The young boss was defeated. Because he didn't understand Umbreon's Synchronize ability, even when Gengar had him completely immobilized, he still hadn't figured out how he had lost.
Naturally, Sato wasn't about to explain it to him. He simply waited quietly for Officer Jenny and the others to arrive.
Their battle had been anything but quiet. If Umbreon hadn't made that "move" that ended the fight early, they probably would still be going at it right now.
The crowd still hadn't dispersed. Quite a few people were already holding cameras, having captured images of Sato ordering Gengar to restrain the young boss, just waiting to sell the shots to a News outlet for a good price.
Soon, Joseph, Cynthia, and the others pushed their way through the crowd. Before Sato could speak, Mark shouted in excitement.
"Boss is boss~ Always making a scene no matter where he goes! Did you find something big? DID YOU~?"
Sato, as usual, ignored Mark and turned to Officer Jenny. "This man is the mastermind behind the trafficking of Piloswine meat. I've confirmed the location of the freezer too. My Zoroark is still guarding it. Come with me."
The young boss, who had still held a sliver of hope, finally showed a trace of despair.
He had been hoping to buy a little more time, just enough for Nishida to finish moving all the Piloswine out. He hadn't expected that there was already a Pokémon hiding in the freezer.
'So what was the point of struggling now…' No, at this point, he couldn't even struggle if he wanted to. Gengar's control was no joke, he couldn't even blink properly anymore.
And when Sato had spoken to Officer Jenny, he hadn't bothered to lower his voice. The words "trafficking Piloswine meat" quickly spread among the onlookers, setting off an uproar.
Especially the customers who had just been dining at the restaurant… many of them turned pale, their stomachs churning.
In today's society, most ordinary people viewed Pokémon as intelligent creatures and important companions to humans. The idea of eating Pokémon illegal meat was simply unacceptable.
But among certain nobles and wealthy elites, there was no such a thing. They acted refined on the surface, but behind closed doors, they were already rotten to the core.
Officer Jenny frowned at Sato. Before the case had been officially concluded, he had gone and told the public everything. If things weren't handled properly from here on out, it could lead to serious trouble.
But after hearing what Sato said next, Officer Jenny chose to remain silent.
"They say I ordered my Pokémon to attack a human? Fine, I did! As for the truth… we'll know it soon enough."
Then, Sato had Gengar lead the way as the group headed straight for the back kitchen. Officer Jenny gave instructions to the officers who had come with her to seal off the restaurant and detain all suspicious individuals.
Of course, ever since the young boss had been defeated by Sato, the employees who were aware of the truth had long since slipped away, so there weren't many left to arrest.
Sato didn't care. Catching those small fry was Officer Jenny's responsibility, it had nothing to do with him.
They arrived at the now-deserted kitchen. Gengar pointed at the wall behind a cupboard, phasing in and out to signal that something was indeed hidden there.
"Energy Ball, blow it open."
Not bothering to search for the mechanism, Sato directly ordered Gengar to smash through it.
After a few Energy Balls, a gaping hole was blasted through the wall. The group poured in one after another, entering the freezer.
It was a bit dim inside, but visibility was still decent. Gengar floated ahead, leading the group swiftly toward the hidden chamber.
"Zoro!"
A familiar cry rang out as Zoroark quickly revealed itself, carrying on its shoulder the chef dressed in full uniform, Nishida.
Aside from the lingering stench, there were no longer any Piloswine in the hidden chamber. But since Zoroark had been monitoring Nishida all along, it knew exactly where the Pokémon had been moved.
Zoroark took over from Gengar and continued leading the way.
The freezer was large and partitioned. After taking a few more turns, Zoroark finally came to a stop.
At a nondescript section of wall, Zoroark pressed on a specific spot, causing a small hidden door to slide open.
It was only at that moment that the young boss realized: it was truly over. His biggest secret was now completely exposed.
As they passed through the small door, the same foul stench as before rushed at them. Joseph and Mark immediately gagged, and Officer Jenny turned pale, though she managed to hold her composure.
Only Sato and Cynthia remained expressionless, like two humanoid machines without a sense of smell.
A dim underground corridor, iron cages stacked as tall as a person, and inside those cages lay the barely breathing Piloswine. Some had already died, which explained the overpowering stench.
"…This place seems to connect somewhere else," Cynthia said softly, looking at a pitch-black tunnel.
"Zoro~" Zoroark explained something to Sato, it was clear it had already scouted ahead.
"It connects to the sewers. From there, they can exit the city directly," Sato said, feeling a growing sense of disgust.
He couldn't even imagine how those people who had eaten the "IceSwine Brew" would react upon learning that not only was the meat Piloswine… it had been transported through the sewers.
"Officer Jenny, interrogate this guy thoroughly. You'll definitely get plenty out of him." Sato signaled for Gengar to hand the young boss over as he spoke.
"Gen~"
Gengar, already familiar with the process, promptly hypnotized the young boss again, removed his battle belt, and handed it to Officer Jenny before releasing control so she could take over.
"I'll be staying in Helvetia Town for a few days. If you need help, feel free to reach out anytime." The justice-minded Cynthia said to Officer Jenny, then turned to look at Sato and the others.
'Tch, still not… I mean, still not close enough. So of course she's acting on her own intentions,' Sato thought to himself.
"…Then stay. My Pokémon could use some real opponents too," Sato replied without much hesitation.
Joseph and Mark nodded in agreement. They had just captured one big fish, and there was clearly more to uncover. In a small town like this, their battle strength was practically on the top.
"Thank you all for your help. Once everything is resolved, I'll be sure to report your contributions to Helvetia Town truthfully. Thank you!" Officer Jenny said sincerely. Even though Mark had rubbed her the wrong way several times, their help was undeniable.
Rescuing the Piloswine, interrogating the restaurant boss, calming public outrage… Officer Jenny might not have been the strongest, but she was extremely skilled at handling these matters.
For ordinary civilians, Officer Jenny carried a great deal of authority. Thanks to this, she had gained the support of many Trainers who actively stepped in to help.
Of course, none of those Trainers were as strong as Sato's group, but they were more than enough to catch a few small fry.
----
The next morning, Sato's name once again made the trending headlines.
[Dark King Commands Pokémon to Attack Humans? - I Choose Silence After Learning the Truth]
[IceSwine Meat or Piloswine Meat? - Sinnoh's Morals in Decline Once More!]
[Sato: "I Hit You… So What Are You Gonna Do About It?"]
[The Joht…]
For a moment, everyone in Sinnoh had just one thought in their hearts:
Sato… has stirred up trouble again!
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200 PS = Extra Chap
Patreonus/Romeloff[1]
[1] He~