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After earning a brief moment of peace, Sato quickly pulled a small detection device out from his pocket and glanced at it. Seeing that the red indicator light wasn't blinking, the concern in his heart eased.
Each contestant's badge had a miniature signal transmitter embedded in it, and this palm-sized detector was designed to pick up the signals emitted by those transmitters.
The signal released by each badge was very faint, with a range of about five kilometers. If the detector picked up another badge's signal, the red light on it would begin to blink.
Furthermore, the closer the detected badge was, the faster the red light would blink.
According to the competition rules, contestants were prohibited from damaging or placing their badges into storage spaces. If a signal was interrupted, it signified that the contestant had been eliminated prematurely.
Now, the detector in Sato's hand was completely dim, which naturally meant that there were no other contestants within a five-kilometer radius.
This outcome made Sato very pleased. After all, his earlier command for Arcanine to burn down the forest might have drawn attention from other nearby contestants.
Currently, Arcanine had consumed a significant amount of stamina due to the long-distance running and intense battle, and the freshly captured Ariados was still gravely injured.
If they were to run into another contestant right now, Sato would undoubtedly be in a dangerous situation.
After confirming that no one else was nearby, Sato put the detector away and took out several top-grade healing sprays from his storage bag.
Then, he removed a black PokeBall from the belt on his waist—the one containing Ariados.
"Come out, Ariados."
After a moment's hesitation, Sato pressed the button on the PokeBall, releasing the severely injured Ariados inside.
In the next second, a flash of white light burst forth, and the burned Ariados appeared in front of Sato.
Clearly terrified of Arcanine, Ariados froze the moment it spotted the Fire-type Pokemon staring at it. Trembling, it dropped flat on the ground, not daring to make eye contact with Arcanine.
Seeing how scared Ariados was of Arcanine, Sato relaxed. He had been worried that this Ariados might be a tough nut to crack like some of its kin—difficult to tame.
After all, Sato had ordered Arcanine to burn its nest and beat it within an inch of its life. A more stubborn Pokemon would have come after both of them with vengeance.
But with Ariados cowering like this, Sato knew the Pokemon didn't have a particularly bold personality. As long as Arcanine stayed close, he didn't have to worry about Ariados trying any tricks behind his back.
Taming a Pokemon isn't something that happens overnight. Before a bond is established between Trainer and Pokemon, it's best to remain cautious. Otherwise, a misstep could lead to being attacked by the very Pokemon you just caught.
"Relax, Ariados. You're now a companion to both me and Arcanine. As long as you don't betray us, we won't hurt you. We'll likely be living and traveling together for some time. If you ever want to leave in the future, I'll give you your freedom."
Sato picked up a healing spray and slowly walked forward, speaking to the wary Ariados in a calm voice. As soon as he finished, he began applying the spray to Ariados' injured body.
Initially, Ariados was filled with distrust. Had Arcanine not been keeping a fierce eye on it, it might've already lashed out at Sato.
However, upon hearing Sato's words and realizing that the strange substance he sprayed on its wounds had significant healing effects, Ariados' wariness eased slightly.
From interacting with many Pokemon, Sato had come to learn something crucial—if a Trainer wanted to quickly bridge the gap with a wild Pokemon, the best method was through food.
Most wild Pokemon spent their entire lives foraging, and many of them had experienced hunger multiple times.
To them, food wasn't just sustenance—it was survival.
In short, no matter how sweet a Trainer's promises were, most wild Pokemon would take a good meal over empty words any day.
And if that meal happened to be delicious, they'd definitely warm up to you. Wanting to taste that delicious food again, they might even choose to fight on your behalf.
Sato believed that if he could spoil a Pokemon's taste buds—get them so used to good food that everything else tasted bland—they'd naturally be more obedient. After all, who could resist something that tasted that good?
Of course, Sato also understood that if he truly wanted a Pokemon to listen to him, he needed them to respect him.
The best way to earn that respect? Make them realize he could help them grow stronger.
For the vast majority of Pokemon, outside of finding food each day, the most important goal was increasing their strength.
Living under the brutal law of the jungle, wild Pokemon deeply understood the importance of power. The drive to grow stronger was practically hardwired into them.
So, Sato's plan for taming Ariados was simple: feed it well and guide it through battle to help it get stronger quickly.
"Go ahead and eat. This stuff's top quality—it'll help you recover faster."
Sato took out a beautifully packaged pouch of premium Bug-type Pokemon food. He unwrapped it and handed the fragrant pouch to Ariados with a bright smile.
Cautious by nature, Sato never acted rashly. He had carefully planned out what he'd need after arriving on the island. Aside from essential gear and medicines, most of the contents of his small-capacity storage bag were top-grade Pokemon food of various types.
These high-end foods came in compact packages—each about two-thirds the size of a fist—and with five cubic units of space, he could fit hundreds of them. Though small in quantity, their quality was unmatched.
These foods were compressed for convenience, packed with flavor, nutrition, and calories. The only downside was their price: a single pouch cost 5,000 PokeDollars.
The one Sato handed to Ariados was specifically designed for Bug-type Pokemon.
He firmly believed that wild Pokemon who had grown up on the island wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of food so meticulously crafted in human society.
Still wary, Ariados didn't immediately dig in, even though the aroma was clearly getting to it.
The way Sato smiled at it… it gave Ariados the same feeling as being watched by a cunning predator. It couldn't help but think it was facing a big, bad wolf.
But the allure of that Bug-type premium food was too strong. Eventually, Ariados couldn't resist and took a small bite.
The moment it did, it was hooked.
An overwhelming sense of bliss swept over it. It swore it had never tasted anything so delicious in its life.
Within seconds, Ariados had devoured the entire pouch—bag and all.
"So? How about sticking with me for a while?"
Seeing Ariados scarf down the food like a starving beast, Sato felt satisfied. He pulled out another pouch of Bug-type food and offered it with the same cheerful grin.