The National Park was vast, essentially an entire forest sectioned off into a protected area.
As Spinarak and Sato wandered through the park, they encountered numerous rare Bug-type Pokémon.
After spotting both Gulpin and Illumise multiple times, Sato was able to confirm that most of the newly introduced Pokémon were likely from Hoenn.
It made sense. Compared to Sinnoh, Unova, or Kalos, Hoenn was geographically closer to Johto.
The National Park was a commercialized institution, but its biggest customers weren't the wealthy elite, they were the average trainers without strong Pokémon.
"If it's Hoenn Pokémon, then Ninjask might be interesting... but Shedinja is way too gimmicky. If you know its weakness, it's a complete pushover." Sato shook his head, dismissing the idea.
Unless he came across a Pokémon that truly stood out, he wasn't planning on capturing more Pokémon anytime soon.
Both Larvitar and Spinarak already demanded a significant amount of his training efforts. On top of that, Sato was reserving two spots in his team for Pokémon he had yet to reunite with.
Unfortunately, if things followed the timeline of his previous life, those Pokémon were still far beyond his reach, they weren't anywhere near Kanto or Johto.
Of course, he wouldn't hold those slots indefinitely. But with this mindset, he had no intention of settling for mediocre additions.
"You found something?"
Spinarak excitedly scurried into a nearby bush, forcing Sato to push his way through the dense foliage. When he finally emerged, he saw Spinarak standing stiffly, locked in a standoff with a Nincada.
"Spinarak, Poison Sting!"
The purple needles shot forward, each one carrying a high chance of poisoning the opponent. This was largely thanks to Spinarak's uniquely strong Poison affinity, which made its toxins far more potent than those of other Pokémon.
However, Nincada was completely unfazed. With both front claws glowing silver, it swiftly swiped the Poison Stings out of the air, breaking them apart effortlessly.
"Metal Claw... that's impressive. Spinarak, use String Shot, don't let it escape!"
A thick web of silk shot down from above, trapping Nincada in an instant. The Bug-type struggled fiercely, thrashing about in panic.
"Spinarak, hit it with Feint Attack!"
A surge of dark energy pulsed from Spinarak's body as it lunged forward, targeting Nincada's thin, fragile wings.
With a pained shriek, Nincada was forced to desperate measures.
It immediately started digging into the ground, kicking up dirt and debris as it burrowed deep beneath the surface. Within seconds, the silk strands snapped, leaving only a fist-sized hole behind.
Spinarak clicked its mandibles angrily. It had been so close to winning, only for its opponent to flee underground. Frustrated, Spinarak marched forward, eager to dive in after it.
"Leave it, Spinarak."
"Zzzzt..." Spinarak hesitated before reluctantly obeying, sulking at Sato's feet.
"That's its territory. If you follow, you'll get yourself trapped underground."
"Zzzzt!" Spinarak shivered at the thought, reconsidering its impulsive decision. In the end, self-preservation won out, and it abandoned the pursuit.
"Let's keep looking. Maybe you'll find something even more interesting."
Hearing this, Spinarak brightened up, eagerly resuming its search.
But just two steps into its hunt, it stopped, tilting its head in confusion.
Spinarak turned around and scurried back to Sato, finding him kneeling beside the burrow entrance.
Instead of chasing Nincada, he had crouched down, inspecting the hole carefully.
Sato extended his right hand, channeling Dark Energy into the tunnel. The energy pulsed outward, probing the underground space.
Almost immediately, Sato sensed a distinct response, a wave of disdain radiating from below.
If it had been a high-potential Bug-type, he would have sensed rejection or irritation.
But this? This felt different.
There was only one explanation, whatever was lurking underground was either a Psychic-type or a Ghost-type Pokémon.
"Spinarak, I think we just found something way more interesting."
"Haunter, go underground and check it out. If you see a certain burrowing Bug, feel free to drag it back up."
A ghostly laugh echoed from Sato's shadow. A pair of sinister triangular eyes flickered into existence for a brief second before fading away.
Ever since Haunter had reached Elite-level, Sato had been training it in stealth techniques, specifically, assassin-style tactics.
One of those techniques was the ability to hide inside Sato's shadow, completely suppressing its own presence.
With that, Haunter silently phased into the ground, leaving Sato and Spinarak to wait for its findings.
Beside him, Spinarak blinked its round, beady eyes, staring blankly at Sato; the same person who just told it not to chase after its enemy, yet now he was sending Haunter underground for revenge.
In that instant, Spinarak's admiration for both Sato and Haunter skyrocketed. Its tiny eyes filled with tears as it rubbed affectionately against Sato's pant leg, looking utterly moved.
Feeling the gentle nudge against his ankle, Sato instinctively patted Spinarak's head.
However, his mind remained preoccupied with whatever secrets might be lurking below; he wasn't about to get distracted by Spinarak's dramatics.
Spinarak happily nuzzled into Sato's hand, squinting its little eyes in pure joy.
BOOM... BOOM... BOOM!
A series of deep thuds suddenly echoed from beneath the ground.
There was no doubt, Haunter had found something, and now a battle had broken out. Sato's heart tightened with concern.
Haunter's Elite-level strength wasn't exactly unstoppable, but it was excellent at escaping. If things got dangerous, Haunter should be able to flee.
Time ticked by, nearly half an hour passed. By then, Spinarak had dozed off at Sato's feet, only to be startled awake when Haunter finally returned, merging back into Sato's shadow.
Haunter's laughter sounded noticeably weaker, making it clear that its opponent had been tougher than expected.
"Were there people down there, or just Pokémon?"
"How strong was the opponent?"
"Is there a way inside?"
Through a series of cryptic responses, Sato managed to piece together the situation. After weighing his options, he ultimately decided to investigate.
Pushing deeper into the forest, Sato walked toward the boundary between the National Park and the wilderness beyond.
Beyond this point, the Sport Balls used for the Bug-Catching Contest would automatically lock, rendering them unusable.
Additionally, all trainers were required to return their Sport Balls within the designated time, failure to do so would result in an official record of theft in the trainer registry.
"If Haunter's report is accurate, then the danger level should be manageable... We'll make this quick."
With that thought, Sato stepped outside the park's boundaries. Instantly, the Sport Ball in his hand lost its function.
"Haunter, lead the way."
A dark shadow slithered across the ground. Sato recalled Spinarak, ensuring nothing slowed him down, before chasing after Haunter at full speed.
A few minutes later, Haunter abruptly stopped, circling an unassuming patch of grass.
Sato observed the ground carefully, quickly noticing a barely visible ring-shaped marking.
Without careful inspection, it would have been impossible to detect.
"The entrance should be nearby..."
Glancing around, the only notable feature in the area was a large, moss-free boulder.
"You're suspicious..."
After a brief search, Sato finally found a small, round protruding button on the underside of the boulder.