Before absolute power[1], all schemes become fragile and worthless.
When Sato realized someone was targeting him, he didn't hesitate to strike first. He had Ariados use Toxic Spikes to control the field, then followed up with an overwhelmingly dominant challenge!
"1v1 or… group battle, hmm?"
Sato's voice wasn't loud, and it even carried a tone of disdain like "you're not worth my time," but not a single person dared to step forward, no matter how angry they looked on the surface.
With just Ariados and Skorupi by his side, Sato calmly faced the crowd, and yet… he was not the weaker side.
After another half-minute passed, Sato curled his lips in undisguised mockery.
"Skorupi, continue training."
"SKOR~"
Skorupi had never seen a scene like this. Its whole body trembled with excitement, but because it was too fired up, the poison it produced was even worse than at the start.
"DOS!"
Ariados couldn't stand it anymore. It waved a claw to stop Skorupi's training and resumed the demonstration itself, thinking it absolutely couldn't let Sato's cool image get ruined.
Soon, Ariados began showcasing its energy control.
It produced just a single drop of poison… but in just a few moments, it shifted from green to purple to black, then reversed back to green again.
Any Trainer with basic knowledge of Poison-types would know: the darker the color, the more toxic the poison.
And Ariados wasn't just able to create visually terrifying poison… it could also skillfully weaken its potency.
That meant if an opponent was poisoned by Ariados, whether they ended up too weak to fight or died outright… depended entirely on Ariados's whim.
With one Trainer and two Pokémon training so brazenly in front of everyone, the crowd was caught in a dilemma: leave? Stay? They didn't know what to do.
Their faces turned blue and purple in succession.
…Changing colors faster than Ariados's drop of poison.
Finally, another group arrived at the training grounds. Seeing everyone standing around instead of training, they curiously walked over.
Soon, whispers criticizing Sato's arrogance started again. But this time, no one dared say it out loud.
The newcomers all turned their gazes toward Sato, wearing surprised expressions like, "So you're that kind of person?"
"Rumors are often wrong. I believe that the genius Trainer from the Johto Region isn't really like this!"
Someone was speaking in Sato's defense?
The crowd all looked around, trying to find the speaker!
Who then slowly stepped forward and came face to face with Sato.
"Don't you agree with me, Sato?"
Short blue hair standing upright, "I'm a big shot" vibe radiating from his dark blue suit; though he was defending Sato, his eyes were full of ridicule.
Sato narrowed his eyes and stared coldly at the man now standing before him. Internally, his thoughts churned wildly as he watched the man with caution.
This person was none other than the owner of Galactic Technology Holdings and the future Leader of Team Galactic: Cyrus!
"Mr. Cyrus! I didn't expect you to know our League's genius Trainer as well. Just yesterday, he defeated one of Sinnoh's Twin Stars, Flint."
"Ah, right~ Sato, this is Mr. Cyrus. He's one of the Sinnoh League's strategic partners. Let me introduce you. Everyone, get acquainted!" Said a smiling League executive, also dressed in a suit, walking over to warmly introduce them.
"It's fine. We've known each other for a while, haven't we, Sato?"
Cyrus smiled brightly, but to Sato, it was unbearably irritating.
"Must be mistaken. I don't know someone as important as you," Sato replied bluntly, not giving Cyrus the slightest courtesy… not even pretending in front of the crowd.
"O-Our genius Trainer sure is a funny one, haha…"
Sato clearly saw the instant cold sweat dripping down the League executive's face as soon as he said that. The man quickly rushed over to smooth things over, desperately shooting Sato pleading glances.
"No worries. Geniuses are always proud. Even if we didn't know each other before, we do now," Cyrus said with "grace", making Sato seem even more standoffish in contrast.
Watching all this unfold, Sato found it laughable. He hadn't even gone looking for trouble, yet Cyrus was cluelessly bouncing into his path.
Even if he tried to tarnish Sato's reputation, any rumors would only spread within the Sinnoh region.
Besides, Sato was about to leave anyway. This kind of behavior just proved how narrow-minded Cyrus's worldview really was.
"Do you need something?"
Morning training was basically ruined, and Sato had even less desire to deal with this guy, so he spoke without an ounce of politeness.
"Uh, no, no! Mr. Cyrus, how about we go grab some breakfast first? Then I'll take you on a tour to the Sinnoh League building?"
The League executive was on the verge of collapse, mentally cursing himself for bringing Cyrus to the training grounds, only to run into the Tauros-headed Sato.
"No rush!" Cyrus finally dropped the act and strongly declined the executive's suggestion.
"I used to be a Trainer too, but unfortunately never achieved much in my youth. Now that I have the honor of meeting a genius like you, I'd like to request a battle. If you win, this Mega Stone is yours."
"…!!!"
A wave of astonished gasps rippled through the crowd. No one expected this man named Cyrus to be so wealthy; risking a Mega Stone on a single battle!
Sato frowned. What was Cyrus up to, showing up so brazenly and offering such a "valuable" Mega Stone just to battle him?
Was he that confident he'd win?
Or… did he have a backup plan even if he lost?
"What's the matter…? Scared~?"
Seeing Sato hesitate, Cyrus made no effort to hide that he was baiting him.
"C-come on, we're all friends here…" the League executive mumbled, awkwardly trying to deescalate the situation, on the verge of tears.
In the Pokémon world, the higher you climb, the more power reigns supreme. League executives, for all their titles, often ended up serving powerful Trainers.
"How do we battle?"
Whatever comes, Sato would face it head-on. Cyrus was clearly prepared, but Sato wasn't afraid.
'Perfect… Gardevoir had just been "reborn." Might as well use the future leader of Team Galactic… as a tribute.'
"Time's short. 1v1!" Cyrus was clearly thrilled that Sato accepted. His deeply buried chūnibyō nature almost burst out of him!
Two minutes later, the center area of the training grounds had been cleared. Sato and Cyrus stood on opposite sides, each holding a Poké Ball.
"Now, the friendly 1v1 exhibition match between Trainer Sato and Mr. Cyrus. Please uphold the spirit of sportsmanship. Friendship first, competition second…"
The League executive personally acted as the referee. After a long-winded introduction, he cautiously announced, "Battle… start!"
"Gardevoir, I'm counting on you…"
"My Gyarados… GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"
Sato muttered to himself: "as expected, this guy's chūnibyō is seriously out of control…"
[1] UNLIMITED… POWAAAAHHH