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When the data appeared on the big screen, Sato immediately shifted his gaze toward it to get a rough understanding of his opponent's strength in this round.
From the information displayed, his opponent was named Hughes. Not only was he extremely handsome and refined in appearance, but his battle record was dazzling—he had swept all the way up the rankings relying on just a single Absol.
From that alone, it was clear that Sato's opponent this time was very powerful.
Compared to Hughes' brilliant record, Sato's own record looked rather plain. Although he too had achieved nine consecutive victories and none of his Pokémon had suffered a defeat, he had frequently rotated his team members in battle. As a result, most of his lineup had already been exposed.
Thus, when the audience checked the support rate through betting, Hughes overwhelmingly crushed Sato with over 80% support.
"Hughes~!"
"Hughes~!"
"Hughes~!"
Clearly, Hughes' handsome looks and outstanding record instantly won him the support of many female spectators. Soon, groups of women in the audience began cheering for him in unison.
However, Sato wasn't without supporters. Many male spectators were red-faced as they shouted for him to defeat Hughes.
Of course, despite their loud encouragement, few truly believed Sato would win—something clearly reflected in the support percentages on the screen.
"Interesting. Sweeping all the way here with just one Pokémon? Looks like I've finally met a real opponent."
Sato had weathered many storms before. Ignoring the crowd's bias, he studied the screen with keen interest.
Soon, the betting interface disappeared, replaced by two battle roulette wheels. After more than ten seconds, the results were revealed:
First move – Tyler.
Battlefield – Grass Field.
Just as the battle was about to begin, two young women hurried in through the spectator passage. A black-haired woman in a fitted ladies' suit cleared the way ahead, and the two quickly reached two empty seats at the very front.
If Sato had noticed them, he would have recognized them instantly—they were Alice and her attendant, Sonoko.
"We made it just in time, Miss."
Sonoko took out several exquisite snacks from a spatial backpack and respectfully handed them to Alice, who was dressed in a beautiful white gown.
"Sonoko, how strong is Mr. Hughes' opponent this time? Is he very strong?"
Alice accepted only some popcorn and a cup of warm milk tea. Watching Hughes on the battlefield with visible tension, she asked quietly.
"Please rest assured, Miss. As long as Mr. Hughes doesn't hold back, he will definitely win. I just looked it up—this Trainer named Tyler has some ability, but he's still far from Mr. Hughes' level."
Sonoko immediately pulled out a notebook and tapped a few times. A detailed profile of Tyler's Pokémon appeared on the screen as she answered confidently.
The Sasaki family's intelligence network was indeed formidable. The notebook contained comprehensive data—not only detailed records of Tyler's Pokémon, but also a summary of his activities over the past year.
"He's quite impressive. No wonder he's a top student from Goldenrod Academy. After pulling himself together, he's grown to this level in just over a month."
"And he even captured a Kadabra—a Psychic-type Pokémon known for its strict standards toward Trainers. It seems he turned misfortune into fortune. After waking from a vegetative state, he may have even awakened psychic abilities."
"With sufficient resources, he has a strong chance of reaching Elite Four level before thirty. Sonoko, after the match, try to make contact. See if he'd accept financial sponsorship from the Sasaki family."
Alice's eyes showed surprise as she studied the information. Her expression turned serious as she gave the instruction.
She was no longer the ignorant girl she once was. As a member of the Sasaki family, she bore responsibility for strengthening it. Whenever she encountered a commoner Trainer with exceptional potential, she usually sought to build goodwill.
After all, for the immensely wealthy Sasaki family, money was merely numbers. Yet vast wealth also attracted danger. Without sufficient strength to protect it, the family would eventually be devoured by others.
Though the Sasaki lineage was large, the quality of its younger generation had steadily declined—many were little more than idle heirs. Fresh blood was desperately needed to strengthen the family.
For Trainers with obvious potential like Sato, once discovered, the Sasaki family would never overlook them. Investing was always worthwhile—if not for recruitment, then at least for future goodwill.
"Yes, Miss. Understood."
Sonoko nodded immediately.
At the same time, two more people entered the spectator passage—Elesa and her manager. Elesa had successfully retrieved the precious bag Sato had left at the Pokémon Center.
Wishing to thank him in person, she had asked her manager to track down Sato once more. Through his extensive connections, the manager had once again located him.
"That's him, Big Bear."
Disguised, Elesa pointed excitedly at Sato on the battlefield.
"It seems Mr. Tyler is in the middle of a match. Let's wait until afterward."
The manager nodded after spotting Sato.
"Oh? The young man on the other side—that's Hughes, the young master of the Adolf family, isn't he? I'm afraid Mr. Tyler will have a hard time winning this one."
Recognizing Hughes, the manager's expression shifted slightly, a trace of regret in his voice.
Elesa, too, recognized Hughes—the noble young master from the Kalos region. Her expression grew serious.
In her impression, Hughes was a true Battle Marquis, a Trainer of formidable strength.