Chapter 15: The Town Where the Winds of Change Blow

Since every Poké Ball within the organization was equipped with remote tracking permissions, escaping meant that none of them could be taken along.

Before leaving, Sato destroyed his insignia and all his Poké Balls, scattering the remnants far from the underground tunnel, discarding them into the undergrowth before escaping through the passage Tyranitar had carved out.

The night was dim, tree shadows swayed in the wind, and within an unknown forest, a sudden disturbance sent a flock of sleeping Pidgey into flight.

Underneath the towering roots of a massive tree, Sato emerged silently alongside Zorua and the others.

Beneath the intertwined roots, a small tunnel opening was barely visible.

This passage was once dug by Tyranitar back when it was still a Pupitar. Though not large, it was just big enough for a ten-year-old child to pass through.

"Stay close!"

After sealing the tunnel entrance, Sato called over Zorua, Haunter, and his newly acquired Larvitar, which had yet to be placed into a Poké Ball.

Without the constraints of a Poké Ball, Zorua seemed completely unbothered.

However, Haunter, who had once suffered under Sato's training, hesitated. At this moment, it was free—it could simply vanish without being bound to him.

Sensing Haunter's inner conflict, Sato halted his steps, turning back to watch its decision.

While Haunter possessed Elite Four potential, and had even slightly improved after evolving, it was still only Elite Four-level at best.

In this new life, Sato's minimum goal was to match his past life's peak at the Elite Four stage. Haunter had only barely met that requirement.

Over the past months, Haunter's strength had grown rapidly under Sato's training, and its role in his escape had been crucial.

In a way, they were even now—neither side owed the other anything.

"Kehehe… Kehehehehe!"

After struggling internally for a moment, Haunter finally floated toward Sato, its usual mischievous gaze replaced with determination—neither the fear from Dark Energy purifications nor its usual playful demeanor remained.

Maybe it was the desire to grow stronger.

Maybe it was the reluctance to venture alone.

Or maybe, it was Zorua's expectant gaze watching it from the side.

Ultimately, Haunter chose to stay—willingly, without any coercion.

"You'll become even stronger."

Sato's voice was firm, though it wasn't spoken like an oath—it was simply a fact.

Then, without hesitation, he turned and continued forward.

Behind him, Haunter's usual grin returned, floating playfully as it followed along.

Zorua let out a quiet yip, happy for both Haunter and Sato.

Meanwhile, Larvitar watched everything in silence, a flicker of confusion and contemplation in its eyes.

Without saying a word, it moved its short legs, following Sato's lead.

In his past life, Sato had participated in new recruit trials multiple times, both as a participant and later as a pursuer capturing runaways.

This experience meant he was deeply familiar with the surrounding landscape.

The trial forest of the Ghost Ship Organization was hidden within a secluded region of the Indigo Plateau, right under the nose of the Kanto Pokémon League headquarters.

It was a brilliantly deceptive strategy—hiding in plain sight had allowed the organization to evade detection for years.

Furthermore, the Indigo Plateau was covered in vast, ancient forests, and with Ghost Ship operatives using Teleport-capable Pokémon, their movements were almost impossible to track.

Rather than heading to the nearest town, Sato carefully maneuvered through the dense forest, using his disguise and reconnaissance skills to avoid powerful wild Pokémon he couldn't handle.

Whenever possible, he even took time to train his Pokémon, while also gradually recovering from the aftereffects of his self-healing process.

While passing through a small village of about a hundred residents, Sato happened upon a commotion.

A swarm of Raticate had emerged from the forest, ravaging the villagers' crops, leaving them in distress.

Seizing the opportunity, Sato helped drive the Raticate away and was rewarded by the village elder with a simple yet brand-new outfit.

Sato ran his fingers over the intricate stitching of the new clothes, feeling an unexpected warmth from the genuine gratitude and kindness he had received after helping others.

Silently, he placed the village elder's hidden savings back in their place before putting on the warm clothes.

On an autumn night, as he quietly departed the village, strong winds whipped against his new outfit.

Not cold at all.

Sato grinned, the shadows deep in his eyes gradually fading.

Though he still carried a mature air, there was now a spark of youthful vigor—something he hadn't realized he had lost.

"Zor!"

Zorua, ever sensitive, noticed a change in him, though it couldn't quite tell what had changed.

Meanwhile, Haunter continued floating around carefreely, while Larvitar—who had been silent for most of the journey—tilted its head upward, catching sight of the unusually wide smile on Sato's face.

"It looks... bigger than before."

As he continued his journey, Sato passed through several more villages, occasionally helping them deal with troublesome wild Pokémon.

In return, he managed to acquire new Poké Balls and enough money to cover his meals for the short term.

One week later.

Sato arrived at Cerulean City's wealthy district, standing before the burnt remains of his former home.

Since his sudden disappearance, all of his assets had been seized by the police and left unclaimed.

To avoid disturbing the surrounding residents, the charred remains of the villa had been covered by a green protective wall, though a few families had still chosen to move away.

Sato retrieved the one million Pokédollars he had hidden before, placing them into his spatial backpack, ready to leave—until he heard the sound of crying from the neighbor's house.

Quietly approaching, he caught the familiar murmuring voice of the old woman next door.

"Little Sato… no matter where you are, I hope you grow up safe and healthy… Grandma is sorry… I didn't know…"

A weight pressed against Sato's chest.

Aside from Zorua, had there really been someone else who still worried about him?

For a moment, he nearly stepped forward.

But he stopped himself.

He couldn't risk dragging her into this.

What he didn't know was that the Red-rank assassin responsible for recording his data had never uploaded his information into the system.

Even if he revealed himself now, Ghost Ship would have a hard time tracking him.

But Ghost Ship was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

On the surface, it appeared to be a pure assassination syndicate, able to infiltrate both the legal and criminal underworlds.

Yet, after reaching Gold-rank assassin in his past life, Sato had come to learn the truth.

Ghost Ship wasn't just another underground organization.

It was the hidden force behind Team Rocket—the true ruler of Kanto's criminal underworld.

That was why he had been so desperate to escape.

The depth of the organization's influence was unfathomable.

It wasn't something an ordinary person could involve themselves with.

…Then again, he supposed, he wasn't exactly ordinary either.

"Haunter, deliver this to the old woman inside the house. And don't scare her."

"Kehehe~"

Haunter found the request boring, but under Sato's warning glare, it obeyed without question, phasing through the walls.

Moments later, the sound of joyous crying echoed from inside.

Satisfied, Sato made a mental note to remember Haunter's help for this task.

Adjusting the hat over his head, he quickened his pace, leaving Cerulean City behind.

From this moment forward, he had nothing left to hold him back.

What kind of life should he live this time?

Sato already had the answer.

Half a month later…

In Johto, at the New Bark Town Pokémon Center, Sato approached Nurse Joy with Zorua by his side.

"Please heal my Pokémon. Thank you."

"Of course! No problem."