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Half an hour later, in the northern district of Slateport City, Sato was happily enjoying a lavish lunch with Flannery and Roxanne at an outdoor table in front of a cold drink café.
Nearby, Pikachu, Kecleon, and Squirtle were gathered around another table, chatting cheerfully with Flannery and Roxanne's Pokémon as they enjoyed the feast laid out before them.
Thanks to Flannery and Roxanne's timely help, Sato had managed to get through his encounter with a group of roadside thugs unscathed. Those reckless biker punks were clearly the kind who bullied the weak and feared the strong — once they realized Sato and his Pokémon were no pushovers, they immediately fled without hesitation.
Naturally, Sato expressed his gratitude to Flannery and Roxanne by inviting the two young trainers to dine at one of Slateport City's most well-known restaurants.
On their way back to the city, Sato had already exchanged names with the girls, just as he had suspected — they were indeed Flannery and Roxanne.
At this time, both Flannery and Roxanne were newly debuted trainers, only about six months into their journeys. They were both fourteen years old.
Although they were considered rookie trainers, both girls came from prestigious backgrounds and had been around Pokémon from a very young age.
They were classmates at one of Hoenn's most renowned elite Pokémon academies, and thanks to their talent and intelligence, both had graduated early.
According to the usual rules, graduates of that academy automatically qualified to enter next year's Hoenn League Regional Tournament.
But the two girls were proud and ambitious — they didn't want to rely on the academy's special recommendation. Instead, they decided to travel across Hoenn together and collect Gym Badges on their own.
So far, they had already earned five badges. Not long ago, they had just defeated Wattson at Mauville Gym and obtained the Dynamo Badge. This time, they had come to Slateport City to do some major shopping and relax at the seaside.
"Once again, thank you both for stepping in to help. Without you, I might've lost everything I own. Here—let me offer a toast to you."
Sato raised the glass of fruit juice in his left hand, stood up, and smiled warmly at Flannery and Roxanne.
"No need to thank us, Mr. Tyler! Those road thugs were the worst! As a League Trainer, it's my duty to take out people like that," Flannery replied enthusiastically.
Full of energy and justice, Flannery was a bright and lively girl. The moment she heard Sato's words, she grabbed her drink, stood up, and spoke cheerfully.
In contrast, Roxanne was much more composed and mature for her age.
She was observant and sharp, and from Pikachu's battle earlier, she had already realized that Sato was far from an ordinary trainer.
"Mr. Tyler, you're being too modest," Roxanne said politely, standing up with her glass. "Your strength is remarkable. Even without our help, I doubt you would've been in any real danger—perhaps just a little worse for wear."
After the three clinked glasses and drank, the mood grew even more relaxed and pleasant.
They soon began sharing stories from their travels and tips on Pokémon training.
Sato, being a near Elite-Four level trainer who had fought through countless battles, possessed knowledge and experience far beyond that of the newly graduated Flannery and Roxanne.
He also had deep understanding of various Pokémon species, allowing him to guide the conversation naturally.
Of course, Sato was careful not to reveal his true strength. Most of the time, he merely shared insights and experiences under the guise of "educated guesses."
Even so, when he talked about lessons he had learned from encounters with wild Pokémon, the two young trainers listened intently, completely absorbed.
Time flew by quickly. Before long, they had finished lunch. After exchanging contact numbers, Sato bid farewell to the two girls.
Meanwhile, Misdreavus couldn't resist showing off its mischievous side, playing pranks on Flannery, Roxanne, and their Pokémon—startling them one by one.
Neither the girls nor their Pokémon were particularly fond of horror, and their limited tolerance for scares meant Misdreavus' tricks succeeded every time.
Pleased with itself, Misdreavus floated smugly while the lunch gathering ended in a mix of laughter and shrieks.
"Honestly, Roxanne, why did you stop me? Mr. Tyler clearly has a lot of experience—he must be an incredible trainer! A battle with him would've taught me so much!" Flannery complained, watching Sato's figure fade into the distance.
Normally, she liked to have a Pokémon battle after a meal as her "post-lunch exercise." But just as she was about to challenge Sato, Roxanne had pulled her back.
"You're good at everything except using your head," Roxanne sighed. "You rely too much on instinct in battle. That Mr. Tyler is no ordinary man."
"Didn't you see how his Pikachu used Thunderbolt to wipe out all those thugs' Pokémon earlier? One hit KOs across the board! Do you really want to go up there and embarrass yourself?"
"I can guarantee you—if you challenged him, every one of your Pokémon except Blaziken and your Ground-type Camerupt would be knocked out by just one Thunderbolt."
"Didn't our teachers always tell us not to fight unwinnable battles? You seem to have forgotten that."
Roxanne spoke sternly, clearly irritated. The only reason she stopped Flannery was because she didn't want her friend to take a heavy blow to her confidence.
From what she'd observed, Sato's Pikachu was of exceptional quality and almost certainly carried a Light Ball—an item known to greatly boost Pikachu's power.
While Flannery's Pokémon were also well-trained, Roxanne seriously doubted they could handle a Pikachu that could fly and move as fast as lightning.
"…That might be true," Flannery admitted after a moment, pouting. "Looks like I'll have to catch some Pokémon that counter Electric-types next time."
"Who knows—maybe Mr. Tyler will be our rival at next year's Hoenn League!"
"Alright, it's decided! Let's go train at the beach, Roxanne! Go, go, go!"
Flannery puffed up her cheeks in mock defiance, replayed the earlier battle in her mind, and quickly deflated—only to perk up again almost instantly. Her eyes sparkled with determination as she shouted excitedly and dashed off toward the sea.
Roxanne watched her friend's retreating figure, utterly exhausted.
"…So much for taking a vacation," she sighed wearily.