The Pokémon Center atop Mt. Silver was massive, equipped with every facility imaginable.
Lance led Sato through a series of left turns and corridors until they reached a secluded conference room.
Inside, several people were engaged in a discussion. The moment Sato and Lance entered, every gaze in the room swung toward them at once.
Clap! Clap! Clap…
No one knew who started applauding first, but in the blink of an eye, a wave of thunderous applause filled the room.
Sato scanned the conference room, looking at all the smiling, friendly faces… and for some reason, felt a chill run up his spine.
League President Charles Goodshow needed no introduction. He was leisurely seated on a tall stool, his little legs swinging as he clapped like a seal.
Next to him was Riku Kitamura, the branch President of the Johto League, also applauding, though the smile on his face seemed somewhat forced. He had schemed and plotted to make his son famous in a single match, but this year, all the spotlight and glory had clearly gone to the young man standing before him…
Was he angry?
Riku Kitamura neither dared to be nor wanted to be. He was just feeling listless, already fantasizing about retiring at home.
Besides the President and the branch President, even the recently defeated Kōmei and all Elite Four members of the Johto region were present.
Clearly, this was a high-level gathering, and its central figure was Sato.
As the applause faded, Goodshow also stopped smiling and took on a much more serious expression.
"Sato, about your match this morning… what did you think?"
Sato blinked and glanced at Kōmei, who sat stone-faced. He couldn't help but think, 'You… you're really not worried this is awkward for him?'
"…A fortunate win. I still have room to improve."
"Ha! Kōmei, look at that, he's still being modest, huhuhuu!" Goodshow suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
But after laughing for a while, Goodshow realized no one else was laughing. The silence made him feel like life was unbearably lonely.
'Ugh… better wrap this up and head back to Kanto for drinks with old friends.'
With that thought, Goodshow abruptly turned serious again.
"Sato!"
"Yes, sir?"
Sato straightened his posture.
"You defeated Kōmei, demonstrating your exceptional strength as a Trainer. That's excellent!"
Sato felt nothing inside. He already knew what was coming next...
"BUT!
You beat Elite Four Kōmei, a guardian deity in the hearts of Johto's people!"
Sato twitched at the corner of his mouth. 'Isn't Pryce ranked higher than him? He must've beaten Kōmei too at some point…'
So what if he's a guardian deity? This wasn't his first loss.
Of course, Sato only grumbled internally. He knew all he had to do now was stay silent and go along with the script.
Next, Goodshow launched into a full-blown speech about how important the Elite Four were to a region, with Riku Kitamura nodding along in agreement.
But the current Elite Four looked thoroughly bored. They wanted to yawn but had to hold it in.
Sato, on the other hand, was quite entertained. It had been a while since he'd seen someone spout nonsense with such sincerity for this long.
Half an hour later, Goodshow reluctantly wrapped up his speech. It was Sato's attentive expression that made him want to keep talking just a bit longer…
But the core message -tl;dr/h- of the thirty-minute rant was this: the regional Elite Four and Champion represented the highest combat power of the Pokémon League. They were the ultimate protectors of the region and the living "guardian deities" in the hearts of the people.
So overwhelming strength was just the foundation. The ability to lead in battle, to reassure the public, to nurture new talent… these all had to be exceptional too!
On the surface, the top four of the Elite Four Tournament would become the new Elite Four for that region by rank.
But starting from the finals, President Goodshow would personally evaluate every candidate who could potentially become the next Elite Four.
That Sato was the first one selected… made perfect sense.
"Sato, your strength is undeniable. That's not in question. As for leadership and public reassurance, those can be developed over time.
But the real question is… do YOU want to become an Elite Four?"
Charles Goodshow jumped down from the tall stool and walked over to Sato step by step, looking up at him with a solemn expression.
Finally, the main point. Everyone in the room perked up, quietly waiting for Sato's response.
And Sato… fell into deep thought.
Elite Four of the region… did he want it?
He probably did.
Did he truly, sincerely want it?
'Sincerely...'
Suddenly, the Dark Energy within Sato stirred slightly, interrupting his internal questioning. Then, a subtle wave of Psychic power brushed against his awareness.
Clearly, someone had just commanded a Pokémon to interfere with Sato's thoughts, trying to make him reveal his innermost truth.
Sato caught it. And the other party realized it too. A bright yellow, shiny Munna floated out from behind President Goodshow.
Munna dove straight into Goodshow's arms, clearly afraid that Sato might retaliate.
Goodshow stroked the Munna calmly, showing no hint of embarrassment at being exposed.
"Tch tch, that's some sharp perception. This Munna is special, its Hypnosis lets people uncover their true desires. Even Kōmei and the other Psychics users can't resist it. The fact that you sensed it… is impressive!"
Sato shivered inside. He glanced at the seemingly harmless Munna, thankful he had never ended up undercover in his life.
"So, do you have your answer now?"
Goodshow didn't care what was going on inside Sato. He simply asked the question again with all seriousness.
This time, Sato didn't hesitate. He nodded decisively.
"I want to become an Elite Four!"
"GOOOD!"
Before anyone else could react, Lance couldn't help himself and shouted in support. Then he broke into applause.
The rest quickly followed, all expressing their goodwill… as if Sato had already joined them as a fellow Elite Four.
But Sato still had doubts. He couldn't help but look toward Kōmei, only to lock eyes with him at that exact moment.
The applause gradually faded, and everyone respectfully fell silent, watching as Kōmei slowly walked up to Sato.
"I've held this position for a long… long time. I've seen fellow teammates move on, and I've welcomed Lance, Pryce, and Sen as they joined us.
I've blessed those leaving, and celebrated with those arriving. Watching people come and go, I never once felt like I was growing old.
But not long ago, my first partner, Espeon… quietly passed away on a calm night…
There was no warning, but it was only natural. It had grown old, even if its powerful Psychic energy had masked the signs for a long time.
And that's when I realized… not just Espeon. Many of my partners had aged. They couldn't fight anymore.
…So I want to step down. I want my partners to live out their remaining years in peace!
Fortunately, the Elite Four Tournament began. You've performed outstandingly throughout, and what happened at the Whirl Islands only strengthened our recognition of you…
So please! Don't doubt your own excellence. You're more than capable of taking up the mantle of Elite Four!"