Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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The adrenaline rush from the battle dissipated, leaving Sato exhausted. After returning to the five-star hotel with his Pokémon team, he enjoyed a hearty late-night meal. 

By 11 PM, he was already sound asleep.

The next day, Sato woke around 7 AM. A solid nine hours of restful sleep had restored him to peak condition.

Looking at the sunlight streaming through the window, Sato had a sudden impulse: he wanted to experience the morning of Saffron City. He had seen the city at night but hadn't had much opportunity to observe it during the day.

Before heading out, Sato prepared breakfast for his Pokémon. While Swampert now enjoyed a specialized diet tailored for it, the other Pokémon continued to eat premium store-bought food.

Sato had underestimated the effects of top-tier Pokémon food. Not only did it slightly enhance Swampert's strength, but it also provided far more energy than regular Pokémon food. 

Currently, just one standard serving of Swampert-specific food was enough to satisfy it.

Swampert seemed delighted with its custom meal, eating with unbridled joy as if it were savoring the most delicious dish in the world. Its face lit up with a goofy, satisfied grin.

"It looks like I'll need to gather more recipes for Pokémon food," Sato thought as he sighed internally. "But if I make personalized meals for all of them, I might go bankrupt. For now, only my core Pokémon can enjoy this treatment."

He noticed the other Pokémon casting envious glances at Swampert. Sato could only shake his head in helplessness.

He understood that specialized Pokémon food was a luxury affordable only to wealthy families and powerful organizations. If any ordinary trainer could afford it, those dominant families and factions wouldn't have their edge and might as well quit and take up farming.

The only reason Sato could make Swampert's custom food was due to a series of fortunate events, with the critical piece being the Lilycove Compendium. 

If he hadn't risked his life to save Elsa, he wouldn't have obtained this precious resource.

Additionally, Sato's financial stability, far beyond that of a typical elite trainer, played a significant role. Without sufficient funds, he wouldn't have been able to purchase the expensive ingredients required.

Another major factor was his connection with Wallace, whose influence had enabled Sato to acquire the Deep Sea Scale, the final and most essential ingredient for the premium Pokémon food.

Sato calculated the costs: with 10 scales yielding up to 500 portions, each meal for Swampert cost at least 50,000 PokeDollars. This calculation didn't even include Sato's labor. 

If that were factored in, the cost would double.

After all, raw ingredients were just that—raw. Only through Sato's precise craftsmanship could they be transformed into effective Pokémon food for Swampert.

In truth, Sato's ability to create such food was his most valuable asset. If he sold it, he could easily turn a profit. But doing so might attract unwanted attention, leading to his potential capture by a powerful faction who would force him to mass-produce the food in secrecy.

"Keeping a low profile is the wisest approach," Sato mused. "The dominance of powerful families and organizations makes sense. When their chosen trainers receive these privileges from the start, it's no wonder they grow so strong over time."

Sato reflected on the challenges ahead. Each of the Elite Four and Champions he needed to surpass was backed by formidable factions and had been groomed for success since childhood. 

Learning the secrets of premium Pokémon food only deepened his respect for their strength.

He now better understood why Pryce's Piloswine, Lance's Dragonite, and Giovanni's Beedrill could stand up to legendary Pokémon. 

The sheer amount of resources poured into their training was astronomical.

Still, Sato wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. He had over nine years to prepare and improve. With his current team of promising Pokémon, he believed in their potential.

Together, like a family, they could achieve greatness.

Instead of having breakfast at the hotel, Sato decided to explore the streets of Saffron City and enjoy its morning atmosphere.

Dressed in red-and-white trainer attire, he carried an incubator with a Pokémon egg in one hand. On his shoulder perched his Golbat, now accustomed to daylight. 

Sato's appearance drew attention, especially with the egg occasionally wobbling and the imposing figure of Golbat.

Golbat's presence ensured Sato an easy path through the bustling streets.

Eventually, Sato stopped at a crowded breakfast shop where the aroma of food was irresistible. Finding an empty seat just vacated, he sat down.

This shop's specialty was clearly hot dogs, as advertised by the massive sign outside. The enticing smell had passersby stopping in their tracks.

Sato ordered a large original hot dog set from a friendly waitress. While waiting, he took out a clean towel and carefully polished his Pokémon egg. 

Judging by its frequent movements, the Pichu egg inside was developing well and would hatch soon.

Once done, Sato retrieved a bottle of red liquid from his bag. After attaching a special straw-equipped cap, he handed it to Golbat.

Though Golbat had already eaten earlier, the surrounding aromas had reignited its appetite. Seeing Sato offer its favorite drink—bottled nutrient-rich blood—it happily slurped it up.

Satisfied with Golbat's content expression, Sato smiled. His purpose for keeping Golbat by his side was to deepen their bond.

In recent times, Golbat's position in the team had subtly shifted from frontline to second-line.

As Sato's starter Pokémon, Golbat held a special place in his heart. Despite this, its current strength was somewhat lacking. This was primarily because it hadn't yet evolved into Crobat.

Sato believed that once Golbat evolved, its potential would be unlocked. Moreover, with Crobat's size and strength, it could serve as his flying mount for long-distance travel.

Thus, Sato focused on strengthening his bond with Golbat, hoping it would evolve soon. After all, they had been through so much together, and their bond was already incredibly strong.

Ten minutes passed, yet Sato's hot dog hadn't arrived. Glancing around, he saw the waitstaff apologizing to impatient customers.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass rang out, followed by shrieks from frightened patrons.

Turning toward the commotion, Sato saw a Persian leap through a broken window with a large hotdog in its mouth. Behind it, a group of Meowth followed suit, each carrying stolen food.

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Time to acquire another new Pokemon!