No matter what was going on within the Joy family, as long as his Pokémon continued to receive the same care and training as before, Sato had no intention of getting involved.
However, it did serve as a reminder for Sato: once he officially took over as a Gym Leader, all his Pokémon would naturally be transferred back to the gym.
And whether he could ensure that the standard of living for his Pokémon at the gym wouldn't fall short of what they had in Joy Town was clearly something Sato needed to think about seriously…and solve.
Besides, a gym obviously couldn't be run by the Gym Leader alone.
From cleaning staff to janitors, from Battle referees to Gym Trainers and trainees, all of these were roles Sato would have to recruit on his own.
Of course, while the League could offer some staff free of charge, someone in Sato's position -as a Gym Leader, a rank comparable to a City Mayor- couldn't just keep relying on "outsiders."
As for personnel, Joseph and Mark were naturally his top choices, but neither of them was likely to become permanent members.
Joseph was from the Kalos Region and would be returning home before long.
From his demeanor and education, it was clear he came from a well-off family. There was no way he'd stay in Sato's gym for life.
Mark, on the other hand, was a local of Shadownight Town. While he still couldn't catch Pokémon freely, he was a genuine trainer.
And Sato would officially become a Gym Leader in about a year. By then, Mark would be 14 or 15, right at the age where his strength would rise quickly.
Sato couldn't possibly stunt Mark's growth just because his gym lacked people.
After all, young Trainers should be out traveling, improving their skills as they gained experience.
And Sato?
Ahem… one must have self-awareness.
Even though he knew managing a gym wouldn't be easy, Sato still found it a bit exhausting.
'…Forget it.' He'd deal with it when the time came.
----
Sato let the sea breeze blow away the scattered thoughts in his mind.
Yes, the three of them were once again on a ferry, and it would be their last sea trip for the foreseeable future.
Over half of the Hoenn Region was located in the ocean. Its network of thriving island cities made it inevitable for trainers visiting here to undergo a baptism by sea.
Having long lost the novelty of their first trip, the three calmly completed this leg of their trip and arrived at south Petalburg City.
Strictly speaking, Petalburg City wasn't officially divided into north and south. South Petalburg had simply been developed due to the original City's limited growth space.
However, because the core areas of the two were relatively far apart, they gradually evolved into two cities: independent yet interdependent.
Not long after arriving in south Petalburg, Sato immediately felt the City's unique charm: battles everywhere and crowds of citizens eager to spectate.
As soon as two Trainers locked eyes, they'd release their Pokémon simultaneously.
No referee, no agreed-upon rules: just a pure, exhilarating battle.
Since getting off the ship, Mark had already taken part in three matches. Sato, who looked harder to mess with, had only accepted two.
Even Joseph, usually just supporting with positioning and scouting, had just finished a battle of his own.
The City's deep-rooted battle culture left all three of them stunned -and then faintly excited-.
After taking on a few more challenges, they finally arrived at the Pokémon Center in south Petalburg.
Just as they stepped inside, a bear hug came flying straight at Sato.
Trying to ambush Sato -regardless of whether you're a man or woman- was simply impossible!
So, as Sato sidestepped, he saw the overly enthusiastic Norman bear-hugging a completely bewildered Joseph.
"Hey, Joseph… long time no see." Norman waved stiffly, let go of Joseph, and then turned to Sato with a face full of resentment.
"Long time no see, Norman," Sato replied with a sincere smile so convincing that he almost believed it himself.
Yes, the "old friend" before him was none other than Norman, the Leader of Petalburg Gym in the Hoenn Region, whom Sato had met during the Gym Leader Qualification Tournament.
"Come on, let's find a place to have a proper chat," Norman eagerly tugged Sato along, ready to pour his heart out.
"Can we at least check in first?" Sato said helplessly, dragging Norman back to the Pokémon Center.
And it was precisely this moment, when Sato effortlessly hauled Norman back, that embarrassed Norman so much he silently vowed to start working out.
Not long after, Norman would become one of the fittest and most popular Gym Leaders in the Hoenn Region, with nearly all of Petalburg City as his fans.
---
After the three had checked in and dropped their bags in the room, Norman suddenly wasn't in a rush to leave.
He looked around, touching this and that, clearly curious about the temporary lodgings Sato and the others were using.
"So the Pokémon Center actually has rooms like this? Why have I only ever stayed in the youth dorms?" Norman said half-complaining, half-amazed.
Sato smiled without saying a word. Others would do the bragging for him; he just had to stay quiet and smile.
"Bro, let me tell you why! Our Boss has really, really deep connections with the Joy family […]"
Mark jumped in, full of swagger, and began bragging about what little he knew about Sato and the Joy family.
The thing was… Mark could brag, and Norman was willing to listen. The two were a perfect match, and soon, the living room echoed with shocked exclamations.
At first, Sato just chose to ignore them. But when Mark went as far as to claim that Sato had become the Joy family's son-in-law, he couldn't take it anymore.
Bzzt~
A psychic glow suddenly lit up around Mark, cutting off his bragging instantly. His eyes darted around in panic as he looked at Sato like he was about to cry.
On Sato's shoulder, a black Ralts was swinging its little legs leisurely, its eyes glowing a faint purple with Psychic energy as it chugged a big bottle of Sweet Milk… Gulp gulp gulp~
Multitasking!
…And looking way too relaxed about it.
Norman watched as Mark floated off the sofa and desperately shot him a look for help.
Norman had taken a strong liking to this new peer. He'd just met and felt they really hit it off.
Seeing the poor guy under attack, Norman didn't hesitate to reach for a Poké Ball to break the psychic hold.
Then… he couldn't move either.
Norman's eyes began to dart wildly as well, trying to locate the culprit behind their predicament.
"Alright, that's enough," Sato said as he patted Ralts, helping it burp a little, clearly pampering it.
Thud!
Thud!
Mark and Norman both fell back onto the sofa in a mess. But Norman couldn't care less about that; he turned toward Sato with wide eyes.
'Holy crap!
A Shiny Ralts?'