Sato, still aboard the three-masted ship, had no idea that the partner he had long been looking forward to had once again "relapsed," and had even injured the couple who had raised it: Ron's parents.
In the end, it took both Drayden and Wilma working together to suppress the Zweilous and stop it from wreaking further havoc.
Yes, Sato's final partner in his previous life was none other than a pseudo-legendary Pokémon extremely rare even in the Unova Region…
Zweilous!
In his past life, it was precisely because Sato knew how rare Zweilous was that he had, for the first time in a long while, attempted to capture one after encountering it.
Back then, Sato was nearly 30 years old, and his strength as a Near-Elite Four Trainer -Peak Pseudo-Elite Four- had already stabilized, making further breakthroughs exceedingly difficult.
Zweilous became his cornerstone for advancing to even greater heights, as it still had the potential to evolve one more time.
But after Sato had spent over a year using Dark Energy to cure the "illness" within Zweilous, he was reincarnated…
So to some extent, Zweilous represented Sato's final hope and obsession at the end of his previous life.
---
The sailing speed of the three-masted ship wasn't slow, but the distance between the Hoenn Region and the Unova Region far exceeded everyone's expectations.
The ship sailed for nearly a month without even a shadow of the Unova Region in sight.
If it weren't for the numerous supply ports along the sailing route, Sato and the others would have been sick of the trip already.
Just thinking about having to endure such a long and distant trip again on the way back made even Sato feel a tinge of impatience.
Fortunately, life at sea wasn't completely monotonous, and Drake, despite his seemingly "amiable" exterior, wasn't so kind in reality.
Sea battles were a regular occurrence, and Drake never feared combat. With his Elite Four-level strength, he had killed many pirates who tried to raid and plunder.
Truly killed: bloody fights.
Although the Pokémon League had been expanding aggressively in recent years, it still hadn't extended its control to the disputes over sea territory.
And anyone capable of boarding Drake's ship wasn't an ordinary person. Even the cooks had at least six fully trained Elite-level Pokémon.
Though Drake's three-masted ship appeared unremarkable, it housed a large number of veteran Trainers, so powerful that it was terrifying.
Because of this, Sato once secretly did the math: if Drake weren't hiding his strength or robbing the robbers… with so many high-level Trainers onboard, just the cost of meals and healing the Pokémon would be astronomical.
Though Sato was secretly shocked by this, he quickly adapted to life aboard the ship, and when it came to battle, his ruthlessness was no less than that of the veteran Trainers.
At first, Drake was a bit surprised and asked how Sato could be so brutal at such a young age.
Sato didn't hide anything. Now that he was gradually entering the view of the Pokémon League's higher-ups, the fact that he had once been abducted by an underground organization was no longer a secret.
Sato casually told Drake everything, and in return, received Drake's full praise. His attitude toward Sato even became notably warmer.
The second one to adapt was Phoebe. Perhaps because of her close connection with Ghost-type Pokémon, she had a very detached view of death… one might even say she was indifferent to life itself.
As for Joseph, Mark, and Ryoko, Joseph was a Breeder with excellent medical skills, so naturally he didn't have to face enemies on the front lines, and because of that, he was actually doing even better than Sato.
Mark, after all, still had moral boundaries. At most, he would knock the opponent unconscious and leave it at that. He wasn't afraid to fight.
Ryoko… quietly slipped away to join the "logistics team", helping Joseph treat Pokémon and tend to wounds.
As one of the only two female members on the ship -and only a temporary one at that- Drake was well aware of Ryoko's background within the Pokémon League, so he let her do as she pleased, as long as she didn't cause any trouble.
Thus, Sato and the others gradually blended in with the rest of the crew. No one was deliberately isolated.
In the vastness of the ocean, crewmates were each other's only support, the kind you could trust to have your back.
So, there was no room for fake politeness. If someone got on your nerves, just call them out and fight.
If that didn't settle things, fight again. After that, it was all water under the bridge.
---
Another period of time passed before Sato learned from the ship's navigator that they were finally approaching the Unova Region. But by the time they actually docked at Castelia City, another week had gone by.
"Not traveling with me is just as well. It'd be inconvenient to bring you along for missions. Meet back in Castelia City in two months. Don't be late."
After more than two months together, Drake had become familiar with everyone, especially fond of Sato. This time, he spoke to them like a true senior.
"We will. Don't worry, Drake!" Sato nodded. This was the new relationship he and Drake had agreed on, making things feel much closer.
"You're all gifted 'prodigies', but this isn't our turf. If you need to back down, then do it; don't force your way through. If there's danger, come find me. Also, take this."
Drake rambled on with instructions, then pulled out a red-and-white badge that resembled a Poké Ball.
"This is the seal of the Hoenn Region Pokémon League. It might come in handy sometimes. At the very least, the Unova Region's League won't give you a hard time over trivial matters."
"Got it," Sato said seriously as he put the badge into his pocket. It might look silly, but in certain situations, it could be incredibly useful.
Additionally, the Unova Region had its own Pokémon League, though it wasn't under the unified jurisdiction of the Kanto headquarters.
Due to the vast distance between regions, places like Unova had long operated independent Pokémon Leagues.
But history tended to go in cycles: what is divided will unite, what is united will divide. As transportation and communication improved, regions were increasingly working toward integration.
After parting ways with Drake at the port, Sato and the others headed directly into downtown Castelia City. As for why there were five of them…
Phoebe and Ryoko, who had tagged along just for the ride, didn't want to join Drake's mission. But with two girls staying this far away from home, Drake wasn't comfortable leaving them alone.
Even if there was no danger, he worried Phoebe would get lost…
Who knows what obscure corner of the world she'd end up in after two months?
In the end, Drake entrusted them to the person who seemed the most reliable: Sato. He also gave Joseph detailed instructions, temporarily forming the five of them into a single unit for the next two months, not to act separately.
"So, where are we going now?" Phoebe asked, her eyes already drifting toward the commercial district as she took in the bustling Castelia City.
"Rest for today. If you've got energy for shopping, go for it," Sato said, then glanced at Phoebe and added, "We head for Opelucid City tomorrow!"
"Opelucid City?" Ryoko tilted her head, puzzled, and looked at Sato.
"Unova is famous for Dragon-type Pokémon. We might find something worthwhile in Opelucid City," Sato made up a reason on the spot.
…Either way, they were going there first.