The doorbell rang again!

This time, Gary didn't need his grandfather to remind him. He shouted as he ran, "I'LL GET IT!"

And this time, it was a massive crowd made up entirely of Gym Leaders or Gym Leader representatives from across the Kanto Region. In an instant, the entire lab was packed to the brim.

"You're finally here!" Clair suddenly broke away from the crowd and rushed toward a red-haired man.

Who else could it be but Lance!

Kanto and Johto are neighboring regions, and people often refer to them collectively as the Kanto Region, so naturally, many people knew each other.

As a result, the atmosphere became much livelier than before, and the guests gradually split into small groups based on age, making it easier to find topics to talk about.

"Sato, what are you staring at…? You don't even greet me when you see me. You heartless runt!"

With a slap on the shoulder, Lance jolted Sato out of his daze.

Sato came back to his senses and forced a calm smile. "Long time no see, Lance. Must feel great to be an Elite Four now, huh?"

"Tahahaha1, it's not bad!" Lance had been waiting for that exact sentence, and once he heard it, he grinned from ear to ear.

Soon after, Lance was surrounded by others. As the true leader of Kanto's younger generation, there was never a shortage of people around him.

"What are you looking at so absentmindedly?" Will, who had arrived with Lance, suddenly asked. Clearly, he was sharp and observant.

"Nothing much. Just seeing so many old friends at once got me a bit sentimental." Sato didn't tell the truth. Will blinked but didn't press further, he just gave Sato a light pat on the shoulder and walked away.

Finally left alone, Sato casually glanced toward a group of middle-aged men nearby.

At the edge of that group stood a man in an orange-yellow suit, hair meticulously combed, his eyes half-closed with a faint smile as he listened to the conversation.

'Why is he here?!'

Sato's heart began pounding violently, and adrenaline surged uncontrollably through his body.

The current leader of Team Rocket -Giovanni- had also come to attend the inauguration ceremony!

It seemed Giovanni had sensed Sato's gaze, because he tilted his head slightly, and their eyes locked dead-on.

Suppressing his shock, Sato gave a slight nod.

Giovanni smiled harmlessly and nodded back.

Then, as if by silent agreement, both of them broke eye contact and casually returned to their respective circles.

"Phew..."

Several seconds later, once he was sure Giovanni couldn't see, Sato took a deep breath, feeling secretly relieved. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt

'Good thing Joseph didn't come…'

Sato wasn't certain whether two people who both possessed the Viridian Power would be able to sense each other when close, but his Dark Energy definitely would.

So there was no way he could take that risk!

Because of Giovanni's presence, all the joy Sato had felt about reuniting with old friends completely vanished.

Though outwardly he appeared the same, inside he was silently "praying".

'Arceus… let this inauguration end peacefully and quietly.'

Fortunately, the place setup was nearly complete. Professor Oak had even gone to his room to fix his hair and change into a fresh outfit before appearing once more.

The inauguration ceremony officially began!

Unlike the opening ceremonies of some Department Store chains, the inauguration of the Oak Research Lab was incredibly casual.

There was no talk of auspicious times, no long-winded speeches from officials, and certainly no flashing cameras or swarming microphones from reporters.

The only journalist present was from the League's official media, a proper reporter who wouldn't dare ask any scandalous questions.

Naturally, they didn't dare…

When Professor Oak took the stage, he simply shared a few personal thoughts.

For example, how everything in the past now felt like fleeting smoke, and that he was no longer the Champion of the Kanto Region.

From now on, he was just an ordinary scholar dedicated to Pokémon research and spreading Pokémon knowledge.

He then openly pointed out, regardless of who was in the audience, that most resources were controlled by a small number of people, and it was hard for civilian Trainers to stand out; harsh truths about reality.

Sato quietly glanced around and found that only a few younger Trainers showed thoughtful expressions, but even they quickly returned to normal.

As for the middle-aged and older crowd, they all listened with polite smiles on their faces as Professor Oak delivered his (painful) lecture (scolding). Their ability to maintain composure was unmatched!

And as the former Champion, Samuel Oak's strength was unrivaled at the event, so he had no reason to hold back his words… no one dared to argue with him anyway.

In fact, Sato knew that Professor Oak would spend a long time in the future trying to break down those barriers, so more people could understand Pokémon.

This bold stance moved many hearts, earning deep respect -even admiration- for an old man well past his prime.

Ding-dong~

The doorbell rang again, cutting Professor Oak off mid-sentence. He waved disinterestedly and told Gary to go get the door.

The audience below also breathed a collective sigh of relief. Apart from a few Trainers like Sato and Norman who came from no background, nearly everyone else had just been directly called out by Professor Oak's "speech".

They had come to celebrate… only to be criticized first. Many felt indignant, but could only swallow it.

At that moment, an old man and a young girl walked in slowly, looking travel-worn as if they had come a loooong way.

"Sato!"

A slightly aggrieved voice called out, and everyone instantly turned to look at Sato with meaningful expressions.

Sato spun around in alarm and, sure enough, it was someone familiar.

It was Leader Howard of the Goldenrod Gym, along with his granddaughter, Whitney.

"Grandpa got us lost. We walked around Pallet Town for nearly three hours and still couldn't find the place..."

"L-Lost? I just thought the scenery in Pallet Town was nice, so I wanted you to walk with me a little longer. Didn't we make it here before it ended?"

"Pfft!"

Hearing the exchange between the grandfather and granddaughter, many in the crowd couldn't help but laugh, though they quickly tried to suppress it. The smiles on their faces were impossible to hide.

"Ahem, my dear Samuel… I just got a little too caught up admiring the scenery, that's all, haha..."

Howard had never liked being outdone and would never admit to being bad with directions. Even if the whole world knew it, he would deny it.

Professor Oak had been feeling a bit annoyed, but after Howard's comedic arrival, he couldn't help but smile wryly. His mood visibly improved.

"I just said a lot of unpleasant things, so please don't take them to heart… not that any of you will change anyway."

"H-Hehehe…" The crowd chuckled again, making Sato feel a bit embarrassed for them.

"I didn't invite you all here just to lecture. The banquet outside is ready. Please head over!"

With that, Professor Oak stepped down from the stage, and the crowd dispersed in an uproar, quickly heading outside.

.

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150 PS - CHAP

P@treon/Romeloff

Pokémon Masters EX