Pokémon: Above the Top

After experiencing the Ghost Ship's assassination attempt, Sato felt an even stronger urge to reach Ecruteak City as soon as possible.

Haunter's potential was inherently a bit lower than Zoroark's. Additionally, Sato had never stopped feeding Zoroark his blood, and his expertise in Dark-types far surpassed his knowledge of Ghost-types.

With these factors combined, the gap between Haunter and Zoroark could very well continue to grow.

However, Haunter had always proven reliable in critical moments, and their coordination was becoming increasingly seamless—there was no way Sato would abandon it.

Ecruteak City's Gym specialized in Ghost-type Pokémon, but no one would just teach their skills to an unrelated person for no reason.

The recommendation letter could only serve as an extra boost; Sato's two lifetimes of experience told him that relying on himself was the best course of action.

Therefore, on his way to Ecruteak City, he needed to prepare other bargaining chips.

For example, a high-potential Ghost-type Pokémon or an undiscovered method for evolving Dusclops into Dusknoir.

The key evolution item was the Reaper Cloth, which Sato remembered appearing a few times in his past life, but not in Johto and certainly not yet.

That left only one feasible option—finding a high-potential Ghost-type Pokémon. To achieve this, Sato deliberately took a detour to visit one of Johto's most infamous Pokémon graveyards—the Valley of the Dead.

Unlike Kanto's well-known Lavender Town, Johto's Valley of the Dead was not just a burial ground for Pokémon—it was the site of a massive war over a century ago, leaving behind an expanse of forgotten graves.

Resentment, ghosts, eerie phenomena—these were everywhere here. Ghost-type Pokémon were naturally abundant, and most of them were highly aggressive.

If Sato hadn't mastered Dark Energy, which naturally countered such entities, he wouldn't have dared to step foot here so lightly.

At the valley's entrance, tattered wooden signs stood crookedly, their faded red ink warning, DANGER! DO NOT ENTER.

Releasing Zoroark and Haunter while keeping Dark Energy flowing through his body, Sato cautiously stepped into the Valley of the Dead.

Three minutes in, Haunter suddenly launched a Dark Pulse at an empty patch of land nearby. A menacing-looking Misdreavus was forced out of its invisible state before it turned tail and fled.

Sato didn't pursue. He and his Pokémon continued deeper, surrounded by eerie laughter one moment, chilling screams the next, followed by wild beastly roars or soft murmurs.

The constantly shifting soundscape made Sato click his tongue in fascination, but it also heightened his vigilance.

After all, this place didn't just harbor Pokémon—there were other things here too.

Half an hour passed. One human and two Pokémon had been attacked almost every two minutes by various creatures lurking in the valley, but their efforts were not in vain.

A Gastly with Elite-level potential had already been captured, but that was far from enough.

Taking a brief rest, Sato pulled out the solidified mist Haunter regularly consumed—an expensive Ghost-type delicacy. This was going to be the bait.

Seeing his precious food being used, Haunter whimpered pitifully at Sato, shaking his big round head in protest. Sato flicked him on the forehead.

"Since when have I ever taken your share?"

"Kehehe~" Haunter grinned mischievously and began massaging Sato's shoulders and legs in a shameless attempt to win favor. His goofy antics made Sato chuckle.

He carefully separated a small portion of the solidified mist into a vial, then had Haunter use Confusion to release it into the air.

There was no need to wait—the moment the mist spread, the surrounding spirits went mad, their crazed eyes locking onto the source of the scent. The sheer number and fervor of these entities startled Sato.

"Fall back!"

Waving his hand, he ordered his two Pokémon to retreat. At that moment, he fully realized just how valuable the solidified mist he had bought from Wester truly was.

"Fall back again!"

It was like dropping a droplet of water into boiling oil—the entire valley erupted in a frenzy!

Sato continued retreating, ensuring he wouldn't get caught in the escalating war over the rare Ghost-type delicacy.

The solidified mist had completely disappeared from sight, but the battle hadn't ended. This meant that no Pokémon or entity had fully secured it yet.

This situation played right into Sato's hands.

Ghost-type Pokémon that had already grown powerful weren't his target; even if he captured one, it wouldn't be suitable for trading or giving away—especially Ghost-types, which were naturally aloof and difficult to bond with.

On the other hand, younger Pokémon that had been drawn in but lacked the strength to claim the prize lingered on the outskirts. This provided the perfect opportunity for Sato to seek out a suitable target.

Extending his Dark Energy, countless emotional feedback signals flooded his mind, making it difficult to distinguish them. He had to narrow the range and analyze them bit by bit.

The Valley of the Dead was undoubtedly dangerous, but the Pokémon here were also of high quality. Among ten or so Pokémon, there was almost always at least one with Elite-level potential.

However, time was limited. Sato had to forgo those and focus only on Ghost-type Pokémon with Pseudo-Elite Four-level potential or higher.

Three minutes later, the chaotic battle suddenly ceased. Sato's heart tightened—someone had secured the solidified mist, and he still hadn't found a suitable Pokémon!

The Pokémon began scattering. Crouched in the tall grass, Sato carefully searched for a high-potential target.

Then—a flash!

Sato's head snapped toward his left. A small Duskull was drifting away, its eerie form moving soundlessly through the misty air. The Dark Energy feedback was clear—this was a Pseudo-Elite Four potential Duskull!

However, it wasn't alone.

The Duskull was closely following two Dusclops, clearly indicating it was part of a small group.

"Haunter, tail that Duskull. Stay hidden and don't get noticed. Zoroark, track Haunter's scent—we'll trail behind," Sato ordered.

"Kehehe~"

Haunter's eyes gleamed with excitement. It knew exactly what this mission was for and was determined to succeed. With a flicker, it vanished into the darkness and silently followed its target.

Capturing a Ghost-type Pokémon required another Ghost-type Pokémon.

Sato waited two minutes before he and Zoroark started moving to prevent the Duskull from sensing their presence.

After a few minutes of walking, Sato noticed that the group wasn't heading deeper into the valley.

Instead, they were moving parallel to their current position. This eased his tension slightly—there were no other Pokémon of Pseudo-Elite Four stage nearby, meaning the odds of success were high.

"Kehehe~"

Haunter reappeared, signaling that they had found the targets. Given the short duration of the earlier battle, the Pokémon responsible for taking the solidified mist couldn't have traveled too far.

"Are there other Pokémon guarding it?" Sato asked.

Haunter thought for a moment before morphing its body into the shape of a Dusclops and then holding up four fingers.

"Two more? That's a bit much… Alright, here's what we'll do…"

After carefully considering his options, Sato devised a detailed capture plan. Assigning roles to each Pokémon, he signaled Haunter to lead him forward.

"Zoroark, use Nasty Plot!"

"Zor!"

After three consecutive boosts, Zoroark's aura was nearly impossible to conceal. Sato immediately signaled Haunter.

"Mean Look!"

This hunt was about to begin.