With the Indigo Plateau Conference just around the corner, the airport was several times busier than usual.
Tourists, fans, competitors... people of every kind were converging on Indigo Plateau to witness the annual Pokémon League spectacle.
Sato's disguise skills went without saying. He arrived at the pickup area with complete ease, and no one noticed his true identity along the way.
Quite a few popular contestants, however, were immediately surrounded by huge crowds of fans the moment they walked out of the pickup area. Requests for autographs, pleas for hugs—watching their frenzy made Sato shudder.
Good thing Sato had disguised himself. Otherwise, and this was not bragging, those so-called "popular contestants" would have been nothing compared to him!
Soon, another group of people gradually emerged from the pickup area. Sato narrowed his eyes slightly and quickly searched the crowd for his target.
"Here it comes!"
After muttering softly to himself, Sato disappeared from where he stood.
When they turned to look, they found him walking straight toward a blonde woman.
"Long time no see, Cynthia!"
"Long time no see~"
Cynthia was stunned for two seconds by Sato's disguise. Once she confirmed his voice, she quickly thought of the reason.
No way around it. The more famous you were, the more trouble followed.
"Get in first. I'll take you to the hotel."
"Mm!"
Sato was leading Cynthia away when, of all times, another popular contestant from the competition seemed to arrive. A group of fans gathered around in a dark mass, trapping the two of them right in the middle.
Sato already looked like someone strangers should stay away from. Even if the girls thought he was handsome, they did not dare approach him to strike up a conversation.
But fans rushing over did not care who was who. They squeezed