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"No matter how many points you earn beforehand, once your number tag is taken, it's all for nothing… So that's why alliances are necessary."
After hearing what Maya said, Sato frowned slightly. He couldn't help but feel both shocked and troubled by how brutal the rules of this competition were. At the same time, he finally understood why Maya was so eager to form an alliance.
In the second phase of the competition, relying solely on one's own strength would make it nearly impossible to succeed. The reason? That one rule: if your number tag is taken, you're out.
Sato could already imagine what the rest of the competition would look like—those on the weaker side would instinctively band together for mutual protection. Lone powerhouses, ironically, would be at a massive disadvantage. After all, two fists are no match for four hands.
If he were surrounded, even someone as strong as Sato would likely be eliminated. It wouldn't even be necessary to defeat him—just snatching his number tag would be more than enough.
This was especially true early in the competition. A powerful solo player like Sato would only have one Pokémon on hand, drastically reducing his overall strength. His risk of getting swarmed and knocked out early skyrocketed.
And, since the rules strictly prohibited killing or lethal force—getting caught doing so would result in immediate disqualification—that made things even worse.
This greatly reduced the fear the weaker participants might have. After all, no one was going to die. So instead of waiting to be eliminated by the stronger competitors, why not team up and eliminate the few strong players first, then fight it out among themselves?
It's just human nature. Any reasonable person in this situation would probably do the same.
So, how could the minority of strong trainers avoid being taken out by the masses of weaker ones? The best strategy would naturally be to form alliances themselves—eliminate the weak first, then battle each other later.
However, the biggest difference between the strong and the weak was pride. Strong trainers tended to be extremely self-assured, often arrogant, making it much harder for them to band together than it was for the weak to do so.
If Sato had guessed correctly, the standout participants in this rookie challenge were likely either second-generation elites or direct subordinates personally trained by powerful factions.
These people likely had personalities similar to Marlos and Janine. Strong, intelligent, sure—but emotionally stunted compared to Rocket members who had clawed their way up from nothing.
The thought of getting those people to work together made Sato immediately think of just one phrase: Not a fucking chance.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're one of Lady Sabrina's direct subordinates, right? Then I doubt you're the only one she sent to participate in this rookie challenge. Why didn't you team up with them? Wouldn't they be far more trustworthy than an outsider like me?"
Sato looked at Maya's pleading face and, after thinking for a moment, asked seriously.
"You probably don't know this, but I only awakened my psychic powers about a year ago. Back then, I was just a small-time thug on the streets of Saffron City. And my psychic potential was really weak. People with better abilities and stronger backgrounds than me… There's no way they'd ever look at me as an equal."
Maya's face dimmed as she responded. She lowered her head and cast her eyes downward, her voice laced with disappointment.
Although she had been fortunate enough to awaken psychic powers and drastically change her fate, she'd found her new life wasn't necessarily happier than her old one.
There's truth to the saying: comparison breeds resentment.
Maya's humble origins and mediocre psychic aptitude placed her in a very awkward position within Sabrina's psychic guard. She was often subjected to glares, scorn, and bullying from her peers.
So when she heard the rules of the competition from Sabrina, the idea of allying with those people never even crossed her mind. Not once.
She hadn't even considered forming an alliance with other second-generation elites or faction-trained direct subordinates. Compared to someone like Sato—who had only been with Team Rocket for a short while—she knew exactly what kind of people they were.
Her chances of teaming up with them were close to zero. Unless she was overwhelmingly strong—enough to suppress those elites outright—her background alone would keep her excluded.
Simply put, trainers like Maya and Sato, who had joined Team Rocket midstream, even if they were strong, still didn't belong to the same social circle as people like Janine, Marlos, or other faction-raised heirs.
That's just how society—and organizations—work. The higher up you go, the more rigid the hierarchy. If you want in, you need incredible strength.
That's why the clever Maya chose to ally with Sato. They were both civilian trainers by origin, both midstream recruits to Team Rocket. They had that in common—a shared hardship.
More importantly, Maya recognized Sato's strength. She believed that if they teamed up, she'd have a much better shot at making it through the second phase of the competition.
"I see now. Well, I accept your offer to form an alliance. I'm looking forward to working with you, Miss Maya."
After listening to Maya's explanation, Sato fully grasped her current situation. He nodded at her and extended his hand, smiling.
"I knew you'd agree to partner with me. Here's to a good partnership, Mr. Sato."
Maya's face lit up the moment she heard his agreement. Her earlier gloom was swept away as she reached out to shake his hand joyfully.
After confirming their alliance, the atmosphere between them warmed considerably. Maya also shared more intelligence with Sato—everything she knew.
The two of them spent nearly an hour discussing their strategy for the second phase. Finally, satisfied, Maya took her leave. With the help of an Alakazam (recently evolved from her Kadabra), she vanished from Sato's sight in an instant.
"Psychics really do have it easy when it comes to travel. Just one Teleport and you're already miles away. Well, with her around, I won't have to worry as much about being mobbed at the start."
Watching Maya vanish so effortlessly, Sato turned toward the sea and spoke with a trace of envy.
The real reason he had so readily agreed to her proposal after learning the rules wasn't just because he needed a strong ally—though that was part of it.
The bigger reason was Maya's identity as a psychic.
She had been trained by Sabrina, and she had powerful Psychic-type Pokémon under her command. That meant she likely had excellent tracking and recon capabilities (like precognition or marking with psychic energy).
In other words, Maya's ability to Teleport and reunite with him quickly was a massive advantage in the early stages of the match.
With a psychic on his side, he'd have a much better shot at escaping if he ever got swarmed.
"I'm only allowed to use a designated team of six Pokémon, and the second phase will last a full three weeks. I really need to start preparing."
After a moment, Sato recalled all his Pokémon except Crobat. Then he had Crobat carry him as he flew toward Cinnabar Island.