Chapter 118: Volcano Lake

Zoroark moved swiftly through the trees and rocks, its body weaving seamlessly between obstacles as Sato leaned forward slightly on its back, closing his eyes to sense the Pokémon around them.

For more than half a year since his reincarnation, his Dark Energy had remained stagnant, neither increasing nor improving in any way.

Dark Energy was the foundation of his strength, and while Sato outwardly showed no signs of impatience, deep down, he was desperate to enhance it.

Simple meditation could only accelerate its recovery, but it no longer provided any actual growth. 

However, during yesterday's battle in Luminous Swamp, his Dark Energy had increased slightly. Though the improvement was minor, it was enough to surprise and excite Sato.

This was one of the reasons he wanted to train alone, Dark Energy was his ultimate trump card, something he wouldn't expose unless absolutely necessary.

As his Dark Energy strengthened, the most noticeable effect was that his detection range expanded. Previously, he could sense six-type Pokémon within a 20-meter radius, but now, it had increased to 21 meters.

It wasn't much, but the further he progressed, the harder it was to improve, even a single meter was a rare gain.

So whenever he was alone, Sato would keep his Dark Energy active, hoping he might unexpectedly discover something worthwhile.

Just two hours ago, he had successfully captured a Primeape with Pseudo-Elite Four potential. Sato didn't particularly like its aggressive temperament, but he knew there were plenty of trainers who did.

However, encountering high-potential Pokémon while sprinting at full speed was purely a matter of luck.

By now, they had climbed halfway up the extinct volcano. Perhaps due to its volcanic nature, the slope was unusually smooth, with short, sparse trees.

Aside from Volcano Lake at the summit, the slopes had very few Pokémon habitats, which was why Sato felt comfortable riding Zoroark openly up the mountain.

"Zorooar~"

"What is it?"

Zoroark tilted its head slightly, and Sato followed its gaze. About 200 meters ahead, a group of three men and one woman was also rushing toward the summit, heading for the lake just like them.

"Ignore them," Sato withdrew his gaze and patted Zoroark's back before closing his eyes again, though he remained slightly more alert than before.

Zoroark increased its speed slightly and subtly adjusted its path, shifting away from the other group.

While it wasn't afraid of them, it didn't want unnecessary trouble.

Sato noticed Zoroark's small maneuver but chose not to intervene.

He knew that to certain people, he and Zoroark would look like prime targets, a young trainer with an unknown Pokémon.

If he could avoid trouble, he would, but if he couldn't, well…

It would come down to who had the stronger Pokémon or strenght. Sato had never feared such encounters.

-----

As they neared the summit, it became impossible to avoid other adventurers.

Many of them looked at Sato with curiosity. For someone his age to enter the inner regions of Mt. Silver alone, he was either being secretly protected by a powerful trainer or was a true genius.

Some may have considered the idea of stealing from him, but for now, they held back.

Crossing the mountain ridge, the early winter winds reddened Sato's cheeks, but the breathtaking scenery of Volcano Lake made it all worth it.

A serene lake, mist curling above its surface, and lush green forests encircling the shore, viewed from above, it was like a hidden emerald within the vast expanse of Mt. Silver.

However, at the lake's edge, a cluster of tents disrupted the otherwise pristine view.

For safety, many trainers had gathered into small camps, watching out for one another while also keeping each other in check.

Sato considered his options for a moment before commanding Zoroark to take a different path, steering away from the main encampments.

"There are too many people here."

Zoroark circled halfway around the lake, but most of the ideal camping spots had already been taken.

"A popular mission, yet this is the scene I find," Sato shook his head and continued directing Zoroark to search for a spot.

After circling around for more than half an hour, he finally found a decent location not far from the main encampment.

With the sun now high in the sky, Sato pulled out a pre-prepared meal from his backpack and quickly ate without much thought.

He then arranged for his Pokémon to eat in pairs, ensuring they all got a proper meal before taking an hour-long break.

Once everything was settled, Sato brought Carvanha to the lakeshore and began an intense training session.

Underwater ambushes, rapid directional changes, move chaining, explosive power training, live combat practice, each exercise was methodically planned.

Carvanha gritted its teeth and pushed through, determined to reach the Elite level as soon as possible.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadow beneath the water was quietly observing their training, even mimicking some of the techniques with surprising accuracy.

Though the training session was loud, causing a few passersby to stop momentarily, none lingered for long. In such a noisy environment, even if a Totodile were nearby, it would likely have already fled.

Sato was focused entirely on training, holding onto the mindset that capturing a Totodile was purely up to chance.

--------

Three days passed, and the number of adventurers around Volcano Lake had significantly decreased.

Doing a quick mental count, Sato estimated that nearly half a month had passed since the sighting was first reported, meaning the initial frenzy was finally dying down.

Sato continued Carvanha's training. Even though Carvanha could fight on land, it was ultimately still a fish, training in water remained the most logical approach.

Lakes were scarce in the inner regions of Mt. Silver, and now that fewer people were around, Sato figured he might as well stay a few more days.

As night fell, the glow of the campfire flickered.

Zoroark lay beside Sato, its front paws crossed while it fixated on the flames.

Sato leaned against Zoroark, absentmindedly flipping through a book detailing strange tales about Mt. Silver.

Perched on a tree branch nearby, Gengar sat cross-legged, blending perfectly into the darkness.

The three of them were simply digesting their meals.

Suddenly, Gengar's eyes snapped open.

Zoroark's ears twitched, and its body tensed, immediately drawing Sato's attention.

Sato's gaze sharpened, though he didn't lower his book. Instead, he slowly expanded his Dark Energy outward.

From just behind him, a faint yet highly repulsive aura seeped into his perception.

"Fighting-type? Bug-type?" Sato muttered, still speculating when another distinct aura appeared to his right, this one brimming with excitement.

"Dark-type. Two different attributes... is this a coordinated ambush?"

Sato smirked. Back when the lake was crowded, no one dared to act recklessly out of fear of exposing themselves.

Now that fewer people were around, they had chosen him as their target? How exhilarating!

Licking his lips, he felt no fear, only anticipation. It had been quite a while since his last predator-on-predator encounter.

Still maintaining a steady rhythm, he casually turned another page of his book.

Zoroark kept its eyes fixed on the fire, while Gengar, completely invisible, moved quietly to scan the surroundings for any additional threats.

The hostile presence drew closer, now less than five meters away.

"Night Daze!"

"Zoroark!"