Four out of the five trainers chose to establish a gym, which was also good news for Agatha. As for the subsequent details, other personnel would coordinate with them accordingly.
The appearance of Elite Four Agatha here was a clear sign of how highly the League regarded them. After all, Elite Four members were always busy!
Sato spent the entire afternoon discussing the secondary renovations of the gym with the League staff.
He outlined his requirements and vision for the gym, requesting the construction team to meet his specifications as much as possible. Even if the costs exceeded the allocated budget, Sato was willing to pay the difference.
By dusk, Sato finally walked out of the League's office building, signaling the end of his time at Indigo Plateau.
Norman and Lucian had already left, heading directly to their respective locations to personally discuss the construction of their gyms.
Sato, however, would continue his travels and could only monitor things remotely, so today's discussions had taken longer than expected.
Back at the Pokémon Center, Sato reunited with Joseph, who had waited another day for him. However, noticing that night was already falling, they had no choice but to postpone their departure until the next morning.
As for Winona and Clair, they had already left Indigo Plateau that morning, each returning to their hometowns.
---
The next morning, Sato and Joseph set off early with their backpacks packed. After some discussion, they decided to first visit Shadownight Town, not to establish the gym, but simply because Sato was intrigued by the Forest of Shadows.
Heading east, as they walked out of Indigo Plateau, a massive lightning strike in the distance immediately caught their attention.
The two exchanged glances before sprinting toward the direction of the lightning. Despite the distance, the sheer power of the orange-hued bolt was undeniable.
Through forests and underbrush, as they neared the impact site, Sato released Zoroark, while Joseph sent out Gogoat as his mount.
Pushing past the final layer of shrubs, they found themselves facing a vast expanse of scorched earth. In the center, atop a massive boulder, stood a majestic yellow-furred Pokémon.
Raikou.
Sato instinctively pulled Joseph a step back, as the moment they appeared, Raikou's piercing gaze locked directly onto Sato.
However, Sato quickly recalled something. He opened his backpack, retrieved a wooden box, and, carefully, he opened the box with both hands.
Inside, the Rainbow Wing lay motionless. Sato lifted it gently, and at that moment, the feather, which had once shimmered with rainbow colors, had turned a vibrant orange, glowing in sync with the energy radiating from Raikou.
"Roar!"
Raikou let out a deafening roar, sending a Thunderbolt surging forward. The powerful electric strike carved a deep, blackened trench directly in front of them.
Immediately after, Raikou leaped down from the boulder, its piercing eyes still locked onto Sato, ready to pounce.
"A battle? Fine!"
Sato signaled Joseph to back away while carefully placing the Rainbow Wing back into its box. At the same time, Zoroark had already stepped forward, standing between Sato and Raikou.
"Roar!"
Raikou let out a proud growl, glancing at Zoroark with slight disdain. Yet, it did not attack immediately; it was waiting for Zoroark to strike first.
"Zoroark, Swords Dance!"
Sato smirked. He loved it when his opponents underestimated him.
Zoroark sharpened its blood-red claws, its aura surging, becoming sharper and more menacing by the second.
Raikou's eyes narrowed as it watched the scene unfold, its frustration growing. Its entire body surged with golden electricity, launching a devastating Thunderbolt straight at Zoroark!
"Agility to get close, then Night Slash to its weak spot!"
Whoosh!
Zoroark's legs tensed before propelling it forward in an instant, vanishing from its previous position. A blur of movement surrounded Raikou as Zoroark darted around at high speed.
Then, with a sudden shift in direction, Zoroark lunged directly at Raikou, its crimson claws wrapped in an intense black aura, aiming straight for the Pokémon's exposed underbelly!
Crack!
The Night Slash was blocked.
Upon closer inspection, Raikou's fangs, now coated in crackling Electric-type energy, had intercepted the attack with impeccable timing!
Thunder Fang!
"Zoroark!"
Zoroark narrowed its eyes, using the force of the impact to spin midair before swiftly launching another Night Slash with its free arm!
Raikou reacted just as fast. With a powerful push from all four limbs, it refused to give Zoroark another chance to strike. Its entire body surged with golden lightning before charging forward with tremendous force!
Wild Charge!
Boom!
Zoroark was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing hard into a massive tree beside Sato before slowly sliding down.
A single devastating blow!
"Zoroark..."
Zoroark slowly stood back up, its body trembling, yet its gaze remained locked firmly onto Raikou.
"Roar!"
Letting out what seemed like both a triumphant roar and a disdainful sneer, Raikou glanced sideways at Sato.
A sudden realization struck Sato as he instantly understood the meaning in Raikou's eyes! 'Is that all?'
"Of course not!"
Sato pressed his lips together. Even if it was the Legendary Pokémon Raikou, he wouldn't allow himself to be looked down upon so easily!
"Zoroark, get ready!"
Sato gently closed his eyes, fully focusing on channeling the Dark Energy within his body while also sensing Zoroark's position!
"Dark Energy - Power Amplification!"
Sato's eyes snapped open. Around his neck, the Keystone suddenly floated into the air. Pure Dark Energy surged endlessly from within him, flowing directly into the stone!
Immediately after, multiple beams of energy extended outward from the Keystone. Unlike before, this time, every single beam was pitch black!
As soon as the energy connected with Zoroark, Sato used the Keystone as a conduit, transmitting as much of his Dark Energy as possible into Zoroark!
Peak Elite!
Low Pseudo-Elite Four!
Mid Pseudo-Elite Four!
"Zoroaaark!"
Zoroark howled toward the sky, its once sky-blue pupils and crimson mane turning completely black, its power surging instantly to Mid Pseudo-Elite Four level!
At last, Raikou started to take its opponent seriously. Its instincts told it that this human possessed an powerful energy within him, but it hadn't expected that he could directly enhance Pokémon!
And the amplification was this strong?!
In truth, if Raikou had encountered him before the Gym Leader Qualification Tournament, Sato wouldn't have been able to achieve this level of control.
However, after obtaining the Keystone, and successfully triggering Mega Evolution with Houndoom, Sato had an epiphany… 'what if he infused Dark Energy into it?'
Through gradual experimentation, he discovered that the Keystone functioned more like a "connector", linking Pokémon and Trainer together, allowing energy to be transferred between them!
The difference was that Mega Evolution activated a Pokémon's latent potential using a Mega Stone, with the Trainer providing balance.
Meanwhile, Dark Energy - Power Amplification simply used the Keystone's connectivity function to enhance power remotely!
"Zoroark, Night Daze!"
Sato's own pupils turned pitch black as well. He didn't need to give verbal commands. Zoroark was already moving in perfect synchronization!
The Keystone had another function: enhancing the Trainer's telepathic connection with their Pokémon!