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More than three months later, just past six in the morning.
Not far from the foot of the Slowpoke Temple's mountain, in a small village, Sato was dressed as a countryside farmer. With a hoe slung over his shoulder and Swampert carrying another, they walked together toward a patch of wasteland in the northern outskirts.
The land, which had lain abandoned for years, was now mostly reclaimed, and hardy crops had already been planted.
Upon arriving, Sato and Swampert picked up buckets resting nearby and walked two hundred meters to a small river to fetch water.
Back and forth they went, making more than a dozen trips between river and farmland, watering the newly tilled fields. Along the way, they struck up conversations with local farmers, exchanging words cheerfully as they worked.
When the irrigation was done, the two picked up their hoes again and began reclaiming more wasteland, gradually expanding the farmland's borders.
Near eleven o'clock, a young girl in simple homespun clothes arrived at the field with Pichu and Natu trotting at her side. She carried a large bundle in her arms.
"Big Brother Sato, Swampert—here, this is lunch! Mom asked me to bring it to you."
Skipping happily over, she handed the bundle to Sato with a bright smile.
"Thanks, Junko. This afternoon, when I come back, I'll buy you some candy."
Dripping with sweat, Sato quickly set his hoe aside, wiped his forehead with the towel draped over his shoulder, and smiled at the little girl.
He didn't take the package immediately. Instead, he dipped his hands into a nearby bucket to wash them clean before carefully accepting it.
Junko beamed at his promise. She hooked her little finger with his in a pinky swear, then skipped away again, leading Pichu and Natu back toward the village.
By then, Swampert was already famished. Before Sato could even unwrap the bundle, Swampert snatched it away and tore it open.
But when he discovered the lunchboxes inside were, yet again, filled with nothing but seaweed rice balls, his face fell instantly. After a few moans of despair, he stuffed more than half of them into his mouth in one go.
Sato accepted the remaining two rice balls, carried the box under a shady tree, and ate with relish. As he ate, he gazed over the lively farmland and the tranquil village beyond.
The longer he watched, the softer and deeper his expression became, as if he were melting into the landscape itself.
Birds and insects, which had quieted earlier, resumed their calls. A few bold birds even fluttered close, curiously eyeing this human who seemed almost part of nature.
Slowpoke Temple lay hidden in the mist-covered wilderness between Mahogany Town and the Ice Path. Its location was notoriously difficult to find.
It had taken Sato five days to cross Mt. Mortar and Route 42 to reach Mahogany Town. Then, after wandering for several more days through the desolate mountains of Route 44, he finally discovered the temple.
Armed with Professor Oak's letter of introduction, Sato was granted an audience with the temple's abbot, Master Genmei. Yet the help Genmei offered was not what Sato had expected.
Instead of meditation, floor-scrubbing, or fishing practice like Ash and his friends once endured in the anime, Genmei gave him only one task: To farm the land alongside the villagers, with Swampert working beside him.
At first, Sato was baffled. But as he slipped into the role of a simple farmer once more, old memories stirred—of his childhood in the countryside, living with his foster parents.
Life had been hard back then, yet it was also peaceful and full of happiness, free from today's constant troubles.
Gradually, he understood. Ever since he left the countryside, witnessed the splendor of the cities, and suffered the trials within Team Rocket, his heart had lost its purity.
Burdened by too much killing, his heart could no longer rest.
To rid himself of those violent shadows, what he needed most was calm — to turn away from the noise and struggles of the world, to live simply, and let that simplicity dissolve the dark stains in his soul.
These three months of village life had given him much. He got to know everyone in the nearby villages. By lending a hand, often helping deal with wild Pokémon troubles, he quickly became part of this rural paradise.
Each day was plain, yet fulfilling and joyful.
Now, even without the camphor-wood bracelet from Professor Oak or the pendant from Giovanni, his heart remained steady. Gone was the suffocating paranoia and constant state of vigilance he had carried after leaving the mysterious island.
Kindness toward others, willingness to help—these were the treasures he had found here, the key to peace of mind.
By six in the evening, as the sun dipped low, Sato and Swampert finished the day's work. After dinner in the village, they made their way up the mountain toward Slowpoke Temple.
Soon, they arrived at a waterfall behind the temple. Finding it empty, they settled themselves on a smooth stone beneath the rushing water, closed their eyes, and endured the relentless pressure of the water, training their willpower.
This was one of Master Genmei's instructions: every night, reflect beneath the waterfall on the day's gains and losses.
After more than ten minutes, an old monk in robes appeared under the moonlight, accompanied by a Medicham.
"This young man has taken our spot again. Day after day, without fail… Truly remarkable for one so young. Come, Medicham, let's train elsewhere tonight."
With a sigh, the old monk turned away, leaving with his Pokémon.
Not long after, another robed monk appeared by the falls. He watched Sato and Swampert silently for a while, then laid a letter down on the riverbank. In the blink of an eye, he was gone.