The undisputed star of the commendation ceremony was Sato, who had single-handedly brought the war to an early close.
In addition to being officially appointed as the DarKnight Elite Four of the Johto Region, with full authority to mobilize any city's defense forces across Johto, Sato also received an immense tilt in resource allocation.
From now on, all costs related to training Sato's Pokémon would be fully covered by the Pokémon League.
For five consecutive years, he would receive one Pokémon hatchling each year with Elite Four level potential, fully transferable without restriction.
For five consecutive years, he could apply for two Regional-grade Items each year, depending on that year's warehouse inventory.
He was granted two entries into the Apex Mimicry Zone, each for a stay of three months.
Shadownight Gym would now become Sato's personal private property. Permanently inheritable and officially recognized by the League, though he would be responsible for its upkeep and costs.
---◓---
At first, Sato didn't think much of it. After all, he lacked for nothing now.
…But the League was simply giving too much. As he kept listening, he couldn't help but start to waver.
Being an Elite Four in this region… came with real benefits!
"Whoaaa~"
"Kyaaa~"
"WUAW!"
"…WHAT!?"
"Sigh…"
The room frequently echoed with gasps. Any one of those rewards would be enough for them to fight a whole lifetime for.
Yet now, all of it belonged to Sato.
Sato furrowed his brows…
He couldn't shake the feeling there was a sour smell in the room.
And when others saw his expression, they widened their eyes in disbelief.
Still not satisfied?
Young people are just greedy!
"Mmh? What's wrong, not happy with the rewards?"
President Goodshow spoke up, voicing the question in everyone's hearts. They all perked up, eager to hear Sato's reply.
"Very happy," Sato blinked innocently, a bit stunned, wondering if he'd been too obvious about wanting more.
"As long as you're happy… Someone open a window, why's the air in here so sour and stinky~?" Goodshow said with a chuckle.
Sato nodded in sudden realization, then kicked in his acting skills, putting on a very natural embarrassed expression.
Seeing that, the others couldn't help but feel much better…
'Kyaa~ Our newly promoted Elite Four is still quite humble.'
'Seems pretty approachable… We'll definitely have to stay in touch going forward.'
Only Lance stood there with a smug grin, staring at Sato like: ' Fufufu… I know exactly what kind of person you are, but since we're close and I'm your aniki-sama, I won't expose you~'
'Hn.' Sato ignored him.
With Sato's appointment and rewards finalized, the commendation ceremony entered its final phase.
Just as everyone was preparing to leave, Riku Kitamura, who had stood silently the entire time reading documents, suddenly removed the badge from his chest.
"For the final item of the meeting, I, Riku Kitamura, have recently found myself lacking the energy to continue fulfilling the duties of Johto League branch President.
I have formally submitted my resignation to President Goodshow, and today is my final day on the job. I hope the Johto League, without me, will grow stronger and prosper even more…
Thank you, everyone!"
With that, Riku Kitamura gave a deep bow. When he rose, his face was full of reluctance. He gave Goodshow a nervous nod before turning to leave the conference room.
The room fell silent.
Looking at President Goodshow sitting calmly at the head, not a single person dared to rush forward to see their former leader off.
"Alright, the new branch President will take office in due time. I believe that with experienced Elite Four members like Pryce and Sen, with the younger generation like Lance and Sato, and with all of you Johto Region elites present here, the Johto League will only get better!.
Meeting adjourned!"
With that, Goodshow hopped down from his chair and strolled out, hands clasped behind his back.
Then Pryce, Sen, Lance, and Sato also left one after another.
Only then did the previously silent conference room erupt with gasps and chatter, as many people hurriedly left with anxious expressions.
Clearly, ex-President Riku Kitamura's sudden resignation was bound to trigger a massive storm within the Johto League's internal ranks.
But none of that had anything to do with Sato anymore.
On the newly issued Elite Four-exclusive phone, a single text was buzzing in Sato's mind.
Cynthia-chan~: [I'll be waiting… at home.]
Sato looked up at the blazing sun outside and thought, 'This time of day… perfect for anything!'
"S…Sa…SAT… SATOOO!"
Ignoring Lance's frantic shouting from behind, Sato buried his head and charged straight toward his newly assigned residence.
Final ranking tournament…?
What's that?
Can you eat it?
---◓---
With an excited heart and trembling hands, Sato reached for the doorknob of his new home. But as soon as he touched it, his heartbeat began to settle.
Cynthia… didn't seem like the kind of person who would send a text like that!
So, no matter what happened next, he couldn't show a hint of nervousness!
He took a deep breath, adjusted his clothes, and forced his pulse back to a normal rhythm.
Then, Sato "gently" turned the doorknob.
…Click!
The door didn't open.
Three seconds later, Sato pulled the key from his bag, inserted it into the lock, and gave it a smooth twist.
Click-clack!
That was the right sound.
"Oh! You're back. I just finished cooking. See if it suits your taste~"
Inside the room, Cynthia had taken off her heels and was wearing soft pale-yellow house slippers. She had on a white Gardevoir-patterned apron.
Her usually cool face held a faint smile. The dining table already had three dishes and one soup served, and the soup was still steaming.
Sato couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from rising, but he still "calmly" took off his shoes and put on matching sky-blue slippers like Cynthia's.
"…Smells so good~ Just the scent is making me hungry!"
Sato walked toward Cynthia, his face beaming with a smile as he spoke.
Hearing that, Cynthia's smile widened. She was just about to turn and scoop rice for him, but Sato pulled her into his arms instead.
For a moment, the room fell into perfect silence. Cynthia froze for half a second, then quietly settled into his embrace.
…After a long while, when Cynthia realized Sato had no intention of letting go, she shifted slightly.
"L-Let's eat first. The food will get cold."
"Nah~ It's fine. The soup won't go cold. I'll just have soup!" Sato replied shamelessly, hugging her even tighter.
"…Soup won't fill you up," Cynthia murmured softly.
Sato's smile deepened, but in the end, he held back from saying the next teasing line on his mind.
After holding her for a bit longer, Sato finally pulled away by sheer force of will.
"I'll go wash my hands. Serve me a big plate, okay?" he said as he quickly bent forward and dashed into the bathroom.
Cynthia's fair cheeks turned slightly red, but seeing Sato's behavior made her laugh quietly despite herself.
---◓---
By the time Sato had washed his hands and straightened his clothes to return, Cynthia was already sitting at the table, quietly waiting for him.
Then, the two began eating together, every moment warm and peaceful.
In the kitchen… Lopunny was secretly hiding in a corner, long ears twitching as it excitedly listened to Sato praising how delicious the food was and how sweet the soup tasted.
'Oh no~ Those were all made by Cynthia-aneke. N-Not me, not me...'
Outside the door, Gengar, with its golden eyes, silently floated up from underground. Staring at the key still left in the lock, it let out a soft sigh.
A few minutes later, the key was back where it belonged…