Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof

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

While Noda was scheming his escape and Vanna was commanding her powerful team of Pokémon against the Aron swarm, Sato was fulfilling his promise and speaking candidly with Thomas.

"This operation's success is thanks in no small part to you, Thomas. Here—your number tag and space backpack. Returning them to their rightful owner."

Still bandaged in many places, Sato walked over to the equally bandaged Thomas and handed over a number tag and space backpack with a warm smile.

Thomas had played a crucial role in the battle against Ranka. It was his all-out effort to stall Ranka's Zweilous that allowed Sato's plan to be carried out successfully.

Because of that, Sato's impression of Thomas had greatly improved. After what they went through together, the two could be considered comrades who had faced life and death together. Their bond had grown much closer.

At the very least, Sato no longer considered Thomas an outsider, and he had begun to think about accepting him as a trusted companion.

"Thank you, sir. I only did what little I could. This operation only succeeded because you turned the tide yourself."

Seeing Sato return his number tag and space backpack, Thomas—who had still been a little on edge—felt deeply reassured. His faith in Sato was now fully justified. Smiling gratefully, he took the items and responded modestly.

After this battle, Thomas had completely submitted to Sato's strength. This was the man who had practically taken down Ranka single-handedly. Thomas believed that in time, Sato would rise to greatness.

He had made up his mind to cling tightly to Sato's rising thighs. From now on, he would follow him no matter what—even if Sato tried to push him away, he'd shamelessly stay by his side.

"No need to be modest. You really made a big contribution in this fight. If you hadn't risked everything to hold back Ranka's Zweilous, I couldn't have defeated him so smoothly. I saw everything you did."

"But now that Ranka—our biggest threat—is gone, our collaboration ends here. So what are your plans from here on out?"

"If you want to leave now, I won't stop you. In fact, I'll help you catch a few high-potential Pokémon as extra compensation for helping me defeat Ranka. I might not be that impressive overall, but I have a good eye for Pokémon. I guarantee they'll all be top-tier with excellent potential. If you train them properly, making a name for yourself in Team Rocket won't be difficult."

"Of course, if you don't mind, you can continue traveling with me. But think carefully—I'm not going to sit around and wait for this tournament to end. I'll be actively seeking out other contestants to battle. Dangerous fights like today's will only become more frequent. If you choose to follow me, you'll be constantly walking into danger. You could die any day."

"But I promise you this—as long as you don't betray me, I'll never abandon you."

Sato, seeing Thomas's modest demeanor, smiled even more warmly. After praising his contribution in the battle again, he grew serious and offered Thomas two choices.

At this moment, Sato was being completely honest with Thomas—and for the first time, officially extending an olive branch.

"Lord Sato, please allow me to continue following you. From now on, I'll take your lead in everything."

Hearing Sato's words, Thomas's face lit up with excitement. He didn't even hesitate—he chose the second option immediately, dropping to one knee to show his loyalty and sincerity.

To Thomas, the two options Sato offered were really just one.

He knew very well that Ranka's strength was among the top tier of all the contestants—one of the rare elites.

This island was vast—encountering an opponent like that again wouldn't be easy.

And now that Sato had even defeated Ranka, with the way his strength had been growing on the island, even if he ran into another Ranka-level opponent later, he could always escape easily, if not win outright.

Aside from trusting Sato's strength, Thomas also had great faith in Sato's ability to pick Pokémon.

Take his own Seismitoad, for example. It had been hand-picked by Sato, and in the recent battle, it had played a critical role in holding back Ranka's Zweilous.

The fact that his Seismitoad had held its own against a specially-trained Zweilous spoke volumes about its potential. After the battle, Thomas had already decided to make Seismitoad one of his core Pokémon.

Thomas believed that if he stayed loyal and worked hard, Sato would continue helping him find excellent Pokémon—and maybe even take the initiative to do so.

In other words, the second choice included all the benefits of the first—plus more—and carried little added risk.

If all it took was some danger to gain a steady supply of excellent Pokémon and steadily grow stronger on this island, anyone with a functioning brain wouldn't pick the first option.

"Good. You've made the right choice. I guarantee you won't regret this."

Seeing Thomas accept without hesitation, Sato was clearly pleased. Smiling with satisfaction, he solemnly helped Thomas to his feet and patted his shoulder firmly.

From this moment on, he was no longer a lone commander. He had begun building a force of his own in this world.

Though that force was still very small—just himself and Thomas, still under Team Rocket's umbrella—he believed that one day, this strength would grow. One day, it would become his foundation for standing tall within Team Rocket—and maybe even the world.

Thomas was just as thrilled. While he wasn't sure if he was Sato's very first subordinate, he knew for certain that he was among the first to follow Sato before he rose to power.

And once Sato secured a high-ranking position in Team Rocket, there was no way he'd forget him. He'd ride those coattails right to the top. As the saying goes, "When one person ascends to heaven, even their pets are blessed." That's exactly how it worked.

"Lord Sato, what should we do next? Should we return to the temporary camp at the foot of Tauros Mountain, or stay here and continue exploring?"

Having now officially become Sato's subordinate, Thomas quickly slipped into his role. He looked at Sato respectfully and waited for instructions.

"The big battle just ended, and our Pokémon aren't in top condition. To be safe, we'll head back first. After a few days of rest, we'll resume exploring the uncharted areas."

Sato smiled slightly at the question and offered a response that Thomas thought was incredibly wise.