Sato downed an entire glass of Moomoo Milk in one go. Whether it was the effects of the milk or just his own state of mind, he felt completely at ease after drinking it, like the whole world had become a better place.
Looking around at his Pokémon, who had also enjoyed their fill of Moomoo Milk, they were sprawled out on the ground, utterly relaxed with blissful expressions.
"So, kid, what do you think? My farm's Moomoo Milk isn't just talk, right?" Howard chuckled, stretching his back as he put down his own empty glass.
"It really does relieve mental fatigue. Thank you for the hospitality," Sato replied, expressing his gratitude.
"Grandpa! Miltank No. 27 is acting up again. My Miltank couldn't stop it!"
At that moment, a pink-haired little girl rushed into the room, panting heavily.
"I told you not to mess with it. Were you up to your tricks again?"
Howard sighed, raising his hand as if to knock her on the head, but halfway through, he let it drop.
"I didn't do it on purpose..." the little girl muttered, looking pitiful.
"Sato, come with me to check it out."
Upon arriving at the ranch, Sato immediately noticed several Furret standing guard, surrounding a wildly rolling Miltank, preventing it from causing further destruction.
"Clefable, use Gravity!"
A newly pink Pokémon appeared at Howard's side, and the moment it arrived, an invisible force pressed down on the rampaging Miltank, slowing its movements significantly.
"Clefable, use Aromatherapy to calm Miltank No. 27!"
A soothing fragrance spread through the air. Not only did the rolling Miltank gradually come to a halt, but even the surrounding Furret and the frightened Miltank in the area visibly relaxed.
It was only then that Sato noticed something unusual about Miltank No. 27... Its skin was a light blue.
A rare Shiny Pokémon!
"Ha ha ha! Sato, my Miltank No. 27 is impressive, isn't it? It's even rarer than your Larvitar!" Howard boasted proudly.
"Hmm. Does it have any special abilities?" Sato asked, more curious than impressed.
"Not really, aside from the fact that it's constantly harassed by Whitney because of its color and has a bit of a bad temper. Other than that, it's the same as a regular Miltank."
Sato nodded but felt a slight tinge of disappointment.
A Shiny Pokémon was indeed valuable in terms of rarity, but if it had no significant difference in strength, it didn't hold much appeal to him.
"Sato, I remember you played quite a role in that whole Rocket Team incident. You seem pretty strong, so why haven't you challenged my Goldenrod Gym yet? Are you scared of my strength? Ha ha ha!"
Howard teased, laughing heartily.
"Leader Howard, while I am a Trainer, I'm not challenging the Johto League."
"Oh? You're strong enough, why not give it a shot? The League Conference is meant for young Trainers like you. If you don't compete now, you might never get the chance again."
Howard seemed genuinely concerned, wanting to offer guidance.
"I can become stronger without participating in the League. Also, I have personal reasons."
"Well, if that's how you feel, I won't push you. But keep in mind, if you ever want to work within the Pokémon League, these tournament records are quite useful. Some positions even require them as a hard qualification."
"Thank you, Leader Howard, but-"
"Never mind, never mind Ha ha! I guess old folks like me just love to ramble. You young ones have your own paths to follow, I get it."
"That said, since you're so confident, how about a battle with me? You probably haven't had an official Gym match yet, right? Why not experience it?"
Sato thought for a moment. It was true, he had never participated in a Gym Battle before.
Then, recalling Clefable's precise control of Gravity and its wide-range Aromatherapy, he immediately agreed.
At Goldenrod Gym, the young Whitney acted as the temporary referee, attempting to sound serious as she announced the 3v3 battle rules in her childish voice.
"For my first Pokémon, I choose... Tauros!"
A powerful, muscular bull Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, snorting heavily through its nostrils, already eager to fight!
Recognizing that Howard's Tauros was of Elite-level strength, Sato silently put Larvitar's Poké Ball back onto his belt and instead tossed out Haunter's.
"Your Haunter is quite strong, Sato! You can have the first move," Howard clasped his hands behind his back, brimming with confidence.
"Alright. Haunter, use Sludge Bomb!"
Haunter moved immediately upon hearing the command. A deep purple sludge bomb shot out like a bullet, flying straight toward Tauros.
"Dodge it and use Scary Face!"
Tauros whipped itself three times with its tails, its hind legs kicking off the ground. In the blink of an eye, it had already closed the distance to Haunter.
Incredible burst speed!
"Now, use Confuse Ray!"
Scary Face and Confuse Ray landed simultaneously!
Haunter's greatest asset, speed, was significantly reduced, but at the same time, Tauros was now confused.
"Haunter, use Toxic!"
The moment the purple toxins splashed onto Tauros' face, it groaned in pain, already enraged by its confusion. This time, it completely ignored Howard's command.
The Sludge Bomb landed a direct hit once again, and with the effects of Toxic beginning to take hold, Tauros suffered significant damage.
However, this time, it finally obeyed and successfully fell asleep.
"Haunter, use Toxic again!"
"Tauros, use Sleep Talk!"
With Haunter's speed reduced, Sleep Talk activated first. Tauros' large head suddenly glowed with a crystalline blue light: Zen Headbutt.
"Haunter, change tactics. Protect!"
A green protective barrier formed just in time, blocking Tauros' Zen Headbutt.
Even so, the sheer impact of the attack sent a chill down Haunter's spine, if that had landed, its frail defenses would have been shattered instantly!
"Tauros, Sleep Talk!"
Haunter's eyes flashed with a fierce glint. It knew exactly what Sato was planning.
Against a Tauros that could repeatedly use Rest, dragging the battle into a war of attrition wasn't ideal. It was better to end it quickly!
As Tauros flicked its tail and lay down, preparing to sleep again, Sato sighed in relief, his luck wasn't too bad this time.
The Curse attack took effect. Tauros' brows furrowed as pain racked its body, but it didn't wake up. Without hesitation, Sato issued the next command.
"Haunter, use Dream Eater!"
"Tauros, Sleep Talk!"
Haunter's eyes gleamed with excitement as it moved to devour Tauros' dreams, but at that moment, Tauros suddenly woke up, causing Dream Eater to fail. However, the Curse effect continued to drain it!
"Tauros, use Zen Headbutt!"
"Haunter, vanish. Go invisible!"
As soon as Tauros awoke, Haunter instinctively pulled back. Its battle instincts were razor-sharp, and it effortlessly dodged Zen Headbutt. Meanwhile, the Curse continued to sap Tauros' strength.
"Then use Rest again!" Howard sighed.
Haunter was proving to be far more troublesome than he had anticipated, but he had no intention of giving up.
"This is exactly what I was waiting for! Haunter, use Mean Look! Then Toxic!"
Sato grinned, victory within his grasp!