Should he interfere and try to save a prodigy's life, or remain indifferent and stay out of it? In his past life, Sato would never have hesitated over the life or death of a stranger.
But this was not his past life, he lived in the present.
"Hey! Why are you zoning out? Don't tell me you're a fan of the Elite Four too!"
"No need to hide it! I totally idolize Ice-type Elite Four Yanagi (Pryce), cold, ruthless, decisive, and able to freeze all evil!"
Wester's enthusiasm grew as he spoke, completely abandoning his usual noble demeanor.
Oh, right... 'Wester was a chatterbox!'
Sato finally remembered the terror of being dominated by Wester's endless talking.
Quickly, he confirmed their meetup in Mahogany Town and ended the call as fast as possible.
"I'm just going to watch, that's all. I'm definitely not going to get involved!"
Sato reassured himself.
Then, after recalling his fully healed Pokémon, he and Houndour began their journey toward Mahogany Town.
But Sato's current location was in Johto's western region and traveling northeast to Mahogany Town was no short trip.
A ferocious howl once again intimidated a group of approaching Victreebel, making them hesitate.
Sato rubbed his forehead, this was a headache. Rushing forward too hastily, he and Houndour had accidentally wandered into a Victreebel territory.
Unlike most gentle Grass-types, Victreebel were apex predators in the forest ecosystem. Especially since they lived in packs, were experts in toxic traps, and excelled at coordinated ambushes!
A wave of scorching flames incinerated the incoming Vine Whips, instantly clearing an open path ahead.
Houndour led the way, blasting through the oncoming Victreebel, sending them flying! Why were there so many Victreebel here?
As Sato ran, he couldn't help but complain, Is this place rich in Leaf Stones or something?
A dark shadow flashed by!
"Houndour, Sucker Punch!"
Without hesitation, Sato commanded a counterattack!
Fueled by its mysterious battle instincts, Houndour instantly appeared in front of the shadowy figure, claws enveloped in dark energy, striking with full force!
A Tangela! A deep blue Pokémon, blending perfectly among the Victreebel pack, without seeming out of place.
Though startled by Houndour's sudden attack, Tangela's combat instincts were sharp.
In a moment, dozens of Vine Whips lashed out in all directions, all of them lunging toward Houndour at once!
A dominant howl erupted from Houndour's small body, its sheer force making the Vine Whips hesitate for a split second.
Seizing the opening, Houndour quickly retreated, wisely avoiding close combat.
Despite Tangela's small size, its entire body was covered in regenerating vines, giving it extremely high physical defense!
Combined with its numerous Vine Whips, Tangela was a nightmare for melee fighters.
Without needing instructions, Houndour instinctively fell back.
"We'll fight while retreating."
Sato didn't send out any other Pokémon. Houndour's evolution required external stimuli, and battle was the best catalyst.
Half an hour later, Sato and Houndour finally escaped the Victreebel territory.
However, they found themselves stepping into a vast flower field.
Immediately, multiple Vileplume with large red petals emerged, eyeing Sato and Houndour cautiously.
Then, a swarm of Gloom and Oddish appeared, clustering protectively around the Vileplume.
Further behind, countless Skiploom and Jumpluff drifted freely through the air, seeming completely unbothered by Sato's arrival.
Ahead, countless Vileplume watched them with sharp, wary eyes.
Behind them, the Victreebel still lingered at the forest's entrance, unwilling to leave.
Just as Sato was about to send out Zoroark and force his way through, Houndour suddenly ran toward a flower and sniffed it gently.
Houndour wagged its small, short tail with an expression of pure bliss.
Sato stared, eyes wide.
One of the Vileplume lowered its guard, curiously waving its tiny arms as if asking Houndour something.
Three minutes later, Houndour was surrounded by a group of Vileplume, Its black-furred face slightly blushing, with a flower crown adorning its head.
The scene was almost too harmonious!
If Ariados were here, it would finally understand what Larvitar had meant about girls loving flowers and plants.
As Houndour's companion, Sato also received the Vileplume's warm hospitality.
A Vileplume cheerfully offered Sato a flower crown, pointing at his head.
Faced with such an enthusiastic (and insistent) invitation, Sato reluctantly crouched down, allowing the Vileplume to place the crown on his head.
Watching Houndour thrive among the Vileplume, Sato could only sigh.
By evening, with a crowd of "flowers" escorting them, Sato and Houndour safely exited the flower fields and even received a Leaf Stone as a parting gift.
Once they were out of Vileplume's sight, Sato silently removed his flower crown. Since they were still close to the flower fields, he decided not to throw it away.
Then, he turned to see Houndour, who calmly removed its own flower crown.
A blaze of fire erupted, and the flower crown was instantly reduced to ashes!
Houndour looked up at Sato, then glanced at the crown in his hand.
Its intent was clear.
Expressionless, Sato tossed the flower crown away. In his heart, he silently gave Houndour another title...
'Ariados, your competition is tough... and you're not even cute anymore...'
After these two bizarre encounters, Sato, who had tried to stay as composed as Houndour, finally relaxed a little.
No matter how much he rushed, there would always be unexpected events along the way.
His presence alone had already altered events, creating a butterfly effect.
For all he knew, the assassination plot might no longer even exist.
And if it did, as long as he had no regrets, that was enough.
With his thoughts clear, Sato stopped worrying about hurrying. He continued on, leading his scheming dog, who had burned two flower crowns, through the wilderness.
Three days later, while taking a brief rest at a remote Pokémon Center, Sato received news from Kiki.
The Potential Enhancement Serum had been fully deciphered, and the Joy family had even found a way to eliminate its side effects.
By administering multiple small doses, alongside the right nutritional supplements,they could ensure that the Pokémon's health remained intact while still having a chance to unlock its potential!
-Ordinary-level potential had a 70% success rate of enhancement.
-Elite-level potential had a 50% success rate.
Though not as extreme as Team Rocket's results, the key difference was... No side effects!
Now that Joy had shared this information with Sato, it meant they were fully confident in their findings.
Even with just a 10% success rate, if there were no risks, it was worth trying!