Is money easy to make?
If Sato had accepted the "support" offered by the suited captain Dafu, then before disembarking, he would have received a fortune too massive to even imagine.
Of course, the other side naturally wouldn't explain the actual cost and consequences, but Sato was well aware of how this game worked.
Reputation ruined, condemned by thousands […].
Maybe he could lay low for two or three years, wait until people forgot, and then come back as if nothing happened.
But people are watching, even if no one speaks. Was it really worth it?
Sato pretended to be deep in thought, as if weighing Dafu's offer, but in truth, he had already judged him with disdain.
If Dafu just wanted him to avoid winning too easily -those 3-0 shutouts were too eye-catching- then maybe Sato would have considered it.
But Dafu's appetite was clearly far bigger than expected. He wanted Sato to keep winning match after match, even helping him maintain the streak.
Then, in the final match before landing, throw the fight, and cash in massively.
A cold-hearted schemer!
If this happened, people would definitely suspect foul play. But with Dafu's deep connections, he had nothing to fear.
In the end, Sato would be the one blamed by the masses. More importantly, this would become a weakness that he could never shake.
If Sato actually went along with this, then he would be forever under Dafu's control.
In reality, anyone who calmed down could imagine the consequences of accepting such a deal.
But money moves people's hearts. Some even clearly understood that Dafu was trading on someone's lifelong reputation… but so what?
Sato looked up at the smiling Dafu and said, "More than money, I prefer the thrill of battling strong opponents. Besides, the standard prize money is already generous enough, isn't it?"
"Still don't want to reconsider? You've got to make money while you're young," Dafu replied with the same expression, feigning a bit of disappointment.
"Thank you for the hospitality, Captain. I've got a match tonight, so I'll head back to rest now."
"Then I won't keep you. Hope you put on an even better show tonight." Dafu stood up, waving amiably as he watched them leave.
"What a golden opportunity to make money…" Dafu muttered once they were gone.
"Boss, tonight…" The beautiful hostess appeared silently beside the captain, asking respectfully.
"We'll play it by ear. Business is business, profit is profit, whether big or small."
"Understood."
---
Joseph and Sato walked out of the captain's office, their expressions unchanged, as if nothing had happened at all.
"What's the plan?"
"Same as always. No matter how strong the opponent is, they won't be above Elite level. Nothing to worry about." Sato shrugged, looking totally unfazed.
"Just be cautious during tonight's match. Also, don't take the Pokémon to the ship's medical station and leave them to me. It'll be slower, but it's safe," Joseph advised seriously.
"Thanks. Also, keep an eye on Mark. Don't let him be alone."
"Got it. And one more thing […]"
The two continued their conversation casually, but behind the act, they had already preemptively mitigated every potential risk, even preparing countermeasures.
Sato realized Joseph's experience in this area. Clearly, he was someone with a past too.
Time passed quickly, and the evening matches began on schedule. As an advanced bracket contestant, Sato only needed to arrive around 10 PM.
Considering the unpleasant conversation with the captain earlier that day, Sato was extra cautious in choosing which Pokémon to use.
Around 11 PM, Sato stepped onto the stage, and this time, his opponent was a girl.
You had to understand: on this kind of stage, where Pokémon could die at any moment, you might not even find one female Trainer out of a hundred males.
Still, Sato was only slightly surprised before shifting his full focus back to the battle.
The infamous spinning wheel used to deceive the crowd appeared once again. After both Sato and the female contestant No. 38 called stop, the match format was set: a 2v2 rotation battle.
A very standard format, but Sato didn't dare let his guard down for even a second.
If he were Dafu, this would be the perfect moment to "teach" Sato a lesson he wouldn't forget.
And even if Dafu didn't make a move personally, there were plenty of lackeys eager to trip Sato up in order to earn Dafu's favor.
"Both sides, send out your Pokémon!"
As soon as the announcement ended, two beams of red light appeared simultaneously on the battlefield.
On Sato's side, as expected, was Sharpedo, his go-to for every battle lately, since it was on the verge of a breakthrough.
On the other side stood a powerful-looking Blaziken, oozing arrogance and acting like the center of the world… a bit of an edgelord.
But there was no denying its power. At Peak Elite, Blaziken was no joke. As one of Hoenn Region's starter Pokémon, its popularity was extremely high.
…After all, Mega Evolved Blaziken looked unbelievably cool.
"Battle Start!"
"Blaziken, Agility!"
"Sharpedo, Agility!"
Even though Sharpedo was only Low Elite in strength, Blaziken's Trainer chose to boost its speed first; proof that Sharpedo's terrifying speed was already deeply ingrained in people's minds.
However, both sides used Agility, and Sharpedo also had the insane Speed Boost Ability, giving it the edge.
With their speeds rising, the pace of battle escalated drastically. At that point, Trainers barely had time to issue commands, what mattered most was the Pokémon's ability to fight autonomously.
Sato had long instructed Sharpedo: when facing humanoid physical attackers, don't let them get close.
That's because most humanoid physical attackers are part Fighting-type, a massive threat to Sharpedo.
Think Machamp, Hitmonlee, Lucario… or the Blaziken right in front of them.
Sharpedo, obedient and cautious, always remembered Sato's teaching. In self-directed battles, it only used moves like Hydro Pump and Brine.
This was battle instinct. It didn't count as raw power, but its importance couldn't be overstated.
Even if Blaziken's explosive strength made it highly effective against Aqua Jet…
Even if Sharpedo's base stats were slightly inferior to Blaziken's overall…
Sharpedo still maintained complete dominance, keeping Blaziken thoroughly suppressed.
In truth, Sharpedo and Blaziken had something in common: high Attack, high Speed, low Defense. But there was one critical difference.
Sharpedo relied on Dark-type moves for melee and Water-type moves for ranged attacks.
Blaziken relied on Fighting-type moves for melee and overwhelmingly powerful Fire-type moves for ranged offense.
So here was the problem: since Sharpedo had consistently avoided close combat, its Water-type moves naturally held the advantage over Blaziken.
And so, after nearly 50 minutes of intense battle, Sharpedo finally wore Blaziken down completely.
Blaziken's explosive power had managed to close the speed gap to some extent, otherwise, Sharpedo would've finished the fight even faster.