Shuppet suddenly floated up to Sato, its eyes filled with disbelief.
"Unown are supposed to exist in a separate dimension, unable to stay in the Pokémon world for extended periods. But you... you were accidentally left behind."
Ignoring both Shuppet's and Wester's shocked expressions, Sato continued speaking as if narrating a fact.
"So after you died and became a Shuppet, you remained in the desolate ruins of the Ruins of Alph, waiting for your companions to return and take you home."
"But..." Sato's voice softened, disregarding the fear in Shuppet's expression.
"You are no longer an Unown. You are a Shuppet now, a completely new life."
Shuppet frantically shook its head, unwilling to accept that it had died. The mysterious power of the Unown had allowed it to retain its past memories, but those memories had become a source of endless pain.
Sato didn't try to convince it further. Instead, he gently pushed Shuppet toward Wester.
"I'll leave the emotional counseling to you. Take good care of it."
"I will." Wester nodded solemnly.
Sato allowed Wester to bond with Shuppet.
In his past life, due to a mission, Sato had visited the Ruins of Alph. By sheer coincidence, he had discovered the perfectly symmetrical ancient script on the ruined stone wall.
Out of curiosity, he had tried various methods to see if he could uncover anything hidden within it, but all his efforts had been in vain.
Finally, on a whim, he had infused Dark Energy into the wall, only to unexpectedly establish a soul connection with Shuppet, learning its past and its sorrow.
That was also the first time Sato realized Dark Energy could be used for soul communication.
Unfortunately, Shuppet, having seen Sato's memories as well, was utterly horrified by him; the assassin whose hands were stained with blood.
When Sato realized Shuppet's fear, he had let it be.
At that time, he was still living on the edge, constantly fighting for survival, and he simply had no time or energy to mend the wounds of a traumatized Pokémon.
He had chosen not to capture or sell Shuppet, leaving it behind after completing his mission.
"Sato, what are you thinking about?" Wester waved a hand in front of Sato's face, snapping him out of his thoughts. Shaking his head, Sato chastised himself for lowering his guard.
"Shuppet's situation is quite serious. I plan to take it back to Violet City and help it adjust gradually."
"That sounds like a good idea. Have you checked its potential yet?"
"I did!" Wester seemed excited as he lifted Shuppet's Ultra Ball. "It has Pseudo-Elite Four potential, and perhaps because it used to be an Unown, it naturally knows Hidden Power."
If he hadn't already had Haunter, which suited his battle style much better, Sato would have considered capturing Shuppet himself.
The Shuppet line excelled in physical attacks, but they lacked durability in speed, defense, and endurance. Even with decent offensive power, they had difficulty thriving in close combat.
Another problem was that the Ghost-type didn't have many strong physical moves, which significantly limited Shuppet's growth potential.
By the time they returned to Violet City, it was already late at night. Wester invited Sato to his home, but he refused outright.
After finding a comfortable hotel, Sato efficiently parted ways with Wester. He had always preferred solitude.
Except for the time Wester had intercepted his Pokémon's data, an action Sato found intrusive, Wester had otherwise conducted himself well.
It was clear why people like him came from wealthy and powerful families. Their continued success wasn't built on reckless heirs wasting fortunes.
It was built by people like Wester: wealthy, intelligent, capable, ambitious, and disciplined.
Sato didn't say it aloud, but in his heart, he admitted: Wester fits the mold of a perfect protagonist far too well.
The next day, after morning training, Sato spent his one million Pokédollar shopping voucher in a spree.
It wasn't excessive spending, everything related to Pokémon was absurdly expensive.
After restocking his supplies, Sato didn't bother saying goodbye to Wester and left Violet City on his own.
Wester was someone worth keeping in touch with, and Sato had saved his contact information.
Not out of friendship, but because he now had a reliable buyer. If he ever caught valuable Pokémon in the future, he could sell them directly to Wester.
This would make things far more convenient.
Still heading wester, Sato adjusted his route slightly, skirting north of the Ruins of Alph.
Shortly after passing the ruins, his Spinarak's Egg began to tremble.
Zorua curiously sniffed the glowing egg, poking it gently with a tiny paw before obediently sitting beside it, eyes locked onto the shimmering shell.
Haunter found the whole thing dull and immediately phased into the nearby bushes, off to amuse itself.
Sato didn't bother stopping it. When in the wild, he preferred to let his Pokémon roam free.
"Looking forward to Spinarak hatching? Are you thinking about having a little underling in the future?" Sato teased Larvitar for the first time.
Larvitar jerked its head up in shock, staring at Sato in disbelief. 'How did Boss Sato know exactly what I was thinking? As a future Champion-level Pokémon, I should definitely have a little underling!'
The glowing light from the Egg flickered more frequently until it stopped altogether.
With the soft sound of cracking eggshells, a new life entered the world.
A delicate, weak sound came from within. A tiny, green spider the size of a palm blinked its black, jewel-like eyes as it curiously took in the unfamiliar world around it.
Spinarak seemed to notice something. Its six tiny legs scuttled quickly, and in no time, it had crawled onto Sato's arm, wrapping itself snugly around his wrist like a bracelet before settling down contentedly.
"Welcome to the team, Spinarak."
Zorua greeted the newcomer with enthusiasm, while Larvitar appeared slightly tense. It was, after all, the one responsible for wiping out an entire nest of Spinarak in the wild. But thanks to Sato, the two Pokémon, who would have been natural enemies in the wild, met under peaceful circumstances.
"Eat up and get some rest."
Sato took out the specially prepared food for newborn Pokémon.
After filling its belly, Spinarak obediently entered its Poké Ball without any struggle, it was surprisingly well-behaved!
Sato activated the Pokémon Potential Analyzer, placing Spinarak's Poké Ball on the scanner. In moments, detailed data appeared on the screen.
Stage: Infant (Unable to battle)
Potential: Elite Four (Poison) + Pseudo-Elite Four (Bug)
Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Constrict, Megahorn (Egg Move), Sucker Punch (Egg Move), Toxic Spikes (Egg Move)
Sato stared blankly at the data for a few seconds before removing the Poké Ball; then placing it back from a different angle, just to be sure.
The same information popped up again.
Swallowing hard, his eyes shone with excitement, and an unstoppable grin spread across his face.
"Hahahaha... I am the protagonist!"