With the matter at Petalburg Gym settled, Sato said a quick goodbye to Norman and returned to the Pokémon Center to begin preparing for the trip to the Unova Region.
"Sato, you don't have to rush so much. Littleroot Town isn't that far from Petalburg City, if we travel non-stop, we can get there in about a week," Joseph said, watching Sato immediately start packing upon returning.
Sato paused mid-action, then stopped altogether with a slightly helpless smile. He really had gotten a bit too excited.
"Let's just restock our supplies and head out tomorrow," Sato said as he stood up, patted the dust from his hands, and acted as if everything was perfectly normal.
"Boss, what exactly is in the Unova Region? You seem… really hyped," Mark asked curiously, holding the Togepi who was chewing on its little hand.
Sato pressed his lips together. How was he supposed to explain this? That there was a destined partner waiting for him in Unova?
"You'll find out when we get there," Sato replied, avoiding the question. He turned and walked out of the room.
"Satooo, where are you going now?" Mark took a couple of steps forward and called out.
"Just picking up some things. Be right back..."
Bang!
The door closed, blocking Mark from following. He turned back with a dejected look toward Joseph, wearing the expression of someone who had just been abandoned.
Joseph grinned and ignored him, returning to his room to draft a checklist. As the team's "logistical support", he always had a long to-do list before any trip.
Especially this time… they were going far. Everything had to be packed in larger quantities. What if they didn't adapt well to the environment?
"Aaah… Togepi, looks like you're all I have now," Mark muttered, sitting dramatically on the living room couch.
Fortunately, Togepi was a kind soul. Its wide grin shone like sunshine, bringing instant comfort.
---
"Pi~chu?"
Pichu jumped down from Sato's shoulder and stood atop a pile of orange Petaya Berries, sniffing them curiously.
"Pi! Pi!"
'So pungent!' Pichu sneezed twice in a row, then frantically scrambled up to Sato's head, trying to get away from the acrid scent.
"Serves you right. Most Pokémon keep their distance from this stuff," Sato chuckled as he rubbed Pichu's head. He was in such a good mood that he indulged Pichu's antics without complaint.
"Pi~" Pichu cried in protest, then obediently curled up on Sato's shoulder, watching as he carefully sorted through the Petaya Berries.
"Don't let the ugly look and nasty smell fool you, this is that guy's favorite fruit. Plus, it gives him a pretty good stat boost too," Sato explained, though it felt more like he was talking to himself than to Pichu.
Pichu tilted its head, seemingly deep in thought. Then it clung to Sato's ear with both paws, as if to say, 'This is my territory now… no one's taking it.'
After buying the Petaya Berries, Sato picked up a few other rare berries from memory and placed them all into a single Berry Case.
The berry case was a high-tech storage tool similar to a Poké Ball. It could store a large number of berries via spatial compression. It was beloved by many Pokémon Breeders, though few Trainers showed interest, Sato being the exception.
Sato had bought this berry case long ago and stashed it deep in his backpack, just waiting for the day it would finally come in handy.
---
At dinner time, Sato returned fully stocked, and Joseph and Mark had just finished their own supply run.
Too tired to cook, Joseph decisively took the group to the cafeteria at the Pokémon Center. The food wasn't anything special, but it came in large portions and left you full.
After eating, Sato led his Pokémon through their daily training. He didn't increase the intensity and let them all return to their Poké Balls to rest.
The night passed uneventfully. Sato spent the whole evening adjusting his mindset, finally letting go of his anxieties and returning to his usual self.
"Two routes. One is to take the main road to Oldale Town, then head south all the way to Littleroot Town. The other is to cut straight through the forest."
Early the next morning, Joseph opened the map app and explained the day's route.
"Same as always, huh? Let's cut straight through," Mark said casually. The three of them were strong enough that they never took the main road; always going in a straight line, never detouring.
"Let's go through Oldale Town. We'll make it there within a week, right?" Sato looked at Joseph and asked seriously.
"Huh? Boss, we usually..."
"We'll make it. Taking the main road minimizes the chance of unexpected problems. And even if something does happen, it'll be easy for us to handle," Joseph clearly understood what mattered most to Sato this time and had done his homework.
"Mark, this time we're not prioritizing exploration. The most important thing is getting to Drake on time. Once we reach the Unova Region, we can explore all we want. Sound good?" Sato turned and explained seriously to Mark.
"N-no problem at all, Boss! I'll follow your lead!" Mark nodded quickly. He wasn't used to seeing Sato so serious, and it kind of caught him off guard.
"Alright! Let's head out."
"Got it!"
The three of them left the Pokémon Center decisively, heading east toward the outskirts of Petalburg City, aiming first for Oldale Town.
Half an hour after their departure, Ryoko came running out of the Pokémon Center, face full of worry. When she saw no trace of Sato and the others, she could only return to the center helplessly.
"What's the rush? Drake will definitely wait for us~" Phoebe said with a yawn, dragging herself over and leaning tiredly on Ryoko.
"Sis Phoebe, we should really get going. Elite Four Drake doesn't like people being late. And if they actually leave without us..."
"They wouldn't dare!" Phoebe shot up immediately, then pouted a little, clearly unsure of herself as Ryoko dragged her out of the Pokémon Center.
"Let's head to Oldale Town first. This route's the fastest and safest," Ryoko said, checking the map on her navigation device.
"What's the fun in that? Let's go straight~" Phoebe suddenly got excited and pulled Ryoko southwest, straight toward Littleroot Town.
----
Six days later, Sato's group arrived at Littleroot Town without incident. Because they had been traveling with urgency the entire time, they even arrived a day early.
Mark, hugging Togepi, went straight to his room for a nap without saying a word clearly exhausted.
Joseph and Sato, on the other hand, had special abilities that enhanced their physical endurance, so they were doing fine.
"Feeling satisfied now? I'm going to check on Mark… make sure he didn't overdo it," Joseph said as he walked off toward Mark's room, not waiting for Sato's response.
"Then I'll make something extra tasty for him later~" Sato called out cheerfully at Joseph's back.