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Under the night sky, Saffron City remained as bustling as ever. This city that never sleeps became even more vibrant after dark than it was in the daytime.
Perhaps due to being accustomed to the chaotic and colorful nightlife of Saffron City, its citizens had much stronger mental fortitude compared to those of Celadon. Even when facing Sato, who now radiated a dangerous aura, they remained relatively unfazed.
However, even with Sato wearing a Ditto-made human-skin mask, his presence still raised alarms among both the visible and hidden elements in the city.
As an internationally renowned metropolis, Saffron City was rife with power struggles and interest conflicts. Many powerful factions had footholds here, and it was not lacking in Elite Four level trainers.
Not long after Sato appeared in the city, he immediately drew the attention of these Elite Four level and stronger trainers. They were all experienced veterans.
So they quickly recognized the state Sato was in—one that trainers often enter after spending long periods surviving brutal battles in the wild.
To these trainers, someone as young as Sato reaching this point meant his potential was limitless. But right now, he was an extremely dangerous young trainer—any minor provocation could trigger an intense and possibly violent response.
Moreover, they all believed Sato was most likely a carefully groomed elite from some major power. If they, as senior trainers, used their status to suppress him, it could very well ignite a much larger conflict.
So, the top trainers from all factions could only instruct their subordinates to refrain from provoking Sato, whose emotional state was clearly on edge.
As Sato walked, he grew increasingly irritated by the strange glances people threw his way. Deep down, he had the impulse to destroy these annoying pests who kept whispering about him. Thankfully, his reason managed to suppress this dangerous urge.
"I need to calm down. This isn't the Mysterious Island. This is civilized human society. It's safe here. Most of these people are weaklings. There's no need to pay attention. No one around can harm me."
To combat his rising agitation, he began using techniques from the psychic ability book Maya had given him—specifically, methods of autosuggestion to calm his mind. It worked—gradually, the storm in his heart began to settle.
Sitting quietly in a peaceful downtown park, Sato was drenched in sweat, his face exhausted, as if he had just finished an intense workout.
"Whew... I have to do something about this. If not for the autosuggestion, I nearly lost control and gave in to the urge to attack those people. And that's just in a crowd of ordinary people... If I were in the underground black market, I really might not be able to hold back."
He inhaled deeply, trying to stimulate his brain and regain clarity.
[To come to Saffron in this condition… You really are fearless in your ignorance.]
[Then again, you're just a regular civilian by birth. Talented, sure, but still lacking vision. Leave Saffron City and find a quiet place to recover. If you stay in this noisy city, you'll eventually lose control over your mental state—and that'll put Giovanni in a tough spot.]
[You must've gone on a killing spree on the island. The bloodlust you've built up is enormous and you probably didn't notice because you were surrounded by people with a similar state to yours, which made the environment around you feel normal. I've placed a mental barrier in your mind—it'll help suppress your mental state temporarily. But in the end, it's up to you to resolve it.]
[Here's some advice: Go to the Johto region and seek out those bald monks. They have solid techniques for emotional control and spiritual purification. Might even help strengthen your weak psychic power a bit.]
Just as Sato was preparing to leave after resting, a few crisp and elegant sentences suddenly echoed in his mind. In an instant, his entire body jolted like he'd been electrocuted, and he sat there stunned.
After a moment, Sato finally came to his senses. For a split second, an image flashed before his eyes—a girl in a long white dress, with long black hair. But in the blink of an eye, she vanished.
Immediately, Sato shot to his feet and began scanning his surroundings. But aside from some citizens casually strolling through the park, there was no trace of the black-haired girl in a white dress.
"That voice just now… was Sabrina, wasn't it?"
After thinking for a moment, Sato quickly realized who it was. His expression turned to surprise.
In Saffron City, there was only one person capable of initiating a telepathic conversation with him without a sound—and even implant a mental barrier, a feat only advanced psychic users could perform. That person could only be the Psychic Queen of Saffron: Sabrina.
Feeling that his mental state had improved significantly, Sato finally came back to himself and turned in the direction where Sabrina had vanished, offering a deep, respectful bow.
From her words, he guessed that she had likely been sent by Giovanni to help stabilize him. Still, the fact that she was willing to intervene at all was a major favor—he now owed the Psychic Queen a huge debt.
"Johto, huh? If I'm really in such bad shape and didn't notice until now… maybe I should try my luck there."
Perhaps due to the mental barrier Sabrina had placed, Sato now found himself far less sensitive to the judgmental looks of those around him. The inner agitation had also subsided greatly. Straightening up, he murmured to himself.
A short while later, he casually walked away and entered a nearby shop. When he emerged, he had changed into a new outfit and wore a different face. He'd even masked his scent using a variety of men's colognes.
Thanks to his excellent disguise, Sato successfully shook off all pursuers. He hailed a cab and began heading toward a familiar entrance to Saffron City's underground black market.
This time, his objective was simple: sell the Zweilous that once belonged to Ranka.
Under his care, the Dragon-type pseudo-legendary had long since recovered.
However, the Zweilous was fiercely loyal to Ranka. No matter how Sato tried to coerce or tempt it, the Pokémon remained completely uncooperative.
So in the end, Sato had no choice but to sell the rare Dragon-type pseudo-legendary to exchange it for other resources.
Saffron City's underground black market was the largest in the Kanto region and currently under full control of Team Rocket. In Sato's view, it was by far the best place to offload the Zweilous.