Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
"Old sir, don't be too happy just yet. To be honest, I don't actually know that Psychic — I just happened to get his number from someone else. I can give it to you, but I can't guarantee he'll agree to help you."
When Sato saw the look of joy on Reggie's face, he secretly felt pleased, but outwardly he put on an embarrassed expression and spoke with a hesitant tone.
No matter what, the mysterious Psychic absolutely couldn't be directly linked to Tyler. By saying this, Sato neatly severed the connection between the two. Even if the matter came up again in the future, Reggie could vouch for him.
"Sigh… it's fine. Just give me that Psychic's number. I'll find a way to try and win his help."
Reggie's smile froze at Sato's words, then slowly faded away. He sighed once more and nodded.
He knew that Sato wasn't lying. Psychics generally looked down on ordinary people, while ordinary people often feared those with special powers and avoided them whenever possible.
As a result, most Psychics lived solitary lives, rarely making friends. Their personalities tended toward aloofness, and the only ones they might acknowledge were other top-tier powerhouses.
In Reggie's eyes, although Sato's current strength and potential weren't bad, it was still very difficult for him to truly associate with a formidable Psychic. At best, he might be lucky enough to get their contact information, just like now.
"It's already very late. Old sir, you should call tomorrow instead. I've heard this Psychic's temper isn't the best."
"Sorry I couldn't be of more help."
Sato nodded as he handed over a contact code from another of his communicators, keeping up his apologetic act.
"No, no, it's me who was asking too much. I'm already glad you came at this time. And besides, you've given me hope, haven't you? Even if it doesn't work out, it's still better than sitting around waiting."
Reggie quickly shook his head, patting Sato's shoulder as he spoke.
"Yaaah!!"
The next second, just as Reggie turned to gaze back at the starry sky, Misdreavus — who had been tailing Sato in invisibility — suddenly appeared and gave Reggie a fright with a prank scare.
Though Misdreavus had fallen into bouts of gloom many times before, it always managed to recover — and each time, its scaring skills improved.
This time, its prank was further refined: its long tongue was now bloodstained, and its eyes bulged like dead fish, making the horror all the more grotesque.
"Ahhh!!!"
Although Reggie's mental fortitude was decent, he was completely unprepared. The sudden shock made him scream aloud.
Then, to Sato's astonishment, because Reggie had been leaning against the railing, his startled reaction sent him toppling backward.
With a splash and another scream, the old captain fell right off the ship into the sea below.
"Ke-ke-ke~~"
Seeing its prank succeed, Misdreavus burst into gleeful giggles, circling proudly around the frozen Sato.
At the same time, the red beads around its neck glowed scarlet. Wisps of dark energy condensed from the air and flowed into the largest bead beneath its neck.
....
The next morning, around 9 a.m., one of Sato's communicators began to ring. Glancing at the caller ID, he immediately knew: the worried old captain Reggie couldn't hold back any longer and was trying to contact the "mysterious Psychic."
Sato quickly altered his voice and answered in that persona. Naturally, the negotiation was unfriendly — after all, he was playing a surly, ill-tempered Psychic.
Right from the start, he gave Reggie a hard time: hanging up on him several times in a row, and even blocking his number.
In the end, Reggie had three different communicators blocked before he finally managed to get a full conversation.
Although this infuriated Reggie, it also crushed his spirit, leaving him at a disadvantage throughout the exchange — his every word was led by Sato.
At last, after Reggie promised three precious treasures, Sato "relented," agreeing to meet him in person aboard his cruise ship at midnight.
With the matter settled, Sato contacted the abbot of the Slowpoke Temple, requesting that he use the Pokémon Center's time capsule machine to transfer Swampert and Ditto over to him.
He also reached out to Professor Oak, asking him to send over Crobat and Bellossom.
Finally, he called Elsa, entrusting Tentacruel, Lanturn, and Cloyster to her care for a while, asking her to look after Pikachu and the others temporarily.
It was worth noting that after more than three months of training, Swampert, Crobat, and Bellossom had reached levels 62, 54, and 59, respectively.
In particular, Swampert — having lived a farmer's life alongside Sato for those months — had fully suppressed the terrifying aura it once carried from countless battles.
Now, to most people, its first impression was simply that of a Swampert with unusually developed muscles.
Of course, once Swampert grew serious or became enraged, that hidden aura would surface again on its own.
It had been some time since Sato last saw these three Pokémon. Naturally, their reunion had to be celebrated. At Swampert's insistent request (since the simple meals at Slowbro Temple had been unbearable), they went straight to a seaside barbecue stall.
That night, close to midnight, Sato donned black clothes and a mask. With Crobat's help, he flew above Reggie's cruise ship.
On the deck below, sailors patrolled vigilantly. Reggie's trusted men, including Rico, stood guard at the captain's quarters, watching their surroundings with stern focus.
"So, he wants to test my strength first? Fine. That saves me the trouble of words."
Scanning the ship with his psychic senses, Sato smirked beneath his mask, filled with disdain.
In the next moment, his eyes flashed blue. In an instant, he used teleportation to bring both himself and Crobat directly into Reggie's captain's cabin.