While Sato was overwhelmed with joy, Wallace wasn't doing so well.
Staring at the unconscious Walrein lying on the field, Wallace had only one thought.
'Why did I lose again?'
All his years of training… most people wouldn't even believe it if he told them.
Even if Walrein wasn't his strongest Pokémon, it was still one of his main team members.
…So how did it end up being defeated by Sato so easily?
And that final Night Daze "Sphere". Wallace wasn't even sure if his Milotic could have taken that head-on.
"If you don't recall Walrein soon and get it treated, its injuries might actually become life-threatening."
Joseph's voice came from beside Wallace, snapping him out of it.
"What are you doing here?"
Having lost the battle, Wallace was in a foul mood. The smile that had never once dropped from his face was gone now.
"I'm a Breeder. Of course I came to check how badly Walrein is injured."
"…Then why don't you help treat it?" Wallace didn't say that out loud, because he knew Joseph had no obligation to do so.
Joseph glanced over at Sato, who was still beside Zoroark, then turned back and said quietly to Wallace, "Sato once told me there are three rivals he respects most on his journey. Do you know who they are?"
"Who? Lance?" Wallace had a vague guess about what Joseph was about to say, but it still felt hard to believe.
"Lance is one of them. And the other is Steven, who comes from the same place as you.
And those two… one had already become a member of the Elite Four, and the other was reportedly about to challenge the Elite Four himself.
…And the third one he mentioned, you've probably guessed, is you."
Wallace opened his mouth, unsure what to say.
He had lost to Sato twice now. Yet the other had still placed him on the same level as Lance and Steven?
'Was it… just because he was too handsome?'
Wallace shook his head. As much as he liked that answer, he knew that couldn't be it.
"It's strange, right? I thought so too. Why would Sato hold you in such high regard? The moment he heard you were at Lake Valor, he came running like an excited pup."
"Describing your friend like that… isn't very nice." Wallace had been feeling miserable, but now he couldn't help laughing at Joseph's wording.
"Just speaking the truth. And since he misjudged you this time, he couldn't even deny my teasing."
Wallace's smile faded. He now understood why Joseph was here… to mock him?
"Honestly, I don't see what makes you comparable to Lance or Steven," Joseph didn't hold back anymore. His sharp words pierced Wallace like a blade.
"Or maybe… it's that flashy but ultimately hollow battle style of yours?"
"If you only came to say that-"
"That's exactly why I came." Joseph cut him off. He had been talking casually until now, but at that moment he turned to face Wallace directly.
"Think about everything you put into hosting this performance 'competition' and everything you got out of it. Did you actually find Trainers who want to seriously pursue this path of performance? Or did you just throw money around to get a bunch of people to flatter you, making you think it was a success?
During that time, how much training did you miss out on? How much energy did you waste on irrelevant people? Have you even counted?"
Joseph rarely spoke, but when he did, every word hit where it hurt the most.
Wallace's expression didn't change, but his eyes were dazed, cold sweat dripping silently. He looked at the blond man before him and couldn't come up with a single rebuttal.
"Guess why I'm saying all this to you? To scold you awake? No. I say this…" Joseph suddenly gave a bright smile and turned to look at Sato.
"Just because I don't want him to be too disappointed… Take care of yourself, Wallace."
Joseph walked over to Sato and Mark and began dutifully checking Zoroark's condition.
"…What did you say to Wallace just now? He doesn't look so good," Mark whispered nervously.
"I told him we're putting all our expenses these past few days on his tab. And if he doesn't have the cash, he can invoice me for reimbursement," Joseph said with a straight face.
"Huh? Why would you say that now? We're still in his territory. Should've waited till we left to bring that up!"
Mark bought it and grew increasingly anxious. If Wallace really came over with receipts, the expenses from the last few days… that'd be a fortune!
"Relax. Wallace said this amount is nothing for him." Joseph replied with perfect seriousness.
"For real? Then how about we try the open-air hot springs tonight? I heard they're amazing for relieving fatigue~" As expected, Mark started pushing his luck.
"You don't fight or do anything. What are you tired from?"
"I… I was emotionally overwhelmed from watching the match. I need to relax!" Mark pulled out an excuse and even placed his hands on his hips, proud of how clever he was.
"Alright, Zoroark's awake. Let's go." Sato interrupted their daily banter. At his side, Zoroark had truly become a Mid Pseudo-Elite Four Pokémon.
With its current strength, what would happen if it used [Dark Energy: Energy Amplification] again?
Just thinking about it made Sato a little excited.
Before leaving, Sato hesitated, then walked over to Wallace.
"No matter what, thanks for hosting us. I hope next time we meet, I won't be hearing about your scandals." Sato finished his sentence and turned to leave, giving Wallace no chance to respond.
"SATO!"
Behind him, Wallace suddenly shouted, "Next time we meet, I won't let you step over me to rise again!"
Sato turned his head slightly, gave a faint smile, and waved his right hand before walking off without looking back.
"…So dramatic," Wallace muttered under his breath, then saw his personal butler walking over.
"Mr. Wallace, the hotel would like to discuss compensation regarding the battlefield damages." The butler smiled professionally, but his words were blunt.
Wallace's mouth twitched as he looked at the battlefield… devastated almost entirely by Sato's Zoroark.
His heart sank.
'Why is it that I lose the battle… but I still have to pay for the damage?'
As the three walked back to their room, Mark kept mumbling nonstop, annoying Sato enough to make him visibly impatient.
"What do you want to say?"
"I was thinking, Wallace probably won't use that Skorupi anyway. He's such a generous guy… if you went and asked him for it, boss, he probably wouldn't refuse, right?"
The moment Mark finished, Sato stopped walking and turned to look behind him, lost in thought.