Cacturne and Murkrow reached Ace level together. Cacturne's was expected, but Murkrow's came as a complete surprise.
Before coming to Sinnoh, Sato had already set his goal: to have all his Pokémon -except for Murkrow and Zweilous- reach Ace level.
Well, Pichu didn't count either…
Pichu: 'Wait… I still have a role in this?'
So even though they hadn't traveled through all of Sinnoh and the journey hadn't been that long, their growth had been explosive.
Not counting the slumbering Elite Four "Ralts", Sato already had 11 Pokémon at Ace level… and every one of them was a top fighter for their rank.
At the same time, Sato's Dark Energy had also improved significantly over the past few years, and he had further developed the special abilities derived from it.
Once he realized how relying too often on Mega Evolutions could lead to dependency, Sato gradually reduced his use of them.
Unless his life was on the line, in regular battles Sato chose to trust in the strength of his partners.
After recalling Cacturne and Murkrow, the group of four didn't say much. Instead, they walked around Lake Acuity like ordinary tourists, taking in the beautiful scenery with quiet appreciation.
Mark, as always, couldn't stop goofing around: teasing one person, then another, a third one, a… not resting for a second.
Sometimes Joseph got annoyed and shut him up with a few sharp words, but before long, Mark would be at it again.
Sato would occasionally throw him a side-eye, but most of the time he just couldn't be bothered.
After all, habits are terrifying things.
Most of the time, Cynthia wore her usual calm expression, watching the three of them mess around with a faint, hard-to-read smile on her lips.
But no one could ignore her presence. Just her height alone -over 1.7m1- already set her apart from most girls.
Add to that her strength, and while "commanding without anger" might be an exaggeration, the air of a queen was clearly beginning to form.
Even someone as reckless as Mark didn't dare joke around too much in front of her. Of course, the difference in gender also played a role.
Cynthia, however, was constantly plagued by a global dilemma…
One, that occasionally, broke her "strong-leader" image.
What… flavor of ice cream should she choose?
Vanilla, matcha, chocolate?
Strawberry, mango, Ovaltine?
Some say that every encounter is for the sake of parting. Every person, every Pokémon, even every leaf will eventually walk their own path into solitude.
Lake Acuity, being the agreed final stop for the four of them, meant that arriving here was also the beginning of farewell.
As they seriously admired the view, what they were truly looking at was the precious friends beside them.
Strictly speaking, Cynthia hadn't been traveling with them for long, but she was one of the very few people whom Sato fully accepted as a "companion".
By evening, the four of them arrived at the Pokémon Center by the lake to rest for a while, but no one wanted to be the first to bring up parting ways.
Umbreon and Glaceon snuggled close to each other. It was clear they had made their relationship official. Knowing their time together was short, neither of them wanted to waste even a single moment.
Joseph borrowed the kitchen from Nurse Joy and prepared a massive, lavish dinner. Right in front of Cynthia sat a special plate…
An exclusive ice cream platter.
"Sato once said, 'Only kids make choices. In the future, you can just have it all'." Joseph pointed at the ice cream and smiled as he spoke.
Cynthia's eyes curved with joy as she smiled warmly. She glanced at Sato. "That does sound like something you'd say."
Sato smiled helplessly; he'd just been sold out by Joseph. But seeing the atmosphere become more lively because of it, he didn't really mind.
"We're heading back to Johto soon. Cynthia, why don't you come with us? I'm super free~ I could be your tour guide!"
Mark was the first to officially bring up the farewell, but because the mood was good, everyone remained relaxed.
Before Cynthia could even respond, Sato cut in first: "You get lost."
Mark: '…Some truths are better left unsaid. I was just being polite!' (σ;Д)σ
Everyone burst into laughter. After the noise died down, Cynthia took a small spoonful of ice cream, then slowly said, "…My grandmother already has plans for me. If nothing changes, I'll become a League Investigator."
"Whoa! Isn't that the same as Lance? Are you aiming to become an Elite Four too?" Mark exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide.
"…Do you think Lance only wants to be part of the Elite Four?" Cynthia shot back, her smile unchanging.
"Champion! The current Champion of the Sinnoh Region is pretty old now," Joseph added, quickly putting the pieces together. He was a bit surprised, but not opposed to the idea.
"…Yeah, only kids dream of being Elite Four. I want to be Champion…" Cynthia mimicked Sato's tone, and Sato could only roll his eyes.
"Then I'll be friends with the Champion someday? THAT'S AMAZING!"
Mark shouted excitedly, completely forgetting that he already was an Ace level Trainer at his age, far beyond most people his age.
Becoming a Champion… might be difficult, but becoming an Elite Four Trainer was well within reach.
Maybe he hadn't realized it because he'd been the "mascot" for so long, he'd started to believe it himself.
"Sato's not doing so bad either. Maybe he'll be your region's Champion someday~" Cynthia smiled and turned the focus toward Sato.
Mark instantly turned to Sato. Compared to "my friend is a Champion," "my Boss is a Champion" sounded way cooler.
Sato gave a sly smile and asked Cynthia, "And you only want to be a Champion?"
'You mimicked me? Then I'll mimic you. Bragging's free, so let's go all out today.'
"Boss! Be reasonable… I mean, isn't becoming Champion enough already?" Mark was stunned by Sato's words and almost blurted out what he really thought.
Becoming Champion wasn't enough?
Do you hear yourself?
Cynthia was momentarily stunned, then smiled… but deep inside, she was a bit shaken. 'After Champion… what else is there?'
"Boss, aside from Legendary Pokémon, is there really anyone stronger than a Champion in this world?" Mark asked directly, voicing the question that lingered in Cynthia's mind.
Sato shook his head, signaling that he didn't know. 'I was just bragging, and here you go digging for meaning…'
"Pokémon Master!"Joseph, usually quiet, suddenly spoke. Everyone turned their eyes toward him.
"Pokémon Master… what's that?"
Joseph glanced at Mark, then slowly explained, "My mother once told me that the founder of the Pokémon League possessed power that surpassed even Champions…
He represented humanity and stood as an equal alongside the Legendary Pokémon. That's how he succeeded in creating the Pokémon League, uniting chaos, ending war…
In the end, both humans and Pokémon called him the 'Pokémon Master'. The only… Pokémon Master."
Whether it was true or not, Mark and Cynthia were fascinated. But what caught Sato's attention most was that Joseph had, for the first time, mentioned his family.