Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

-----------------

11:00 p.m. — aboard the express train running from Pewter City to Saffron City, in one of the first-class compartments.

Sato sat in his seat, eating a hearty dinner. But his face looked like he was suffering from constipation. Even with half the meal still untouched, he'd completely lost his appetite.

[Sato, Sato! That fat guy in the next car just waddled off holding his butt again—told you he ate something wrong, but you didn't believe me.]

[Ooh, Sato! Six o'clock—there's a gorgeous lady over there. Big chest, long legs, peachy butt—your type, right? Want me to wingman for you? Oh wait, what exactly is a wingman?]

[Tch~! My charm's too powerful again. That damned male Spearow's giving me the creepiest look. And you're just going to sit there and let him?]

Perched on Sato's head was the ever-talkative Natu. She was hyperactive tonight, watching the parade of people in the train car with great interest while bombarding Sato with nonstop telepathic chatter as he tried to eat.

Since entering human society, this Natu—far smarter than the average person—had absorbed human language and slang like a sponge. Her mind adapted at lightning speed to modern culture.

She'd evolved, in a way—into a chirping, relentless, bird-shaped walkie-talkie.

Fortunately for the world, Sato was currently her only recipient—because if anyone else had to deal with her mouth, she might not survive long.

Tonight, freshly recovered from a snack just a while ago, Natu was once again deploying her newly-learned flirty banter skills—hoping to sweet-talk more treats out of Sato.

Eventually, Sato couldn't take it anymore. Faced with a bombardment of sass from a Pokémon whose psychic power far outclassed his own mental resistance, he caved. He pulled out a pack of snacks favored by Psychic-type Pokémon, quickly tore it open, and placed it on the table.

[Ah~ you always understand me best. I'm not leaving anymore—I'm sticking with you for life!]

Overjoyed, Natu instantly stopped her verbal barrage, zipped down to the table, and dove headfirst into the snack bag, half her body disappearing as she munched away in pure bliss.

At that moment, the Kecleon, who'd been invisible and quietly resting on Sato's shoulder, perked up. Spotting an opportunity, it darted out its long tongue and snatched up a few fallen snack bits for itself.

[Hey, hey, hey! You shameless lizard! Stealing my snacks again?! Spit it out now, and maybe I'll forgive you!]

As a Psychic-type, Natu's senses were razor-sharp. She immediately noticed the theft and angrily berated Kecleon through telepathy while still nibbling.

Unfortunately for her, Kecleon wasn't Sato—and had long since learned how to tune out her mental spam. With a casual wave, it unleashed a Dark-type move and used its Protean ability to shift its typing.

Now cloaked in Dark-type energy, Kecleon completely blocked Natu's telepathic attacks and continued happily munching the stolen crumbs.

Natu wasn't about to let that stand. Her snacking rights had been violated.

Puffing up with indignation, she popped out of the bag and switched tactics—resorting to good old-fashioned verbal harassment to scold the smug chameleon.

Sato, watching this shift of aggression from himself to Kecleon, let out a silent breath of relief and returned to his dinner, quietly amused by the squabble.

He still remembered the first time Natu evolved into this talkative creature—it had left him speechless. Thanks to her antics, he'd received no shortage of weird looks from fellow passengers tonight, especially the women.

He had tried putting her back in a PokeBall. But apparently, Natu had figured out how to teleport out instantly, making containment impossible.

As for driving her off? The thought never really occurred to him. Besides, at this point, the snack-loving freeloader had clearly decided she wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Sure, she could be a bit of a toxic chatterbox—but ever since she joined, the team had become a lot more lively and entertaining. Even Sato's previously sour mood had started to lift.

But that lightness didn't last long. The moment he recalled what had happened earlier at the Viridian Gym, his mood soured again.

Yes, he had technically left the Gym in one piece… but it was with his tail between his legs.

He'd been taught a lesson by none other than Giovanni.

In a 6v6 practice match, Giovanni had used only a single Nidoqueen—and with it, had obliterated all six of Sato's Pokémon.

If it had been a Champion-tier Nidoqueen, Sato wouldn't have felt so bad. But it was just a level 65 Nidoqueen.

Granted, her stats were stellar. She had the Sheer Force ability, was holding a Life Orb, and had clearly been trained to perfection.

But what truly stunned Sato was this: none of her moves were learned via TMs. They were all passed down—taught directly—resulting in mastery beyond anything standard training could offer.

Giovanni had meticulously trained Nidoqueen to unleash devastating combo moves—powerful dual-type techniques that shredded Sato's team.

Against his Shiny Beautifly, Nidoqueen used a Rock-Electric combo move merging Shock Wave and Stone Edge... an instant takedown.

Against his shiny Gyarados, she simply used a boosted Thunder attack, empowered by both the Life Orb and Sheer Force—one hit KO.

Against Arcanine, she used a combo of Surf and Earth Power—a Water-Ground strike that overwhelmed it.

Against Bellossom, she used Sludge Bomb fused with Flamethrower—a Poison-Fire combo that annihilated it.

Against his Flygon, she froze it with a devastating Blizzard, again boosted by her Life Orb and ability—KO in one move.

Only his Swampert managed to hold its ground for a while. But even then, Nidoqueen utilized a flexible, reactive fighting style that turned Swampert's raw power against him.

And Swampert's specialty—Ground-type moves like Earthquake, Earth Power, or the combo Raging Earth—were rendered laughable. Giovanni had trained Nidoqueen to dismantle those with ease, in ways Sato couldn't even comprehend.

In the end, after a grueling clash, Swampert still fell—unable to withstand the sheer force and technical superiority of a Pokémon trained to perfection and loaded with powerful combo moves.

Since it had been a clean defeat—a fair battle with no excuses—Sato had no leg to stand on. He couldn't argue, protest, or negotiate. He just had to stand there and accept whatever "life lessons/guidance" Giovanni had in store.

Truth be told, Sato had overthought it a bit. The big boss Giovanni wasn't actually mad at him for secretly visiting Professor Oak.

In fact, the reason Giovanni had summoned him to the Viridian Gym was simple: he wanted to formally introduce Sato to his trusted inner circle and give him a reality check—something to make him truly respect Giovanni and ideally inspire loyalty in him.

And as much as it hurt to admit, Giovanni's lesson had been incredibly effective. His overwhelming strength planted a seed of fear in Sato's heart that would linger for a long time.

For a long time to come, Sato would tread lightly around Giovanni, with no thoughts of rebellion.

Of course, Giovanni wasn't just about sticks—he knew when to offer a carrot.

As someone who excelled in leadership, he executed the classic "slap and reward" strategy flawlessly.

Knowing full well the troubles Sato was facing, Giovanni handed him a talisman with calming power equal to that of the camphor wood bracelet—an incredibly rare treasure.

He also granted Sato a six-month leave and other generous perks.

Finally, he entrusted Sato with a long-term solo mission—so crucial, and the reward so irresistible, that Sato had no choice but to accept.