Pokémon: Above the Top

The people of Joy Town were quite curious about Sato's arrival, as it had been a long time since an outsider had come here.

After giving Sato a brief tour of the town, a little Joy led him to a courtyard near the outskirts of Joy Town.

"Sato, this house has been arranged for you by the family leader. You will be staying here for the time being. If you need anything, just let me know, or you can buy it in town yourself."

Although this little Joy was small compared to a full-fledged Joy, Joy Liria in front of Sato was actually about the same age as him.

"Alright, thank you!"

"It's no problem! You were placed here also considering that you'll be training your Pokémon, so you might need to go out frequently," Joy Liria said, her lively nature showing as she expressed her curiosity about Sato.

"Oh, and one more thing! There's a dedicated Pokémon transfer device in the living room. We've set your transfer point here, so in Joy Town, you have no carry limit!"

Sato was thrilled, this would make things much more convenient!

"Don't get too excited yet! Your assigned teacher will be here every morning at nine for your lessons. Lunch is at 11:30, and classes resume at 12:30 until 3pm in the afternoon."

"Got it!" The schedule was tight, but it left Sato with ample time for training, so it wasn't a problem.

"Then that's all! Today, just take it easy. Your classes start tomorrow. Bye-bye!"

After finishing, Liria skipped away, waving her hand, signaling that Sato didn't need to see her off.

Sato, who never planned to see her off in the first place, simply nodded. He then unlocked the door and stepped into the house.

After a quick tour of the entire place, Sato was quite satisfied. Besides the basic living necessities, there were many rooms clearly designed for Pokémon training.

Each room was obviously tailored for his Pokémon.

For example, Gengar's room was specifically equipped with a strange incense that enhanced meditation.

Newer additions like Eevee and Cacnea didn't have their setups yet, but they would likely get them soon.

After checking out the rooms, Sato eagerly went to the living room and used the Pokémon transfer device to bring over Pupitar, Eevee, and Cacnea.

----

In the courtyard, Sato held nine Poké Balls in his hands, feeling a faint excitement.

In his previous life, due to his identity, he had only ever had four partners.

But in this life, not only had he reunited with Zoroark, Pupitar, and Eevee, but he had also captured six more!

"Everyone, come out!"

Flashes of red light filled the air as nine Pokémon appeared in front of Sato.

Zoroark, Gengar, Pupitar, Ariados, Houndoom, Sharpedo, Eevee, Cacnea, and Weavile.

This was the first time Sato had seen all his partners together at once, and also their first full gathering!

Soon, the Pokémon shifted their gazes toward Weavile. Even if some of them hadn't met before, at least they had heard of each other.

But Weavile was the newest addition. Moreover, its aura of aloofness and intimidating presence made it particularly noticeable.

"Wea!"

Weavile glanced at Sato with a hint of disdain before completely ignoring the curious stares from the others. With a swift leap, it landed on a tree branch and closed its eyes to rest.

As expected… Sato sighed. The way he captured Weavile was indeed not the most honorable, so he had anticipated this reaction.

----

"Alright, let's eat first!"

Sato quickly distributed food to everyone before personally bringing Weavile's portion to the tree.

"Weavile, do you want to eat?"

Weavile remained motionless, completely ignoring Sato's goodwill.

"How about this? After the meal, we'll have a one-on-one battle. If you win, I'll send you back to Seafoam Islands. If you lose, you'll accept me as your trainer. How does that sound?"

"Wea!"

Weavile's eyes snapped open, staring at Sato with disbelief.

"My other partners are all watching. If I go back on my word, how could they trust me?"

"Eevee!"

Eevee immediately nodded in agreement. The other Pokémon also turned their attention to Sato and Weavile, clearly interested in the outcome of this challenge.

"Wea!"

Weavile slowly nodded, acknowledging its anger toward Sato for using two Pokémon against it back then.

However, deep down, it also felt a little embarrassed. It had been the one to ambush Sato twice.

So, the resistance Weavile showed after being captured wasn't as strong as Sato had expected. It was just a matter of pride.

"Eat first, or you'll say I'm bullying you." Sato, seeing that Weavile had agreed to the battle, knew there was still room for negotiation, so he immediately pushed his advantage.

Weavile wanted to refuse, but its stomach suddenly let out a low growl. Luckily, the other Pokémon were far away and didn't hear it.

Turning to glance at Sato, Weavile saw that his expression hadn't changed. That meant he probably hadn't heard it either...

The faint redness on Weavile's face faded slightly as it obediently leaped down from the tree, took the meal from Sato's hand, and quietly ate behind the tree.

---

Soon, everyone finished their lunch, and knowing that a battle was about to take place, they all gathered in the backyard battle area to watch.

Gengar and Houndoom also took their seats in the spectator area. Although they were unwilling to admit it, they both knew that they still couldn't defeat Weavile.

On the battlefield, Zoroark and Weavile stood opposite each other, their auras rapidly rising!

Technically speaking, both Weavile and Zoroark were high-speed, high-attack Pokémon.

The difference was that Zoroark excelled in special attacks, while Weavile was purely a physical attacker!

In terms of level, Weavile was Peak Elite, whereas Zoroark, at Mid Elite, was slightly at a disadvantage. But when it came to potential, Zoroark completely outclassed Weavile!

When both Pokémon reached their peak intensity... they moved at the same time!

Two black figures flashed across the battlefield. The next second, red claws and white bone-like claws clashed fiercely, producing a sharp screeching sound!

Night Slash vs. Night Slash!

At first glance, they seemed evenly matched, but Sato immediately noticed something: Zoroark's legs were slightly bent!

It was already losing ground!

"Wea!"

Weavile smirked arrogantly. It had never feared close combat!

Keeping its right claw locked in Night Slash, its left claw suddenly gleamed with a metallic shine. It was striking at Zoroark with Metal Claw!

It was using two moves at once!

"Aerial Ace!"

As soon as Sato spoke, Zoroark used the force from Weavile's attack to retreat swiftly, dodging the Metal Claw strike!

Executing a smooth backflip in midair, Zoroark launched itself forward once again!

Weavile remained calm. This time, both of its claws gleamed with metallic energy, crossing them together to block Zoroark's Aerial Ace!

"Night Daze. Create some space!"

Zoroark slammed one hand onto the ground, sending out a powerful surge of Dark-type energy, erupting in a shockwave from its center!