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"A Thunder Stone… and it's not a bad one either. What a shame. My Pichu can't possibly use a Thunder Stone—not even a top-grade one," Sato muttered silently to himself, shifting his attention from the map in his hand to Marlos, noticing the crystal-green stone with lightning-like streaks in the latter's hand.
"How about this? If you agree to my upcoming request, both this map and this top-grade Thunder Stone are yours. Free of charge. Just so you know, top-quality evolution stones can actually improve a Pokémon's potential. If your Pichu evolves into Pikachu and uses this, its aptitude will rise even further."
Seeing Sato glance doubtfully at the Thunder Stone in his hand, Marlos smiled and took the chance to explain, his voice smug with superiority. Deep down, he was already cursing Sato as a backwater hick.
"No need. I'd rather stay a spectator. Marlos, as much as I'm really interested in what you're holding, I don't trust you. Let's call this meeting off like it never happened."
Before Marlos could even voice his conditions, Sato threw the map back to him without hesitation, his expression calm.
Although Marlos hadn't spelled it out yet, Sato had a pretty good idea of what the man wanted—he likely intended for Sato to help eliminate Janine, a major thorn in his side.
But what Marlos probably didn't know was that it had been Sato who secretly leaked the information about the Key Stone and Mega Stone to Team Rocket. If Marlos ever found out, he'd want to tear Sato to pieces.
After all, we're talking about billions of PokeDollars. In essence, the whole debacle had been orchestrated by Sato alone to wrest that fortune from Marlos' hands. No one had sabotaged Marlos worse than Sato had.
So yes, Sato wasn't just Marlos' enemy—he was someone Marlos would kill without hesitation if he ever got the chance.
Sato understood this perfectly. Deep down, he hoped Janine would kill Marlos without even knowing the full story. As for helping Marlos? That was a joke.
Sato knew exactly what kind of man Marlos was. He'd already sold out people like Janine and Maya, who had once been fairly close to him. Why would he treat Sato any better?
Marlos' character was rotten to the core. Working with him was like negotiating with a tiger to borrow its skin. Sato guessed the only reason Marlos had come to him at all was because he couldn't find anyone else desperate or foolish enough to collaborate with him.
That in itself spoke volumes about how hated Marlos was even within Team Rocket. Helping him would just drag Sato into a mess and make enemies of the many people hoping for Marlos to die.
As for the map, Sato did feel a little regret. It probably was genuine.
But it was a hot potato. If Giovanni ever found out he was hiding a map like that, Sato would be finished in Team Rocket.
And if Marlos survived this ordeal, he'd definitely use it to blackmail him later.
After weighing the risks, Sato had no hesitation in kicking Marlos to the curb.
"You've got a death wish!!!"
Marlos' face flushed bright red—like a cooked Magikarp—as he trembled with rage at Sato's blunt rejection, especially at being called untrustworthy before he could even speak.
Killing intent surged off him as he hurled multiple PokeBalls into the sand, releasing Ampharos, Electabuzz, and Electrode.
"What now? You really want to start something here? A loser like you still dares to act tough. Tch."
Sato's eyes narrowed, his gaze cold and full of killing intent as he stared Marlos down without flinching.
"Swamp!!"
As soon as Sato finished speaking, his Swampert stomped forward with force, causing the ground beneath Marlos and his Pokémon to quake violently.
Then, letting out an ear-splitting roar, Swampert's aura surged to its peak—instantly transforming into a mountain-like pressure that bore down on Marlos and his team like a terrifying beast.
High above, Crobat had already taken flight. A massive white cyclone formed in the sky under its control, pulling in even the drifting clouds. Winds began whipping violently through the air, and waves surged along the shoreline.
Meanwhile, Bellossom raised two bright green energy orbs the size of soccer balls in both hands, releasing an intense aura that made the Electric-types beside Marlos shudder instinctively.
Hiss hiss hiss...
As for Arbok, the snake's chest pattern had already shifted into its speed variant. Coiled and upright, its massive head loomed, glaring sinisterly at Marlos atop his Magneton. Its forked tongue flicked in and out menacingly.
Marlos instantly felt his scalp go numb and a chill spread down his spine, that familiar fear of death washing over him—memories of nearly being killed by Arbok resurfacing vividly.
He realized, with horror, that the distance between him and Arbok was less than five meters. Given its speed, Arbok could snap his neck in under a second.
'If we fight now… I'll die.'
That cold splash of terror extinguished the fury burning in Marlos' chest. He finally realized he had underestimated Sato far too much. This was not someone he could push around. If they actually fought, he'd be the one lying dead in the sand.
"You're good, Sato. Real good. We'll see how long that luck holds."
Face ashen, Marlos retrieved all of his Pokémon and forced out a final threat before slinking off with his sour-faced subordinates.
"What a fucking clown… Anyway—hey, you two over there. You've been watching for a while now, haven't you? Come on out already. Hiding like that isn't good."
Watching Marlos flee with his tail between his legs, Sato scoffed disdainfully. Then, turning his head toward a dense patch of bushes nearby, he spoke coldly.
While talking to Marlos, Sato had already received a discreet message from Crobat, alerting him that someone else was lurking nearby.
At first, he'd assumed it was one of Marlos' people, so he'd stayed cautious while preparing to confront him.
But when the hidden party neither stepped in nor left with Marlos, Sato concluded they weren't on the same side.
Sure enough, a rustle of leaves came from the bushes he'd been watching.
Moments later, a blonde woman in a flower-green dress and a cold-eyed girl in a dark-purple ninja outfit stepped into view—it was Maya and Janine.
'Well, well, well… so it's them. Marlos, you poor bastard. You're dead for sure. Your every move is being watched by your enemies. How the hell are you gonna survive this?'
Seeing them emerge, Sato couldn't help but mentally light a candle for Marlos—and wish him a peaceful death.