This isn't over!
Sato stared coldly at Wilma's hunched figure. 'If you're trying to win me over, then there must be something you'll need from me later.'
Although in this life, Zweilous had avoided severe harm thanks to his early arrival, Sato's feelings toward Zweilous had been entirely inherited from his past life. To him, it was an irreplaceable part of himself.
So, this was a grudge.
One that MUST be avenged…
Upon returning to the Village of Dragons, Wilma didn't take Sato through the back of the house this time, but directly led him to the front yard where Joseph and the others were already gathered.
"They're back." Phoebe was the first to notice Wilma and Sato approaching, speaking calmly.
"Hey! Boss is back! Did you get anything? Hurry and show us!" Mark shouted noisily and ran over, tailing behind with excitement.
"Yeah, I got something… but let's wait for Ryoko first." Sato had already resumed his usual calm demeanor as he returned with Mark to the group.
"Hmph!" Phoebe snorted coldly, clearly showing her displeasure toward Sato.
Caught between the two, Mark glanced back and forth nervously, starting to worry for Sato.
After being together for so long, Mark naturally knew how terrifying Phoebe could be.
From his perspective, if the boss didn't use any special abilities, he probably wouldn't be able to beat Phoebe at all.
Sato also knew everyone want an explanation, but now wasn't the time.
Especially now that he knew Wilma had ulterior motives, he absolutely couldn't let her sense any rift within their group, lest she try to exploit it.
"We'll talk about everything else later. Let's hear what Ryoko has to say first."
Hearing this, Phoebe no longer pressed Sato. Compared to Sato's trio, she was naturally closer to Ryoko.
Even if arguments broke out later, she couldn't risk being left isolated on her own.
…Could she?
With a girl's subtle caution, Phoebe turned to look at Ryoko with a concerned gaze.
At that moment, Ryoko was doing her best to win over the Axew, trying to obtain the green leaf atop Exeggutor's head.
Exeggutor was strong -that much had long been known by all five of them- so Ryoko clearly couldn't rely on force.
That meant she had to go with a "gentler" approach, and the most effective of those… was food.
To that end, Ryoko specially took out a portable Pokéblock maker she had brought from the Hoenn Region and began crafting custom Pokéblocks for Exeggutor on the spot.
She wasn't a professional Breeder, but she had an intense curiosity and passion for Pokéblocks.
During the long trip on the ship, she had often discussed such topics with Joseph, so it was no surprise to the others that she was using this strategy now.
And during the time that Sato and Wilma were away at the cave in the back mountain, Ryoko had finally found the breakthrough for this trial.
While Exeggutor's three heads weren't as individually independent as Zweilous's, each still had slight differences. This meant their food preferences also varied.
So the key was to craft three Pokéblocks, each capable of winning over one of Exeggutor's heads!
More than half an hour later, under Wilma's astonished gaze, Ryoko successfully convinced Exeggutor to voluntarily shed one of its leaves.
"You're a clever girl, I'll give you that. I won't take your eight million Pokédollars. Just hand over that machine and the three recipe formulas, and I'll give you an Axew with slightly better potential. How's that sound?"
"No problem!" Ryoko agreed without the slightest hesitation. Money, machines, and Pokéblocks meant nothing to her.
Who would refuse an Axew with better potential?
Although Wilma had schemed against Sato, it had all been behind the scenes. As for her promises made openly, she naturally wouldn't break them. She even gave direct instructions to Exeggutor right then and there.
Swoosh~
A flash of white light appeared, and a small bamboo basket materialized in Wilma's hand. Inside, a sleeping Axew lay curled up, and its adorable appearance instantly captured Ryoko's heart.
"Axew are the most docile among Dragon-type Pokémon. Don't be fooled by how fierce they look after evolving; once they recognize you as their Trainer, they'll risk their lives to protect you. So please cherish it."
Wilma spoke these words with deep care before slowly handing the Axew over.
"I will!" Ryoko responded with the same seriousness as she took Axew into her arms. She had clearly taken Wilma's words to heart.
"You've come all the way to our Village of Dragons, and you've had the rare chance to receive a child born here. Why don't you stay the night? Let us offer you our hospitality," Wilma said kindly.
No one objected, and Sato didn't refuse either. Although he still wasn't strong enough to defeat Wilma, knowing what she was planning gave him time to prepare for whatever came next.
Soon, Wilma called over a few villagers to help them settle into an independent wooden cabin for the night.
Judging from the completely new living supplies inside, the cabin had clearly been prepared specifically for guests like them, and it was quite comfortable.
Dinner was naturally arranged by the locals of the Village of Dragons. But for now, the group had something else to settle: they needed to hear Sato's explanation.
"I possess a special ability. Aside from Ryoko, I believe the rest of you are already aware of this," Sato said directly, not bothering with pleasantries.
Ryoko held Axew in her arms, her expression completely puzzled as she looked at the others. 'Special ability?' In the end, she could only turn to Phoebe.
"Mhm, and?" Phoebe nodded. She had known ever since she first met Sato. It was the kind of mutual sense Trainers with special abilities shared.
"This ability led me to this place, the Village of Dragons. As for the reason I came here, I think some of you may have guessed."
"A pseudo-legendary's juvenile form, Deino?" Joseph asked curiously.
"Yes. But I was lucky and ended up getting it right away… Zweilous!"
"Zwee zwee~"
"Zweee~"
Sato threw out a Poké Ball and released Zweilous right in front of the group. As soon as it appeared, it excitedly pounced on Sato, both heads rubbing against him affectionately.
"Alright, alright, settle down for now," Sato said with equal warmth to both, patting the left and right heads separately.
"Tsk tsk, that's really something…" Even though Joseph had mentally prepared himself, when he saw the Zweilous, he still couldn't help but marvel.
It hadn't even been a full week since they arrived in the Unova Region, and Sato had already obtained a native pseudo-legendary Pokémon, one that was already in its second stage.
How could any local Trainer compete with that? And if even Joseph, who had expected this, was so stunned, it was no surprise that Phoebe and Ryoko were completely speechless.
Even Ryoko's joy at receiving Axew faded by more than half.
"I came to the Unova Region for this. Now that I've achieved my goal, and as compensation for keeping it from all of you, I'll fully support whatever you want to do with the rest of our time here," Sato said earnestly, his tone "open and sincere".