Sato locked eyes with Wester, scrutinizing him for any sign of deception. After a moment, he slowly nodded, what Wester said was more or less what he had expected.
"I have another question. How exactly did you determine that Haunter has dual Pseudo-Elite Four potential?"
Wester hesitated briefly before answering.
"I have some connections in Violet City. The Pokémon Center's medical scanners record detailed Pokémon data during treatment. Normally, this data is automatically erased after healing is complete... but I intercepted it.
With a Pokémon's full diagnostic data, calculating its potential isn't difficult. Plenty of people know how to do it."
Sato outwardly displayed a look of irritation, feigning disgust at Wester's invasion of privacy. Inwardly, however, he breathed a sigh of relief.
If Wester's method required detailed medical data, that meant it wasn't some unheard-of, godlike ability to detect potential without any prior information.
That would have been a much bigger issue.
Even thirty years into the future, Sato had never heard of technology that could assess a Pokémon's complete stats and potential without catching it first.
As for the Pokémon Center's internal data security? Sato wasn't actually that concerned.
He knew that medical data was programmed to self-delete after treatment. Wester might have the resources to retrieve it, but that didn't mean just anyone could.
As long as Sato didn't repeatedly expose Zorua or Larvitar's data to scrutiny, he wouldn't have to worry about drawing unwanted attention.
If trouble came knocking, he'd deal with it. That was all there was to it.
"I still don't get it," Sato continued, furrowing his brow. "What makes dual Pseudo-Elite Four potential so much better than single Pseudo-Elite Four potential? Isn't it just a difference in quantity?"
Wester took a deep breath before nodding.
"There's a difference. In terms of breaking into Elite Four level, a Pokémon with dual Pseudo-Elite Four potential has twice the success rate of one with only a single attribute at that level."
Sato's gaze sharpened. "I thought potential just dictated a Pokémon's maximum growth limit?"
Potential had always been described as a ceiling, a genetic boundary that a Pokémon could reach with the right training. Could it really influence the odds of surpassing that limit?
Wester studied Sato for a moment.
He could tell that the younger trainer was still piecing together his understanding of high-level Pokémon growth.
Someone with this level of insight? He wasn't just some random prodigy.
After a moment, Wester decided that answering a few more of Sato's questions wouldn't hurt, this was common knowledge among the higher-ups in the Pokémon League and large organizations anyway.
"Potential is only one part of a Pokémon's growth," Wester explained. "Without proper training, even a Pokémon with exceptional potential can remain weak. But on the flip side, a well-trained Pokémon can sometimes surpass its genetic limitations."
He took a sip of his coffee before continuing.
"The reality is, single Pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon have about a 30% chance of reaching that level, assuming optimal training. But dual Pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon? Their success rate jumps to 60%."
Sato's fingers tapped against the table. "What about Pokémon with Elite or Ordinary potential?"
"They can occasionally break into the next potential tier. But jumping two tiers? I've never heard of that happening."
"And what about Pokémon with only one elemental type? Does that mean their breakthrough rate is also just 30%?"
"Actually, single-type Pokémon are more specialized. Their breakthrough success rate is closer to 50%."
Sato processed this information carefully. Haunter had just given him an incredible surprise. There was no way he'd be trading it now.
His mind drifted back to Wester. During their entire conversation, Sato had been subtly channeling Dark Energy, monitoring Wester for any hidden hostility.
Sato leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable.
"Anything else you want to ask?" Wester asked, shifting slightly in his seat.
Sato shook his head. "No more questions. But let's be clear. I'm not trading Haunter. However, I'm still willing to make a deal."
"I figured," Wester said with a chuckle, though there was a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "Alright, what's your offer?"
"I have a... pokémon with an unique Ability," Sato said, choosing his words carefully. "It can allow me to mentally sync with Pokémon that have strong spiritual energy. This allows me to sense their potential, though it's not an exact science and sometimes random."
(TL note: Imo t's the best way to hide his special ability. Plus, already exist Pokémon that can 'sense' emotions, like the Ralts line. It's not that far-fetched that some Pokémon in the world could awaken a rare or exclusive ability that lets them do this)
Wester's eyes widened slightly. He leaned forward instinctively but quickly corrected himself, forcing his expression back to neutrality.
"My Haunter is how I discovered this ability," Sato continued. "And recently, I detected another Pseudo-Elite Four potential Pokémon near the Ruins of Alph. A single-typed Shuppet."
"A Shuppet?" Wester frowned slightly. "Why didn't you catch it?"
Sato shrugged. "I already have Haunter, I don't need another Ghost-type. Besides, it was crafty. Got away before I could even throw a Poké Ball."
Wester slowly nodded. It was a reasonable explanation. Most trainers, especially those with limited resources, wouldn't waste time catching redundant team members.
Still, he could tell Sato was leading up to something.
"So about this trade..." Wester prompted.
"I'll lead you to that Shuppet," Sato said simply. "In exchange, you teach me your potential analysis method."
Sato blinked, caught off guard by the immediate refusal.
A Pseudo-Elite Four potential Ghost-type wasn't enough to trade for a method Wester already used so freely? Something wasn't adding up.
"Analyzing a Pokémon's potential isn't a big deal for me, so I'll also add five million Pokédollars on top. Consider it payment for the information on Shuppet."
Sato narrowed his eyes. He was annoyed now. Wester wanted to throw in more money? Well, that was fine, he had no issue taking it.
"Tomorrow morning, 8 AM, in front of the Pokémon Center. If you're late, I'm leaving," Sato said, standing up without another word and walking out of the café.
"Understood!" Wester nodded seriously, satisfied with the outcome of their conversation. He was so pleased, in fact, that he didn't stop to wonder why Sato had rushed out so suddenly.
The next morning at exactly 8 AM, Sato arrived at the Pokémon Center entrance. Dressed in top-tier gear, Wester stood there, waiting. Sato didn't bother saying anything, he just glanced at him briefly before turning toward the outskirts of town.
"Looking forward to working with you," Wester said, keeping pace with Sato. As they walked, he handed over a compact device that resembled a small gaming console.
"A Pokémon Potential Analyzer, the smallest and most portable model, perfect for traveling trainers like yourself. Let me show you how to use it..."
As Wester explained, Sato quickly grasped the basics of the device. He placed Haunter's Poké Ball into the designated slot, and within seconds, the screen displayed the Pokémon's full diagnostic report.
Potential: Pseudo-Elite Four (Ghost) + Pseudo-Elite Four (Poison)
Moveset: Hypnosis, Lick, Spite, Mean Look, Shadow Ball, Toxic, Curse, Night Shade, Confuse Ray, Sucker Punch, Shadow Punch, Payback, Sludge Bomb, Dark Pulse, Disable
Sato skimmed the key details.
Haunter had officially reached Elite level. The Sludge Bomb and Dark Pulse he had trained for last night were now registered, and Disable had likely been unlocked as a genetic move after his recent breakthrough.
With Wester still present, Sato refrained from scanning Zorua or Larvitar.
Even though he had preliminarily decided to trust Wester, why bother testing the limits of that trust? There was no need to reveal everything.