["Hello, friends! Welcome to the finals of the 13th Pokémon League Regional Exchange Tournament..."]
At the judges' table, Sato wore a professional smile as he listened to the MC's impassioned introduction, but mentally, he had already drifted off.
Once upon a time, he too had sat in the competitors' section.
Now, it was his turn to serve as a judge, evaluating this group of Trainers. Many of whom were about his age…
Of course, "about" referred to the physical age of this life!
The feeling was… rather strange.
["And now, allow us to introduce the special guest of this tournament: the Johto Region's Superhero, newly appointed member of the Elite Four, known as the DarKnight... ELITE FOUR SATO!"]
Hearing his name snapped Sato back to reality. He quickly stood up, pretending nothing had happened. Smiling, nodding, waving…
[To the young elites gathered here… show off your talents without holding back! Those who are truly excellent need not be humble!]
Whoa!!!
The moment Sato finished speaking, thunderous roars erupted across the venue. The Trainers in the competitor section turned beet red with excitement, each convinced that he was speaking directly to them!
So bold…
So dazzling…
SO CHARMING!
Elite Four Sato.
How could you not love him?!
The applause and cheering went on and on. Even the male MC, who was supposed to keep the event on track, wore an expression of worship and clapped along, forgetting all about his job…
Not until Sato raised his hand and made a downward motion in the air did the entire arena fall silent.
Satisfied, Sato nodded. That feeling of being adored by tens of thousands… it really was addictive! So, as agreed beforehand, Sato turned his eyes back to the competitors in the audience.
["I once participated in the Regional Exchange Tournament myself, and gained a lot from it.
So this time, I will personally award a special prize to the Trainer who performs the best in this tournament. They may not be the final champion, but they must be the one who surprises me the most!"]
At once, the venue and online discussions exploded with excitement. No one questioned why Elite Four Sato was doing this. On the contrary, the internet responded with wave after wave of praise.
◓---
[Whoaaa! Winning or losing doesn't matter. He only cares about performance! Elite Four Sato is so unique!]
[A great day for civilian Trainers! And hey, wasn't Sato-sensei himself a self-made success?]
[Husband, you're so handsome~]
[MY SON IS AMAZING!]
[Ma'am… that's crossing a line!]
[Be bold. Drop the 'am' and add 'mi'.]
---◓
Elsewhere, a few confident competitors who were aiming to win the championship suddenly found themselves conflicted.
Sato's words sounded like anyone had a chance, but in truth, there was no clear standard; it was entirely up to his personal judgment.
What's more, while the top three prizes for the tournament were already generous, no one knew what Sato's special prize even was.
Choose a guaranteed, rich prize… or go for an unknown Elite Four reward?
They couldn't decide.
Until one of the Trainers suddenly clapped his hands and blurted out, "It's not like I'd win anyway. What am I even debating for?"
At once, the others turned to glare at him…
'…We agreed not to say it out loud! You're ruining the illusion, man!'
---◓---
Soon, the battles began.
One Trainer after another entered the stage, fighting in pairs. The Pokémon they sent out were at least Peak Elite, and now and then, a few Ace level Pokémon even appeared.
Excluding Cheat-type Trainers like Sato, the overall strength of these young competitors was indeed impressive.
And as a judge, Sato fulfilled his duties earnestly, responding to each of the MC's basic questions.
["Elite Four Sato, who do you think will win between these two?"]
["Mmh… what do you think?"]
["I think… it should be Tetsuya on the left. His Emboar has tremendous attack power, and it has a type advantage over the opposing Roserade,"] the MC analyzed frankly.
Sato shook his head and glanced at the barely visible purple toxic mist on the battlefield.
["Emboar has been poisoned."]
["WHAT!"] The MC exclaimed dramatically. The next second, Emboar was already groaning in pain, dropping to one knee.
"WHOAAAA!!!"
Gasps of amazement erupted throughout the arena, with everyone marveling at how sharp the Elite Four's observation was, especially since he was seated highest and furthest away.
Sato: "…"
Soon, as expected, Emboar collapsed. The crowd nodded in understanding, but forgot to even applaud the winner.
Winner: So… who's the main character here again?
Second match.
["Elite Four Sato, who do you think will win this one?"]
["Kris, on the left."]
Two minutes later.
"Blastoise has lost the ability to battle. Staraptor wins. The winner is the Sinnoh Region representative, Kris!"
"Whoa!" Another wave of exclamations filled the arena.
Third match.
["Elite Four Sato, who do you think will-"]
["Right side. Kingdra will win."]
"Scizor has lost the ability to battle. Kingdra wins. The victor is Johto Region's Damien!"
"Wow…"
Fourth match.
["Elite Four Sato, you-"]
["Blaziken wins."]
"Luxray has lost the ability to battle. Blaziken wins."
"Wo…"
Fifth match.
["…our Sato-"]
["Empoleon."]
"…Empoleon wins."
"O…"
Match after match went by, and not once did Sato's predictions miss.
This kind of accuracy was basically the same as giving spoilers in advance!
By the time Sato realized that the atmosphere in the arena was gradually becoming subdued, more than half the matches had already taken place.
And yet, the MC next to him continued asking with a face full of worship, ["Elite Four Sato, who do you think will win this match?"]
Sato glanced at the MC. The guy was clearly a terminal-stage fan… one superfan worth a thousand haters.
Helpless, Sato shook his head and picked up the mic himself, speaking in a deep voice, ["…I'm sure everyone is curious what kind of contestant will surprise me and win my prize."]
Sure enough, the moment he spoke, both the audience and the competitors perked up, ears sharp and fully attentive.
["A Trainer who can surprise me…"] Sato deliberately paused, then smiled and said, ["Must be the one who breaks my prediction!"]
Just as expected, the entire arena erupted once more. No one thought of his predictions as spoilers anymore.
Now, every match held the possibility of a surprise, far more thrilling than guessing who would be the winner!
But as match after match continued, Sato kept predicting the outcomes within thirty seconds of the battles starting, without a single mistake.
It was downright divine!
The audience was ecstatic, Sato was satisfied, the MC grew even more lovestruck, but the competitors… were in despair!
"What if… we throw the match?" One competitor cautiously whispered, only to be met with universal disdain.
"Even if I want that prize, I won't earn it that way!"
"Exactly. I'm not just representing myself. I represent the honor of my whole region!"
"Ridiculous. This guy's desperate for fame!"
The flood of ridicule left that contestant burning with shame, wishing he could vanish on the spot.
And just as the mocking continued in the competitor stands, suddenly a wave of astonished "cries" swept through the arena!
Someone… had broken the prediction!