During the rest of the trip, Joseph and the others suddenly realized that they were seeing less and less of Sato. On the rare occasions they did spot him, it was only enough for a quick greeting; barely even a few words.
Every day, when passing by the exclusive training room reserved for Drake, they could hear the constant sounds of battle inside. But they never quite knew what was going on.
Still, to receive one-on-one guidance from a veteran Elite Four… others couldn't be more envious. The only question was: just how much could Sato change in a single month?
...A rare time-skip break...
Time flew by, and when Greno walked into the training room to inform Drake and Sato that the ship had arrived at Olivine City in the Johto Region, it finally snapped them back to reality.
"Time really flew by… I've taught you everything I could. How you walk your path from here, that's up to you now," Drake said, full of satisfaction as he looked at Sato, whose spirit and demeanor had changed dramatically.
"Thank you, Drake!" Sato expressed his heartfelt gratitude. This month might have seemed short, but Drake had passed on so much to him.
The growth in strength wasn't even the main thing. More importantly, Drake had helped Sato see clearly -for the first time- what the path ahead should look like.
What was the real difference between a Pseudo-Elite Four, an Elite Four, and even a Champion?
"Hahaha, to think I could still teach at my age, and to someone like you… I'm thrilled," Drake said joyfully, patting Sato's shoulder and suddenly feeling a "little" old.
As he stepped out of the training room, the first people Sato saw were the grinning Joseph and Mark.
"Boss, oh Boss! You're finally out! Without you around, I couldn't eat right, sleep well… it was rough, man!"
"The way you're talking, it's like I was imprisoned, not training," Sato grimaced, the comment making his teeth ache.
"Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, but still managed to gain weight. How annoying is that?" Joseph teased Mark, irritating him enough to want to hit someone.
…Even if it stayed a fantasy.
"Alright, pack up. Time to disembark."
"Aye!"
"Got it, getting off the ship now!"
At the dock, Sato and the other four waved goodbye to the crew. Drake stood quietly at the front, gave Sato a nod, and his face returned to its usual sternness.
The five of them kept watching the large ship depart until it was out of sight before finally leaving the harbor.
"Boss, what exactly did you learn from Drake this past month? Did he teach you how to become an Elite Four Trainer?" Mark asked curiously, and even Joseph leaned in with interest.
"Sort of. But in the end, my path and the 'teacher's' are still different. He taught me the methods but what results I get will depend on me."
"Teacher? Boss, are you saying you became Elite Four Drake's 'student'?" Mark picked up on the implication in Sato's words.
"Yeah. I did," Sato confirmed.
"Then… when you reach Elite Four level in the future, will you join the League and take a regional post?" Mark asked, hesitating slightly.
"What do you think?" Sato replied with a question. He knew what Mark was hesitating over, that underwater "lab" had left a thorn in his heart.
"I don't know…" Mark said quietly, sounding a little defeated.
"Neither do I. But I do know this: if I want to protect the things I care about, I can only keep growing stronger. Everything else… those are just different methods and paths."
Mark fell silent. He understood what Sato meant… sort of.
"Why not become an Elite Four? That's such an honor!" Trish suddenly chimed in from behind, clearly confused.
"And being a Gym Leader isn't honorable? Keeping one city in peace, isn't that 'honorable' enough?" Sato turned around and asked with interest.
"The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. Isn't it the Elite Four's duty to protect the whole region?" Trish frowned, not understanding at all.
"That's… true," Sato said, pretending to think seriously, then nodded in agreement.
"So, Sato should totally become an Elite Four or a Champion someday! That'd be so cool!" Trish's eyes sparkled, as if she were already imagining the wonderful life of having a Champion as someone close to her.
"You sure think highly of me," Sato replied, half-laughing, half-helpless.
"I think Boss can become a Champion too!" Mark chimed in enthusiastically.
"Not gonna lie… me too," Joseph added with a nod, looking quite serious.
"Um, I feel the same," Amber said with an awkward smile, not wanting to seem out of sync.
Sato pressed his lips together, turned around, and walked ahead in silence. They were all killing the mood, how was that his fault?
The road from Olivine City to Shadownight Town wasn't long, but without the kind of convenient transportation they had in Unova, it still took them time.
Along the way, Trish showed great interest in the Pokémon of the Johto Region. Every time she saw one she didn't recognize, she would ask Amber to catch it so she could examine it closely.
But no one was in a rush, the Gym would open whenever Sato was ready.
Besides, the Gym was only being set up according to standard specifications for now. Even with some of Sato's previous suggestions, there were bound to be missing pieces.
And the opening of a Gym always called for inviting a few friends to fire things up.
Although Sato didn't care much for such things, if he wanted the Gym to run well, these were all necessary.
After all, Shadownight Town wasn't exactly famous. If the Gym's opening wasn't at least a bit lively, and no challengers came within the first ten days or half a month, the League would definitely complain.
---
Nearly a week later, Sato and the others finally arrived at Shadownight Town.
Compared to when they left, not much had changed. The liveliest place was still the Shadownight Intelligence Shop.
But since the Gym hadn't been completed, and Sato hadn't yet approved it as its Leader, the five of them -except for Mark- were still staying at the Pokémon Center.
Mark, being a local of Shadownight Town, had of course gone home.
After a day of rest, Sato called the four of them together.
With the Gym about to open, there was a mountain of things to do. At this moment, Sato felt quite lucky to have brought Amber, the butler, along.
"The Shadownight Gym is just starting out. Strictly speaking, for now it's just the five of us. I don't want to use people assigned by the League, so we'll need to divide the work among ourselves…" Sato spoke seriously, and the others listened just as seriously; even Mark didn't slack off.
"Amber, do you happen to have a referee license?"
"Of course I do, though I got it in Unova. I'm not sure if it'll be valid here," Amber replied respectfully.
"I'll take you to see a Joy later. They'll know how that works." After saying that, Sato turned to Joseph. "You'll be handling finances and logistics for now. I'll have Amber assist you."
"No problem!"
"Mark, you're a local. Over the next few days, help me find a few honest and reliable townsfolk to work at the Gym."
"Got it!"
"These will be our people moving forward, so choose carefully. No rush." Sato reminded him seriously.
"Don't worry, Boss! I've got the best eye for people!" Mark thumped his chest, full of confidence.
"Trish, train well. If I'm ever too busy and have to leave, you'll be the one handling the challengers. I'll also prepare a few Dark-type Pokémon for you, so make sure to take good care of them," Sato said, looking at the youngest member with high expectations.
"Don't worry, Sato! But… I really like Umbreon. Can you give me that one?" Trish agreed eagerly, then hesitantly made her request, her eyes full of longing.
"Umbreon has to be raised personally. I can help you get an Eevee, and I'll also give you a Houndour."
"Mhm! Thank you~" Trish got her wish and obediently sat down.
…But in her heart, she was already floating.