In the past, most of the information provided by the Shadownight Intelligence Shop was half-true and half-false. Because the sources of the intel weren't strictly verified, plenty of people exploited the loophole using fake identities to make money.
The forr owner, Victor, didn't care, he was likely involved himself. But Sato wasn't about to turn a blind eye.
Shadownight Town had entered a phase of rapid growth, largely due to the establishnt of the Gym. There was no way Sato would sit back and watch while others profited, and he got nothing.
So if he wanted to expand and strengthen things; he had to clean house, weed out all the parasites. As for whether they were up to the task… Sato never considered that, he wasn't worried.
"Amber, can you handle this alone? If you need help, just tell which of the others -Sia and the rest- you'd want. I'll make the arrangents," Sato said, turning to staffing now that the direction was clear. After all, Amber wasn't young.
"I want to promote soone from within the Intelligence Shop. Don't worry, Leader. Everything you've assigned, I'm more than familiar with. I used to help the old boss all the ti," Amber said with a confident smile.
"That works. I trust your judgnt. The Intelligence Shop is yours now," Sato nodded and didn't say more. Truth be told, the Gym was also short-staffed. Sia and the others were still kids, nothing like him, a "grown" man.
Wester still needed ti to hand things over, so for now he couldn't leave. With nothing left to do at the shop, Sato decided to head out.
"Leader Sato, Akira was just defeated by a challenger. The Gym needs your judgnt to decide whether a Badge should be awarded."
Just as he left the Intelligence Shop, Sato saw Sosuke anxiously waiting outside. The news made Sato frown slightly.
"Let's head back, Ralts," Sato said, placing a hand on Sosuke's shoulder, and had Ralts Teleport them straight back to the Gym.
"Don't be discouraged, Akira. That challenger was really strong, there's no sha in losing."
As soon as they reached the Gym's front yard, Sato heard Ponyo trying to comfort Akira. Sosuke quickly ran over and stood nervously beside Ponyo.
"The Gym Leader's here!" Ponyo, seeing Sosuke by her side, looked up imdiately to search for Sato's figure.
"Sato… bro!"
Sato's ear twitched. He was surprised to hear soone call him that. Looking toward the voice, he saw a young boy running toward him, with a Jumpluff floating by his side.
"You're… Takeshin?" Sato thought hard for a mont, and the image of a little dark-skinned kid suddenly popped into his mind.
"Aaaaah! You actually rember , Sato-bro! AAAAAHH I'm so happy!"
"…" Sato rubbed his ear. Whatever good mood he'd had about seeing soone from the past was imdiately cut in half.
"Taller, fairer… and beating Akira shows you've grown quite a bit as a Trainer."
After thinking for a mont, Sato gave Takeshin so praise. Strictly speaking, Takeshin was the first kid Sato had deliberately taken the ti to teach.
"Aaaaah! Sato-bro just praised ! Aaaaah!"
"…"
Finally, after calming down, Takeshin began catching up with Sato properly. Though most of the talking ca from Takeshin , Sato didn't interrupt.
"Sato-bro, Sato-bro, I've already collected four Badges! But when I got to Shadownight Town, I found out I wasn't qualified to battle you yet… but I just couldn't wait, so I ca to the Gym anyway. I just beat Akira… so can I battle you now?"
Akira, who had been silent on the side, felt as though an arrow had struck him in the chest.
"You're already eligible to receive the Badge, and you still want to battle?" Sato raised an eyebrow.
"I know I can't beat you yet, Sato-bro. But I want to show you that I've been working hard! If I don't earn your recognition, then what's the point of having that Badge?"
Having just pulled the arrow from his chest, Akira now felt one slam straight into his knees o(╥﹏╥)o
"You just finished a 3-on-3 battle. Do you still have a full team left to fight with?" Sato didn't respond directly but asked instead.
"Uh, I guess not, haha. I got too excited when I saw you," Takeshin said with an awkward grin.
"Perfect. Stay for lunch at the Gym. I'll help you heal your Pokémon and take a look at your team too," Sato said, checking the ti, it was nearly noon.
"…And just 'Sato' will be fine"
"M-Mhm! And yes, please!" Takeshin had no reason to refuse. Whatever Sato said was absolute.
---
In the backyard, under Sato's instruction, Takeshin sent out all the Pokémon he currently had.
"Ariados, Houndoom… Haunter?" Sato glanced at the blushing Takeshin. That lineup looked oddly familiar.
"Dos Dos?"
Just then, Sato's Ariados trotted over and stopped in front of its counterpart, curiously waving a foreleg in greeting.
Takeshin's Ariados hadn't yet reached Elite level, so faced with a full Peak Elite counterpart, it froze in place.
To make matters worse, Takeshin egged it on. "Wow! That's Sato's Ariados! It's your senior, go say hi!"
"…D-Dos?"
"Dosdos~" Sato's Ariados haughtily nodded, then tapped the other on the head with its leg, as if saying, 'Alright, I'll take you in as my junior.'
"Where'd you get these Pokémon? You catch them recently?" Just then, Joseph arrived with Sia and also spotted Takeshin.
"Already having lunch? Let's eat and talk," Sato guessed why Joseph had co and led everyone toward the cafeteria.
During lunch, Takeshin's excitent still hadn't settled. With each bite, he recounted how Sato had "trained" him in the past… only with ten tis the exaggeration, loads of added emotion, and detailed inner thoughts, passionately telling the tale.
After listening, even Sato was confused. 'Was I really that responsible back then? Did I believe in him that much? Why don't I rember any of this…'
Still, the story was coherent, vivid, and well told.
'Hmm. Not bad!'
During lunch, everyone in the Gym -including the Pokémon- had gathered. The total headcount wasn't small.
Takeshin's Pokémon were as outgoing as their Trainer. Aside from the initially acknowledged Ariados, the other three quickly mingled into the crowd and even had the sense to approach the strongest Pokémon first to "pay their respects".
"After lunch we'll be starting training. What do you say? Want to join in?" Sato looked at Takeshin and offered.
"Yes, absolutely! I get to train with Sato-bro again!" Takeshin agreed enthusiastically.
'I thought I said "just Sato…" '
When it ca to Sato, Takeshin's admiration had long since beco blind devotion. Just look at the Pokémon he had. Aside from his starter Jumpluff, the other three were all Pokémon Sato had owned.
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