Pokémon: Above the Top

In the northern outskirts of Goldenrod City, near a small waterfall, Sato and his Pokémon were immersed in intense training. They had already been in this location for nearly a week.

The waterfall itself wasn't large, but the force of the water cascading down was anything but weak.

In the pool below, a strangely colored fish—patched with red, yellow, and blue—was struggling to climb upstream. It managed a few moments against the current before being relentlessly pushed back down by the rushing water.

"Shah…"

Once again, Carvanha found itself overpowered by the waterfall's force, its efforts proving futile. However, its progress was undeniable.

From an initial climb of just two meters, it had now managed to ascend nearly ten meters before being forced back. That was a remarkable improvement.

Meanwhile, Haunter was once again confined within a two-meter radius, but this time, instead of dodging the attacks from Zoroark and the others, it was facing Sato directly.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Small to medium-sized gray stones were flung toward Haunter at an unusual speed. Infused with a faint trace of Dark Energy, these projectiles hit Haunter with a surprising sting.

Because of this, Haunter had no choice but to focus entirely on dodging. If it couldn't keep up with the pace, it was forced to counter by detonating the stones midair using its attacks.

After enduring another barrage of stone impacts, Haunter barely managed to catch its breath before being immediately challenged again—this time by the combined assault of Larvitar and Spinarak.

Because of Haunter's nature, it struggled with repetitive and monotonous training. Even if it was forced to endure such exercises, the results were often inefficient.

Instead, its combat training was far superior to that of the other Pokémon.

After enduring another round of stone impacts, Haunter barely had time to catch its breath before facing a coordinated assault from Larvitar and Spinarak.

Larvitar led the offense while Spinarak provided support. Individually, they were still weaker than Haunter, but their teamwork had become increasingly refined through frequent battles.

Not long ago, the two had almost managed to defeat Haunter in a joint effort.

The experience had left a lasting impact on it, prompting Haunter to go on a rampage through the forest, relentlessly battling wild Pokémon to refine its moves.

After intensive training in Thunderbolt, Psychic, and Energy Ball, it had barely managed to reclaim its position as the team's second strongest.

Sato was quite satisfied with this outcome.

Haunter had recognized its shortcomings and proactively sought ways to improve, which led to significant growth. That was exactly what he wanted to see.

As for Spinarak and Larvitar, their steady growth was undeniable.

Spinarak's rapid early development had brought it closer in strength to Larvitar, whose power was built on long-term accumulation. The two constantly pushed each other to improve, making their growth the most evident.

On the other hand, Zoroark's progress was not as visibly dramatic as the others'.

Once a Pokémon reached the Elite stage, its growth was typically based on continuous accumulation. Without some special stimulus or rare treasure, it was difficult to experience the kind of explosive growth seen in the early stages.

However, Sato was in no hurry. He was only ten years old, and his entire team was still young. He had plenty of time to lay a solid foundation for each of his Pokémon, fully unlocking their potential.

At the same time, he was also beginning to study Pokémon breeding, learning how to prepare food for his team himself.

This not only strengthened their bond but also allowed him to tailor their meals to their specific nutritional needs.

As the sun climbed higher, Sato called back all his Pokémon from their training and handed out the meals he had prepared. Watching them eat heartily, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

His knowledge of Pokémon food preparation came from the Rocket Team's database.

While he wasn't particularly talented in cooking, he wasn't completely hopeless either. As long as he ensured the meals were nutritious, he could at least make them edible.

Cough, cough!

"Apologies for the intrusion, young man."

Sato turned swiftly, spotting an elderly man standing about three meters away.

The old man had a kindly expression, and beside him stood a plump Wigglytuff, staring at Sato's Pokémon as they ate, its mouth practically watering.

"Leader Howard?"

"Oh? You recognize me, kid? But I feel like I've seen you somewhere before too… Ah! Last week's riot! You were the one who—"

"Sato."

"Yes, yes! Sato! Hahaha!" Howard laughed heartily, stepping forward and giving Sato a firm pat on the shoulder, his demeanor radiating warmth and approval.

"Wigglyyy…"

Wigglytuff tugged at Howard's sleeve, its eyes fixed on Zoroark's meal. Its drool was nearly pooling on the ground, making the already sheepish Howard scratch his head in embarrassment.

"If you don't mind, you can try this," Sato offered.

"Wiggly!"

Wigglytuff happily accepted the food Sato handed over, plopping down beside them with a blissful expression as it ate, completely ignoring Howard's embarrassment.

"Uh… well, I went out for a morning walk, and somehow… I ended up here. To be honest, it's a bit embarrassing—I can't seem to find my way back. Hahaha!"

Sato turned to glance in the direction of Goldenrod City. This place was at least thirty kilometers away. Was getting lost one of Howard's natural talents or something?

"Coo… coo… coo…"

Watching Howard's face shift from pale pink to a deep red, Sato struggled to suppress his laughter before inviting him to join them for lunch.

"Phew… Thanks for the meal! Otherwise, I'd have had to skip lunch today!"

Howard sighed in satisfaction after setting his chopsticks down. Beside him, Wigglytuff let out a happy "Wiggly~," clearly just as content.

"Leader Howard, you're too kind," Sato replied, not being particularly skilled in social interactions. Without saying much more, he turned away and began cleaning up the dishes.

Howard didn't hold back, eagerly approaching Sato's Pokémon and clicking his tongue in amazement.

A black-colored Pokémon he had never seen before, a rare Ghost-type Haunter, a Larvitar—the pseudo-legendary baby Pokémon, a Carvanha from Hoenn, and a seemingly ordinary Spinarak.

This lineup… was intriguing, to say the least.

Sato didn't sense any hostility from Howard. Plus, he had just received his status as a direct-line Trainer, which technically put him on the same side as Gym Leaders rather than in opposition. So, he let Howard observe his Pokémon without interference.

"As a token of gratitude, Sato, why don't you come visit my farm? The Moomoo Milk produced there is absolutely delicious!"

Sato dried his hands and looked at the older man, whose tone was surprisingly firm. A sudden suspicion crossed his mind.

Could it be… he wants me to guide him home?

Given that high-quality Moomoo Milk was known for its remarkable ability to relieve Pokémon stress, Sato and Howard exchanged a knowing look and began their journey back to Goldenrod City.

"Moomoo Farm is at the northernmost part of Goldenrod City. I have hundreds of Miltank roaming freely there. Once we get close, it should be easy to find."

"Find what?"

"Ah, find… uh… find the Miltank that produce the highest-quality Moomoo Milk! Yes, yes, that's it!"

Sato watched the old Gym Leader desperately try to cover his slip-up but chose not to call him out on it. Instead, he took half a step forward and quietly took the lead.

During the journey, Sato personally witnessed what it truly meant to have maxed-out "Getting Lost" as a skill.

Confusing left from right wasn't so bad. A slight deviation while walking was understandable. But making a sudden 180-degree turn on the spot with no warning, all while thinking he was still moving in a straight line?

…That was on a whole different level.