Having stayed in Goldenrod City long enough and gained plenty from his time there, Sato bid farewell to Howard and Whitney, setting off towards Ecruteak City.

  As he looked at the letter of reendation for the Ecruteak Gym that Howard had handed him before parting, a subtle sense of gratitude welled up in his heart.

  "Zizi?"

  Spinarak perched on Sato's shoulder, curiously gng at the densely writte oter, but after failing to uand a single word, it quickly lost i and looked away.

  By noon, when Sato turned back, he could no longer see the t buildings of Goldenrod City.

  After a brief rest, he pressed forward, eager to reach Ecruteak City as soon as possible and plete Haunter's evolution.

  ----------------------------

  "Shasha~"

  "Spinarak!"

  "Phh~"

  Pure white silk shot wildly from Spinarak's body, swiftly f a massive web that spread outward in all dires.

  "Furr?"

  From within the low shrubs, a Furret suddenly appeared, frantically hopping away deeper into the forest.

  However, Sato didn't rex in the slightest. His eyes remained sharply focused on his surroundings.

  At some point, the chirping of birds and buzzing of is had pletely vahe forest had gone eerily silent.

  "Spinarak, Toxic Spikes!"

  "Zizi!"

  Dark purple toxic liquid spheres shot into the air before bursting open, evenly scattering around Sato.

  With the web above and the toxic spikes below, Sato smirked and simply stood there, waiting in silence.

  One minute passed… Two mien minutes…

  Sato remained motionless, pletely still—clearly, both sides were exceptionally patient. He lifted his foot slightly…

  Swish! Swish! Swish!

  Three small, fast-flying darts shot towards him from different angles!

  "Protect!"

  "Zizi!"

  At some point, Spinarak had already crawled onto Sato's left hand, all six of its legs gripping tightly.

  With a crisp "Ding! Ding!" two of the darts were deflected by the protective barrier, while the st dart was intercepted by ay Poké Ball that Sato casually tossed!

  "Found you!" Sato thought to himself. Although the moment the darts were thrown, his attackers had already ged positions, as an assassin himself, he khese tricks all too well!

  "Spinarak, Poison Sting! Haunter, Psychic! Zoroark, Extrasensory!"

  Sato swiftly tossed Haunter and Zoroark in two different dires while he charged straight toward the third hidden enemy with Spinarak!

  "Flutter! Flutter!"

  A Golbat shot out from the bushes ahead at high speed, clearly sent out to block Sato.

  "Night Shade!"

  "Zizi!"

  ging tightly to Sato's shoulder, Spinarak's pitch-bck eyes suddenly glowed red. A massive Ariados-like shadow emerged behind it, lunging fiercely at Golbat!

  Golbat's movements stalled for just a sed, but that was all Sato needed. His fist, ed in Dark Energy, struck hard at Golbat's fragile wing joints!

  "Poison it ahead!"

  "Zizi!"

  Spinarak reacted instantly, wildly spraying Toxic over a three-meter radius in front of them, c the bushes in a toxic mist.

  "Ah!"

  Spinarak's venom was ordinary spider-based i poison, unrefined, but even so, it was not something an average person could endure.

  A man dressed in bck tactical gear stumbled out of the bushes, panicked, his body covered in corrosive wounds from the poison. The sight was horrifying.

  "Venoshock!"

  Sato pursued without hesitation, showing no mercy. The order to kill had already been given!

  With the assassin already poisoned, Venoshock's power doubled. The man didn't even have time to scream before being doused iack. The sound of flesh corroding filled the air, apanied by a putrid stench.

  Turning his gaze, Sato saw that Zoroark and Haunter had also located their respective targets.

  Seeing their panion die a gruesome death, the two remaining assassins, the only visible parts of their faces—their eyes—were filled with sheer terror!

  "Zoroark, Night Daze! Haunter, Shadow Ball barrage!"

  As Sato rushed toward them, he issued his and. He couldn't afford to let a single one escape!

  Nine Shadow Balls formed at once, swirling in the air before darting toward one of the assassins. Their only Pokémon, a severely injured Weezing of merely High Ordinary, stood no ce!

  Meanwhile, Night Daze struck even faster. The sheer force of the overwhelming Dark Energy swallowed up the other assassin, sending him flying.

  "If I'm dying, I'm taking you all with me! Weezing, Self-Destruct!"

  "…How foolish."

  Sato stopped in his tracks, watg as the Weezing swelled, glowing white as it rapidly expanded before violently exploding—taking its own trainer as the first victim.

  "Boom!"

  The deafening explosio shockwaves through the area. But when the smoke cleared, Haunter floated out pletely unscathed, grinning pyfully as if nothing had happened.

  Ghost-type Pokémon are immuo Normal-type attacks, so Self-Destruct had… no effe Haunter.

  The assassins came swiftly a just as fast—though not back where they came from, but down below.

  After ing off the minor poison that had gotten on Zoroark, Sato slowly dragged the three assassins' bodies together into a pile.

  "Ghost Ship… three Red-Rank assassins, huh?"

  Finding the inspicuous red badges on each of them, Sato felt a mix of emotions.

  In his past life as an assassin, he had ambushed others in the same way, using the skills he had learned in the Ghost Ship anization. Killing targets above his level was just standard practice.

  After all, most trainers relied orength of their Pokémon rather than their own bat skills. That's why, even after revealing two Elite-level Pokémon, they had only sent three Red-Rank assassins.

  From Ghost Ship's perspective, su arra was more than suffit. Assassins killed people, not Pokémon—there was no need for a head-on battle.

  Unfortunately for them, this time they had entered Sato. Even if they had sent three Green-Rank assassins instead, success was far from guaranteed.

  Looking at the three dead assassins, Sato didn't eveo guess who had sent them.

  With Team Rocket having lost trol of the situation in Goldenrod City, a nobody with no bag—yet perf exceptionally well—had naturally bee the perfect scapegoat for their frustration.

  Direct attacks? The Joy family had shielded him.

  Hidden threats? He could only rely on himself to push through!

  "Larvitar, bury them."

  "Larvitar~"

  Larvitar maniputed its Ground-type energy, causing the soil ahead to sink, easily c the three bodies. Its teique was remarkably practiced.

  Without lingering, Sato quickly left the se. Iy, he wasn't too ed about reinforts arriving anytime soon.

  On the surface, Ghost Ship urely a merary assassinatianization. Every mission required a t to pay upfront, and each attack was meticulously pnned in advance.

  As for failed missions? Sending more assassins? Sorry, that would cost extra.

  Ghost Ship never sought revenge. Even if the employer was a hidden big shot in the shadows, they wouldn't break their own rules.

  However, if another assassination attempt did e… the oppo Sato would faext time would be far more dangerous than this.

  'I o get stronger.'

  A sharp sense ency reignited within him. The peaceful days he had enjoyed might be gone food.

  But Sato's eyes gleamed with excitement!