumed. This time, Sato was the first to be called up.
His opponent was a bespectacled man with the look of a reluctant participant—someone who seemed like he had been forced into the competition by his wife.
"Go, Victreebel!"
"Haunter."
Sato's opponent couldn't see Haunter, but having witnessed the first round, he already knew it was just lurking invisibly.
"Victreebel, spread Stun Spore into the air!"
"Haunter, Lick."
"Kehehehehe~"
A long, sinister tongue materialized behind Victreebel, dragging across its back with a wet, slimy sound. The Grass-type Pokémon instantly stiffened, paralyzed on the spot.
"Hypnosis."
"Follow up with consecutive Shadow Balls."
Victreebel, already immobilized, could only fall victim to the relentless barrage. Within moments, it lost consciousness.
Sato recalled Haunter, who was grinning triumphantly, clearly pleased with itself. Lick had a low paralysis chance, but when used in a surprise attack, even if the status effect didn't trigger, it could completely disrupt an opponent's rhythm.
Haunter's tongue was scarlet, sticky, and unsettlingly soft—it was the kind of sensation that sent shivers down one's spine.
By the end of the day, a total of sixteen battles had concluded. After finishing his match, Sato informed the staff and left immediately.
With Haunter emerging unscathed, there was no need for treatment. Instead, Sato returned to his hotel, booked a private training room, and spent the entire afternoon immersed in training.
Zorua and Larvitar, unable to participate in the tournament, pushed themselves harder than ever during practice.
Sato didn't stop them. Both Zorua and Haunter had reached a bottleneck in their growth. With their talent, breaking through wasn't difficult, but they still needed some external stimulation. This intensity was exactly what they required.
The next day, when Sato arrived at the plaza, only sixteen contestants remained. The matches were getting tougher, with several standout trainers proving to be formidable opponents.
Among them was a participant who quickly became the center of attention—though her face was concealed, keen-eyed spectators still recognized her instantly.
A Nurse Joy!
A wave of excited chatter spread through the crowd. The tournament now had an unexpected celebrity, drawing in a growing number of fans.
And, as fate would have it, Sato's next opponent was none other than Nurse Joy herself.
The moment he saw the match-up, Sato felt an overwhelming urge to walk away.
"Go, Blissey!"
"Haunter, you're up."
The moment the match began, Nurse Joy smiled gently.
"You can take the first move, little brother."
"Thanks. Haunter, use Curse."
A collective gasp echoed through the audience. Many had been charmed by Sato's seemingly harmless demeanor, only to witness him open the battle with one of the most ruthless Ghost-type moves.
"Blissey, use Softboi—no, Refresh—wait, that won't work either!"
For the first time, Nurse Joy looked visibly flustered. Despite being knowledgeable in Pokémon care, she was not a competitive battler.
"Haunter, Hypnosis."
A crimson glow pulsed in front of Blissey's eyes. A moment later, it collapsed, lying motionless on the battlefield. A wisp of dark energy flickered—Curse had taken effect.
"I forfeit."
Nurse Joy's voice rang through the arena.
Silence fell.
And then, the outcry began.
All eyes turned toward Sato, their gazes filled with outrage, as if he had committed some kind of unforgivable sin.
Without emotion, Sato observed the reaction, unbothered. He tossed Haunter a Pokéblock to restore its strength, not even sparing a glance at the riled-up audience.
"Kehehehehe~"
Haunter cackled, utterly indifferent to the disapproving stares.
As a Ghost-type, it never cared about the opinions of others. Whether people called it heartless or cruel—why should it care?
Sato smirked. Perhaps he had spent too much time basking in the comfort of light, forgetting that just beneath it, darkness always lurked.
In truth, Haunter's available moves were severely limited against Blissey. Toxic and Curse were the only effective options.
But against an opponent that could heal endlessly with moves like Softboiled and Refresh, Toxic was a joke. Curse was the only way to guarantee a swift end to the battle.
Sato turned away, recalling Haunter. The moment it returned to its Poké Ball, the effects of Curse vanished, leaving Blissey with only minimal damage.
Yet the audience didn't care about logic. Their emotions flared, and some even began pushing forward, hurling insults at Sato from the stands.
Calmly, Sato took his seat among the top sixteen competitors, tuning out the enraged crowd.
"Everyone, please calm down!" Nurse Joy's concerned voice rang out.
"My Blissey is fine. This was just a normal Pokémon battle—Sato did nothing wrong. Please don't direct your anger at him!"
Her earnest plea managed to soothe the mob. A few people, upon realizing they had nearly harassed a child, felt a tinge of shame—but none of them apologized.
Sato didn't hold it against Nurse Joy. In fact, he was grateful. She had unknowingly reminded him of something crucial.
He had been getting complacent lately. And complacency had no place in his plans.