Froston, the Ice-type Hunter, walked calmly through the forest, accompanied by a Jynx and a Lapras.
Everywhere the two Pokémon passed turned into a smooth sheet of ice, and all the surrounding plants were frozen by snow and frost.
When Kirlia brought Sato to face Froston, a trace of surprise flashed in Froston's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected his opponent to be Sato.
"Curious that I'd come to face you?" Sato asked while simultaneously sending out Houndoom and Cacturne.
"A little. After all, Voya and Mika are much more famous than me. I'm just some nobody," Froston nodded and waved his hand, signaling Jynx and Lapras to move forward and meet the opponent.
"Then how about we both be nobodies tonight? Just a light exchange, you lose quickly, and everyone gets to go home early? Flamethrower, Drain Punch!" Sato said with a smile, issuing his commands right after.
Houndoom and Cacturne were already prepared. At Sato's command, they charged straight at Jynx and Lapras.
"Lapras, Surf! Jynx, Lovely Kiss! I'm fine with being a nobody, but since it's just an act, why don't you let me win?"
Froston responded without backing down, cautiously taking two steps back to give Jynx and Lapras more space to unleash their power.
"Then there's nothing to talk about. Houndoom, Mega Evolve!" Sato grabbed the Key Stone hanging from his necklace and immediately initiated Mega Evolution.
Multicolored light suddenly flared in the pitch-black night sky, enveloping Houndoom as it underwent a higher-level evolution.
"Fire Blast."
"Awooo!"
Mega Houndoom let out a long howl and opened its mouth, spewing out a blazing flame as hot as molten lava. The fire instantly spread into the shape of a giant "大" in the air, surging straight toward Froston and his Pokémon.
"Lapras, Surf! Jynx, Psychic!" Beads of sweat visibly appeared on Froston's face. It wasn't clear whether it was from the heat or from nerves.
But the difference in strength often only brought despair. Even with Surf and Psychic blocking together, Fire Blast's momentum didn't falter and continued advancing.
"Lapras, Protect!" Froston's expression turned grim as he ducked behind Lapras, not even having time to recall the terrified Jynx.
BOOOM
A small mushroom cloud erupted.
Froston quickly sent out Skarmory in an attempt to flee. They had underestimated Sato's strength -he was, after all, one of Team Rocket's Seven-Star Hunters- and yet he couldn't even withstand two moves.
"Cacturne, Cotton Spore."
Sato's cold voice came through the smoke, and in an instant, the battlefield filled with fluffy white spores. Cotton Spore didn't care about the lingering smoke; it simply covered everything.
Skarmory wasn't agile to begin with, and carrying Froston made it even slower. Once the Cotton Spore clung to its wings, Froston's escape was doomed.
"Cloyster, use Icicle Spear! Lapras, Blizzard!" Froston had no choice but to leap off Skarmory, sending out Cloyster to support Lapras in launching an attack.
On the other side, taking advantage of the still-thick smoke, Froston released a Dewgong with excellent sliding ability, aiming to skate away along the newly formed ice path.
'Froston was still trying to escape…' "Houndoom, Heat Wave. Cacturne, Bullet Seed."
Heat Wave and Blizzard collided violently, generating thick white smoke, but Houndoom's monstrous firepower pressed through the blizzard and swept it aside. Lapras could only watch, powerless to stop it.
On the other side, sharp icicles suddenly shot out from the chaotic smoke, directly aiming at Sato himself.
Cacturne didn't even move its body. It simply fired a barrage of seeds that intercepted all the icicles midair.
Cotton Spore didn't just greatly reduce the opponent's speed; it also enhanced Cacturne's awareness of the surrounding environment, so stopping the icicles was no challenge at all.
"PRAAAHS!"
A pained cry echoed from the battlefield. Houndoom's Heat Wave, in overpowering Blizzard, had also dealt severe damage to Lapras.
"Houndoom, Fire Blast. Cacturne, Sandstorm."
This time, the Sandstorm rose first, followed closely by Fire Blast. In the blink of an eye, the Sandstorm turned into a fiery storm, clearing out all the smoke and finishing off Lapras's remaining stamina.
Even Skarmory and Cloyster suffered varying degrees of damage.
On the other side, Froston wiped the sweat streaming down his face. The surrounding temperature, like the scorching sun of a desert, made his vision blur.
Just before he passed out, Froston had only one thought: 'I'm about to be cooked…'
Sato couldn't help but wipe his own sweat. Beside him, Houndoom finished its Mega Evolution state and lay on the ground like a dead dog.
"The boost from the Flame Orb really is terrifying. You can rest well now." Sato patted Houndoom on the head, then returned it to its Poké Ball.
The intense battle had already drawn the attention of several League Trainers. Sato raised his hand and motioned them over.
"Leader Sato, if there's anything you need, just say the word!" the Trainers said respectfully.
"Tie this Rocket up and bring him to the Gym. He's my trophy, don't let him get taken back again."
"Yes! Mission guaranteed!"
"Mmh, Cacturne, escort them back," Sato nodded, then turned to Cacturne.
"Cacturne~"
"Let's go!" With that, Kirlia used Teleport and disappeared with Sato.
"Wow! Leader Sato is really amazing… and that just now, that was Mega Evolution, right?" As soon as Sato left, the Trainers couldn't hold back anymore.
"Do you even know who Leader Sato is friends with? He can casually chat with Lance like they're old buddies!"
"I heard they even trained together at Mt. Silver. I'm so jealous…"
"Cactuuurne!"
Suddenly, a spike shot out from Cacturne's body, stabbing right into the ground between them. The startled Trainers immediately scattered.
"Right, tie him up, tie him up… quick!" They said with awkward smiles.
Cacturne was Sato's Pokémon, after all. If it went back and reported them, they'd be in big trouble. They had originally hoped to get some benefits out of this…
---
Soldiers match soldiers; generals match generals. Based on strength, Sato should've gone after Mika, or at the very least, Voya. But he had picked the weakest target.
The most important reason: he still had a third fight to catch!
It was already late into the night, and the streets of Shadownight Town had grown even quieter. Not even a single wild Meowth was in sight.
A flash of white light, and Sato and Kirlia appeared at the entrance of the Shadownight Intelligence Shop.
As for the shop's owner, whom Sato had only met once, he neither liked nor disliked them. But since that person had become a pawn used by the Ghost Ship Organization to lure him into a trap, he had to get answers.
"Kirlia, have you found the real one?"
"Found." The telepathic voice echoed in Sato's mind.
"Then let's go in."
"Okay!"
Swoosh~