Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 229: A Gift

In the morning it was Cacturne, and in the afternoon, Sharpedo and Ariados rotated in for battles. Mark's Arbok had barely lasted through the morning and was already worn out.

During the lunch break, Mark cried and begged Sato to take him down the mountain.

As it turned out, while Arceus had opened a door of luck for Mark, sealed off every single window.

Sato remained composed about it, because he discovered that grinding alone was actually more efficient than doing it with someone else.

For a full week, all six of Sato's Pokémon had gone through at least three full rounds of training. Among them, Gengar had gained the most.

But the other Pokémon didn't fall behind either. After intense battles, they had all made significant progress.

In previous training, most of their "sparring" had been between teammates. They were too familiar with each other to go all out, and many strategies and tactics couldn't be properly executed.

While battles had become increasingly refined, that wasn't necessarily a good thing. They'd lost their edge... the thrill of victory was missing!

Now, with long battles and consecutive wins, they were finally able to enjoy the results of their intense training.

Facing wild Pokémon that mostly fought head-on with predictable moves, Sato and his team didn't need complicated tactics. Just a bit of agility and they could easily overwhelm opponents of the same level or even higher.

That's why a Pokémon like Sableye, whose potential was only at the Elite level, could still earn Sato's respect. That kind of invisible "talent" was sometimes more valuable than raw potential.

And after a week of interaction, Sableye no longer turned and fled the moment it saw Sato.

Every day at noon, Sato would return to Sableye's territory to rest, and during lunch, he occasionally exchanged a few words with it.

At some point, Sato confidently told Sableye about potential, saying that trying to break through on its own would be extremely difficult.

Sableye stared at him with those gemstone eyes for a long, long time. Then, without saying a word, it turned and left, as if oblivious to Sato's blatantly suggestive message.

After that, Sato didn't try to persuade it anymore. He simply focused on training for the rest of the week.

When all was said and done, the three of them had been staying around Mt. Pyre for nearly half a month, and each had gained something valuable.

Mark had unexpectedly gained a new Pokémon: a gentle and kind Lapras.

Visit freewёbnoνel.com for the best novel reading experience.

Joseph, shameless as always, had stuck close to Madame Kaori. A couple of days ago, he was finally rewarded with a handwritten notebook from her, something priceless for a breeder.

As for Sato, his gains needed no elaboration. Gengar had made a breakthrough and successfully Mega Evolved.

He had also led six Pokémon through an intensive training run, gaining tons of experience and solidifying their bases.

If only there were a Pokémon Center nearby to allow transfers, Sato would have rotated his entire roster through Mt. Pyre three times!

The only regret was not catching that hardworking "prodigy", Sableye. After observing it for so long, Sato had come to one conclusion.

Sableye and Dusknoir were a 'pair'.

He had considered forcing a capture again, but if he did -even if it worked on the surface- there would be lingering resentment on both sides.

Sato would've compromised his stance for a Pokémon, and Sableye would feel its Trainer was two-faced.

'Who told you to act like a badass in the first place?' Sato mentally slapped himself.

On the final day before leaving, Sato decided not to train. He headed to Mt. Pyre simply to say goodbye to Sableye.

Climbing upward, the path had become clearer from frequent use over the past two days. The surrounding grass now parted on its own.

When he reached Sableye's territory, the first thing he saw was Dusknoir.

Unlike the initial days, when it would lash out without a word, Dusknoir now treated Sato with warmth and friendliness.

Dusknoir greeted Sato with enthusiasm and even generously offered him two freshly picked Nanab Berry.

Ever since Sato arrived, the relationship between Dusknoir and Sableye had skyrocketed. Unintentionally playing the role of matchmaker, Sato -politely- accepted the Nanab Berry.

They were pretty tasty...

"Is Sableye around? I need to talk to it."

"Duusk!"

Dusknoir nodded and turned away. Not long after, it returned with Sableye.

"Remember what I told you about potential?" Sato squatted down and looked into Sableye's gemstone eyes as he spoke.

Sableye didn't say a word. Its gemlike eyes gave Sato no emotional feedback whatsoever.

"I'm leaving tomorrow, so I came today to ask you seriously one last time. Are you willing to come with me?"

"Duusk!"

Dusknoir froze, then erupted in rage. After treating Sato so kindly, it never imagined he'd been after its beloved the whole time!

No more words. Dusknoir launched a Shadow Punch straight at Sato without hesitation.

"Gen gen~"

Gengar sprang out of Sato's shadow in an instant and positioned itself beside him. The distance was too close, so it had no choice but to use Protect.

After blocking the Shadow Punch, Gengar immediately fired off several Shadow Balls, forcing Dusknoir back to prevent it from interfering with the conversation.

Sableye glanced at the furious Dusknoir. After a brief moment of hesitation, it turned back and firmly shook its head at Sato.

True love is priceless!

Sato sighed helplessly and handed Sableye a vial filled with swirling black energy.

"This is the only Dark-type PES I have with me. I'm giving it to you. This stuff can raise your Dark-type potential to the pseudo-Elite Four level."

Back when the Joy family developed the Dark-type serum, they had proactively gifted one to Sato, knowing that he specialized in Dark-type Pokémon.

Sato didn't particularly need this one. Motivated by his appreciation for Sableye's potential, he found himself compelled to offer it as a gift.

"Sab?"

Sableye's gemlike eyes seemed to widen slightly. Its tone was full of surprise; it looked at the vial in Sato's hand with a confused and uncertain expression.

"Don't move. I won't hurt you." Sato released Dark Energy from his left hand to calm Sableye while injecting the serum with his right.

"Sab!"

Sableye jumped back in alarm, but it quickly noticed changes in its body.

Dark-type energy from the air began to converge and swarm into Sableye's body, forming visible streams of power.

The energy surged in quickly and dispersed just as fast. In only a few seconds, Sableye's level soared to Peak Elite!

Clearly, Sableye had been more than ready. Even before the serum fully modified its potential, the sudden influx of power triggered an early breakthrough.

And the more that happened, the heavier Sato's disappointment grew. Because this Pokémon, Sableye... would never become his.