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This time, there were over a hundred Team Rocket members trying to seize spots on the ship, while only forty-three Team Rocket members were already aboard. So, the situation was practically a three-to-one standoff between enemies and allies.
However, the members already on the ship held the geographical advantage. They easily knocked the ticketless Team Rocket members who tried to board from the sea back into the ocean.
Only after eliminating nearly half their opponents did they start engaging in intense battles with the rest.
Interestingly, once a ticketless Team Rocket member successfully snatched a spot from one of the ticket holders, they would instinctively join the defenders' side to repel the next wave of boarders.
As for those knocked off the ship by the remaining onboard members—once they fell into the sea, they were, by the rules, considered to have lost, with no further opportunity to compete for a place.
To prevent these eliminated participants from interfering with the ongoing competition, the supervising sailors aboard the ship would make a note of them, fish them out of the water, and send them back to the port on a small boat reserved for defeated contestants.
The battle on deck was utterly intense. Even though everyone was from Team Rocket, they'd all started fighting in earnest. To win a spot, no one held back.
At this moment, Sato was still soaring above the ship in the night sky, aided by his Crobat. He quietly observed the chaotic brawl below, with no intention of joining in.
In truth, Sato wasn't the only one playing the waiting game—there were quite a few Team Rocket members with the same idea of letting others exhaust themselves before swooping in.
These individuals had something in common: they each possessed either a large flying mount capable of sustained flight or a large aquatic mount suited for long-term sea navigation.
Thanks to these mounts, Sato and others had the resources to act like fishermen waiting to pick the ripest fruit at the end of the melee.
After all, the sea at night was bitterly cold. Anyone who stayed in the freezing water too long—unless they were seasoned coastal dwellers—would lose body heat rapidly, even without fighting.
Naturally, the Team Rocket members with the luxury to hang back and wait were all strong. In Sato's eyes, they were definitely a cut above the average Team Rocket rookie.
Barring any surprises, these bystanders would likely win spots on the ship effortlessly. After all, those who survived the melee would be at least somewhat worn out, whereas the opportunists would remain in peak condition.
Among these "fishermen," Sato sensed three individuals who posed a particularly strong threat.
The most dangerous of the three was a female ninja flying nearby on her own Crobat. In terms of size, her Crobat was on par with his, and the aura it exuded was even more powerful.
Using his system's scanning abilities, Sato saw that this masked female ninja's Crobat was level 47, with a total individual value of 174—its potential was nearly golden.
Frankly, Sato believed she was the strongest Team Rocket rookie he'd ever encountered. The cold, merciless look in her eyes made him wary.
Moreover, she was extremely alert. The moment he shifted his gaze toward her, she sensed it immediately and shot back a glare sharp as a knife. Clearly not someone to mess with.
The second was another masked individual, completely cloaked in a large, black robe that concealed their identity and even their gender.
Their flying mount was unusual—a massive Magnezone on which the cloaked figure lounged casually, showing zero interest in the chaotic brawl below. Or perhaps they were simply confident of victory and felt no pressure at all.
Although the Magnezone wasn't quite as high-level as the female ninja's Crobat, it was close—level 45.
What caught Sato's attention was that the Magnezone had a total individual value of 177—undeniably top-tier rating.
Like the ninja's Crobat, the cloaked individual's Magnezone had also been meticulously trained, learning a host of moves through TMs.
(Note: Magnezone is the evolved form of Magneton. It evolves when exposed to a special magnetic field. Magnezone can easily float through the air using electromagnetic levitation. In real life, most Ground-type moves can't affect it at all.)
The third person was a blonde woman, who, in Sato's opinion, was likely allied with the female ninja.
The two were flying very close to each other, and based on the blonde's submissive and cautious demeanor, it was obvious she deferred to the ninja.
However, Sato paid more attention to the blonde than even the ninja—for one simple reason: she was a rare psychic.
The identity of a psychic was extremely sensitive in the current situation involving the Keystone and Mega Stone. The moment Sato saw the Natu on her shoulder using Teleport, he was certain she was one of the people who had tried to steal Haiduo's treasure.
From what he could see, her psychic ability seemed rather weak—she needed herself, a Kadabra, and the Natu on her shoulder to work together just to maintain a telekinetic floating ability.
Still, the technique she used to mentally link with her Pokémon via psychic threads and temporarily boost her own abilities reminded Sato of one person: Sabrina, the Psychic Queen of Saffron City.
To this day, Sato could clearly recall the stunning scene where she used her psychic powers alone to stabilize a collapsing skyscraper. She'd truly earned the title of Psychic Queen.
Back then, Sabrina had used the very same technique—creating a mental link with her two powerful Psychic-type Pokémon—to accomplish that incredible feat.
(Note: Telekinesis is a Psychic-type move. Effect: It suspends the target in the air, making them easier to hit.)
(AlsoNote: In real life, Telekinesis can be used on both opponents and the user—it's a primary method for Psychic Pokémon and psychics to levitate.) (A truly flashy technique.)
"These three are probably the toughest obstacles I'll face in this rookie showdown," Sato thought. "And they likely each have powerful backers behind them. A psychic, huh? The Keystone and Mega Stone are probably in one of their hands."
After carefully observing the three individuals he deemed most dangerous, and recalling what Haiduo had told him earlier, Sato confidently concluded that the Keystone and Mega Evolution stone were in the possession of one of them. There was no doubt in his mind now—the Team Rocket member who had escaped using Teleport was this very blonde woman. And the female ninja was most likely her companion in that escape.