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The visitor was neither Sato's enemy nor a stranger—it was a long-lost ally. That's right, the uninvited guest who arrived in the dead of night was none other than the psychic-type trainer, Maya.
However, even though they were allies, Sato hadn't seen her in so long that he couldn't help but be on guard now.
After all, judging by her outfit and complexion, she was clearly doing just fine, yet she had never once sought him out. That alone made Sato deeply suspicious.
He clearly remembered her saying she had the ability to locate him within a short period of time. She had even asked for his help in restraining the psychic twin sisters who accompanied Ailes, so that she could create an opportunity to get revenge on him.
Since Maya never showed up, Sato had assumed she had either been eliminated or tragically met her end.
After all, fate was unpredictable. Even psychic-type trainers weren't particularly powerful at the beginning of this perilous island trial—one wrong move could lead to a swift and brutal death.
And yet, just two days before the end of the survival trial, a supposedly eliminated or deceased ally suddenly reappeared.
Why had she waited so long to find him?
Was she still an ally? Or had she become an enemy?
Why had she come now?
All these questions flooded Sato's mind in the first few seconds of their reunion. As the doubts grew, the look in his eyes toward Maya turned colder.
Swampert and the rest of Sato's Pokémon instantly sensed his distrust and faint hostility toward this sudden visitor. Without hesitation, they quickly surrounded Maya, their expressions turning stern and unfriendly.
Thomas also took action. He put down what he was doing and led his Pokémon silently to Maya's rear, closely watching her every move.
"Hmph, Sato, you really are a suspicious man. Just a little time apart and you're already doubting an ally like me," Maya said with a calm expression despite being surrounded. Still, there was a trace of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
She stroked the Natu perched on her shoulder, trying to soothe its nerves, then crossed her arms and spoke in a clearly displeased tone.
"People are unpredictable. If being suspicious can help me live longer, I don't mind being that way," Sato replied flatly, ignoring her tone. He glanced at the Natu on her shoulder, then briefly locked eyes with Crobat flying overhead.
With that silent cue, Crobat's eyes began to gleam faintly with black light—ready to use Taunt on Natu if Maya made a wrong move, sealing off her ability to Teleport.
"You should know how unfriendly this island is toward outsiders like us. I've had bad luck and ran into some really troublesome problems. Only recently, thanks to a benefactor, did I recover. It wasn't that I didn't want to find you—there just wasn't a way," Maya said, noticing the silent signal but choosing not to react aggressively.
Her eyes momentarily filled with seriousness before she looked back at Sato, her expression turning bitter with a hint of self-pity.
"I'm sorry to hear about your misfortune. So what's your purpose in coming here tonight? Are you still asking for help against Ailes? If that's it, I'm willing to assist. My promise still stands. But I'd suggest you temporarily set aside your grudge. I've fought him—he's not someone easy to deal with," Sato said, showing a hint of sympathy before getting straight to the point.
No one comes for no reason—especially not at such a crucial moment. If she was still seeking revenge on Ailes, Sato was happy to help. He had grievances with that man too.
But if she came with some other motive… that was a different story. His promise only extended to helping her with Ailes—nothing more.
"You don't need to be so polite about it. You can just say I'm no match for Ailes," Maya replied with a self-aware nod. "In fact, I do know my limits. I'm not his equal right now, so I didn't come to discuss that. I actually—"
"Enough," Sato cut her off coldly. "If you didn't come to ask for help against Ailes, then I'm not interested. I don't want to know. You can take your leave now."
He didn't want any more complications with only two days left in the island's survival trial. Any extra risk was unnecessary.
"Sato, I know you're strong. My master told me that with your current strength, you could easily rank in the top ten of this rookie competition. I don't entirely believe it, but since it came from him, I'm willing to take it seriously," Maya said, her tone suddenly sharpening. "But even so, didn't you obediently back down in front of him two days ago? If my master hadn't shown mercy, you'd already be back at the base."
"Yes, we met two days ago. Don't you remember?"
Sato's pupils narrowed. He immediately recalled the masked figure standing beside Tomoki during their encounter—someone whose body outline had seemed eerily familiar. That masked figure had a Natu perched on their shoulder too.
"That masked person… that was you? So your so-called benefactor was him. You're with him now?" Sato said in shock, watching the image of the masked person overlap with Maya in his mind.
As far as he knew, Maya should've been one of Sabrina's people. And now she had switched sides?
"Yes, that was me. I now serve Lord Tomoki. I survived this island's perils thanks to his great kindness," Maya said directly. "Actually, this visit is on his behalf. So, are you willing to hear what I have to say now?"
Now that Sato knew her true allegiance, Maya didn't bother hiding anything. She gave him a playful look.
Sato fell silent. He could ignore Maya, but not Tomoki.
"…Speak. What is it that you want?" he finally said, waving for Swampert and the others to disperse while his face remained grim.