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Not long after Tomoki left, Sato and the other advancing participants also exited the teleportation hall and returned to their temporary rooms in the base to rest.
However, Sato had barely settled into the soft bed in his room when someone knocked on the door. The visitor turned out to be a familiar face.
Tanya, dressed lightly and casually, stood in front of Sato's room. In truth, she had already been standing there for two or three minutes but had hesitated to knock—unable to swallow her pride.
Her reason for coming to Sato's door wasn't because she wanted to cling to him for favor. It was simply that they both hailed from the same place—fellow townsfolk. More importantly, she was beautiful and carried herself with grace.
So, her superior had assigned her the task of escorting Sato to join the other participants.
In fact, when she first arrived at the door, there was still more than half an hour before the scheduled meeting time. This was, in essence, a deliberate opportunity granted to her by her superior.
After all, Sato had returned safely from the survival trial on the mysterious island and had just demonstrated overwhelming prowess in his battle against Tomoki and the others. It was certain that he would rise swiftly within Team Rocket's ranks.
It was a golden opportunity. If she could establish a good relationship with Sato now, it would be a huge asset to her future promotion within Team Rocket.
Unfortunately, Tanya was far too proud. She found it hard to lower herself to befriend Sato. Back when they were at the Pewter City Rocket base, she had once somewhat treated him with condescension.
Now, to deliberately curry favor with someone she had once looked down on—it was something she found difficult to do.
But as someone who had chosen to abandon the League and join Team Rocket, she naturally longed to rise through the ranks. Making a connection with Sato would indeed be a smart move toward securing her future.
"Tch… I'll never become the kind of person I used to look down on. Never!"
Eventually, with the meetup time fast approaching, Tanya made her decision after a fierce internal struggle. She chose to stick to her pride. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and forced a natural smile onto her face.
"Sato… sir. Con—congratulations on advancing to the next stage. I—I've been ordered by my superior to escort you to meet up with the others. The aircraft sent by headquarters to pick up the participants has already arrived. P-please come with me."
When the door opened and she saw Sato, Tanya instantly felt the immense pressure radiating from him—an aura forged from countless life-and-death battles. The courage she had just managed to muster vanished, and her practiced smile became stiff. Her voice stammered as she spoke.
During his time on the mysterious island, Sato had fought multiple battles every single day. Most of them were provoked by others, and he showed no mercy in return. If someone needed to die, they died. He never left threats behind. By now, the number of lives lost at his hands was uncountable.
Because of this, Sato's demeanor had changed dramatically. A single cold glance from him could strike fear into the timid.
Although he still appeared like the kind older brother next door, anyone who got too close—or saw him get serious—would feel the intense pressure he emitted.
"I understand. Lead the way."
Sato nodded, then calmly sheathed the sharp hunting knife he had been hiding behind his back.
In truth, the moment Tanya had approached, Sato had already snapped out of his meditation. Though he had left the island, the habits formed during his time there still ran deep.
When he sensed someone coming, his first instinct was to grab the gleaming blade at his side and release his psychic energy to identify the visitor.
"Uh—yes. Please follow me."
When Tanya saw the blood-stained hunting knife in Sato's hand, it felt as if the very air had frozen. The blade radiated a deadly aura. Only when Sato put it away did her heartbeat begin to return to normal. She trembled slightly as she replied.
Only now did she truly realize the gap between herself and the man before her. He had undergone a complete transformation on the island—he was no longer the person she once knew. In his presence, she felt like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
Almost a month ago, she had interacted with Sato as well, but the feeling back then was completely different. While it was true he had grown stronger, it hadn't been to the point where she lost the will to resist.
Now, that pride she'd always clung to showed signs of collapsing. She realized that the pride she held meant nothing in the face of true strength—and it certainly wouldn't help her survive or succeed.
Perhaps, she really did need to find a reliable backer to lean on. Only then could she hope to survive the harsh and cutthroat environment of Team Rocket.
Along the way, Tanya seemed distracted. She glanced back at Sato several times but saw that he had his eyes closed, following her silently. Each time she considered starting a conversation, the words caught in her throat.
Sato didn't know the reason for her agitation, but that didn't stop him from using his psychic power to observe her closely. Perhaps he'd spent too long on that perilous island—he felt as if a constant pressure and vigilance weighed on his mind.
And when he saw the stunningly beautiful Tanya in her light attire, a dark, primal urge surged in his heart—an intense desire to release his frustrations through her. The thought, once born, quickly began to spiral.
But in the end, he resisted, thanks to his immense self-discipline. Remaining vigilant at all times—that had always been his rule. He would never break it for a fleeting release.
So, he chose to close his eyes and rely on psychic perception to follow her. Unlike the sensory impact of the physical eye, psychic vision resembled a blue, wireframe map of the world—distant and abstract.
"Mr. Sato, this is my personal contact number. If you ever need someone to assist with a mission, please don't hesitate to call. I'll be there without question. I'm a Flying-type specialist—I'm skilled at tracking and have several large Flying-type Pokémon. I can definitely be of great help to you."
Just as they neared the underground airport of the base, Tanya finally gathered the courage to offer him a card with both hands, cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke.
This act of volunteering herself felt incredibly humiliating to someone as proud as Tanya. If Sato rejected her, she would be devastated. But the moment she said the words aloud, the weight on her chest seemed to lift, and her heart calmed.
"It seems you've changed a lot too. I suppose in such harsh environments, those who don't adapt are bound to die. Well… I'll remember you, Tanya. If I need you in the future—I'll call for you."
Sato looked at Tanya's embarrassed face and suddenly felt a strange, indescribable emotion. After a brief pause, he accepted her card and gave a soft smile.
Then, he stepped past her and headed alone toward the entrance of the underground airport. At the doorway, he could already see Thomas waiting.