"I... I... I forfeit!"
As expected, Sato's opponent was completely overwhelmed by Mega Houndoom's presence.
At this moment, he was no longer thinking about conserving strength for the next battles; he genuinely didn't want to face Sato.
The referee, pressing his right hand against his earpiece, seemed to be receiving new instructions from the higher-ups. He nodded occasionally, his expression showing faint shock as he stole glances at Sato.
"Trainer Cannon has voluntarily forfeited. The winner of this match is Sato!" The referee finally announced solemnly, bringing the battle to an official close.
However, the storm surrounding Sato, Mega Houndoom, and Mega Evolution was only just beginning.
First, news of Sato's Pseudo-Elite Four-level strength spread like wildfire. Shocked silence soon turned into disbelief, followed by a wave of embarrassment for many.
'Tch… you really are a monster.'
Although the crowd didn't fully understand how Houndoom had suddenly become so much stronger, the aura of a Pseudo-Elite Four-level Pokémon was undeniable.
So, from the second match onward, Sato began enjoying the luxury of easy wins. His opponents didn't even attempt to challenge him, choosing to surrender outright.
Because of the tournament schedule, Sato remained inside the stadium all afternoon, preventing Wester, Lance, and others from contacting him.
Meanwhile, the Joy family's official statements helped divert much of the public's attention toward them.
After all, this wasn't just any new evolution!
Although only one Pokémon had been shown undergoing Mega Evolution so far, the real shock came from the fact that Houndoom had jumped from mid Elite level to Pseudo-Elite Four in a single "evolution".
During the peak of speculation, while everyone else was busy digging for more information, Sato remained completely unaffected, shielded by the ongoing tournament.
Since opponents cannot be matched against each other twice, after achieving fifty consecutive wins, Sato had practically secured first place in the combat evaluation.
Even Norman, without his Slaking, would likely not pose a greater challenge than Lucian.
Unless… another Mega Evolution appeared? 'Hmph… impossible.'
After finishing the fifth day of combat evaluations, Sato regrouped with Clair and the others before heading back to the Pokémon Center together.
Although they were all puzzled by Sato's sudden increase in power, they still congratulated him and teased him about it.
They were completely unaware of the chaos Sato had truly caused.
But the moment they stepped inside the Pokémon Center…
Someone suddenly shouted Sato's name.
In an instant, every single person in the Pokémon Center turned their heads toward the entrance.
…
Clair and Winona froze, instinctively drawing closer to each other, unsure of what was happening.
Sato lowered his head slightly, walking forward without saying a word.
And like a field of sunflowers following the sun, the entire crowd turned their heads in sync, tracking his every move.
Suddenly, a swarm of reporters surged forward, blocking Sato's path, shoving microphones and cameras toward his face.
"Excuse me, are you Trainer Yuga Sato from Cerulean City? It is said that you were the first to discover Mega Evolution, is that true?"
"..."
"We've heard that your Houndoom, upon evolving, instantly reached Pseudo-Elite Four level! Can you confirm this?"
"..."
"Will you be revealing the secret of Mega Evolution to the public, so that all Trainers can benefit?"
Click.
Sato stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly, his gaze locking onto a short-haired female reporter wearing black glasses and a professional suit.
'Benefit all Trainers? What am I, your father? Why would I just give away this secret for free?'
Internally grumbling about how the Pokémon Center even allowed reporters inside, Sato's eyes swept across the surrounding crowd. He immediately noticed several individuals watching intently, their ears practically stretched out to catch every word.
"For specific details, please consult Haruka Joy, the leader of the Joy family in Johto. She was the one who taught me."
With that, Sato turned around abruptly and walked up the stairs to the second floor, escaping the swarm of reporters.
Shortly afterward, Pokémon Center staff arrived, blocking the journalists from following him and preventing any further disturbances.
Meanwhile, the remaining Trainers in the lobby exploded into whispers.
Sato had clearly stated that Mega Evolution came from the Joy family, confirming the information that had already been spreading.
Now, the real question was... 'How do we get the Joy family to share the secret of Mega Evolution with us?'
And so, a new wave of scheming began.
Sato was nowhere to be found, but weren't his friends still around?
In an instant, Clair, Norman, and Winona were completely surrounded. Staring at the overly friendly smiles in front of them, they were utterly confused.
'Who am I? Where am I? What do you people want?'
Only Joseph showed a flash of shock and disbelief in his eyes.
Back in his room, Sato immediately turned on his computer. The moment he logged into his communication software, a flood of notifications overwhelmed the system, causing it to lag.
After a long moment, Sato stared at the thousands of friend requests and the countless 99+ unread messages, unsure where to even begin.
Suddenly, a red icon flashed repeatedly. Clicking on it, he found multiple messages from Lance.
"Sato, are you there? I heard your Houndoom evolved again? Is it related to those Mega Stones you asked me to help you find?"
"..."
"I forgot, you and Clair are competing in the tournament. Reply when you get this."
"..."
"The tournament isn't over yet? Is the information the Joy family released true? Can my Dragonite evolve? What about Charizard?"
"..."
"The tournament's over, right? Clair called me. Reply when you can… at least acknowledge your captain! (◞‸◟;)"
Sato read through the messages and, to his surprise, Lance even used an emoji in his last text. 'Just how anxious was he?'
Too lazy to type, Sato called him directly. Before the first ring even finished, the call was answered instantly!
"Hey? Sato! Congratulations, you've reached Pseudo-Elite Four level so quickly!"
Sato's tense mood eased slightly, and the lingering frustration from earlier faded a little. He responded calmly, "It's just a temporary power boost."
"If Houndoom listens to you, then it's your strength. Don't underestimate yourself." Lance's tone was hearty and full of certainty, lifting Sato's mood even more.
"Lance, I won't beat around the bush. Mega Evolution is my discovery, and yeah, it's directly related to the Mega Stone you helped me get…"
Although the Joy family had already released a lot of information about Mega Evolution, they had deliberately left out details on how to activate it.
Funnily enough, the Mega Stone for Houndoom was something Lance had personally helped him obtain. Since that was the case, revealing some details to him in advance wouldn't be an issue… especially since the Joy family had no grounds to object.
Besides, this information wouldn't remain a secret for long. It was entirely possible that the Dragon clan had already pieced things together.
However, hearing it directly from Sato, someone who had personally experienced Mega Evolution, would be far more convincing.
"It's good that the Joy family is taking the heat for you, but don't be too naive, watch your back!" Lance didn't comment on Mega Evolution itself but instead showed concern for Sato's well-being.
"Don't worry, my 'captain' is Lance! Who would dare mess with me?" Sato joked.
"Slick as always!"