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It was a little past 5 p.m. as Sato rode swiftly through the forest between Pallet Town and Viridian City atop his Arcanine.
By now, Sato's expression had eased considerably. His whole demeanor was like a once-unsheathed, savage blade now slipped back into a sturdy scabbard—less sharp, but far more restrained and composed.
All of this change in Sato was thanks to the string of camphor wood prayer beads gifted to him by Professor Oak.
These prayer beads, made from the sacred camphor wood where the legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh once perched, truly possessed a mysterious aura that warded off evil. The restless agitation caused by Sato's intense mental imbalance had faded significantly the moment he wore them. His mind felt far clearer now.
"I really owe Professor Oak a huge favor this time… With these camphor beads, I won't have to worry about losing control and hurting someone by accident. But still… my situation isn't exactly great."
He glanced at the slightly worn prayer beads on his left wrist, feeling the faint, cool energy radiating from them. Then his eyes moved to the Team Rocket watch on his right wrist. His emotions grew heavier.
Not long ago, just as he had stepped out of Professor Oak's lab, the watch on his right wrist had buzzed with a new message.
The message was incredibly simple—just two characters: "Viridian Gym."
Upon seeing that, Sato's first instinct was to run—flee Kanto as far and fast as possible. But that impulse lasted only a second or two before he squashed it mercilessly.
Running was out of the question. Right now, all of Kanto's underworld was shrouded in the Team Rocket's shadow, and even the Pokémon League was heavily infiltrated. Their agents lurked in every corner.
Take this instance, for example: he had just stepped out of Professor Oak's lab and was immediately hit with a message. It was obvious—Professor Oak's lab was also under surveillance. Everything he did was potentially being watched by the Team Rocket.
If he dared to show the slightest hint of fleeing, Sato was certain that Team Rocket elites would quickly descend upon him. The organization had always been ruthless with traitors—relentless and merciless.
Even though his strength had grown significantly, in the eyes of an entity as massive as Team Rocket, he was still just a slightly larger ant. A single Executive officer could send him fleeing for his life.
Ever since visiting the mysterious island, Sato had realized that Team Rocket had more than a few Elite Four level powerhouses. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to dominate Kanto's underworld so quickly and hold that power so firmly.
That's why Sato knew escape wasn't an option. His only choice was to go to Viridian Gym and meet the one waiting for him there.
He also understood that if Giovanni hadn't sent people to arrest him immediately, then things hadn't yet reached the worst point. There was still a chance for survival.
If he tried to flee, then it truly would be over—no chance at all.
Knowing that this trip to Viridian might be a deadly one, Sato left behind the Dratini's Pokémon Egg. He then made up a half-hearted excuse to take both his Shiny Beautifly and Shiny Gyarados with him again.
Professor Oak hadn't questioned him. He simply patted Sato on the shoulder before he left and told him to be careful.
"I really didn't think things through. It makes sense that Professor Oak—being one of Kanto's top researchers—would have his lab under Team Rocket surveillance. I was too focused on seeking help and missed that obvious fact."
"Well, what's done is done. Now I have to face the consequences. Hopefully, I can avoid this coming disaster…"
"Yeah… Life's never smooth sailing. It rises and falls. I thought I had gained some footing in this world, but it was just a castle in the sky—collapsing with the slightest breeze. No foundation at all."
As the sun began to cast its final light across the sky, Sato sighed heavily.
Suddenly, a shadow darted through the trees behind him. In just a moment, it zipped past Arcanine on the open ground and blocked the path ahead.
"A Primeape… and it's level 54."
Sato signaled for Arcanine to stop as he stared at the Primeape now blocking the road. His expression turned grave. A flicker of blue psychic light gleamed in his eyes as he quickly shifted his focus to a patch of brush on the right side.
Moments later, a burly middle-aged man in casual clothing stepped out slowly from the tall grass. He walked in silence, positioned himself behind Primeape, and then took out a black PokéBall from his pocket—pointing it directly at Sato.
The moment Sato saw the black PokéBall, he instantly understood—Team Rocket. And not just any member; this one had clearly come for him. A bad feeling crept in—his path to Viridian Gym would not be peaceful.
There was no need for words. If Sato wanted to move forward, he would have to defeat the person standing before him.
He glanced at Primeape's info as displayed in his system, and immediately chose his counter. Without hesitation, he threw a PokéBall.
In the next instant, his Shiny Beautifly soared out of the opened PokéBall.
Primeape locked eyes with Beautifly, and instantly its fists burst into blazing flames. It accelerated with terrifying speed, rapidly closing the gap between them.
Battle erupted in a flash.
A few minutes later, the surrounding forest was devastated—many trees had fallen, and the ground was riddled with craters.
Now, the middle-aged man stood there, eyes empty, watching Sato ride away swiftly on Arcanine, not bothering to spare him another glance. His face was frozen in disbelief. At his feet lay the battered, unconscious body of Primeape.
"I lost. The target is strong. Proceed with caution."
Once Sato vanished from sight, the man finally snapped out of his daze. He returned Primeape to its PokéBall, then pulled out a communicator from his coat and sent a brief message.
At that very moment, deep within the tightly shut Viridian Gym, a crew-cut man in a suit stood tall on the battlefield inside. At his feet sat a well-groomed Persian.
"Let's see if you're worth the investment. Only those who keep moving forward can survive in this brutal world."
He glanced at the message on his communicator screen, then turned to face the gym's main entrance. His sharp eyes narrowed, and he muttered softly to himself.