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The Kanto and Johto regions are part of the same continent, separated only by the towering Mt. Silver. Once a plane crosses that natural divide, it's considered to have entered the other region.
So, after flying for just over two hours, the plane carrying Sato and the other passengers finally landed at the International Airport of Goldenrod City.
"Farewell for now, Miss Solidad. I hope we'll meet again someday. If you need more gems-grade PokeBlocks, feel free to contact me—I'll courier them to your location."
From the back seat of a taxi outside the airport, Sato spoke to Solidad through telepathy as she waved him goodbye from outside the window.
Then, the taxi driver hit the gas pedal, merging the car into the highway traffic. Within moments, the cab carrying Sato disappeared from Solidad's sight.
"Phew~ Finally got through that. Psychics really aren't easy to deal with... The pressure when facing one alone is just overwhelming."
"Thank goodness Mr. Sato didn't take offense. Even though it cost me a top-grade Moon Stone, it was totally worth it. With the support of his gems-grade PokeBlocks, my path to becoming a top-tier Coordinator will be much smoother."
"And having a connection with someone like Mr. Sato—someone with psychic abilities—is a huge advantage. I might need his help if I run into tough problems later."
Now that the taxi had fully vanished from her view, Solidad exhaled deeply, finally relaxing her nerves and mumbling softly to herself.
"This time, Wallace was truly a divine assist. Thanks to his endorsement, I managed to get a top-grade Moon Stone in such a cheap and unexpected way. I have to admit—it's amazing."
Meanwhile, inside the taxi, Sato was happily examining the top-grade Moon Stone he had just acquired, deeply pleased with the turn of events.
He had originally thought he'd have to make a painful sacrifice to get the Moon Stone from Solidad. But as it turned out, all she wanted were his gem-grade PokeBlocks. It was an unexpected and very welcome surprise.
To Sato, gem-grade PokeBlocks were a renewable resource with extremely low production cost. Trading them for a top-grade Moon Stone was a massive win.
Of course, value is always relative. For someone like Solidad—who aspired to be a top Coordinator—the PokeBlocks Sato could produce held more worth than a single Moon Stone.
All in all, this exchange ended in mutual satisfaction: a perfect trade where both sides got exactly what they needed.
As for Solidad saying she'd learned about his ability to make gem-grade PokeBlocks from Wallace—that had initially left Sato a little displeased.
Even though they never agreed to keep it a secret, the leak of such sensitive information could have put him in a difficult situation.
Fortunately, it seemed Wallace had kept quiet for a long time. The information hadn't spread immediately, which gave Sato a critical window to grow stronger in peace.
Now, Sato had already reached near-Elite Four level and possessed a Natu capable of Teleport. His ability to survive danger had increased significantly.
Unless a true top-tier Elite Four level trainer came after him personally, Sato was confident he could escape.
And beyond that, he now had someone like Giovanni standing behind him. As long as he could send out a distress signal, his situation would never be too dire. With Giovanni's strength and reputation, no one dared to lock Sato up in some hidden prison.
In truth, the leak about the gem-grade PokeBlocks happened because Wallace got drunk after winning the Grand Festival on the Indigo Plateau and let it slip unintentionally. It was an honest mistake.
Afterward, he specifically told Solidad and the others who'd heard it to keep it a strict secret and warned them that anyone who revealed it would be his enemy.
Wallace was the most promising heir of a prestigious family of the Hoenn region, and his strength was beyond impressive.
Especially after winning the Grand Festival and advancing to the finals of the Kanto League, his fame among Coordinators had skyrocketed. People had already begun calling him the future number one Coordinator.
Because of this, Wallace's word carried immense weight in the Coordinator community.
That was precisely why Solidad and the others hadn't made it public, and Sato's name remained relatively unknown in Coordinator circles.
However, once a secret leaks, it's hard to keep it contained. Even though Solidad promised to keep quiet, Sato could already foresee the oncoming wave of enthusiastic "attention" from other Coordinators.
Still, Sato knew in his heart that Wallace's leak wasn't necessarily a bad thing anymore. Thanks to that unintentional assist, he had managed to get the top-grade Moon Stone at a minimal cost.
"That said, it's better if I start wearing the Ditto-disguise mask again for a while. Until I reach Elite Four level, I'm still at risk of being captured."
"Sigh... I really want to become an Elite Four-level trainer as soon as possible. Only then might I last a few moves against someone as powerful as Giovanni."
"Next time... I must never be so helpless again."
Sato caught the Moon Stone one last time mid-air, then tucked it into his spatial bracelet. He turned his head to gaze at the scenery flying past the window, his expression full of determination as his thoughts drifted far away—back to Viridian City.
That day, he had suffered his first crushing defeat at the hands of that powerful man. The bitterness he felt was indescribable. That dreadful sensation—he never wanted to feel it again.
This was the Johto region now—no longer the Kanto region under Team Rocket's tight grip. To him, this was unfamiliar territory. But it was also where he would be reborn.
The name Sato—and the man himself—might vanish from public view for a long time.
But when he returns…
It will be with earth-shattering force.