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Sato first took Pichu and his other Pokémon to a nearby breakfast shop. Once everyone had eaten their fill and rested for a while, he received a delivery notification. He returned to the Pokémon Center and collected a package from Nurse Joy.
Inside the package was a single, elegant spatial bracelet. But within that bracelet was stored the majority of Sato's belongings.
Yes—this finely crafted spatial bracelet now contained what Sato had previously deposited in a private bank in Cinnabar Island.
It was worth noting that this spatial bracelet was a high-end model among spatial gear. Sato had spent nearly 2 million PokeDollars purchasing it from a licensed store. Not only did it have a large storage capacity, but it also came equipped with fingerprint recognition.
Due to being pressed for time, Sato couldn't make a trip to Cinnabar Island personally. Instead, he made a phone call to the private bank, hoping they could send the items over.
Originally, he hadn't expected this to work—but to his surprise, it did.
In fact, it wasn't really a surprise. Under normal circumstances, this request wouldn't have gone through. But that private bank was actually operated by Team Rocket.
The manager of that bank held considerable authority within the organization and was a direct subordinate of Boss Giovanni. Naturally, he recognized Sato as one of Giovanni's newest inner-circle recruits.
Connections make things easier. After a video call with Sato and confirmation of the emblem he held, the bank manager agreed to deliver the package via Pidgeot courier straight to Saffron City.
Of course, the delivery fee still came out of Sato's pocket.
After carefully checking the contents of the spatial bracelet and confirming nothing was missing, Sato put it on and left the Pokémon Center.
He hailed a taxi from the roadside and instructed the driver to take him to the international airport in Saffron City.
Although the Kanto and Johto regions share the same continent, the transportation between them remained inconvenient due to Mt. Silver.
At present, the maglev train line between Kanto's Saffron City and Johto's Goldenrod City was still under construction, so there were only three available methods of travel between the two regions:
The first method: crossing Mt. Silver. But this route was only feasible for trainers at or above the pseudo Elite Four level.
Mt. Silver was still one of the most dangerous locations in the Pokémon world, home to an endless number of high-level Pokémon.
The second method: by ship. Currently, there was a relatively safe sea route established between Kanto's Vermilion City Port and Johto's Olivine City Port, with large passenger vessels making regular weekly round-trips.
This was the most popular and affordable mode of transport for the general public, though it was time-consuming. Even under the best conditions, the journey took two full days.
The third method: flying, which was what Sato chose. Both Saffron City in Kanto and Goldenrod City in Johto were major international metropolises with their own airports, making air travel the fastest option.
About ten minutes later, the taxi arrived at Saffron City's international airport.
Flights between Kanto and Johto were always in high demand due to their speed and limited seating capacity.
Luxury tickets were especially sought after by the wealthy who traveled frequently across regions. Unless one booked several days in advance or had a special VIP membership card, they were nearly impossible to buy.
Sato hadn't initially expected to be traveling to Johto in such a rush, so naturally, he hadn't bought a ticket in advance.
In the end, since he booked late, he was only able to get a standard ticket.
His flight was scheduled for 10:00 AM. It was currently 8:33. Assuming everything went smoothly, he would need to start lining up at the boarding counter in just over half an hour.
The interior of Saffron City's international airport was, as always, bustling with activity. One could easily spot people and Pokémon from all over the world.
Sato didn't pay much attention to the crowd. Upon entering the airport, he headed straight for the waiting lounge, found an empty seat, and sat down. Then he pulled out the latest Pokémon newspaper and began reading.
However, the noise inside the terminal was overwhelming. Even though Sato had two protective charms suppressing his disturbed mental state, the chaotic environment still left him feeling slightly agitated—he couldn't focus on the newspaper at all.
Helpless, he decided to distract himself by looking elsewhere. His gaze landed on a large TV screen in the waiting area.
At that moment, the TV was broadcasting today's Kanto League Tournament—and it was the highly anticipated semifinals.
As soon as Sato saw what was being shown on screen, his eyes were glued there, completely engrossed in the Pokémon battle unfolding before him.
Among all the regional league tournaments under the Pokémon League's jurisdiction, the Kanto League was considered the most difficult to win. Each year, it gave rise to many powerful young trainers who made their mark on the Indigo Plateau.
This year was no exception.
Among this year's crop of talented trainers, one from the Hoenn region stood out above all. Using a Milotic, he had dominated his way through the competition with barely any resistance.
The semifinal match was now in its most intense phase. Judging by the state of the battle, the trainer on the blue side was clearly far superior to the one on the red side.
He had already defeated three of his opponent's Pokémon with Milotic alone. The fourth was now barely holding on.
"What a powerful Milotic. Such elegant and devastating combo techniques. If the opponent can't find a way to break through her overwhelming regeneration or take her out in one blow, then all of his remaining Pokémon are doomed to be swept away by that dazzling style."
As Sato watched the familiar figure confidently command his Milotic to defeat yet another opponent, a serious expression gradually formed on his face. He murmured to himself without realizing it.
Yes—the trainer being featured live in the Kanto League semifinal was none other than Wallace, the man to whom Sato owed a great debt.
After parting ways with Sato, this noble heir from a prestigious Hoenn family had gone on to win the Grand Festival at the Indigo Plateau. Now, he was only two steps away from winning the Kanto League Championship as well.
Just as Sato had predicted, over the next ten-odd minutes, Wallace's opponent failed to find a way to overcome Milotic's enhanced Aqua Ring combined with its healing item. Unable to break through its continuous regeneration or finish it off instantly, the opponent was ultimately swept.
Milotic had pulled off an astonishing 6-on-1.
Now, Wallace stood just one step away from becoming the Kanto Indigo League Champion.