Krookodile had fallen, but before that, it had already defeated Rampardos and Rhyperior, and in the end even dragged Bastiodon down with it.
One battle to make a name!
"You did great… thank you…" Sato whispered softly to the Poké Ball as he recalled Krookodile.
In Sato's original plan, Krookodile only needed to take down one opponent before retiring with honor.
But surprises often come when least expected. Krookodile's explosive performance had made Sato reevaluate the true power of the Moxie Ability.
On paper, Moxie only boosted Krookodile's Attack, but what the data didn't show was how it amplified its "fighting spirit" and thirst for victory.
In those final brutal clashes, Krookodile's stamina had long since run dry, but its overwhelming desire to win kept it going until Bastiodon was finally taken down.
Of course, the accumulated damage didn't vanish, it would erupt all at once after the battle, bringing immense pain and possibly even lasting injuries.
So yes, Moxie was powerful, and the boost in drive was ferocious… but it had to be used with caution.
If used too frequently without effective energy replenishment, a few more times and Krookodile could be crippled.
With the battle over, reporters -who no one had noticed arriving or leaving- finished editing their articles within five minutes and uploaded them to the Sinnoh Region's News platforms.
At that moment, the public was still processing Nurse Joy's response, and half the media was still busy digging up dirt on Jubilife Gym Leader Lolo.
Then, another even more shocking headline dropped straight into the top trending spot.
[ "Dark King" Sato defeats Oreburgh Gym Leader Forge in a 1v3 battle!]
The article stated that back on Iron Island, Sato's Krookodile had only been at Peak Elite level and was once one-shotted by Gym Leader Byron's massive Mega Steelix.
But after reaching Ace level, Krookodile had now taken on three Pokémon alone, defeating all of Forge's team with absolute power.
As for holding back?
The lineup of Rampardos, Bastiodon, and Rhyperior had also been revealed, Fossil Pokémon and all. No one dared claim Forge had gone easy.
Which meant this young "Gym Inspector", Sato, was undoubtedly a true Dark King!
First, Lolo had stepped out to publicly trample Sato, only for Nurse Joy to shatter his lies.
Before the discussion could settle, Sato then decisively defeated the veteran Forge of the neighboring Gym; without saying a word, he had used undeniable results to slap Lolo in the face.
After all that, a massive portion of the Sinnoh population had completely shifted their support toward the "young, handsome, strong, poised, and sharp" Sato.
---
Upon arriving at the Pokémon Center in Oreburgh City, Sato handed Krookodile over to Nurse Joy and casually began scrolling through the trending topics, enjoying the praise netizens were showering on him.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed the swarm of reporters gathering outside the Pokémon Center. After thinking for a moment, he decided to add one last spark to this media frenzy.
Ten minutes later, a new headline rocketed to the top of the trending list:[Sato accepts Lolo's challenge! Heading to Jubilife Gym in one week!]
Eager onlookers licked their lips in anticipation and clicked in excitedly… only to be met with a blank page.
The Sinnoh trending feed?
Crashed.
---
["How could he… HOW COULD HE DO THIS!"]
Even through the phone, the furious roar made everyone instinctively want to cover their ears.
Forge quietly watched the video call as Lolo on the other end descended into rage. He let out a faint sigh.
"Sato is very strong. He even understands Fossil Pokémon in depth. I'm no match for him."
Forge's voice was calm. He accepted the defeat, it was just a younger Trainer surpassing him.
…And it wasn't the first time.
["I'm not mad at you, I... I just..."] On the other end, Lolo scratched at his balding head, unconsciously pulling out another large handful of hair.
"You just didn't expect that trying to deal with a junior would stir up so much trouble, even nearly ruin your reputation," Forge finished for him.
["HE'S JUST A BRAT! So why does he get so much support, while we old Trainers have spent decades stuck at the Ace level with NO path forward?"]
Lolo didn't bother hiding anything in front of Forge, his face twisted with jealousy in a way that was downright ugly.
Forge looked at him and could only sigh again. The unwillingness Lolo was showing now… wasn't it once his own too?
But eventually, people have to accept aging. After a lifetime of struggle and scheming, they forget the simple joy they once felt when becoming a Trainer.
"Leader! leader! That Sato guy is making waves again!"
Forge frowned and turned toward his student, who came rushing in. Before he could scold him, a tablet was shoved right into his face.
"Leader, Sato said he accepts "Senior Lolo's" challenge. He'll be there in a week!"
Forge pushed the tablet away in annoyance, but before he could say anything, he heard Lolo on the other end of the video shout with glee, ["What did you say? That brat Sato is coming to Jubilife City?"]
["Hahaha! I was afraid he wouldn't show! As long as I beat that brat in front of everyone, not even the Joy family can protect him! Hahaha…"]
Watching Lolo descend into euphoria, Forge thought about saying a few more words… but Lolo hung up the call.
"Leader, is Senior Lolo okay?" The young man holding the tablet asked cautiously. Just now, Lolo had looked like a madman.
"Let's hope so..." Forge shook his head and turned to leave. Before going, he added, "Pack up, we're heading to Jubilife City."
"Leader, why are we going there?" The young man was thrilled at first upon hearing they'd be traveling, but quickly grew puzzled.
"To watch. To support. To…" Forge trailed off and said no more.
Meanwhile, the heated discussion on the internet lasted for two full days. Nearly everyone in Sinnoh knew about it now.
…And the news had even begun spreading into Hoenn and Johto.
At the same time, wild speculation began to dominate online forums. Many media outlets continued slamming Sato's "arrogance", yet none dared to mention the Joy family.
Everyone was waiting for the showdown between Sato and Lolo one week later. And the vast majority of them were already on Sato's side.
Even though Sato came from the Johto Region, when it came to this matter, people chose to support reason, not kinship.
And the one behind all of this was now completely focused on analyzing Lolo's data. Not that he planned to defeat him 1v3, that would require some luck.
But one thing was certain…
He had to win!
---
Time passed quickly. Sato and his companions quietly rested at the Pokémon Center in Oreburgh City for five days, also evading the swarm of reporters hungry for exclusive interviews.
Only when the day of the battle approached did they finally board the shuttle from Oreburgh City to Jubilife City, heading off to face a match the whole nation was watching.
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150 PS ✔
200 PowerStones = ExtraChap
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30+ chapters - Patreon/Romeloff