Sato had won. And the victory came even easier than he had imagined.
And in the short distance he traveled to go support Joseph and the others, Sato had already more or less figured out why.
First of all… Hydreigon was incredibly strong!
Especially in group battles, its role was far more than just being able to use three moves at once.
As long as it wanted to, Hydreigon could stabilize its own target while assisting any of its allies in quickly gaining the advantage.
In team fights, as long as it was on the field, none of the enemy Pokémon could fully focus on the opponent in front of them, they always had to guard against a sudden ambush from Hydreigon.
From the very start, the opponents were at a significant disadvantage in terms of focus!
Secondly, while Mars was still an Elite Four level Trainer, he was clearly no longer at his peak. The highest level among his Pokémon was only Mid E4.
Lastly, Gardevoir's Telepathy dramatically reduced the time it took to transmit commands, making it impossible for Mars to read Sato's next move.
Thinking this through, Sato, who had been feeling a bit pleased with himself, immediately calmed down. He knew that no matter how high his team flew, he absolutely could not get carried away.
After all, it was only thanks to Dark Energy that they'd reached Elite Four level. From now on, they'd have to progress step by step, steadily and surely.
With that thought, Sato arrived at Joseph's battlefield.
To his surprise, the battle at the entrance of the hall was also nearing its end.
Joseph and Mark had already led the Shadownight Gym team to secure an overwhelming advantage.
For the heads of noble Families -who were preoccupied with business and social affairs and rarely trained their Pokémon- every member of the Shadownight Gym was a nightmare to face.
Even though many of them didn't have Pokémon at Ace level, their mastery of tactics, skilled execution of moves, and seamless teamwork allowed them to overcome opponents above their level again and again!
From surprise, to shock, to barely holding on… the only thing keeping these Family leaders fighting was the hope that Mars would come to save them!
And then… they saw Sato.
They saw Gardevoir.
They saw Mars unconscious, suspended in midair, restrained by Gardevoir's telekinesis!
…It was over.
The moment they saw their Family Head captured alive, all will to resist completely collapsed. And those who tried to flee were immediately brought back by Sato's Gengar.
No one escaped!
Following the principle of "don't let anything go to waste," the exceptional Shadownight members inherited Sato's mindset of "wasting is a disgrace."
They didn't stop until every opposing Pokémon had been rendered completely unable to battle.
"YEAH! WE WON! That wasn't even that hard~"
Mark strutted arrogantly in front of the defeated, showing off until Lucario, unable to bear the sight any longer, dragged him back by the scruff of his neck.
"Gardevoir, hand him over to Joseph."
"Voir~"
Thud~
Mars, still unconscious, was dropped directly at Joseph's feet.
This man was, after all, Joseph's father.
…Otherwise, Sato would've had no hesitation in killing him on the spot.
Joseph looked down at the collapsed Mars, limp like a pile of Muk. His expression was complicated, and so were the emotions in his heart.
"Blissey, use Soft-Boiled."
"Bliss~"
Blissey waddled over to Mars, took out an egg formed entirely from condensed energy, and "gently" tapped it against his body.
The egg turned into a white light that seeped into Mars's body. His injuries began healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Not long after, Mars awoke. Looking at Joseph's cold expression, he gave a self-deprecating chuckle.
"Joseph… you are a traitor to the Narcissus Family!"
Joseph's expression remained unchanged. He simply waved for Gogoat to restrain Mars once more.
Though the battle was over, the matter itself was far from resolved.
Per Joseph's orders, Sato and the others gathered everyone back into the ceremonial hall. This time, however, not a single person dared utter even half a word of protest against Joseph.
Didn't they see that he had even tied up his own father and thrown him on the stage?
Joseph returned to the platform and slowly scanned the crowd, meeting each gaze one by one.
Avoidant, fearful, mocking, hostile… yet not a single one carried the slightest hint of remorse.
It was his father Mars who had done wrong. It was the people standing below who had pushed him into a corner. And yet, Joseph could easily guess what they were all thinking.
A backstabbing traitor who joined outsiders to seize the Family's assets!
Explanations were for those willing to believe in the truth… this crowd didn't deserve one.
"Third Sister, Fourth Brother, start organizing the Family's full financial records. List out everything that belongs to each of our mothers' bloodlines clearly. All property that was allocated to the branch Families and affiliated Houses over the years must be reclaimed.
Since all the Family heads are here, we'll have them sign every necessary document on the spot.
As for what remains, return it in full to Family Head Mars."
"STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT! HOW CAN YOU TREAT YOUR OWN FAMILY LIKE THIS?!"
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! If we lose everything, how are we supposed to survive?"
"IT WAS MARS WHO MADE THE MISTAKE! WHY ARE WE BEING DRAGGED DOWN TOO?!"
"…"
"Zoroaaaa~"
Suddenly, Zoroark beside Sato let out a piercing howl. Its Ace aura merged with a terrifying illusion, instantly silencing the crowd.
Joseph ignored the venomous stares. The masks were off, there was no need to show mercy anymore.
"Lady Mandy, if you wish to divorce, please make that decision now. I'll return everything you brought into the marriage in full."
"I…"
Still shaken, Mandy was caught off guard by Joseph's sudden address. Her legs nearly gave out again, but fortunately, the servants at her side were strong enough to hold her up.
Once she processed what Joseph had said, her expression became extremely conflicted.
Soon, her relatives pulled her aside and began whispering and negotiating in hushed tones.
"Dale… you'll assist Third Sister and Fourth Brother with the asset inventory. If anything suspicious turns up, Mars will receive not a single coin. Since you're so loyal to him, you should know what to do."
From the moment Dale had sent out Meowstic to stop Joseph's escape, any remaining familial bond between them had vanished.
As Mars's most trusted butler, Joseph didn't believe for a second that Dale was unaware of what Mars had done behind the scenes.
Sato observed the entire process without interfering.
On one side stood a mother who had already passed. On the other, a father who had sincerely wanted to raise him. No matter what, it was a moral dilemma.
In the end, Joseph still didn't hand the collected evidence over to Officer Jenny.
"I'll store this evidence somewhere safe. As long as you live out the rest of your life peacefully… it will never see the light of day."
"Tch…" Mars sneered, eyes full of disdain, but in the end said nothing. He seemed completely disillusioned.
Sato smirked faintly, finding Joseph's final act of mercy unnecessary…
But he understood.
Joseph, after all, was still that kind-hearted soul.
.
.
150 PS - CH