The counterfeit item case leading to the Oat Family was now more or less concluded.
Although Sato knew that the parasites in the Oat Family definitely had others backing them, in the current situation, there was no way the other side would leave any more openings for him to catch.
But after this incident, there was one person Sato firmly remembered in his heart.
The Vermilion Gym Leader, Lt. Surge!
So, once the situation in Goldenrod City was resolved, Sato returned to Vermilion City without any hesitation.
---◓---
It was still that private gym, and the sweat-drenched Lt. Surge was still working out hard, trying to vent the resentment in his heart.
He had completely underestimated Sato, thinking that guy would stupidly go after the Oat Family.
But instead, the man had taken a detour straight to Goldenrod Gym, then simply clapped his hands and said he wouldn't investigate!
When a familiar friend or partner makes a fundamental mistake, condemning them may be viewed as betrayal, but shielding them is an even worse choice.
The most common yet most rational response was to avoid suspicion.
Although Sato had rushed to Goldenrod City, from the moment he landed to when he left by plane again, he never once stepped out of Goldenrod Gym.
He avoided suspicion almost flawlessly!
Of course, this didn't count the encrypted call he made to Wester in advance using Howard's secure phone, no one else would know anyway…
Now that Sato had returned once more to Vermilion City, it almost felt like he had a personal vendetta with the place. That made Lt. Surge, with his problematic record, feel even more anxious.
But just when Lt. Surge was most irritated and unsettled, Sato didn't make a single move for a whole week, remaining so quiet it was as if he had become some reclusive Cultivator of Vermilion City.
That was until Lt. Surge went to the Pokémon Center to get his Pokémon healed and received a call from Officer Jenny…
---◓---
[Leader Surge, this is Jenny from Vermilion City. We are recruiting you for a special operation. Please wait at the Pokémon Center.]
"… … …"
Lt. Surge stared blankly at the phone after it hung up, thinking to himself that something this sudden could only mean trouble.
The next moment, Sato walked into the Pokémon Center, coming face-to-face with the still-confused Lt. Surge.
In that instant, a friendly smile had already appeared on Sato's face as he extended his right hand toward him.
"Military Gym Leader, Lt. codname Surge. I've heard so much about you and the previous 'Surge'!"
'He… he knows something?'
"Oh, oh, you must be Sato! The Leader of Shadownight Gym, right? The youngest Ace Champion; truly impressive!"
Lt. Surge started off stunned, then smoothly pretended not to recognize him, and finally played along with a look of realization.
The whole act was logically sound, his expressions natural, and his eyes showed not a hint of abnormality.
Even Sato, who was also acting, couldn't help but silently praise him. 'A true acting lord!'
The two shook hands "enthusiastically", though in their hearts, they were both coldly plotting how to eliminate the other.
"And this special operation is…?"
Lt. Surge didn't let Sato's sudden appearance throw him off. Instead, he feigned curiosity and asked proactively.
After all, Sato was now not only the Leader of Shadownight Gym, but also an Independent Investigator of the League!
"Mhm. This recruitment was initiated by me. Due to the urgency, Leader Lt. Surge, you'll be joining me. The other elite Trainers have already departed ahead of us."
Hearing Sato's clearly premeditated words, Lt. Surge's heart skipped a beat, and flashes of every Team Rocket base near Vermilion City rushed through his mind.
"So, Investigator, what's our target this time…?"
Lt. Surge couldn't worry about anything else right now; he at least needed to know whether he was about to go up against his own "allies."
Sato grinned, the "pride of youth" flickering faintly in his expression.
"Allow me to keep it a secret for now, but I guarantee… it'll be a fight worth your while, Leader Lt. Surge!"
At the same time, Nurse Joy thoughtfully returned Lt. Surge's fully healed Pokémon.
"Hey! Need to change your lineup?"
Sato pointed to the nearby Pokémon transfer machine and asked proactively.
Lt. Surge also turned to look at it, and deep down he was tempted… he really wanted to use the opportunity to get a message out.
But looking at Sato's confident demeanor, Lt. Surge could only silently pray for the underground base that was about to get unlucky.
'It's not that I won't help you, it's that I'm already neck-deep in this myself!'
After that, Sato directly led Lt. Surge out of the Pokémon Center. A car was already waiting at the entrance to pick them up.
"Let's go, Leader Surge!"
Sato stepped forward, opened the door with a bold voice, and Lt. Surge had no choice but to grit his teeth and get in.
Along the way, the car sped along the road, and at first, Sato didn't speak, plunging the vehicle into complete silence.
Gazing out through the glass at the scenery flashing by, the two men held completely different states of mind.
Lt. Surge was doing his best to trace the route, hoping to deduce their destination. But before he could identify anything unusual, Sato suddenly broke the silence.
"Leader Surge, you used to be in the military, right? Only soldiers, retired or not, would keep up such disciplined training."
Lt. Surge's mental map was instantly disrupted, and he cursed inwardly, but he still turned to reply "seriously".
"Mhm."
"Leader Surge seems a bit… tense?"
Sato's eyes were filled with curiosity as he asked innocently, making Lt. Surge instantly sit up straight, on full alert.
"Ahem! Not exactly nervous. It's just been a long time since I acted on such short notice. Strangely, I even feel a bit excited!"
At that, Sato slapped his thigh in delight and exclaimed, "Excitement is good! Though I'm an Independent Investigator for the League, to be honest, I don't have much experience dealing with underground organizations…
At the beginning, I was following Elite Four Lance around, and later I had to rely on Leader Howard in Goldenrod City to barely complete my mission.
You used to be a soldier, you must have a lot of combat experience, especially in fighting underground forces.
I've made up my mind! You'll be the vanguard for this operation, and I'll follow behind to learn from you!"
Lt. Surge blinked a few times, staring blankly at Sato, confused as to how things had escalated so suddenly. But when he snapped out of it, a huge wave of frustration surged in his heart!
How had one little comment about being excited suddenly made him the vanguard?
Sure, it sounded nice… but wasn't "vanguard" just a fancy word for cannon fodder on the front line!?
'No… this was a setup!'
Looking at Sato's bright smile in the dim interior of the car, Lt. Surge suddenly felt something was veeery wrong…
Sudden recruitment, straight into the car, then assigned as the vanguard…
It all felt a little too smooth. Too coincidental!
When all coincidences line up, it's no longer a coincidence!
'…Hmm? Where had he heard that before?'
The temperature in the car wasn't low, but Lt. Surge felt like he'd just chugged a whole icy soda in the middle of summer. His entire body froze.
Sato… had targeted him!