Unlike her freeloading father, Togawa Sakiko possessed the right of inheritance and should have been recognized as a member of the Togawa family. Yet, ever since losing her support, she was barely even welcomed here.
She'd returned home today for one simple reason:
My days as a corporate slave are over—it's time to reclaim my Pokémon!
Recently, she'd earned quite a decent sum of points—from Officer Jenny alone, she'd received 3,000, and combined with the points she'd earned at school, she had enough to properly care for several Pokémon.
Besides, she despised leaving her Pokémon in the Togawa family's care.
She might abandon the Togawa legacy itself, but she refused to abandon her revenge for her father.
She had inheritance rights and the strength to back them up, making this entirely legitimate.
Thirty years east, thirty years west… Actually, forget it—first, I'll just take back my Pokémon.
Frowning slightly, Sakiko quietly followed the maid leading the way.
"During your absence, Ojou-sama, the family has undergone significant changes. Compared to before, the atmosphere is entirely different," the maid explained as they walked.
"We've increased our efforts to capture Pokémon and expanded business partnerships significantly. The family is prospering greatly, much better than before. We've become one of the largest conglomerates in Kanto."
"I see…"
In truth, hearing this only deepened Sakiko's unease.
Her father had been attacked by Team Rocket a year ago, and now, it seemed highly likely the new heir was cooperating with them. That explained the current situation perfectly.
Faced with such reality, she had only one choice left: Become Champion.
As Champion, she'd gain enough influence and status to confront both Team Rocket and her family directly—and defeat them with her own strength.
Clenching a Poké Ball tightly, Sakiko hardened her resolve.
Sorry, Satoshi, but when it comes to the High School League… I'll be the winner.
…
The next day, in a lounge at the RiNG training facility, Satoshi and his teammates were holding a strategy meeting.
"How about uniforms like this?" Anon held out her phone, showing it around to everyone, but as soon as Taki glanced at it, her expression turned sour.
"You're joking, right?"
No one had much enthusiasm for the meeting. After all, it mainly consisted of discussing the team name, training plans, and matching outfits.
Honestly, the uniform idea could easily be scrapped; nobody particularly cared.
Besides, if they went with matching uniforms, wouldn't Satoshi's iconic hat suddenly become embarrassing?
For some reason, wearing the hat made him feel calmer, more confident for battle.
Maybe it had something to do with a promise he'd once made—he faintly recalled a girl with amber-colored eyes…
Strangely, she reminded him somewhat of Togawa Sakiko.
Satoshi shook off the vague memories. Though he wanted to remember more about his past, his priority right now was still becoming a Pokémon Master.
Based on yesterday's battle, Grookey showed strong potential. Though not quite at Raichu's level yet, it would definitely reach Gym Leader-level after evolving.
Froakie was currently weak and had no special ability; its early-stage growth would be rough.
Also, he still needed a strong Pokémon capable of flight…
Clap!
Just as he was about to delve deeper into thought, a sharp clap drew his attention.
"Let's set aside the uniform for now. Shouldn't we first talk about how we're gonna earn enough points and qualify for the League?"
"Does everyone really want to join the High School League this year? We're only first-years, and from what I've heard, most teams wait until their second year. Maybe we should wait too?"
Sweating nervously, Chihaya Anon quickly redirected everyone's focus.
Honestly, she didn't want to participate in the High School League at all. According to the rules, if any team member lost too many matches, the entire team would be disqualified.
I definitely can't admit I don't want to compete because I'm too weak…
Admitting such humiliation openly would be practically social suicide for Anon.
During recent training, her Eevee had been utterly destroyed by practically every Pokémon it faced—even Takamatsu Tomori's Piplup had beaten it.
After finally escaping Galar's intensely competitive environment, she'd come to Kanto hoping for casual, enjoyable Pokémon battles. Instead, she'd found teammates who were equally competitive—and all slightly eccentric, to boot.
Tomori: "Will you battle Pokémon with me for the rest of our lives?"
Satoshi: "Sure, but we're definitely gonna win!"
Battling…for the rest of their lives? Were these people serious?!
Is it too late to run away?
Anon couldn't help but seriously entertain the thought.
There was another option—buying an Evolution Stone for Eevee.
As an "Evolution Pokémon," Eevee's unstable genetics allowed it to evolve into various forms, depending on environmental factors. However, purchasing an Evolution Stone was financially burdensome for a student. Though she could just barely afford it, even if Eevee evolved, there was no guarantee it'd be strong enough.
Her lack of confidence, coupled with her inability to quit, was the real issue.
Anon knew all of this deeply, and hoping to postpone the decision, she had secretly teamed up with the hesitant Takamatsu Tomori beforehand.
"You think it's too early too, right, Tomori?" Anon placed all attention on Tomori, whose resolve immediately crumbled under the pressure.
"Ah…yeah."
Tomori anxiously recalled how their previous team had collapsed and felt a pang of fear.
"That's why we should wait a bit—"
"Hah? What are you talking about? Tomori's just worried the team will fall apart again if we lose matches. Your reason's totally different, isn't it?"
Before Anon could finish, Taki abruptly slammed her cup onto the table.
"You're just running away, aren't you?"
Only one thought ran through Taki's mind:
Anon, did you even try to win any matches seriously?
If you're weak, then train harder!
"I-I'm not running away…"
Anon's brows knitted together, but Taki wouldn't relent, pressing even harder.
"Haven't you been losing Pokémon battles all along?"
"Uhh…"
"Even your training was half-hearted. The only thing you're excited about is uniforms and the team name. If you don't get serious now, you'll definitely run away when the time comes."
[My dear Satoshi~, the atmosphere's getting pretty awkward now. Should we buy Anon an Evolution Stone to help her get stronger? You could even give it to her as a romantic gift~]
Cut it out. Other than Sylveon and Umbreon, can any Eeveelution even battle seriously?
Who do you want me to evolve Eevee into—the legendary Flareon?
Satoshi firmly ignored Furiko's teasing.
He genuinely couldn't imagine Eevee's evolutions—other than Sylveon or Umbreon—winning any meaningful battles.
Flareon…Even its fans don't battle with it!
Vaporeon…Famous for everything except battle strength.
Jolteon…Wait, it has fans?
Leafeon and Glaceon… They're pretty, sure, but neither can reliably win matches.
Besides, Eevee had already been relentlessly destroyed during training these past few days. To continue…
Well, Eevee, don't blame Anon, okay?
Unfortunately, Eevee couldn't talk—otherwise, it'd definitely protest loudly.
Still, Satoshi stayed out of the discussion.
This was something Anon herself had to face. A Trainer who constantly ran away would never grow strong.
"You've always been like this," Taki said, delivering a calm, decisive blow to Anon's crumbling resolve.
"I told you—I'm not running away!"
Anon leapt to her feet emotionally, before suddenly fleeing from the room without another word.
Her abrupt departure left everyone stunned. Taki, realizing she might've pushed too far, sighed guiltily.
"I'll go after her."
Satoshi stood up decisively and hurried after Anon.
[My dear Satoshi, do you even have a plan?]
"Hmm? Don't worry—there's no problem a Pokémon battle can't fix!"
[Ahh, I was a fool to even ask~]