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After Sato agreed to the cooperation, Tomoki became noticeably more cordial toward him and formally began discussing the upcoming ruin expedition.
Naturally, Sato was delighted by this… but as the conversation deepened, he quickly realized that Tomoki wasn't being honest.
Out of every ten things Tomoki said, at least half contained false or misleading information. Sato also began to feel that the map in his possession was burning a hole in his pocket.
Tomoki only spoke of relatively common topics related to the ruins. As for his true goal in exploring the ruins and other vital intelligence, no matter how carefully Sato listened or probed, Tomoki never said a word. Instead, he tried to instill the idea that the ruins were quite safe as long as one remained cautious.
Sato had expected there wouldn't be full transparency, but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. The more Tomoki chose to conceal, the more dangerous this ruin expedition was likely to be.
However, considering he'd already received a detailed ruin map and a good amount of intel for free, Sato managed to let it go. He understood that unless he offered some real value in return, he wouldn't gain access to the more critical information.
After some thought, Sato decided to reveal that he was a psychic, and that he had two Psychic-type Pokémon capable of using Teleport: Xatu and Alakazam.
"To be honest, I'm now a Beginner Psychic myself. I also have two Psychic-types capable of using Teleport. I might be able to contribute to the team's safety."
Sato picked up his tea as he used telepathy to communicate this directly to Tomoki.
"Hahaha~~ It seems I was right to propose a partnership! With your help, Brother Sato, our team's chances of survival just improved significantly. By the way, may I have the honor of meeting your Psychic-type Pokémon?"
The voice suddenly echoing in his mind startled Tomoki. His expression turned to one of surprise, but he quickly recovered and let out a hearty laugh.
He had heard from Maya that Sato had become a psychic, but he believed it was due to sheer luck—a low-grade awakening brought on by a mysterious potion. With only 10 points of mental power, Sato had been dismissed as a weak psychic and hadn't warranted much attention.
But now he was genuinely shocked to learn that Sato was already a Beginner psychic and, more importantly, had two Psychic-type Pokémon capable of using Teleport. This immediately elevated Sato's standing in Tomoki's eyes—and his wariness.
Psychics were a rare resource within Team Rocket. Aside from those under Sabrina's command, most internal factions lacked such talent.
In Tomoki's own group, he had only managed to recruit Maya as a psychic. And it was thanks to her and her two Teleport-capable Pokémon that they weren't wiped out during the last ruin expedition. Her ability was limited, though—she could only evacuate up to six people at a time.
Tomoki's current team, himself included, had thirteen members. In a worst-case scenario, some people would inevitably be left behind.
That's one reason why he had invited Ailes to join. Aside from Ailes's strength as a combatant, he had a number of powerful Psychic-type Pokémon capable of using Teleport, which could greatly reduce the risk of ruin exploration and boost team morale.
In fact, it was only because of Ailes and the psychics he brought that Tomoki had managed to recruit so many people for this expedition.
"Come out, Natu, Alakazam."
Hearing Tomoki's request to "verify," Sato didn't hesitate. He immediately released Natu and Alakazam from their PokeBalls.
"Excellent! With Brother Sato here, we can rest easy on this ruin expedition. Now we won't have to rely on Ailes and his lot. I promise, you'll get an extra share of the spoils this time."
Tomoki, a discerning man, immediately recognized the value of Alakazam. His eyes lit up with excitement as he walked over to Sato, clapped him on the shoulder, and spoke with a wide smile.
"I'll thank you in advance then, Mr. Tomoki. Let's get back to the ruins talk—I have some questions I'd like to clarify."
Sato nodded slightly, smiling naturally. As he recalled Natu and Alakazam into their PokeBalls, he continued the conversation.
"Feel free to ask whatever you like. As long as it's something I know, I'll tell you everything."
Tomoki's eyes gleamed slightly as he heard Sato's words and saw his calm expression. After taking a deep breath, he resumed his affable smile and nodded.
Now that Sato had provided "real value," Tomoki finally began offering real intel in return. As Sato gradually learned the truth about the ruins from Tomoki's explanations, his expression grew more serious.
Just as Sato had suspected earlier, the ruin they were about to explore was none other than the Mew Ruins—or, more precisely, one of them on this mysterious island.
So far, Team Rocket had discovered four ancient ruins on the island, each somehow connected to Mew. That's because the ancient people who had built these ruins had all regarded Mew as their guardian deity.
The particular ruin they were headed to had not yet been fully explored and was currently buried under thick desert sand. To gain access, Ground-type Pokémon skilled in digging would be essential.
According to Tomoki's description, the Mew Ruins resembled a high-rise building buried under layers of sand. It consisted of multiple levels, with only one passage connecting each floor to the next.
Every floor of the Mew Ruins was riddled with traps and mechanisms. It was also patrolled by ancient puppet soldiers such as Baltoy, Claydol, Golett, and Golurk.
These puppets patrolled the ruins day and night, and the moment intruders were detected, they would immediately call for reinforcements and attack.
In addition to the puppet soldiers, the ruins also contained a large number of Ghost-type Pokémon. These had spawned from the remains and burial sites of the ancient people, and were deeply hostile toward the living—often attacking relentlessly once they sensed life.
And most troubling of all… were the Regis. There were far more than just three.
These legendary Titans possessed immense strength. Though they had slumbered for ages, each of them was at least Elite Four level in power.
So far, Tomoki's group had only managed to reach the third level of the ruins before they were ambushed by six of the Regis. They lost many teammates in the ensuing chaos before managing a narrow escape.
The discussion between Sato and Tomoki lasted over an hour. When it concluded, Sato stepped out of the cabin with a satisfied look and left Tomoki's camp with Thomas.
Throughout, Sato had never set foot in the camp Tomoki had prepared for him. Instead, he and Thomas established their own independent base on a stretch of open land in the oasis.
Perhaps because of this—and because Tomoki hadn't publicized their partnership—many in the oasis believed that Sato had not allied with him.
As a result, not long after Sato left Tomoki's camp, a few individuals in the oasis began trying to make contact with him.