"A gift for me?"
Sato looked at the Pokémon Egg in No. 38's hands, not quite understanding her thought process.
Inside the Egg was a Torchic, a starter Pokémon from the Hoenn Region that was definitely worth raising, and if it was being given as a gift, it likely had at least Elite-level potential.
But Sato had already clearly rejected Dafu's earlier attempt to recruit him. So what was the point of pulling this move now?
"This is from our boss. Think of it as an apology, and also as a sign of his desire to be friends with Gym Leader Sato."
No. 38 smiled politely as she spoke, directly addressing him as "Gym Leader," as if to say, "We know who you really are," and openly showing goodwill.
"Please go back and tell Captain Dafu that I appreciate the gesture, but I already have more Pokémon than I have time to train. You should take the Egg back."
Sato didn't like accepting favors from others for no reason. He had already turned them down once, refusing again didn't make a difference.
Besides, it was just a non-Dark-type starter Pokémon. If he really wanted one, he could go through League channels without owing anyone a favor.
Whether Dafu was trying to win him over or had some deeper plan didn't matter. The trip would last only another half month at most, they were already halfway through; once disembarked, they'd have no more connection. Why go through all this unnecessary drama?
After pushing back twice more, and seeing that Sato was still firmly refusing, No. 38 finally gave up and put the Pokémon Egg away.
"I've been living like a night Noctowl for so long, I forget the time. Sorry to bother you so late. I'll head out now."
"Not walking you out," Sato said as he stood up and opened the door, showing no intention of stopping her.
"By the way, my name is May Hatada. You can just call me Hatada from now on," she said with a smile at the door, as if remembering something important.
Sato gave a noncommittal nod. 'From now on?' That means… she's planning to come back?
Bang!
He shut the door and sat back on the sofa, frowning as he glanced at Joseph, who hadn't said a word the entire time.
"I don't get what she's after either. If trouble comes, we'll deal with it then," Joseph said with a shrug, acting totally unfazed.
"Get some rest." Sato returned Sharpedo to its Poké Ball and headed to his room.
---
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Sato got up right on time. After eating the breakfast Joseph had prepared, he headed for the training room.
He could skip matches, but never training.
"Good morning. Captain Dafu has instructed that you may use a private training room for free. It offers better privacy and more advanced equipment."
At the training room entrance, a staff member politely led Sato to the exclusive room.
Sato thought about it and didn't refuse, he stepped inside.
Once the staff member left, Sato had Gengar check the surroundings. There were no hidden surveillance devices or tricks.
"Suit yourself," Sato muttered to himself, then released Sharpedo and Ariados to begin today's training.
"Hm? You broke through?"
Just as he was about to start, Sato suddenly noticed something off about Sharpedo's aura. A closer look confirmed it had broken through to Mid Elite level.
"Shar!"
Sharpedo circled around Sato several times, visibly pleased with its breakthrough.
"Good job. You've worked hard lately." Sato patted Sharpedo in encouragement.
To be honest, since arriving in the Hoenn Region, Sharpedo had participated in more battles than any of Sato's other Pokémon; by far the most, and the most frequent.
Adding to that, it had received a Water-type Energy Crystal recently. By Sato's estimate, it should've broken through even earlier.
But the more anxious you were, the harder it was to succeed. Sharpedo had enough accumulation, enough battle experience, but still couldn't break through.
Sato had no choice but to increase Sharpedo's battle frequency and intensity, hoping it would make a breakthrough during combat.
Unfortunately, maybe the opponents were too weak or something, but Sharpedo kept winning battle after battle, and still no breakthrough.
Then yesterday, Blaziken had finally matched Sharpedo's pace with its explosive power and strong physique.
Although Sharpedo still won in the end, it had been pushed to its limit, and after taking that Flamethrower from Salamence, it had broken through as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
'Tch… something about it just felt off.'
Still, it had broken through, and that was what mattered. After promising Sharpedo a bonus meal for dinner, Sato began training both Pokémon.
He was only training these two because he didn't want to expose too much. Even if Gengar hadn't found any monitoring devices, it was best to stay cautious.
Now that Sharpedo had broken through, the next most likely candidate was Ariados. The Bug-type's advantages were showing clearly.
At present, Umbreon and Cacturne were still stuck at Low Elite. They were some distance away from breaking through.
But Ariados was already on the verge again.
That kind of rapid growth left Sato both pleased and worried. He feared that Ariados hadn't built enough exp, which could make its future breakthroughs harder than its teammates'.
Bug-types, due to their shorter lifespans, had a harder time reaching higher levels compared to other types.
This was also why elite-level Bug-type users were so rare, the turnover rate was simply too fast.
With that in mind, Sato looked at Ariados, who was training with great focus, and decided to start planning ahead to support it better.
---
The morning passed quickly. When Sato was about to leave, the staff outside the training room had already prepared lunch for him.
"No need. I already have plans with a friend," Sato said, politely declining but firmly enough to make it clear he wasn't easily swayed.
When he returned to his room, he saw that same girl, Hatada, standing at the door, seemingly waiting for him.
"You again?"
"I really don't mean any harm to you. Neither does my boss. Can't you stop pushing us away so harshly?" Hatada spoke softly, sounding aggrieved.
"I don't know what your boss really wants, but please stop interfering with my life."
Sato replied coldly. He hated being approached from all directions without pause.
Bang!
As he slammed the door shut, Hatada bit her lip. Her eyes were full of unwillingness, but in the end, she still chose to walk away.
Joseph and Mark had also heard the commotion. When Sato came in without a word, neither dared to say anything. Mark even dashed off to the kitchen, pretending to help out.
For the next several days, Sato didn't enter any more matches. He spent half the day in the training room, the other half in his room.
Completely calm and disciplined.
Hatada seemed to quiet down too. After realizing how clearly Sato rejected her, she stopped showing up so persistently.
As time passed, the cruise ship drew closer to Dewford Island. All Sato could hope for now was that the overly scheming, merchant-like "Captain" Dafu wouldn't pull any more tricks.