Chapter 355: No Need to Thank Me

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Sato underestimated the sheer madness of the Black Serpent Gang. He realized that his previous act of mercy had been taken as a sign of weakness, making them believe he was either too soft-hearted or easy to bully.

So, when he saw this group of thugs once again barging in uninvited and attacking others without a second thought, a murderous intent rose in his heart. 

At this moment, they were nothing more than a gang of violent criminals—undeserving of pity.

Once, they might have been unfortunate victims themselves, but they had long since turned rotten, using their tragic pasts as an excuse to inflict suffering on others. Such people were no longer worthy of sympathy.

This time, Sato did not hesitate. He felt no resistance in his heart—he was simply eliminating a menace. 

He showed no mercy. 

Any Black Serpent Gang member or Pokémon that was looting and causing chaos in the restaurant became a target for his Pokémon's unrestrained attacks.

To be fair, the gang members who showed up this time weren't weak. A quick scan with his system's detection function revealed that their Pokémon were, on average, over Level 20—making them the elite of the Black Serpent Gang.

Unfortunately for them, while they might be considered formidable among Pewter City's various gangs, they were nothing more than cannon fodder before an elite trainer like Sato.

With just Swampert, his Shiny Beautifly, and Meowth in action, the entire group—both trainers and Pokémon—was utterly crushed in a matter of moments. 

They never stood a chance.

The ones defeated by Shiny Beautifly and Meowth were at least still breathing, albeit covered in wounds from razor-sharp wind blades or slashing claws. There was still a chance they could be saved.

But those who had been struck by Swampert's powerful punches weren't so lucky. Even if they had somehow survived, their lives as normal people were effectively over.

Kosuke had expected Sato to be strong. From his attire and earlier performance, he had assumed Sato was a skilled but inexperienced elite trainer.

That was why he had brought all of the Black Serpent Gang's best fighters to ensure victory.

However, he had never imagined Sato would be this powerful—strong enough to take on more than ten people at once and utterly annihilate them without breaking a sweat. 

More importantly, Sato was no naive rookie. When he fought, there was not a shred of mercy.

In just a few minutes, all of Kosuke's trusted subordinates were either dead or gravely injured, leaving him completely alone.

As a seasoned criminal who had spent years lurking in Pewter City's underworld, Kosuke immediately recognized the overwhelming aura radiating from Sato—the kind that he knew all too well.

Though his opponent was young, he was clearly no kind-hearted fool. If anything, Kosuke knew that someone like Sato would never spare a person like him.

Looking at the situation, it was clear that Sato had no intention of letting him go. Kosuke realized he had made a grave mistake. Running away blindly would be the worst possible choice—his only chance of survival was to fight with everything he had.

"Houndoom, use Flame Burst on the civilians! Come out, Weezing—use Smokescreen!"

Kosuke's eyes flashed with cruelty as he glanced at the restaurant's owner and the nearby waiters. Without hesitation, he commanded Houndoom to attack them.

At the same time, he released a Level 38 Weezing and ordered it to unleash a dense smog to cover his retreat.

In the next instant, Houndoom spewed a jet of flames toward the restaurant owner and the nearby staff. At the same time, the scar-covered Weezing emerged, releasing a massive cloud of toxic black smoke from its many pores.

"You're just begging for death, aren't you? Use Earth Power and Icy Wind."

Seeing Kosuke's tactics, the killing intent in Sato's heart grew even stronger. Without hesitation, he ordered Swampert to counter.

Swampert's eyes gleamed with an earthy yellow light as it stomped forward. The ground in front of the restaurant owner and staff immediately surged with Ground-type energy, forming a protective wall of earth.

Houndoom's flames crashed into the barrier and were completely blocked, failing to reach the civilians.

At the same time, Swampert opened its mouth and exhaled a gust of bone-chilling wind.

In an instant, the toxic smog was blown away, and Kosuke—along with his Pokémon—found their movements significantly slowed.

After undergoing specialized training in Saffron City, Swampert's Icy Wind had improved tremendously in both power and effectiveness, rivaling that of fully evolved Ice-type Pokémon.

Now, under the influence of the freezing gale, Kosuke and Weezing quickly lost body heat, their movements stiffening as a layer of icy frost spread across them.

"Houndoom, charge at that bastard with Crunch! Weezing, self-destruct!"

Kosuke, feeling his body freezing up, knew that if he didn't make a last-ditch effort now, he would be completely finished. Gritting his teeth, he gave his Pokémon the most desperate order possible.

Houndoom and Weezing had been raised by Kosuke for years. Even though they understood that he was essentially sacrificing them, their loyalty never wavered.

Houndoom immediately erupted in searing flames and lunged at Sato with its fangs bared.

Weezing, meanwhile, began glowing an intense white as heat waves radiated from its body. The freezing frost that had covered it melted away, and it charged forward just like Houndoom, prepared to explode.

"Pathetic struggle. Use Hammer Arm and Ice Punch."

Kosuke's ruthless decision to abandon his Pokémon and escape made Sato frown. He briefly felt a trace of pity for the two loyal Pokémon—but in an instant, his expression hardened again.

Swampert stopped using Icy Wind and clenched its fists. Its left hand gleamed with a brilliant white light, while its right hand was encased in a layer of frozen energy.

As Houndoom leaped toward Sato, Swampert struck first. Its left fist shot forward in a blur, slamming into Houndoom with devastating force.

BAM!!

Houndoom was sent flying, crashing through the restaurant wall and landing in the nightclub across the street.

As for Weezing, just as it neared Swampert, the white glow of its impending explosion suddenly flickered and died out.

A look of terror filled its eyes as it realized, no matter how much it tried, it could no longer activate Explosion!

Before it could react, Swampert's icy fist slammed into it, sending it hurtling through the air—directly toward Kosuke, who had been attempting to flee.

With a dull crash, Weezing collided with its trainer, using him as a human shield before both of them smashed through the wall of the nightclub.

Sato exhaled deeply, brushing dust off his clothes. Then, he retrieved a bundle of cash from his pocket and placed it in front of the restaurant owner.

"Here's payment for my meal and my share of the repair costs. As for the rest of the damages, you can take it from them. No need to thank me. Goodbye."

With that, he recalled Swampert, dusted himself off, and—under the awe-filled gazes of the onlookers—soared into the night atop his Shiny Pelipper.

A moment after Sato vanished, the restaurant owner finally snapped out of his daze. His entire body trembled before he let out a long, agonized wail.