Pokémon: Above the Top

The sound of rushing water filled the air as Sato observed Carvanha in the clear pool.

Johto's terrain was rich in hills and cliffs, which naturally formed waterfalls and deep basins—prime locations for wild Pokémon to gather and drink.

For most trainers, setting up camp near such areas was a reckless decision, as it invited constant wild Pokémon encounters.

However, for Sato, who was looking to intensify his training, this was exactly the kind of environment he wanted.

Strong trainers could endure solitude.

Spending months in the wilderness, away from cities and conveniences, was a normal part of growing stronger. Compared to the hustle and bustle of urban life, Sato much preferred the quiet yet unpredictable nature of the wild.

"Carvanha, Aqua Jet!"

"Sha!"

As the last Poliwhirl flopped onto the shore, defeated, Carvanha let out a victorious cry.

With the pool now cleared of challengers, it had temporarily established itself as the dominant predator of this watering hole. The rule of strength was simple—whoever was strongest reigned supreme.

Sato tossed a few high-quality pokeblocks into the water, observing Carvanha's reaction. It ate them methodically, neither excited nor displeased.

"Hmm. What about this?"

Sato pricked his finger slightly, allowing a single drop of blood to fall onto one of the pokeblocks before tossing it toward Carvanha.

"Sha!"

Without hesitation, Carvanha shot out of the water, snapping the blood-tainted cube midair before splashing back down. Once it resurfaced, its eyes locked onto Sato, clearly demanding more.

"Too much of it won't help you," Sato smirked. "Train first, and I'll feed you again once you've burned through enough energy."

Kneeling by the water's edge, Sato ran a hand over Carvanha's sleek skin, feeling the smooth yet firm texture of its scales.

A stray thought crossed his mind—grilled Carvanha skin, seasoned with salt and spices...

He swallowed discreetly, shaking his head. "Alright, let's get started."

Carvanha's training regimen consisted of several components: waterfall climbing, leaping drills, underwater maneuverability, surface and underwater attack execution, and—most importantly—suspension training.

The first four were fundamental exercises that built physical endurance, explosive power, coordination, and moves execution.

As for defense, it was difficult to train. Carvanha was naturally fragile, known for its high offensive capabilities but low durability. Sato had no intention of forcing it into a defensive role just yet.

Instead, its greatest strength lay in speed. Its Ability, Speed Boost, was a gift that few Pokémon possessed, and Sato intended to maximize it.

And finally, the most critical aspect of training—figuring out how Carvanha could fight effectively outside of water.

"Carvanha, Aqua Jet. Lowest power output."

"Sha!"

Having listened to Sato's earlier explanation, Carvanha understood what it was trying to accomplish.

It attempted to activate Aqua Jet with minimal force, but the propulsion was too weak to generate movement.

"Increase the power slightly."

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, Carvanha shot to the other side of the pool, missing the target range entirely.

Sato let out a quiet sigh. "This is going to take some time."

If Carvanha could master this technique, it would be able to maintain mobility in non-aquatic environments, significantly expanding its combat versatility.

More than that, the process of fine-tuning its energy output would also enhance its overall control of Aqua Jet, allowing it to maximize its efficiency in battle.

Speed Boost was a powerful Ability, but an uncontrolled force could just as easily backfire.

From Sato's perspective, this training would determine just how high Carvanha's potential could reach.

"Carvanha, watch this," he called, setting down a tablet screen in front of it.

The video displayed a Qwilfish, perfectly balancing itself in the air by adjusting its Aqua Jet propulsion.

"Aqua Jet works by condensing powerful whirlpools and using reverse thrust to propel the user forward. What you need to do is control the reverse thrust in such a way that you achieve a stable hover."

Carvanha stared at the screen, eyes narrowed in concentration, before flicking its fins and diving back into the water.

Sato watched in satisfaction as it began experimenting with the technique, adjusting the force and angling its body to find the right balance.

He nodded to himself. Carvanha might be classified as a savage and aggressive Pokémon, but aside from its initial resistance, it had turned out to be unexpectedly obedient.

Turning his head, Sato watched as Haunter teased Spinarak to the point of fury, making it jump around in frustration. He grinned—how could their personalities be so different?

"Kehehehee~"

"Zzzz?"

As a ghost without a physical body, Haunter didn't have hair, yet at that moment, it felt as if every nonexistent strand was standing on end. A creeping sense of unease washed over it.

"You don't seem like the type to sit still and focus on training," Sato remarked. "That's a real problem. I'll switch things up for you."

With that, he picked up a stick and drew a circle about three meters in diameter on the ground.

"No phasing through the ground. No flying higher than three meters. Zoroark, Larvitar, Spinarak, step up—you three will take turns attacking Haunter from outside the circle. The one who lands the most hits gets an extra portion for dinner tonight."

"Zizi!"

Spinarak waved its little legs in excitement, practically cackling. Revenge! Let's see if you still dare to bully me now!

"Of course," Sato added with a smirk, "if the three of you combined don't land more than ten hits on Haunter, Haunter gets the extra portion, and the rest of you lose half your meal."

"Lar!"

Originally uninterested, Larvitar suddenly became alert. A reduced dinner? No way. Not in this lifetime!

Hmm, a pseudo-legendary couldn't possibly go hungry, right? Larvitar controlled several small floating rocks, poised and ready, just waiting for Sato's signal.

"Zizizi!"

Haunter smirked and, in front of Spinarak and Larvitar, brazenly raised… the middle one of its three fingers. Then, Zoroark stepped forward.

"Kehehehehe!" Haunter immediately shook its head like a rattling drum.

It had just remembered Zoroark's Night Daze—there was no way to dodge that! Might as well surrender now.

"Zoroa~"

Zoroark simply shook its head. Night Daze was definitely out of the question—using it would be unfair.

"No area-of-effect moves allowed," Sato said with a grin. "Everything else is fair game—Protect, Agility, Hypnosis, use whatever you want."

Haunter huffed in frustration. Hypnosis out in the open? That would just make dinner come even faster—for its opponents.

"Alright, time limit: ten minutes. Begin!"

"Zizi!"

Spinarak was the first to act. Its most familiar move, Poison Sting, wasn't particularly powerful, but it was reliable.

Haunter vanished in the blink of an eye, causing the Poison Sting barrage and the incoming flying pebbles from Larvitar to miss their mark. As a Ghost-type, its natural ability—Invisibility—was in full effect.

"Zoro!" "Lar!" "Zizi!"

Scary Face! Scary Face! Scary Face!

With the battlefield being so small, three simultaneous Scary Face moves severely hindered even Haunter's agility!

"Woooom—"

A shimmering green barrier flared up—Protect! Only then did Haunter's form reappear within the protective shield.

"Kehehehe!"

Haunter's eyes gleamed ominously, sending out three beams of red light, each striking Zoroark, Larvitar, and Spinarak. The three blinked in confusion, but they didn't feel anything strange.

"Smart!"

Sato couldn't help but praise Haunter. It was incredibly cunning—after spending so much time together, all four Pokémon knew each other's tricks inside and out, but Haunter had established an immediate advantage from the start!

Without Foresight to counter invisibility, the best way to force a Ghost-type out of hiding was using moves with a fear-inducing effect, such as Leer or Scary Face.

This was something Sato had drilled into them—and now Haunter had cleverly turned that lesson against them.

By choosing to vanish immediately, Haunter baited its teammates into using Scary Face. Then, it used Protect to avoid the triple-speed drop. And finally, it unleashed a never-before-seen move—its inherited ability: Disable!

Now, Scary Face was completely sealed away from all three opponents!