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At exactly 7:00 the next morning, Sato woke up on time. After enjoying a hearty breakfast with his Pokémon, he mounted his Flygon and flew southward toward Vermilion City.
After the second phase of the competition ended, Sato had returned to the Kanto mainland with the main group. However, the important items he had stored in a private bank in Cinnabar Island before the second phase had yet to be retrieved.
This time, his plan was to travel to Vermilion City to catch a boat to Cinnabar Island. One reason was to collect those important stored items, and the other was to retrieve his Arbok and Meowth, which he had left at a daycare in Cinnabar.
There was one more thing—after handling those matters, Sato planned to take a boat to Pallet Town and pay a visit to Professor Oak.
The distance between Saffron City and Vermilion City wasn't far. Although Flygon's normal flight speed wasn't especially fast, once it used Dragon Dance, it became remarkably swift.
In less than an hour, Flygon brought Sato to the harbor of Vermilion City.
Though it was still early, the port was already crowded with passengers needing to board their ships on time.
When the ordinary people saw Sato suddenly descending from the sky atop his Flygon—and under the pressure of the Level 57 Dragon-type, some of the more timid passengers and Pokémon shrieked in fear.
Noticing the unrest in the crowd, Sato immediately became alert, his eyes flashing coldly with a dangerous glint.
In that moment, everyone who made eye contact with him felt like they had fallen into an icy cellar. The screams in the crowd abruptly ceased.
Realizing what had just happened, Sato shook his head vigorously, took a deep breath, and forced down the feeling of heightened vigilance.
Under the fearful gazes of the onlookers, he mounted Flygon once again and swiftly flew west.
Perhaps it was because Sabrina's psychic barrier had faded, but that morning, the restlessness had returned to Sato's mind. He had grown unusually sensitive to every sound and movement around him, constantly feeling like danger was lurking nearby.
The screams and wary stares from the crowd only fanned this anxiety into a wildfire.
For a moment, he felt as though these people around him were no different from the enemies who had tried to kill him in the shadows back on the Mysterious Island. That thought triggered an overwhelming urge to eliminate any threat—he had nearly acted on it.
"Just what the fuck is wrong with me? Just a few screams and I almost started crashing out. This can't go on. I need to fix this fucked up mental state, or I'll end up bringing a disaster upon myself."
The sea breeze slapped his face and helped clear his mind, but Sato's expression remained grim. Just thinking about what had happened made his chest feel unbearably heavy.
He now understood what Sabrina had told him last night—his PTSD from the Mysterious Island was far worse than he had imagined. He needed proper treatment, and fast.
Indeed, while the countless battles on the Mysterious Island had rapidly increased his strength, they had also left behind severe side effects from surviving in such a ruthless environment and under such competitive conditions.
He had grown accustomed to killing, his heart storing up a frightening amount of aggression. Like an addictive drug, it constantly begged to be released. If he held it in, it made him feel sick, anxious, and unstable.
Back on the island, this wasn't an issue. He had real enemies to fight, and countless opportunities to vent his frustrations.
But now, back in civilized society, such an unstable state was growing dangerous. It had already caused him to almost crash out.
Originally, Sato had planned to board a boat to Cinnabar Island, but after what just happened—his behavior resembling that of a raving lunatic—taking a public ship was clearly out of the question. Had he not left quickly, some nearby League trainers might already have detained him.
And if Sato guessed correctly, the Pokémon that had grown alongside him on the Mysterious Island were likely suffering from somewhat similar symptoms. If it weren't for the protective effects of their PokeBalls, things might have already spiraled out of control.
Faced with such a serious issue, Sato knew that going to Cinnabar Island would have to wait. His top priority now was to find a way to treat the condition affecting both himself and his Pokémon.
Last night, Sabrina had offered him a suggestion—seek help from monks in the Johto region.
But that was too far away. He was still deep within Kanto, and his condition had already deteriorated to the point where he couldn't guarantee it wouldn't flare up again before he even reached Johto.
If he lost control and harmed innocent people due to his exaggerated vigilance, the consequences would be devastating—not only would he live with the guilt forever, but he'd also be hunted by the Pokémon League.
So, before heading to Johto, Sato decided to visit someone who might be able to help.
That's right—he was going to see Professor Oak.
Professor Oak wasn't just a Champion-level trainer but also one of the most knowledgeable Pokémon researchers in the world. If anyone could help, it was him.
Vermilion City was still quite far from Pallet Town—separated by an inland sea, the distance was several hundred nautical miles.
Fortunately, Sato had four Pokémon that could travel over water and carry him: Flygon, Crobat, Swampert, and the shiny Gyarados. With their help, he could travel continuously.
After nearly six hours, with the four Pokémon taking turns, Sato finally reached the opposite shore of the inland sea.
After another half hour, he flew into the skies over Pallet Town aboard Flygon.
But just as he entered Pallet's airspace, a terrifyingly powerful Dragonite appeared before him, blocking his path and staring menacingly at both him and Flygon.
"Dragonite, you still remember me, don't you? I've come to see Professor Oak. I mean no harm. Please let me pass."
Under the immense pressure of this pseudo-legendary Dragon-type, Sato gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak.
Hearing his words, Dragonite's eyes revealed a hint of confusion. In a flash, it used Extreme Speed to appear right in front of Sato, then sniffed him curiously.
Apparently recognizing him, Dragonite gave a slight nod before disappearing in the blink of an eye with another Extreme Speed.
"Flygon, don't be scared—it's okay now. Head for the entrance of the biggest house down there."
Sato finally let out a breath of relief. He patted his trembling Flygon reassuringly as he spoke.
A few minutes later, inside Professor Oak's lab...
"Ah, young Sato. Looks like you've been through a lot recently,"
Professor Oak said seriously, holding a bowl of instant noodles in his hands.