Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
The Water Pledge and Grass Pledge TMs were incredibly precious in Sato's eyes. Even within Team Rocket's extensive points-based exchange system, these two discs were unavailable.
One could say they were exclusive League-issued TMs—skills that were almost never circulated outside and were only in the hands of a very select few.
It was clear that Professor Oak was one of those few people who possessed these League-exclusive TMs.
In addition to Water Pledge and Grass Pledge, there was also the move Fire Pledge. These three moves were likely developed within the League specifically for the starter Pokémon.
After all, they could only be learned by Water-, Grass-, and Fire-type starter Pokémon, respectively. Other Pokémon couldn't learn them (with the exception of Smeargle's Sketch move).
Moreover, these three moves could be paired together in combinations that resulted in extremely powerful effects—large-scale, area-based combo moves that could even serve as a strategic trump card in team battles.
If Fire Pledge was used together with Grass Pledge, the resulting combo move would have a power of 150 and create a sea of fire on the battlefield, damaging all non-Fire-type Pokémon each turn.
If Fire Pledge was combined with Water Pledge, the move would also have a power of 150 and form a rainbow on the battlefield, doubling the activation chance of any additional effects on the user's moves.
If Water Pledge was combined with Grass Pledge, the combo would also deal 150 power and create a swampy battlefield, slowing down the Speed of all Pokémon caught in the terrain.
Of the three combo possibilities, Sato naturally favored the combination of Water Pledge and Grass Pledge the most. This combination would temporarily create a wetland battlefield.
Wetlands included terrain like marshes, lakesides, and tidal flats—all of which were like paradise for Swampert, making them the perfect battleground for it.
In particular, terrain like marshes and tidal flats severely reduced the movement and battle ability of most Pokémon, but they drastically boosted Swampert's Speed and battle performance.
That meant that as long as Sato had those two TMs and could find a Grass-type starter Pokémon, he could create Swampert's ideal battlefield any time, anywhere.
Swampert was currently Sato's number-one ace. If he could provide Swampert with optimal fighting terrain on demand, Swampert's strength would unquestionably reach a whole new level. Sato's overall strength would also improve by leaps and bounds.
There was no denying it—Professor Oak was incredibly shrewd and experienced. He could see right through things and knew that Swampert was Sato's trump card. These two TMs were simply tailor-made for Sato, making them nearly impossible to refuse.
"With you saying that, I'm relieved. These old bones of mine can't move like they used to. I'll have to rely on young folks like you from now on. Don't worry, I'll definitely ask for your help again in the future."
Hearing Sato's words, Professor Oak's smile grew even more radiant. He gently patted Sato on the shoulder and spoke in a kindly tone.
"Please rest assured—if you ever need anything, I'll do everything in my power."
Sato's heart was filled with joy when he heard that. He wasn't about to pass up such a golden opportunity to gain Professor Oak's favor and responded quickly with a very respectful answer.
Professor Oak was an absolute powerhouse of resources—he casually gave away two extremely rare TMs and was a genuinely good person. Sato wasn't worried that any future requests would be suicidal missions.
Even just completing the missions Professor Oak entrusted him with would come with tons of benefits. And if nothing else, it was a great way to network and eventually get close to Ash and the others.
After that, the two launched into a round of mutual flattery. Eventually, Sato cheerfully said goodbye to Professor Oak and his group.
Sato pedaled his mountain bike along a dirt road carved through the forest. After about half an hour, he successfully emerged from the woods and crossed into Pallet Town's territory.
In truth, calling Pallet a "town" was a bit generous—it was more like a picturesque little countryside village, with a permanent population of less than two hundred people.
However, Pallet Town covered a large area, and most of the land actually belonged to Professor Oak's research lab. (It's true—Professor Oak is basically the local landlord.)
That said, most of the research lab's land had been repurposed as habitats for Pokémon kept by local trainers. So all around Pallet, you could see many artificially constructed Pokémon mini-habitats.
Despite its small population, Pallet was a bustling place. Tourists flocked in every day to visit.
Pallet Town's fame was just that high. These days, it was considered one of the top tourist destinations in all of Kanto. Countless tour groups visited each month.
As a result, the town's tourism industry was thriving. Many locals had even opened inns to accommodate the steady stream of visitors.
Thanks to that, the locals were all relatively well-off. While not as rich as Professor Oak's family, they could still afford to pay the League millions of PokeDollars every year to get all their children officially registered as League-affiliated trainers.
Sato's arrival didn't cause the slightest ripple in Pallet Town. He blended in like a drop of water into the ocean—nothing about him stood out to the locals.
But the same couldn't be said for Daisy. As the Oak family's precious daughter and a pretty girl at that, everything she did attracted attention.
Not long ago, she'd shown up at the Pokémon Center with a depressed expression, carrying her seriously injured Lopunny and Infernape.
It didn't take more than a few minutes for the entire town to hear about the incident. Now, all the young trainers staying in Pallet were buzzing with curiosity about who had managed to defeat Daisy.
In no time at all, Sato had basically become the prime target of all the young trainers in Pallet Town.
Naturally, it wasn't long after entering Pallet Town that Sato started overhearing people talking about the incident.
He even heard several young trainers excitedly discussing how they could find the trainer who defeated Daisy and challenge him themselves—to "avenge" her.
"Damn, Daisy's popularity here is off the charts... Did I just poke a beedrill's nest or what? No way, I need to find a place to change my clothes and face—otherwise, I might not walk out of Pallet in one piece today."
Sato's face turned green as he eavesdropped on the local trainers talking about ganging up on him. He sighed helplessly in his heart.
Immediately, he snuck into a public restroom. When he came out, he was wearing a completely different outfit and had put on a Ditto-transformed human-skin mask.
The only downside was the Pichu on his shoulder. Sato had tried everything to persuade the little guy to return to its PokeBall, but it refused. It insisted on staying out, so he had no choice but to let it cling to him.
Because of Pichu, Sato figured the chances of being exposed were still quite high.
"Well, Pichu's just a newborn. Letting him stay outside for now should help build a bond and speed up evolution into Pikachu. But once he grows a little, I'll have to insist he stay in the PokeBall. Otherwise, there'll be too many complications down the line."
Sato glanced at the Pichu on his shoulder, who was curiously scanning its surroundings while hugging a bottle of Miltank Milk. Sato sighed and shook his head in resignation.
Since Pallet Town was now officially "unsafe," Sato had no intention of sticking around and attracting more trouble. He mounted his Acro bike and quickly began weaving through the town's streets, eager to get out as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, just as he was about to leave Pallet Town, a familiar figure appeared in front of him—
Daisy.