Sato admitted that he'd been slacking a bit lately; he had actually fallen asleep in the library, and quite soundly at that.

But looking at Erika, who clearly wanted to scold him but didn't dare to, Sato couldn't help but find it a little amusing.

"Anyway… Dean Aki said your library card has been processed. You can borrow up to fifty books at once. She also said that if you want to nap, go back to your room and don't set a bad example for the other students..."

Erika's voice grew smaller and smaller as she spoke. With so many senior PhDs and professors at the university, why did Dean Aki have to send her to deliver this message?

'So cruel!'

"Got it."

Sato nodded lightly. The library was cozy and pleasant, but once was enough. Better to leave that space for real university students.

As for him -a long-time active Trainer- he belonged in the training grounds, working hard alongside Absol and the others.

No sooner thought than done. After leaving Erika's office, Sato headed straight to the university's training grounds.

He released all the Pokémon that still needed extensive training. Not many, just three.

Pikachu, Drapion, and Absol.

As for Zweilous, while it hadn't yet reached Ace level, it didn't need much more training either.

What Zweilous needed was to continue accumulating energy while also figuring out how to evolve perfectly.

By "perfectly," Sato meant that neither Lefty nor Righty could disappear. That was also one of the biggest problems Sato hoped to solve at Celadon University.

Absol, too, had officially entered a high-speed growth phase. Each day's training results would determine how solid its foundation could become.

Fortunately, Absol was naturally gifted and had a stubborn personality, making it exceptionally driven during training.

And as for what kind of tactical system Absol should develop, Sato had been thinking carefully during this time and was gradually forming an idea.

Absol's Ability is Pressure. It exerts overwhelming pressure during battle, causing opponents to burn through stamina and mental energy faster.

At first glance, it didn't seem to have any concrete effect, but if you looked at Pokémon with this Ability, most of them were Legendary Pokémon.

When a dozen or more Legendary Pokémon share an Ability, there's clearly untapped potential to explore. And this was another question Sato hoped to get answered at Celadon University.

Beyond its Ability, Absol had an exceptionally high Attack stat, could learn Swords Dance, and possessed a sharp crescent-shaped horn. So naturally, it had to master a variety of powerful offensive moves.

On top of that, Absol could learn one or two moves from nearly all eighteen types, giving it an incredibly diverse offensive coverage.

And Absol also had access to Mega Evolution. Its post-evolution Ability, Magic Bounce, was equally fascinating, potentially making it a powerful trump card.

As for the Mega Stone…

Sato hadn't even started searching for one before the Joy family, already informed, sent one over at lightning speed.

Sato just smiled and accepted it gladly.

He had proven his value with strength, and the Joy family -because of their prior misjudgment- had gone all out to make amends.

There were no deep grudges between them. Naturally, Sato wasn't the type to hold on forever. Still, he understood the difference between giving help during hardship and simply showing up once the sun was out.

Finally, there were Drapion and Pikachu. The former was born for battle with a naturally suited physique, while the latter could survive in most cases just by being cute.

Though Drapion could learn Swords Dance, the presence of Acupressure made its tactical versatility much richer.

Every random Stat boost could instantly shift Drapion's entire fighting style, catching opponents completely off guard.

Of course, that was hard for Drapion, and even harder for Sato.

Figuring out the exact moment to give the right command and trigger a sudden tactical shift demanded extremely high-level command skill from the Trainer.

But without new challenges and variation, why else would Sato continue to train Drapion when he already had so many powerful Pokémon?

And Pikachu posed just as much of a challenge to Sato. A Pokémon not built for battle, how far could it really go under his training?

That said, Pikachu now carried its signature item, the Light Ball, which doubled both its Attack and Special Attack. That made it… not entirely useless.

Still, to become an excellent and powerful Pokémon, Pikachu had a long road ahead.

In the training grounds, the three Pokémon executed each of Sato's assigned training drills with full focus. Despite being on two completely different levels, the three still managed to foster a competitive atmosphere.

Sato wasn't physically sparring with them himself, but whenever a Pokémon encountered a problem during training, he was the first to notice and react.

For Absol and the others, that was more than enough.

--- --- ---

After traveling with Elite Four Drake by boat to the Kalos region, Joseph had temporarily gone his own way.

After some further transfers, he finally arrived at his birthplace: Lumiose City, one of the most prosperous cities in Kalos.

Just as he stepped into Lumiose, an elderly man in a butler's uniform approached respectfully.

"Master Joseph, the head of the family sent me to fetch you."

"Dale, it's been years… you've aged." Joseph still looked a bit travel-worn, but his distinct air made it clear he wasn't just some ordinary civilian.

"I've aged, and so has the master. But you, Master Six, have grown so handsome. When I first saw your photo, I could hardly believe it! You're the spitting image of the master when he was young."

Dale smiled warmly at Joseph. The wrinkles on his face looked almost bittersweet.

But Joseph's face remained cold and silent. The atmosphere between them was even less warm than when they'd first met.

"Sigh… The master has borne so much on his shoulders. Now that you're grown, perhaps you can understand a bit of his dilemma back then."

Still expressionless, Joseph turned and walked toward the extended luxury limousine waiting nearby.

"Let's go."

"Yes, Master Joseph."

Dale let out a silent sigh, then stepped forward to open the door for Joseph.

At the door, Joseph paused for a moment before sitting down. He turned and said to Dale:

"You don't have to be like this. I've been on my own for a long time now, I'm not used to having someone take care of me anymore."

"Master…" Dale trembled slightly, his eyes full of pain and helplessness, but for a moment, he couldn't find a single word of comfort.

--- --- ---

In a certain forest deep within the Hoenn Region.

A Lucario suddenly burst out from the bushes, startling a Zigzagoon that had been nesting nearby, making it tremble in fear.

For a brief moment, it thought it saw a human being carried on Lucario's back…

Zigzagoon: 'IT'S A HUMAN!'

'RUN FOR IT!'