Having arrived at Littleroot Town, the heavy weight on Sato's heart was finally lifted. All that remained was to wait four more days, board Drake's ship, and plan the next steps from there.
Littleroot Town sat in the south-central part of the Hoenn Region. One side faced the sea, while the other three were surrounded by mountains. Its natural environment was remarkably well-preserved.
That's why, in the future, the region's most renowned Professor Birch would build his Pokémon Research Lab here, using the surrounding ecosystem to study Pokémon.
Of course, that was all in the future.
For Sato, it was just optional information; at most, something that might help him get acquainted with Professor Birch early. Maybe that would come in handy one day.
But to Sato, that was all secondary. What really mattered was the upcoming trip to the Unova Region.
One day… two days… three days… Time passed until the day of his meeting with Drake.
By the time it arrived, Sato was no longer anxious. The days of waiting had helped him calm down.
Early that morning, the trio headed to the small Littleroot Town harbor. Around 10 AM, a large three-masted ship slowly pulled in.
Drake's ship was already well-known among the public. Sato, having done his research, recognized it instantly.
This was the ship they had been waiting for; he couldn't hide his excitement.
As the ship drew closer, they could see Drake standing at the bow, shirtless with his abs on display.
He dropped anchor, lowered the boarding ramp, and, as promised, welcomed Sato and the others aboard.
"Thank you for taking care of us from here on, Elite Four Drake," Sato said respectfully. Joseph and Mark quickly followed suit, not daring to be casual.
"I gave you my word, and I'll keep it. I've got my own mission on this trip to Unova, though… don't expect me to babysit."
Maybe it was because they were on the ship, surrounded by subordinates/crew members, but Drake's demeanor was stern. Right off the bat, he asserted his authority over the group.
"We understand. If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."
Drake nodded calmly, then called a crew member to escort Sato and his friends to their quarters.
The accommodations weren't great… more like a youth hostel.
There were no special privileges for Sato's group. They stayed in the same cabins as the regular crew.
Sato didn't mind and started setting up his bedding. Aside from Drake, sleeping arrangements were the same for everyone on the ship.
Nothing special.
He was, after all, asking someone else for a ride. Now wasn't the time to be picky; having a place to sleep was more than enough.
Mark looked like he wanted to complain. This was the worst setup he'd experienced since starting his journey.
But when he saw Sato calmly fixing up his bed without hesitation, the words caught in his throat.
'Guess I'll just deal with it,' Mark thought silently.
Once the three of them were done setting up their space and were getting ready to walk around and get to know the crew, a voice called out from the deck.
Familiar, yet slightly unexpected.
Heading up to the deck, Sato saw two crew members raising the anchor. Clearly, they were about to set sail.
"Drake~ So you weren't going to wait for us? Ryoko and I barely made it!" Phoebe's unmistakable voice instantly drew everyone's attention.
Turning toward the sound, they saw Phoebe and a slightly disheveled Ryoko standing in front of Drake, both looking resentful and exasperated.
"We're here now, aren't we? You were given plenty of time," Drake answered seriously, completely ignoring the two green leaves stuck atop Phoebe's head.
"Ah! Sato, you guys are already here~" Not wanting to argue with Drake, Ryoko glanced around and was the first to spot Sato, happily waving her hand.
"You came too?" Sato blinked, asking casually.
"Mhm. Phoebe brought me along. She said visiting the Unova Region would be a good experience," Ryoko smiled slightly. Even with smudges on her clothes, her smile made her look far less disheveled.
"Wow, Sato… when did you guys get here? You beat us?" Phoebe, clearly frustrated with Drake, changed the subject altogether.
"We arrived in Littleroot Town four days ago."
"…No way!" Phoebe stared at Sato in disbelief. She'd deliberately taken the "shortest" route through the wilderness.
'…Wasn't a straight line the shortest path between two points?'
Sato glanced at the two bright green leaves on her head. It didn't take long for him to figure it out.
"You got lost."
"I did not! I didn't! Don't make things up!" Phoebe pointed at Sato and vehemently denied it three times in a row.
"Oh, then I guess Ryoko got lost?" Sato replied with a smile.
"I…" Ryoko wanted to protest, but seeing the subtle warning look Phoebe shot her, she decided to keep quiet.
Sato figured there was no point in exposing their clumsy cover-up. If he pressed too hard, Phoebe would never let him hear the end of it.
Just a small bit of payback for calling him "lil bro," Sato let it slide after that.
As they chatted, the three-masted ship finally began to move. The vessel bound for the Unova Region was now underway.
Everyone instinctively stopped talking and ran to the edge of the deck to feel the rhythm of the waves as the ship set sail.
"So, what kind of place is the Unova Region?" Phoebe asked, resting her chin in her hands, eyes filled with curiosity.
"There'll probably be lots of Pokémon we've never seen before, right?" Ryoko replied.
"Lots of unknown Pokémon? Then there must be Ghost-types too! I'm gonna catch one! I'm gonna catch one!"
"Sato, what is it about Unova that has you so emotionally worked up? I've never seen you like this," Joseph asked.
"If I said… I'm heading there for a destined encounter… would you believe me?" Sato answered softly, gazing out toward the horizon.
"Destined? No way, don't tell me your girlfriend's in the Unova Region?!" Mark exclaimed, looking at Sato like he'd just uncovered the truth of the universe.
"My hands are itching. I really want to hit someone right now," Sato said through gritted teeth, smiling dangerously.
"A fight? Let's battle then! I've never gotten to fight lil bro! Come on, come on~" Phoebe shouted, joining in the chaos.
"If you stop calling me 'lil bro,' I might consider your offer," Sato finally said, after holding it in for far too long.
"So, uh… Sato, do you actually have a girlfriend in Unova?" Ryoko suddenly asked, her tone cautious but clearly full of gossip.