"Sato, look! This is my first Pokémon, Hoppip!" Takeshin clutched the small, round Grass-type in his arms, his excitement overflowing.
"You caught it yourself?" Sato ignored how Takeshin was trying to act familiar with him—calling him "Sato" so casually. He should be calling me uncle instead.
"No, Masanobu gave it to me!"
Sato nodded. Masanobu's Jumpluff had a long lifespan since it was a Grass-type, but for it to still have offspring at his age... That's impressive.
"Have you officially caught it?"
"Yes!" Takeshin obediently presented a Poké Ball, gripping it tightly.
"Recall Hoppip. I'll check its potential for you."
Sato placed the Poké Ball into the Pokémon Potential Analyzer, and a detailed set of data quickly appeared.
Pokémon: Hoppip
Gender: Male
Stage: Ordinary (Low)
Potential: Elite (Grass) + Elite (Flying)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves: Splash, Synthesis, Confusion (Inherited)
"Not bad. It's a good fit for you at this stage," Sato remarked.
He deliberately avoided explaining the potential ranking in too much detail—knowing too much would only set Takeshin up for unnecessary pressure.
Still, Hoppip was indeed an excellent choice for a beginner trainer. It had a three-stage evolution, was easy to raise, commonly found, and had a gentle temperament.
"Really?! That's great! Masanobu wasn't lying—he said this Hoppip was really strong!"
Well, considering it's the offspring of a decades-old Jumpluff, and it even inherited Confusion, the impressive one is its father.
In total, Sato had now spent two weeks in Lingua Town, and during that time, Takeshin had begun mimicking Sato's training routines, clumsily trying to train his Hoppip.
"Hoppip may have inherited Confusion, but the Hoppip line was never meant for offense,"
Sato pointed out but didn't elaborate further. Some things need to be experienced firsthand to truly understand.
"Mm..." Takeshin obediently stopped making Hoppip lift rocks with Confusion and started thinking seriously.
From watching Sato's training, Takeshin could sense something—Sato was strong. Really strong. That black Pokémon, the one called Zoroark, seemed even more powerful than the rampaging Nidoking he had once seen.
That's why Takeshin was both excited and nervous that Sato was willing to guide him.
If he could figure out Sato's question, he might receive more lessons in the future. If not, he might never get another chance and would have to learn on his own.
Takeshin was still young—he didn't have a deep sense of ambition, but his sincere and eager heart allowed him to instinctively make the right choice.
"Hoppip, we're not going to practice lifting rocks anymore. Let's focus on increasing your move's speed!"
After a few minutes of serious thought, Takeshin spoke hesitantly, but his voice carried a determined edge. As he spoke, he also sneaked a glance at Sato, clearly hoping for approval.
"Hm." Sato nodded slightly. The kid is quick-witted and willing to think. That makes him easy to teach.
He didn't realize there was a faint sense of satisfaction in his thoughts.
A week later, Sato's right hand was mostly healed. As long as he didn't exert too much force, it no longer caused any issues. After removing the splint, Sato packed his bag.
Takeno and Masanobu watched him with reluctant expressions, their concern evident.
Although Takeno had initially allowed Sato to stay because of the generous lodging fee, over time, he could genuinely feel the elderly couple's warmth and care for him.
"Sato!"
Sato paused. In all of Lingua Town, only Takeshin would call him that. Without turning back, he simply raised his right hand and gave a light wave.
Unfortunately, Takeshin had no intention of letting him leave with style.
With teary eyes, he ran up and blocked his way. Behind him, a pair of middle-aged farmers, panting from running, followed closely behind.
"I heard from Takeshin that you've been teaching him about being a Pokémon Trainer. We really appreciate it. When he found out you were leaving, he insisted on coming to see you off,"
Takeshin's father said, clearly not the most eloquent man, but speaking earnestly.
"Sato, do you really have to leave so soon?" Takeshin's eyes were brimming with tears.
These past few days had been the most fulfilling and happiest of his life. When he didn't see Sato at their usual training spot that morning, a sense of panic immediately gripped his heart.
"I'm a Pokémon Trainer. I can't stay in one place for too long," Sato replied, nodding at Takeshin's parents before continuing.
"Sato, we don't have much to give, but take this as a small token of our gratitude for taking care of Takeshin." Takeshin's mother stepped forward and handed him a jar of glistening, pure honey.
Since it wasn't anything too valuable, Sato accepted it without hesitation. He then turned to Takeshin. "Keep up with your training. When you travel, surviving is the most important thing."
"Mm!" Takeshin hugged Hoppip tightly, struggling to hold back his tears.
"I'm off." Without lingering, Sato turned and walked away decisively.
---------
Heading further south, it only took him two days to arrive at Goldenrod City, the most prosperous metropolis in Johto.
Following his navigator, Sato first located the Goldenrod Game Corner. Only after confirming its location did he find a decent hotel nearby and settle in.
Goldenrod City was enormous, with Pokémon Centers spread across its eastern, southern, western, and northern districts. Sato simply chose the nearest one.
After giving his four Pokémon a full medical check-up and ensuring there were no hidden injuries, he began gathering information on the city's latest rumors and news.
More than half a month had passed, yet the National Park incident hadn't died down. Instead, the controversy was growing.
It was obvious that certain forces were deliberately fueling the situation, and Sato didn't even need to think to know exactly who was behind it.
However, this only strengthened his belief that something major was about to happen in Goldenrod City.
But with the National Park incident causing such a stir, he wasn't sure if the event he remembered would still happen at the same time.
"I need more information."
Sato typed away on his laptop while Spinarak swung back and forth in front of him, hanging from its silk thread.
"Zoro..."
Zoroark sat cross-legged on the carpet, attempting to cultivate a sinister aura—it had been focused on mastering Nasty Plot. Every now and then, it would let out a low chuckle, as if it were scheming something devious.
"Kehehe~"
Haunter extended a spectral hand and silently cut Spinarak's silk thread.
Caught off guard, Spinarak flailed and crashed straight into the wall.
"Zzzzz!" Spinarak let out an indignant squeak and scurried over to its boss, Zoroark, to complain.
With narrowed eyes and a perfectly timed sinister chuckle, Zoroark exuded a commanding presence. Haunter, seeing this, awkwardly averted its gaze, suddenly reluctant to meet Zoroark's eyes.
Larvitar, sitting nearby, shook its head in exasperation. A bunch of mischievous Pokémon playing around all day—how immature.
As a future pseudo-legendary, I must never stoop to their level.
Plop!
A tiny stone, no bigger than a marble, struck Larvitar's face.
"Lar!"
Furious, Larvitar turned its glare on Haunter.
Before Haunter could react, a miniature Rock Slide shot toward it at high speed.
"Enough. We're heading out."
Sato put an end to their playful scuffle and recalled all of them into their Poké Balls.
Tonight, he was going to Goldenrod Game Corner—for a proper round of fun.