Although Sato was already itching to begin training Frogadier, its match with Absol wasn't over yet.
After the first head-on clash, both sides believed they had gained some understanding of each other.
So they quickly chose to clash head-on again!
Frogadier once again used Power-Up Punch, but Absol had already switched moves.
Psycho Cut!
Clang~
Fist and crescent blade met once more, but this time the outcome was different.
With the type advantage reversed, Absol was going all out compared to the first time. So after a brief deadlock, Absol forcefully knocked Frogadier back!
"Sol!"
Absol pressed the advantage, and after a successful Psycho Cut, it charged forward without hesitation.
Thunderbolt!
Seeing the electric arcs crackling around Absol, Frogadier immediately felt immense pressure and retreated without hesitation.
Crack~crack!
Frogadier wasn't slow, and narrowly managed to dodge the Thunderbolt, but Absol had already closed the gap again.
Psycho Cut!
Frogadier never expected the opponent's attacks to be so relentless and swift.
This time…
It couldn't dodge!
"FROGA!"
A cry of pain rang out as Frogadier was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground!
"That's enough!"
Joseph's voice suddenly rang out, and Absol, who was about to continue attacking, stopped.
It gave Joseph a deep look, forcibly suppressing its intense battle instinct, and slowly stepped off the battlefield.
"Blissey, Heal Pulse!"
"Bliss~"
Blissey, yawning, was released by Joseph. Upon seeing the injured Frogadier, it immediately ran over with a worried expression.
On the other side, Sato patted Absol's head and softly praised it, but Absol, in its tsundere way, turned its head away…
Classic tsundere (`^)!
Sato didn't mind, and turned to walk toward Frogadier.
As soon as Sato turned away, Absol immediately turned its head back, thought for a moment, and leisurely followed behind him.
At this point, Frogadier had already been healed by the maxed-out healing ability of Blissey, but it still looked a little dazed.
To think that the little tyrant of the breeding center had been defeated just like that? Absol was clearly smaller, and had only barely reached Elite level with outside help!
"How are you feeling? Not seriously hurt, right?"
"Blis! Bliss!"
Blissey proudly patted its chest, as if saying it had already taken care of everything.
"Yeah, thanks for your hard work, Blissey."
"Bliss~"
After "dealing" with Blissey, Sato turned to Frogadier once again.
"Now, are you interested in trying out my training methods?"
Frogadier tilted its head at Sato, something it only did when it was seriously thinking.
"Froga!"
Finally, Frogadier placed its right hand in Sato's palm, indicating its willingness to give it a try!
Frogadier…
Get! √
Soon, Drapion and Pikachu came over too, curiously examining the new teammate in their group.
Seeing this, Sato decided to let it slide and didn't urge them to resume training right away. But he quickly started chatting with Joseph about the Kalos League, and Sato gradually realized that this League trip might not be so easy.
The Kalos region -one of the most advanced known regions in the Pokémon world- had seen a rapid rise in Pokémon-related professions driven by technological progress.
At the same time, as the first region to discover Mega Evolution, Kalos had accumulated far more experience in this area than any other region.
And Mega Evolution was clearly a bug-level method for boosting a Pokémon's strength.
Because of this, the Kalos League firmly believed its overall strength was no less than that of any other region, including the Kanto Headquarters.
Due to its sheer strength, the Kalos League even disdained sharing a city with other Families or factions.
Long ago, the Kalos League President personally built a new city from scratch atop a patch of primal rocky terrain southeast of Lumiose City.
And the name of that city was simply: League City…
Much like how the Kanto Headquarters developed its own city atop Indigo Plateau, though it never received an official name.
So the ambition of the Kalos League had long been on full display!
And once Drake learned that Sato had also arrived in the Kalos region, he immediately had Siebold deliver a personally sealed 'handwritten' letter using a special method… proof that the negotiations were not going well.
Most likely, Drake and his group were already under constant surveillance by the Kalos League.
After all, no one wanted a new leader suddenly appearing over their heads; especially one whose strength wasn't fully acknowledged.
With this in mind, Sato naturally didn't delay. Fortunately, with the local connection Joseph provided, arranging for them to reach the Kalos League smoothly wouldn't be a problem.
---
Early the next morning, after breakfast, the group boarded a private jet to the Kalos League arranged by Joseph's uncle; getting a taste of what it meant to travel like the wealthy.
No doubt about it… it was luxurious!
Of course, before landing, Sato once again reminded everyone that this mission would be anything but easy, and the group immediately adopted a serious attitude.
Just last night, Sato had gone to the Pokémon Center to find Nurse Joy. With the help of the Joy Family network, and after two transfers, he finally managed to swap out some of the Pokémon on hand.
After all, the Kalos League did not yet recognize the authority of the Kanto Headquarters, and cross-regional Pokémon Transfer systems were still strictly regulated.
At last, the plane landed, and everyone -including Joseph- changed into a brand new set of black uniforms.
"Joseph, remember to be cautious at all times. My identity isn't suitable to appear alongside you all, but if there's any danger, contact me immediately."
"Got it, Uncle. Don't worry!"
Once Joseph finished saying goodbye, Sato and the others stepped out of the cabin with serious expressions.
Now that they had walked into the Hydreigon's den of their own accord… who knew how they would escape safely?
By now, their arrival was no secret, and someone was already waiting for them at the airport.
"…Siebold?" "Fitzwilliam!"
Joseph and Sato exclaimed at the same time, exchanging surprised glances before turning to look at the two people across from them.
One of them was undoubtedly Joseph's older brother, Siebold. The other was none other than the first mate taken in long ago by Drake, Fitzwilliam, an Ace level Trainer.
"Sato, long time no see!"
Fitzwilliam had short, deep green hair. His skin was tanned from years in the sun, making him look like the very image of a man of the sea.
When Sato was training under Drake, it was often Fitzwilliam who taught him various things, so the two were very close.
"Fitzwilliam, how is Drake now…"
"Don't worry, we'll talk as we walk."