Chapter 85: The winner is the king

Read upto 25+ advance chapters exclusively on my Patreon - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

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

In fact, Ichiro had obtained the information that Sato possessed a wild Growlithe from the Wild Wolf Gang—more specifically, from a gang member who sold the intel to him.

It had played out exactly as expected. When Ichiro Yamaguchi approached Sato before the Wild Wolf Gang could, they knew that their "fat sheep" might be snatched away by someone else.

The Wild Wolf Gang didn't dare offend someone like Ichiro, a spoiled rich kid, because he was a frequent buyer of their "premium products." He and others like him were their main clients.

After stealing Sato's Growlithe, the gang planned to sell it to Ichiro, who had recently asked them for a strong fighting dog. Of course, they intended to charge him far more than the price he had offered Sato, inflating the value by several times.

However, what surprised the Wild Wolf Gang was that Sato showed no interest in Ichiro's offer and flatly refused the deal. Even more unexpectedly, Ichiro didn't press the matter, which gave the gang hope that they might still be able to snatch Growlithe from Sato by force.

Looking at the heavy losses suffered by the Wild Wolf Gang, Ichiro Yamaguchi's decision to not forcefully buy Sato's Growlithe seemed wise. Unfortunately for the gang, their major client now believed that they had tried to use him as a pawn.

"This guy is ruthless, killing them all and even setting fire to the scene to cover his tracks," Ichiro muttered as he read the newspaper report, which mentioned that the battle had sparked the blaze. "Good thing I didn't cross him, or I'd be no better off than those sewer rats."

After finishing the article, Ichiro Yamaguchi let out a deep breath, his face tense. He placed the newspaper back on the table, then reclined on the soft couch, deep in thought. After a few moments, he sat up and tapped a goblet on the table with a spoon.

Soon, a muscular young man in a suit and sunglasses appeared by Ichiro's side. After he whispered a few words to him, the attendant bowed respectfully and left.

"It's better to make friends with a guy like that," Ichiro thought, swirling the wine in his goblet before downing it in one gulp. "If he gets even stronger one day and remembers that I once tried to buy his Growlithe, I don't want him coming after me. Besides, he's a Trainer worth investing in—might be useful in the future."

Meanwhile, in an old-fashioned office at the League police station in Viridian City, Officer Jenny was also reading the latest edition of the newspaper. Her expression wasn't just displeased—it was downright grim.

"They closed the case so carelessly," Officer Jenny muttered in frustration, pursing her red lips. While they hadn't found any useful evidence at the fire scene the night before, the trail wasn't completely cold.

One lead came from a witness who saw Sato being cornered by the Wild Wolf Gang in the maze-like alleys. Now, with the gang wiped out and Sato missing, it was hard to believe this case had nothing to do with him. Although the deceased were gang members who likely deserved it, this was still a murder case.

Officer Jenny didn't buy the idea that Sato had no connection to the incident. What infuriated her was that there had been no further investigation into the case—higher-ups had already ordered it closed. For someone raised with a strong sense of justice, it was frustrating and infuriating.

In Officer Jenny's mind, even if Sato had acted in self-defense, under League law, he couldn't just kill people at will. And this wasn't just one or two people—it was 12 lives, plus an unknown number of Pokémon. He was practically a walking death machine. If left unchecked and not steered onto the right path, he would inevitably become someone who operated outside the law.

"No, I have to find him. I can't let this slide," Officer Jenny said firmly, placing the newspaper down. She put on her police cap and left the station with her Growlithe by her side.

As Officer Jenny left the police station, in a lavish office within Viridian Gym, a woman in a Team Rocket Captain's uniform, named Sophia, was respectfully reporting to a young man with his back turned to her.

The young man, a bit over twenty years old, stood tall and wore a tailored black designer suit. He was gazing out of the window towards Viridian Forest, while a muscular Persian lay obediently at his feet.

"I understand. You may go. I've already suppressed the matter. Continue with your task," the tall young man said after Sophia finished her report. His tone was calm and indifferent, revealing nothing of his emotions.

Hearing this, Sophia quickly nodded and respectfully exited the room.

"Interesting... 12 Wild Wolf Gang members, easily outwitted and eliminated by the target, even their relatively strong leader lost his life. Young, decisive and capable... not bad at all," the tall young man thought to himself, his eyes glinting as a slight smile appeared on his lips.

In reality, when Sato had killed the Wild Wolf Gang members, someone else had been watching—the whole time. That person was Sophia, who had been secretly observing Sato with the help of her Gengar's excellent hiding abilities. She had witnessed everything clearly from nearby.

Sophia's report to the young man had detailed how Sato cleverly used the alleyways to wipe out the Wild Wolf Gang and also included comprehensive information on Sato's background and the wilderness survival trial he had completed over the past week.

After Sophia left the room, the young man slowly turned around and pressed a concealed switch on his desk. Shortly after, a burly man wearing an elite Team Rocket uniform knocked and entered the room.

The tall young man gave him a few instructions, which the Rocket elite accepted with a deep bow before leaving.

"A little reward is in order. After all, good seedlings need some nourishing fertilizers to grow strong," the tall young man said, stroking his Persian's head with a smile.

"Meow~" The Persian, sensing its master's good mood, closed its eyes and purred contentedly, happily accepting the affection.

If Sato had lost everything to the Wild Wolf Gang last night, it would have been a clear sign of his weakness, and such a fate would have been deserved. The world is often cold and unforgiving like that. However, since he had overcome a stronger foe and secured a decisive victory, he had demonstrated his value—enough to attract investment.

Winners gain fame and fortune, while losers are forgotten. The reality of the world is often that simple and stark.

While those few who knew the truth about the incident began to act, Sato, after finishing feeding his Pokémon early in the morning, quickly checked out of the small inn. He headed straight towards the Pokémon Contest Hall in Viridian City.