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Seeing both Crobat and Kecleon successfully complete their evolutions, their spirits and energy clearly enhanced, Sato couldn't help but feel deeply pleased.
However, after offering a few words of encouragement to the two excited Pokémon — reminding them not to slack off despite their newfound strength — he turned his focus back to how to use his remaining system energy.
Even after exchanging for Kyogre's Blessing Mark and four vials of Mew Gene Enhancement Serum, he still had 34% system energy left.
Because the system would shut down if its energy fell below 15%, that meant he could afford to redeem four more vials of Mew Gene Enhancement Serum.
Sato was the kind of person who always sought perfection. Yet, even though many of his Pokémon had yet to reach gold-tier ratings, he knew four vials would not be enough to elevate them all.
As of now, the Pokémon in his team that had already reached gold-tier ratings were: Crobat, Nidoking, Bellossom, Arcanine, Swampert, Shiny Pelipper, Shiny Beautifly, Shiny Gyarados, Bulbasaur, Duskull, and Pikachu — eleven in total.
Since his collection already numbered twenty-four Pokémon (not counting the unhatched Dratini, Lapras obtained from Team Aqua's base, and the Pikachu from team aqua base), that meant thirteen others still required improvement.
Unfortunately, with only four vials of Mew Gene Enhancement Serum available, he couldn't possibly upgrade all of them. And even then, there was no guarantee that each vial would create a gold-tier Pokémon — the serum's effects were random, improving individual stats by anywhere from 1 to 30 points. If luck wasn't on his side, a single vial might not be enough.
Thus, he had to think carefully about which Pokémon would receive the serums.
Being someone who valued loyalty, Sato naturally prioritized his oldest companions. His thoughts quickly fell upon Ditto and Heracross.
Ditto had followed Sato from the very beginning. It was an invaluable member of his team, helping him escape pursuit many times. Its usefulness was undeniable.
However, Ditto had no interest in battle. It preferred a peaceful life by Sato's side, taking on support roles rather than fighting.
Though Sato wasn't particularly fond of that "lazy" mindset, he still respected Ditto's wishes. After much thought, he ultimately decided to exclude Ditto from the list of serum recipients.
As for Heracross — a fierce, battle-hardened Bug-type warrior — Sato held him in very high regard. Heracross's personality and determination matched Sato's ideals perfectly.
The problem was his low potential — his individual stat total was only 126.
Sato estimated that even with decent luck (an average of 16 points gained per vial), it might take at least three vials to push Heracross to gold-tier. If his luck was poor, even four might not suffice.
Still, Sato didn't hesitate. He would use the Mew Gene Enhancement Serum on Heracross, no matter the cost — because Heracross had once risked his life to save him and had always remained utterly loyal.
Most importantly, Heracross was a true warrior. His drive to become stronger was likely the fiercest among all of Sato's Pokémon.
Sato firmly believed that as long as Heracross lived, even with average potential, his sheer willpower would one day make him a formidable force. And if given the resources to accelerate his growth, he might soon become one of Sato's strongest Pokémon.
"Heracross it is, then. But he might really need all four vials… let's hope his luck isn't too bad so I can save at least one."
Recalling Heracross's resolute eyes during training, Sato quickly made his decision — though he couldn't help but sigh helplessly.
With Heracross's slot decided, Sato turned his attention to the remaining vial.
Several of his newly joined Pokémon — Misdreavus, Tentacruel, Cloyster, and Squirtle — were all top-tier purple-grade Pokémon. Each only needed one vial to break through to gold-tier.
But after some serious thought, Sato decided against using the serum on them.
These Pokémon were still new to his team. Their loyalty and sense of belonging weren't strong yet, and more importantly, they hadn't made any major contributions in past battles.
If he casually used such precious resources on them, it would be unfair — especially since Pikachu, one of the key contributors during the Super-Legendary Pokémon Battle, had yet to receive any reward.
"I'll hold off for now. Their potential is already excellent — the serum would just be icing on the cake. I'll wait and see how they perform later. System energy isn't something to waste."
Having settled that matter, Sato stopped worrying about who would use the remaining Mew Gene Enhancement Serum. Smiling, he reached up and affectionately patted Pikachu's small head on his shoulder.
With the serum issue temporarily resolved, Sato pulled out an old, weathered notebook from his pack and began flipping through it carefully.
This notebook was the treasure he had received from the Dragon-type Elite Four member, Drake.
Yes — the very notebook contained Drake's personal research notes on raising Dragon-type Pokémon. It recorded not only his methods for training Dratini, but also many other Dragon Pokémon.
To be honest, when Sato first obtained the notebook, his emotions were conflicted. He genuinely felt guilty for how things had gone with Drake — a man of honor and loyalty.
He had essentially let Drake take the blame for causing the Super-Legendary Pokémon Battle, and Drake, being straightforward and selfless, accepted it without protest. In the end, Drake even shielded him from gunfire, giving Sato the chance to survive.
Thankfully, through messages left in the communicator, Sato later learned that Drake had survived. Otherwise, he would never have had the heart to open this priceless notebook.
Now, though, Sato could read it in peace. In his message, Drake had explicitly gifted the notebook to him as a mission reward.
As expected of a Dragon-type master, Drake's research was extraordinary. The pages were filled with detailed insights on how to raise various Dragon-type Pokémon and teach them Dragon-type moves.
Most precious of all, the notebook also contained several methods to accelerate the growth of Dragon Pokémon.
Although each method had its drawbacks and required resources far beyond what most Trainers could afford, there was no denying — they gave Sato the real possibility of quickly nurturing a powerful, fully developed Dragon-type Pokémon.