Pokémon: Above the Top

Looking at the calm Gengar in the field, everyone present couldn't help but feel a touch of bitterness in their hearts.

'Was this the terrifying strength of a genius Trainer?'

Ever since this "Trainer" named Sato arrived in Sinnoh, he had already stomped down two long-renowned Gym Leaders -Volkner and Maylo- in a row.

And in both cases, it was a cross-tier challenge, defeating his opponents right in front of a crowd of onlookers.

…And ultimately achieving a breakthrough from Elite level to Pseudo-Elite Four.

Such a feat was strikingly similar to the figures now sitting in the Elite Four spots across the regions.

The older Maylo let out a sigh. Feeling deeply discouraged, he put away his last Poké Ball, gave the referee a small nod, and turned to leave the battlefield.

As the Leader of Veilstone Gym, Maylo had once been called a genius in his youth by those around him, but he never managed to break through to the Elite Four level in his lifetime.

As he aged, his strength declined instead of rising. Without reaching higher levels, his Pokémon's lifespans couldn't be extended…

His old partners had all passed on. The current Medicham was merely a newly caught Pokémon, meant only to maintain the Veilstone Gym.

What made it even harder for him was that his own son was hopeless, spending all day lost in the arcade, unwilling to inherit the responsibilities of the Gym.

Now, all he could do was hold on and do his best to raise his gifted granddaughter Maylene to carry on his legacy.

Beyond that, he had no other desires.

Veilstone Gym was the result of a lifetime of Maylo's hard work and was once considered one of the strongest Gyms in the Sinnoh Region.

So he would absolutely not allow anyone to take Veilstone Gym from him. It could only be inherited by his granddaughter Maylene!

…But one after another, excellent young Trainers had risen rapidly in recent years, putting unbearable pressure on the older generation.

And unfortunately, Veilstone Gym had no qualified successor. The pressure Maylo felt was unimaginable.

That's why people started calling Sato the "Dark King".

But if Sato knew what the other side was thinking, he would definitely shake his head speechlessly.

'I really just came to find opponents and help my Pokémon break through. As for that so-called "examiner badge"…it was Bertha from your own region who casually tossed it to me!

Too bad… no one believed him.

"Gym Leader Maylo has voluntarily forfeited. The winner of this match is the challenger, Sato!" The referee hastily announced the result, then ran off to look for Maylo.

Then came a loud rustling from the audience seats. All the Gym Trainers and trainees of Veilstone Gym stood up and ran after the referee.

"Sato… are you really the Dark King?"

Maylene was the last to leave, stubbornly staring at Sato, her teary eyes revealing the anxiety and fear in her heart.

Sato blinked in confusion. All he did was win a battle, and somehow he'd become a villain guilty of ten thousand crimes…

"G-Grandpa said… if he lost this match, Veilstone Gym would be revoked, and I'd lose my home. I-is that really true?"

In the end, Maylene still shared what she had overheard from Maylo. Because in her heart, the Sato who had saved her friends… was a good person.

Sato frowned and turned to exchange glances with Mark and Joseph. They both shook their heads in confusion too, clearly having no idea where that information came from.

"Maylene, go tell your grandpa Maylo that I didn't even know defeating you guys would result in your Gym being revoked. I'm just a Trainer traveling through Sinnoh… I don't have that kind of authority."

"Really?!"

Maylene's eyes lit up. Even though they were still watery with tears, a smile had already returned to her face.

"Mhm. Go on, hurry and find your grandpa," Sato said as he waved at her.

Then, Maylene took Reggie and the rest of the kids and ran off to look for Maylo.

In the end, only Sato and his two companions were left inside the Gym. They stared at one another wide-eyed.

'What was all this even about?'

----

Back at the Pokémon Center, the first thing Sato did was contact Elite Four Bertha. He briefly explained what had happened here and reconfirmed that the Gym being revoked was entirely Maylo's imagination.

"Don't be fooled by how Maylo's an old Fighting-type Gym Leader; his mental game is seriously weak. He overthinks everything. It was like that over ten years ago, and it's still the same now. Got it. Don't worry about this anymore."

Bertha finished her sentence and was about to hang up.

Sato quickly stopped her and seriously brought up one more request. Only after Bertha nodded in agreement did he finally hang up.

The next day, two news articles exploded across the Sinnoh Region.

[Sato, the "Dark King" of Johto, claims another Gym… Veilstone's Leader withdraws from the battlefield in defeat]

[Trainer Sato maintains a spirit of friendly exchange, no hype, no privileges, rejects being demonized]

As soon as the news broke, Sinnoh's people went wild. On one hand, Veilstone Gym's Leader had also fallen to Sato.

No one knew how big the blow was, but the man had walked off the field mid-match.

On the other hand, Sato had released a personal statement through official channels… and no matter how you looked at it, he didn't seem like someone without privilege.

What made it even funnier was that one article said he rejected being "demonized", while the other called him the Dark King.

The kicker?

…Both articles were released through the Sinnoh League's official channels.

Punching themselves in the face? The Sinnoh public found it hilarious and moved on, but those in high places -or those with sharp instincts- sensed something off.

What was off wasn't aimed at Sato. It was a rift within the League itself, and now someone had deliberately dragged it into the open.

Sato had simply become the spark that ignited the conflict.

Just after Elite Four Bertha finished a long, frustrating round of internal League meetings, she immediately tried to call Sato. Only to be informed by Nurse Joy that he had already left Veilstone City.

"…Let's hope nothing bad happens. Those damned parasites… One day, I'll wipe all of you out," Bertha muttered, gripping her phone tightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

As for Sato and his group, after finishing the match at Veilstone Gym, they spent the afternoon stocking up on supplies.

Early the next morning, they left Veilstone City and headed toward their next destination.

The public statement had been requested by Sato and posted by Bertha. He had assumed it was a minor issue. But unfortunately, someone had used it to make a move.

Sato himself didn't really care. He only issued the statement to reduce the tension for the next time he challenged a Gym Leader.

After all, they were all Gym Leaders. Who knew when they might need to cooperate or help each other out?

Sato came to Sinnoh to seek opportunities and grow stronger, not to make enemies on all sides.