[Hello everyone, welcome~! What we're watching now is the final match of the Sinnoh Region Elite Four Tournament!
On one side, we have Cynthia from Celestic Town, undefeated since her rise to fame, A ONCE-IN-A-CENTURY GENIUS TRAINER!
On the other, the Steel Armored Elite Four, long known as the 'Sinnoh Fortress,' whose countless victories and honors have kept him firmly seated as the top Elite Four. UTTERLY UNSHAKABLE!
But today, who will emerge victorious? That remains to be seen…]
On TV, the impassioned commentary roared continuously, pushing the already high-profile match to an even greater climax.
Having just finished his own match against Pryce, Sato couldn't immediately fly to Sinnoh to support Cynthia in person, so he could only watch the live broadcast as a show of moral support.
On screen, Cynthia led with her elegant and proud Milotic, while the Steel-Armored Elite Four sent out a gleaming Skarmory.
But the battle had barely started when Milotic, gliding freely through the air, began toying with the winged Skarmory, leaving it spinning in circles.
"Sis-in-law is awesome~! But seriously, who's the fish and who's the bird here…"
Mark stared at the TV without blinking, speaking with a mix of admiration and curiosity.
Sato glanced at Mark and decided not to answer.
Soon, Milotic knocked Skarmory to the ground, securing a decisive advantage.
It wasn't a hard win.
Just watching the first round, Sato could already tell Cynthia had grown even stronger, and the image of her invincibility from his hazy memories was starting to align with the current her.
Combined with Pryce's mid-match forfeit yesterday, Sato felt no joy from winning through strength alone.
The pressure in his heart increased sharply. In just a moment of distraction, Milotic had already, despite taking heavy damage, defeated the Steel-Armored Elite Four's second Pokémon.
'No suspense left.'
Sato shook his head, losing interest in continuing to watch.
…But remembering that his girlfriend might ask about the battle details later, Sato forced himself to keep watching.
4:0!
The match ended even faster than expected. Cynthia swept the field using only three Pokémon, including Garchomp.
No one questioned whether the Steel-Armored Elite Four had gone easy. Because everyone could feel Cynthia's strength and the difference in power between the two sides!
[Heh… the future is yours now.]
As the Steel-Armored Elite Four spoke those words to Cynthia, clearly relieved, Sato's eyes narrowed.
Something's wrong…
SOMETHING'S OFF!
Same kind of scene, same kind of outcome… but Pryce's expression had been completely different!
Thinking back carefully to yesterday's match, when Pryce had said those words to Sato, his expression had been calm and emotionless the entire time.
As if… he was completing a task!
Bzz~bzz~bzz~
Just then, Sato's phone suddenly began to vibrate, cutting through his thoughts.
"…President?"
Seeing the caller ID, Sato was puzzled. The old man had never called him before, why today?
Without thinking further, Sato answered the call.
Two minutes later, while Mark was still engrossed in listening to the post-match commentary, he suddenly saw Sato dart past like a gust of wind.
"Boss! where are you going?"
"Mt. Silver."
"Oh, then come ba… wait, why are you going that far? And in such a rush?"
Mark quickly ran after him, only to see Sato riding on Honchkrow, already a small black dot in the sky.
"…What the heck just happened?" Mark muttered, starting to feel worried. After a moment of thought, he turned and walked back into the room.
---◓---
That same afternoon, Honchkrow, flying at full speed, had already delivered Sato to Mt. Silver, the Johto League Headquarters.
"Good job."
After returning the exhausted Honchkrow to its Poké Ball, Sato strode swiftly into the main building, where President Goodshow's secretary was already waiting for him at the entrance.
"Elite Four Sato, please come with me. You're the last one we're waiting for!"
"Okay."
Without saying much, the two of them hurried through the building and quickly arrived at the door to the conference room.
As the door opened, everyone inside instinctively looked over.
President Charles Goodshow, Vice President Nagasawa Shin, Pryce, Sen, Lance, and the other three members from the Elite Four Tournament's Top 8 were all present, along with several core senior officials.
Goodshow and Pryce both had blank expressions, betraying no emotion.
Sen's brow was furrowed, seemingly troubled by something.
Lance wore a slightly amused and curious look, as if saying, "I'm just here to watch the drama unfol~."
Clap Clap Clap!
"Alright, now that everyone's here, Pryce, go ahead and tell us what you're thinking."
Goodshow, seated at the head of the table, clapped his hands and brought the room to order.
Sato took his prearranged seat near the front and exchanged a glance with Lance.
'Is this for real?'
'It is.'
'Doesn't feel that simple.'
'Of course not.'
They finished the exchange the moment Sato sat down, then naturally turned their attention to Pryce.
"I'm getting on in years and no longer have the strength to serve as an Elite Four. During the recent tournament, I witnessed the League's new generation, and they are more than capable of taking over. It's time for me to retire."
Pryce's tone was calm, as if resigning from the Elite Four was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Sen's brow furrowed even more. Nagasawa Shin looked completely shocked, as if hearing this for the first time. Goodshow wore an expression of reluctant regret.
Among the Elite Four Tournament competitors, aside from the already-retired Kōmei, Siegfried, Edward, and Shuto all had complex looks on their faces.
Why call them here at this moment… was this some kind of hint?
"…Pryce, thank you for everything over the years."
Finally, breaking the silence, President Goodshow spoke first. He didn't try to stop Pryce or blame him, just offered a single line filled with unspoken meaning.
The typically expressionless Pryce gave a rare smile. "Heh. Can't compare to you. I'll just head back to Mahogany Town and enjoy life as a laid-back Gym Leader."
Having stepped down from the Elite Four, Pryce seemed more relaxed than ever. He didn't even call Goodshow by title… he spoke as if they were just old friends.
Goodshow laughed heartily, clearly pleased with Pryce's attitude. Then he asked, "So, who do you think is the best candidate to fill the vacant Elite Four position?"
It was a casually worded question, but it instantly put many people on edge.
Siegfried knew that as long as his nephew Lance was still serving as an Elite Four, he had no chance of advancing, but he still entertained the fantasy.
As for Shuto and Edward, they subconsciously straightened up in their seats, eyes burning as they looked toward Pryce.
But Pryce simply shook his head, completely ignoring Goodshow's question… or rather, his test.
"I've already retired. Don't ask me about something that important."
Immediately, everyone's attention shifted back to President Goodshow, wondering if he would make a direct appointment.
But all Goodshow did was click his tongue, then turn to look at the current three Elite Four, Sato included.
"…What about you three? Do any of you have someone to recommend?"
In that moment, the room's focus split three ways, eyes drifting between the faces of Sato and the other two.