Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
With Flygon's help, Sato and Thomas landed from the sky about a hundred meters east of the oasis.
After that, Sato released Swampert, and Thomas also released his Seismitoad. The two then proceeded toward the oasis at a steady pace with their Pokémon by their sides.
He might have lost the match earlier, but he wouldn't lose face. Surrounded by a group of unfamiliar Team Rocket elite recruits in the oasis, Sato couldn't afford to show any weakness in demeanor—otherwise, if these people looked down on him, there would inevitably be trouble during the upcoming ruins expedition.
Swampert understood Sato's intent. In fact, the moment it saw the presence of Kommo-o, Alakazam, Salamence, and Garchomp in the oasis, its massive, mountain-like aura silently began to rise.
At the same time, it utilized its master-level command of Ground-type energy. With every step it took, it felt like it was treading directly on the earth's pulse.
In that moment, Swampert seemed to transform into a prehistoric beast exuding terrifying pressure. Each of its steps caused subtle tremors across the ground within a hundred meters.
As Swampert's momentum reached its peak, several Pokémon in the oasis responded in kind.
"Rooooar!!"
"Rooaaar!!"
"Rooaaar!!"
Kommo-o, Salamence, and Garchomp—all Dragon-type pseudo-legendaries—let out thunderous roars, instantly surging their own aura to the maximum, then took positions to clash with Swampert's towering presence.
Vmmm!!!
At that moment, Ailes's Alakazam also erupted with a frightening psychic fluctuation. Its aura climbed to its zenith as it joined the battle of pressure with the three Dragon-types and Swampert.
Sato's Swampert, Vanna's Kommo-o, Rin's Salamence, Ailes's Alakazam, and Tomoki's Garchomp—these five Pokémon were not only the highest-level Pokémon in the entire oasis but also the most powerful.
All five were battle-hardened veterans capable of facing a hundred opponents alone. Each could feel mortal danger from the others—meaning any of them had the potential to defeat the rest.
None of them were willing to concede in terms of presence. They began competing, pressuring one another, plunging the oasis into a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
As for the other Pokémon in the oasis, many of them—though strong—tried to flare up their own strength to join this contest of dominance.
Unfortunately, while their strength wasn't bad, they couldn't compare to the top five. One by one, they were overwhelmed and forced to lower their proud heads in defeat.
In the end, only a handful of Pokémon managed to withstand the pressure from the five, and without exception, each of them looked at the top five with deep respect and fear in their eyes.
"So the one Uncle had high hopes for really is that strong. He's grown fast."
"That ugly thing got even stronger... Fine. As long as he doesn't try to steal my treasures, I won't mess with him."
"Not only has his mental power reached that of a Beginner Psychic, but even his Pokémon's strength has risen to such a level... what a headache."
"That guy's Swampert is even deadlier now. I have to find a chance to eliminate it soon."
Tomoki, Vanna, Ailes, and Rin each watched their strongest Pokémon clash with Swampert in a contest of aura and pressure without falling behind. Their expressions turned grim, and deep wariness filled their eyes.
With those four already on edge, it was only natural that the rest of the members in the oasis wouldn't dare to treat Sato lightly.
The five Team Rocket thugs who had earlier boasted to Rin were now drenched in cold sweat, shocked by their own arrogance. They had thought Rin was just scaring them—but now they realized she had been stating the plain truth.
If they'd really gone after Sato on their own, considering Swampert was capable of holding its ground against the four most powerful Pokémon in the Competition, they likely wouldn't have made it back alive and wound have been buried six feet under.
At this point, many in the oasis had already mentally elevated Sato to the same level of danger as Tomoki and the others. Even if not quite equal, he was no less dangerous.
The clash among the five Pokémon didn't last long. Once they realized none of them could suppress the others, they simultaneously withdrew their pressure. Though they continued glaring at one another, the look in their eyes held a slight mutual respect.
As the brief contest of power came to an end, Sato and Thomas entered the oasis, where they were met by Maya.
"Lord Sato, welcome. That journey must've been tiring. Please come with me—your camp for tonight has already been prepared in advance."
Maya was not someone who failed to read the room. Having now witnessed the sheer strength of her former ally, she quickly adjusted her attitude. To carry out Tomoki's orders, she lowered her posture considerably and even addressed Sato with formal honorifics.
"Is that so? I appreciate the effort. But before that, please take me to meet Mr. Tomoki."
Sato nodded slightly at her words, somewhat surprised. But rather than heading to the prepared campsite, he requested to be taken directly to her current superior.
"Ugh… alright, I'll guide you right away."
Hearing Sato outright refuse the camp invitation, Maya—who had already taken a step forward—froze. Her smile stiffened, and a trace of irritation flickered in her eyes, but she quickly masked it and kept smiling pleasantly at him.
'Did you think I was stupid? If I walked into that setup, I'd be trapped before I even stepped off the boat. Heh. Amature'
Sato had noticed Maya's awkward expression and chuckled to himself inwardly.
After all, this ruins expedition had been initiated by Tomoki. Though he hadn't personally invited Sato, since Sato had come, it was only proper to meet him face to face.
Yet Maya had tried to get him to head directly to the campsite prepared by Tomonari. What kind of plan was that? Sato knew perfectly well.
If he had gone there publicly, in front of everyone, it would have essentially meant he had chosen to join Tomoki's group—an association that would be hard to explain away later.
Though he had only just arrived and hadn't spent time in the oasis yet, Sato had already observed the general layout on the way in.
To be precise, there were four main factions in the oasis: the group led by Tomoki, the one led by Ailes, the one under Rin, and a looser group of soloists like Vanna.
Of these four factions, Tomoki's was undoubtedly the strongest. The other three couldn't resist him individually.
However, due to fear of Tomoki becoming too dominant, the remaining three had formed an uneasy alliance. Though tenuous and superficial, it had created a fragile balance in the oasis.
Now, with Sato's arrival, this fragile balance could be shattered at any moment. If he were to join Tomoki's side, the other three factions likely wouldn't stand a chance.
Sato didn't want to see that happen, for two key reasons:
First, the one he truly was a subordinate to was Giovanni—not Tomoki. While Tomoki was Giovanni's nephew, that didn't make them the same person. If Sato joined Tomoki's faction now, it would be equivalent to declaring allegiance to him; someone who was a rising force in Team Rocket and wouldn't be satisfied with subordination for long.
And if Giovanni learned of that... what would he think? Sato didn't even want to imagine the answer.
Loyalty is a rare and precious virtue—especially for those in power. Loyal subordinates are something all leaders crave. But if they suspect even the slightest betrayal, the consequences are often severe.
Sato knew Giovanni was a good and generous leader, which also meant he clearly understood the price of betrayal—one he wasn't willing to pay.
Second, Sato personally didn't want Tomoki to dominate this expedition.
While the ruins were dangerous, they also held great opportunities. If Tomoki monopolized everything, it would be extremely difficult for Sato to swoop in and snatch opportunities for himself.
And Sato had no intention of risking his life just to do free labor for someone else, no matter who their uncle was.