Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 236: Regional Pokémon Fusion

Pupitar had been in the Advanced Mimicry Space for almost a year. Now that it had finally taken the chance to break through during its shedding, Sato wasn't planning to send it back so soon.

Back during the battle against Metang, due to type advantages, Pupitar had used a lot of Ground-type moves.

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But in truth, since Pupitar's final evolution was Rock/Dark-type, Ground-type moves weren't the focus of Sato's training.

Dark-type capabilities could wait; it hadn't evolved yet, so there was no rush. But training its Rock-type moves had always been a top priority.

Even back when it was just a Larvitar, its excellent control often caught opponents off guard with surprising damage.

Now, the visible difference was clear. Where Pupitar used to control rocks the size of pebbles, now each one was the size of a fist.

And this increase in power came without sacrificing speed. Meaning the overall impact had multiplied several times over!

Even without relying on illusions or misdirection, Pupitar wasn't afraid of going head-to-head with brute force.

The trio continued northward, heading for the famous Sand Arc Forest. Just as Steven had said, as they neared the forest, more and more Trainers and adventurers began to appear.

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"Are you Trainers? Then accept my challenge! Go, Victreebel..."

"I heard you've got a Pupitar. I came here just to battle it. Are you brave enough to accept?"

"I want to see how strong a Pseudo-Legendary really is. Can we have a match?"

"I-I... I'm also here to challenge Pupitar. Please go easy on me..."

"..."

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Tough, hot-blooded, goofy, introverted... all sorts of strange Trainers kept showing up to challenge Sato's Pupitar.

Sato didn't turn down a single one, he simply let Pupitar charge straight into battle.

If the opponent wasn't strong enough, Sato had Pupitar win through pure force.

If they were somewhat decent, Pupitar's varied attack methods were more than enough to leave them completely disoriented.

After multiple battles, Pupitar had racked up a series of consecutive wins. It was already starting to display the commanding presence of a true Tyranitar.

In the end, when you're strong enough, overwhelming your opponent head-on is the most satisfying. Strategy is just a way to make up for a lack of strength.

Meanwhile, the beloved Pichu had officially graduated from its infant stage just yesterday. It was now ready to participate in real battles.

Unfortunately, while Pichu always cheered enthusiastically for its teammates during their matches, it didn't seem to have much interest in fighting itself.

After its growth, Sato had gone out of his way to find a fairly weak Rattata to ensure Pichu's first match would be a win, hoping it would get a taste for battle.

Pichu did win, and the Rattata was knocked out... but the intended result didn't come. Pichu simply continued to play around carefree with Pupitar, showing no signs of wanting a rematch.

'Maybe Pichu really was just meant to be cute?' Sato wondered.

Since it didn't want to battle, Sato didn't force it. He had plenty of other teammates who loved to fight. Dark-types in general were more inclined toward offense anyway.

A little cutie like Pichu? Sato could easily afford to keep one on the team.

"Hey hey, what kind of Pokémon is that? It's kinda cute."

Mark pointed curiously at a group of purple balloons floating through the air.

"Drifloon. Flying and Ghost-type Pokémon. They're commonly found in the Sinnoh Region. Looks like Sand Arc Forest really lives up to the hype."

Joseph explained the basics of Drifloon to Mark while also letting out a sigh of admiration.

This wasn't the first Pokémon they had encountered from outside the Hoenn Region, but even in Sinnoh, Drifloon was considered relatively rare.

No wonder Sand Arc Forest attracted so many Trainers. In a world with poor transportation and little inter-regional communication, just owning a Pokémon rare in the local area -regardless of its strength- was something worth learning about.

With the rise of professions like Trainers and Breeders, Sato knew that a massive trend would soon emerge, one no one could have foreseen.

Regional Pokémon fusion!

The standard life plan for an average Trainer went something like this: capture at least six Pokémon in one region, earn the eight regional Gym Badges, and then enter the regional League.

If they didn't achieve any notable results or weren't recruited by a big corporation or the League itself, then they would simply move to another region and start again.

Because every Pokémon had a ceiling to its potential, by the time one region was completed, some Pokémon might have reached their final evolution stage, while others remained stagnant.

At that point, it became clear which ones were worth investing in.

Then, the Trainer would head to a new region, collect that region's Badges, catch its local Pokémon, and once again challenge its Pokémon League.

Maybe they still wouldn't get the result they wanted, or maybe they didn't catch any particularly talented partners.

But that was fine. Just go to another region and try again!

In this way, as Trainers traveled across multiple regions, they would slowly build up a powerful team of Pokémon. One day, they would shine on a grand stage and reach the peak of their journey!

That was the path most Trainers took to become strong. If Sato hadn't acquired Dark Energy by chance, he too would've had to advance this way, step by step.

So then the question arises! Once a Trainer builds a full team, what happens to the leftover Pokémon with no talent or strength?

Or rather... how are they dealt with?

Daycare!

Release!

Trade!

No matter the method, no Trainer would go out of their way to return every Pokémon back to the exact place they were caught.

Handling them nearby was the cheapest, and often the most profitable, option! After all, Pokémon from one region would always be a bit more valuable in another.

Due to human commercial activity, Pokémon began to be traded like commodities between regions.

Those that were released had no choice but to adapt, surviving and reproducing in environments far from their native lands.

And just like that, Pokémon from various regions were forced to leave their homes and compete for survival with the local species.

Today, the bustling scene in Sand Arc Forest seemed like a glimpse into the future.

Sato also knew that before long, a major corporation would take an interest in this area. They would buy up the entire forest and establish Sand Arc Park under the banner of offering Trainers the chance to catch out-of-region Pokémon, drawing in countless visitors.

Thankfully, while the reasons behind regional Pokémon fusion were rooted in darkness and cold profit, the outcome wasn't entirely bad.

The increase in biodiversity also pushed forward many Pokémon-related industries, and professions like Pokémon Trainer, Pokémon Breeder, and even Pokémon Researcher flourished as a result.

As Sato watched Pupitar dominate the battlefield without needing a single command from him, his thoughts drifted far, far away.