Chapter 121: Garden Tea Party

"Sato, someone's looking for you!"

"I'm coming!" Sato tilted his head slightly and called out, but his gaze remained focus on Ariados and Carvanha.

At that moment, Carvanha was covered in multiple strands of silk, looking rather pathetic.

On the other hand, Ariados wasn't doing much better, its body was soaked, clearly having endured several Water-type moves.

"That's enough for now. Take a break, everyone!" Sato clapped his hands, signaling the battle's end.

The moment Carvanha heard Sato's command, it leaped straight into the water, it was exhausting maintaining its levitating state.

Ariados shook off the water droplets on its body before running over to a sunny spot to bask in the sun.

Sato didn't say much more; it was the first day back, so his Pokémon deserved a good rest. He then turned and headed toward the living room, where White was leaning against the doorway, waiting for him.

"You know someone from the Kato family?"

"I helped a guy named Kaede Kato in Mount Silver. You know him?"

"Never heard of him!"

Sato glanced at White, not interested in wasting words, and walked into the living room.

...

"Sato! Why did you leave yesterday before I could properly thank you?" Kaede Kato stood up from the sofa, greeting him enthusiastically.

Sato nodded at him and his cousin, Hantou, before shifting his gaze to the third person in the room, an elderly man with a head full of white hair.

"I am Kaede's grandfather, Gen Kato. I came here today to personally thank you for helping my two incompetent grandchildren in Mount Silver," Gen Kato said, bowing slightly with a serious expression.

"It was nothing, Mr. Kato. No need to mention it," Sato shook his head, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

Once seated, Kaede immediately launched into a detailed recount of their encounter.

He repeatedly expressed his deep regret for their failed attempt to steal from Sato and once again extended his gratitude.

Sato remained mostly silent, while White, ever the social butterfly, excitedly asked for more details, making both Kaede and Hantou feel somewhat awkward.

Fortunately, White's presence prevented the atmosphere from turning stiff, while Gen Kato sat quietly, watching Sato with a warm smile, occasionally nodding along to the conversation.

By the time Sato finished his third glass of water, White and Kaede had become fast friends, chatting away about topics unrelated to Mount Silver.

"Ahem, Kaede, let's get to the main reason we're here," Gen Kato finally spoke, seemingly noticing that Sato was starting to lose patience.

"Oh, right! Sato, this is for you." Kaede snapped back to the moment, quickly pulling out a delicate envelope.

"This is an invitation to the Garden Tea Party in Ecruteak City. It will take place in a week, hosted by the famous Kabuki family of Bell Tower. Consider this a way of appreciation for helping me and my cousin."

"Garden Tea Party!" White exclaimed exaggeratedly, snatching the invitation with eyes full of excitement.

Sato was equally surprised, though for an entirely different reason than White.

The Garden Tea Party in Ecruteak City was a prestigious event hosted by the esteemed Kabuki family of Bell Tower, focusing on the arts of dance, tea ceremonies, flower arrangement, and traditional music.

For high society, this was a must-attend event.

People like White, for instance, were simply eager to admire the beautiful Kabuki performers.

However, Sato's excitement stemmed from a completely different reason, because at that event, he had obtained his third Pokémon partner in his past life: Umbreon!

Of course, at this point in time, that Umbreon had likely just hatched and was still an innocent, clueless little Eevee.

Back then, the reason he had ended up capturing Eevee was because the head of the Kabuki family, Fuyuko, had been assassinated during the Garden Tea Party!

And Sato, by sheer coincidence, had been involved in the incident!

Amidst the chaos, he had discovered a small, trembling Eevee hiding in the shadows and effortlessly captured it.

From then on, that Umbreon had followed him through countless dangerous missions.

Thinking about his adorable, clingy, and affectionate Umbreon, Sato couldn't help but grin even wider.

"Hey, hey! Wake up, wake up! Look at you, grinning like a fool, haven't you ever seen the world before?" White smacked the invitation onto Sato's chest with a loud smack, turning his head away in mock disgust.

"Hehe, each invitation allows two guests to attend," Gen Kato added with a chuckle.

"Sato! Let me be your loyal sidekick! I'll follow you everywhere, no questions asked!"

"..."

Sato grabbed White by the collar and pried him off his body, then shot another glance at Gen Kato.

'This old man… scheming as ever!'

"Thank you. I'll be there on time," Sato solemnly accepted the invitation. He had been struggling to figure out how to obtain Eevee, and this gift was something he couldn't refuse.

Stealing or snatching it wouldn't be appropriate, he wasn't some reckless assassin. But now, with this invitation in hand, it was as if a pillow had been given to him right when he wanted to sleep, the perfect start!

.....

Five days later, Lance, Will, and Clair had returned from Mt. Silver. However, just as they arrived, it was time for Sato to leave, this time, heading to Ecruteak City.

Rose Joy wasn't particularly interested in the Garden Tea Party, and with Lance and the others wanting a couple of days to rest, they decided to sit this one out.

So, in the end, the only one accompanying Sato was White.

They boarded the Magnet Train, and after a day's journey, they arrived in Ecruteak City, where the Kabuki family of Bell Tower had already sent people to greet them.

...

Being an ancient and prestigious family, they naturally had plenty of guest rooms. By the time Sato and White settled in, several other guests had already arrived ahead of schedule.

After making himself comfortable, Sato immediately left his room and, relying on his memory, went to the place where he had first encountered Eevee in his past life.

Unfortunately, aside from the workers setting up for the tea party, there wasn't a single Pokémon in sight.

Sato felt a pang of disappointment, but thinking about it rationally, it made sense. Although the Kabuki family specialized in raising and training Eevee, that didn't mean they were so wealthy that they could afford to let them roam freely.

In his past life, the only reason he had encountered Eevee was because of the chaos caused by the assassination of the family head.

Many of the hired servants had even started stealing and fleeing with valuables, and in that state of utter disorder, one little Eevee had been accidentally left behind, giving Sato the perfect opportunity to capture it.

Revisiting the memories of the past Garden Tea Party, Sato carefully pieced together every detail in his mind. With everything set, all he needed to do was wait for tomorrow.

The next morning, Sato and White both woke up early, fully rested and ready for the Garden Tea Party, each with their own hidden agendas.

"What are you planning to watch?"

"Everything! Though I may be but a humble man, I have deep appreciation for the fine arts, flower arrangement, tea ceremony, music, and dance all deeply interest me!" White wiggled his eyebrows at Sato, flashing a knowing smirk.

"Then go enjoy yourself. I'll be waiting at the dance stage."

"Ohhh~~ So after wandering around aimlessly yesterday, it turns out you had… Heh heh heh!"

Smack!

Sato slapped White's face with his palm.

"My body is still that of a kid, damn you!"