Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 297: Stylish Yet Substantial Combat

"Sharpedo, close combat!"

Just as Sato gave the command, Sharpedo was already behind Milotic, its gleaming white fangs sinking fiercely into Milotic's body.

At that moment, Wallace hadn't even given a command... it was too late.

When Sharpedo went berserk, even Sato could barely keep up with issuing orders. At times like this, a Pokémon's ability to fight on its own became crucial.

"Milotic, use Iron Tail!" Wallace had realized how overwhelming Sharpedo was. Knowing he couldn't fend it off any longer, he was forced to accept close-range combat.

Still, all that long-range damage hadn't been useless, Sharpedo's stamina had long since started to drain.

But by now, the battle had completely tilted in Sharpedo's favor. Milotic couldn't hit it at high speeds at all.

Every time Sharpedo attacked, it struck and slipped away instantly, never giving Milotic a chance to hit it.

Couldn't land a hit.

Couldn't dodge.

Couldn't recover fast enough to keep up with the damage.

Milotic was holding on only because of Recover.

But even Recover had its limits. If Milotic didn't have a way to land a guaranteed, one-hit KO move on Sharpedo, then this battle...

"I concede!"

Wallace, seeing how battered Milotic had become, surrendered earlier than Sato had expected.

Four straight losses!

Juan's four students had been completely wiped out by Sato's team. Whether the three girls could recover from the blow... Sato didn't know.

But Wallace, aside from feeling sorry for how hurt Milotic was, had something else in his eyes... something far more important.

"Thank you. I learned a lot from this battle," Wallace said sincerely as he walked over to Sato.

"Me too. Your style of battle is fantastic, something I've never experienced before. Let's have a full team battle someday," Sato replied, issuing an invitation without hesitation.

Wallace was actually about the same age as Steven and Lance, but compared to them...

He hadn't begun his breakout moment.

Sato even felt a bit envious, maybe even jealous.

Right now, Wallace couldn't even beat him, but it wouldn't be long before he caught up to Steven and Lance, and surpassed Sato in a single bound.

Compared to the deeply rooted powerhouses that were Lance and Steven, Wallace's only backing was Sootopolis Gym; which seemed insignificant next to the Dragon Clan and Devon Corporation.

And yet, with only his talent and determination, Wallace not only reached Champion-level strength but also single-handedly pushed the growth of the Pokémon Contest circuit.

The Wallace standing before him was a rising star destined to shine bright in the future. So bright that Sato couldn't bear to look directly at him.

To Sato, forget Champion... even the title of Elite Four-level Trainer had been beyond his reach in his previous life.

That's why he constantly reminded himself:

Up to the threshold of the Elite Four, he had always been seen as a once-in-a-generation prodigy. But once he passed that threshold... would he still be able to keep pace with his peers, or would he be left behind? Sato had no confidence in the answer.

In his past life, due to his background, he had no resources, no support, and no time to focus solely on improving his strength.

Now, he had all of those things. But did that mean he truly had the talent and ability to become an Elite Four, or even a Champion-level Trainer?

Sato didn't know.

That's why, even after "becoming" a Gym Leader -living a comfortable life with no worries about food or security- he still chose to come to Hoenn, to continue training and growing stronger.

He chose to reveal the secret of Mega Evolution in advance, and the secret of the Fairy type, all to exchange them for more resources and influence, so he could become stronger.

If the matter of Pokémon Abilities didn't involve such an enormous and complex scope, Sato likely would've revealed that too.

But if he directly exposed something like Pokémon Abilities, he might very well end up dissected for research.

Besides, the two secrets he had already revealed had each caused terrifying, far-reaching effects across the Pokémon world.

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That's why Sato had to carefully select massive forces like the Joy family and the Dragon Clan.

Groups with good public reputations, a friendly history with him, and the potential to offer proper compensation.

But in the end, the Joy family went back on their word and refused to give him Tyranitar's Mega Stone.

Sato knew full well that it belonged to him. But he didn't even have the right to get angry.

Let's not forget: all the Pokémon not currently on him were "stored" in Joy Town, and Pupitar was still using the Joy family's Advanced Mimicry Space.

Sato wasn't a child. He knew exactly what he was signing up for, and he was prepared to deal with the consequences, even if they turned their backs on him.

Now, having shared the secret of the Fairy-type with the Dragon Clan, he was striking another risky deal, with people just as capable of turning on him.

So far, things were going smoothly. With Lance involved, the odds of betrayal from the Dragon Clan were low. But even so, Sato would never fully trust everyone in the Dragon Clan.

In the end, it all came back to one thing: Power!

---

Clap clap clap clap...

Juan approached the group while applauding and said to Wallace, "That was a wonderful battle. I take back what I said before about not accepting your battle style. It's time for you to go travel. You're not going to learn anything more by staying in Sootopolis Gym."

"Yes! Thank you, Mentor." Wallace said, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Sato had a strong feeling. This journey Wallace was about to embark on... would be the start of his true rise to greatness.