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At that moment, both the bucktoothed man and the fat man were under immense pressure. The strength of the enemy who suddenly appeared before them far exceeded anything they had imagined.
They had never expected that the Pokémon they had worked so hard to raise would be defeated so easily by the opponent's team.
What terrified them the most, however, was that the opponent clearly had full control of the situation. The two of them now felt like helpless little flies caught in a spider's web — even the thought of escaping had become a luxury.
This oppressive feeling was something they had only ever experienced in the presence of their boss. Yet their instincts, sharpened by years of living on the knife's edge, told them that the smiling young man standing before them was even more dangerous than their boss.
"Hmph, not bad, kid. You've got some skill. You're a Water-type specialist, right? In this rainy weather, your Pokémon really pack a punch."
"But don't get cocky. We're just small fry. Once our boss shows up, you'll learn what real strength looks like."
"That's right. If you're smart, you'll run now. Otherwise, it'll be too late. Our boss is generous — he might even overlook that little incident with those two girls."
Even as they spoke, the two men remained utterly fearless, despite nearly all of their Pokémon having been defeated. They looked at Sato with smug confidence, as if victory was already assured.
Their arrogance had a reason. While they talked, both men had secretly pressed a special button on their communicators — sending out a distress signal.
If all went as planned, their boss would have already received it. And just as they said, if Sato didn't leave now, he'd soon be facing their leader's wrath.
As for the possibility of Sato finishing them off now? Neither seemed worried. Though their remaining Pokémon were few, they were confident they could stall him long enough for help to arrive.
Sato's expression darkened slightly upon hearing their words. He had been keeping both men locked in his psychic sense the entire time, so their little trick hadn't escaped his notice.
'Looks like these two really do have someone backing them,' he thought grimly. 'I'd better retreat quickly. If a peak pseudo Elite-Four level Pokémon hunter really shows up, things could get troublesome.'
Considering their arrogant expressions and the things they'd just said, Sato immediately recalled what he'd heard about a certain A-rank Pokémon hunter who had evaded the League's capture for years.
Of course, Sato wasn't the kind of person to be scared just because his opponent might be a pseudo Elite-Four.
He himself was a pseudo Elite-Four level Trainer. If he had his first-tier Pokémon team with him, even if their boss came, he'd be nothing more than an offering.
Even now, though his current team only gave him the power of an Elite-level Trainer, escaping would still be effortless.
"Oh, so you two have a boss? That explains your confidence. Judging by how calm you are, he must be nearby — and that little move with the communicator was you calling him over, right?"
"But tell me… it's pouring rain, and we're in the middle of nowhere. Aren't you worried I might just take your lives right here and now?"
"I'm guessing your boss will need a little time to get here. That means I still have plenty of time to act."
As soon as he said that, Sato's expression turned cold. His voice was calm, yet it carried a deadly edge.
The moment his words fell, a Duskull and a Misdreavus materialized in front of the bucktoothed man and the fat man, respectively.
The bucktoothed man made the mistake of looking straight into Duskull's single crimson eye — and immediately began trembling uncontrollably, his body frozen in terror.
Meanwhile, the fat man fell into a deep sleep the instant the red beads around Misdreavus's neck released a wave of eerie psychic energy. Moments later, his sleeping face twisted in pain as he slipped into a nightmare.
When the two men finally regained control of their bodies and consciousness, they found themselves surrounded by Sato's Pokémon — and every one of their PokeBalls had already been taken from them.
At that point, the arrogance they'd displayed earlier was gone. Both looked utterly dejected, like roosters who had just lost a fight.
"M-Mister, what do you want from us? We're just Pokémon hunters. If there's something you need, just say the word — we can cooperate!"
The fat man, who was clearly the more cowardly of the two, quickly changed his tone, replacing his earlier bluster with obsequious flattery.
"Hmph. Relax. I've got no personal grudge with you. I only intervened to help a friend."
"But since you've fallen into my hands, you'll answer one question truthfully."
"You claim to be Pokémon hunters, which means you've probably been staying in this forest for some time. Have you seen these two people?"
Sato gave the fat man a sharp look, then pulled two photographs from his coat — pictures of the missing individuals from his current mission — and held them out for both men to see. His gaze was cold and piercing.
"No. We've never seen them."
"Yeah, this forest is huge. We haven't run into anyone lately."
Both men's expressions remained perfectly calm as they replied.
In truth, they recognized the people in the photos immediately — they were the Trainers they had kidnapped a few days ago.
But as veteran fugitives who had eluded the Pokémon League for years, their nerves were steeled against panic. They didn't let a single flicker of emotion betray them.
They also knew that revealing anything about those captives would only bring them trouble. So, they lied — smoothly and in perfect sync.
Unfortunately for them, lying to a psychic like Sato was no easy feat. Their expressions might have been steady, but their eyes betrayed them.
Facial expressions can be controlled — but the eyes often cannot, especially when faced with sudden emotional stimulus.
Sato immediately noticed the subtle dilation of their pupils when they first saw the photographs.
That was all he needed to confirm it: they were lying. They had seen the people in those photos.
"I see. Then I'll trouble you to tell me where they are now."
As he spoke, Sato's hand chopped down sharply, striking the bucktoothed man's neck and knocking him out cold. Then, smiling faintly, he turned to the now-pale fat man.
A blue light flared in Sato's eyes — Hypnosis.
The fat man's eyes glazed over instantly, his will dissolving under the psychic force.
In moments, Sato extracted the information he wanted — and even uncovered something far more important in the process.
Deep within this forest, there really was a powerful Elite-Four level Pokemon — a Dragon-type Altaria.
Even more surprising, this female Altaria was reportedly close to laying an egg.
And to make things even more intriguing… not long ago, a wild Salamence had been sighted here in Slateport Woods.