Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 301: Flattering Praise

Who doesn't want a long life?

Seafloor Cavern may have been cramped, but Gardevoir was its ruler, the absolute authority whose word was law.

Sato had never experienced anything like that. While he could imagine feelings like loneliness, boredom, or isolation that Gardevoir might have endured...

Sorry, but he truly couldn't empathize.

Still, Sato didn't think Gardevoir was ungrateful or blind to her blessings. After all, if he hadn't experienced it himself, he had no right to judge.

So, he returned to the earlier question. "What are your plans from now on?"

Gardevoir didn't answer immediately. She looked seriously at Sato, then glanced at Mark, Joseph, Pichu, and Togepi...

"Can I become one of your partners? Wherever you go, I want to go too."

"Huh?"

Sato widened his eyes in disbelief as he stared at Gardevoir. He had imagined many possibilities... but not this one. He hadn't expected Gardevoir to want to join them.

He'd even prepared for the worst-case scenario: that once Gardevoir recovered, she'd harbor resentment and attack them for revenge.

That's why he was still wary of her, even now.

"Pfft!"

Mark, still eating, suddenly spat out a mouthful of rice. He stood up in shock, staring at Gardevoir, completely speechless.

"What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing. I was just using Telepathy to ask if they'd be willing to let me join", Gardevoir replied, looking innocently at Sato... she hadn't expected Mark to react so dramatically.

"Pichu pi!"

"Toge~pii!"

At that moment, Pichu -having just finished eating- was the first to switch sides, scampering over to Gardevoir with a look of absolute adoration.

Togepi followed along without really understanding what was happening, simply tagging along out of habit.

Joseph discreetly swallowed. Both he and Mark had physically experienced how terrifying Ralts could be... and now Ralts had evolved into Gardevoir.

Yeah... it was a little scary.

"Are you worried I'll hurt you? It's fine, you can use a Poké Ball to 'catch me' if it helps," Gardevoir added via Telepathy, seeing the three still hadn't spoken.

She also added silently to herself: 'it's not like a Poké Ball can actually control me. I could leave any time I want.'

Coincidentally, the thoughts of Sato, Mark, and Joseph were exactly the same as hers. 'This was a Pseudo-Elite Four level Gardevoir... what difference would a Poké Ball make?'

So, the living room fell silent again. Aside from Gardevoir playing with Pichu, you could hear a pin drop.

"Why do you want to follow us? You said you wanted to see the world. But soon I'll be returning to Shadownight Town to become a Gym Leader, settling down. These two will probably follow me there," Sato said, glancing at the others.

Joseph and Mark nodded in agreement. Mark was already from Shadownight Town, and Joseph couldn't go home yet, so he was happy to stay there for now.

"Then I'll stay with you for the time being," Gardevoir said shamelessly, leaving Sato at a loss for words.

"I've traveled with you for a while now. I already know what each of you can do. I've never seen another team as strong as yours. If I don't join you, what better option do I have?"

In the end, Gardevoir was simply being honest. She didn't hide her admiration for the three of them; but no matter how she phrased it, it still sounded like flattering praise.

Mark couldn't hold it in any longer. He nodded solemnly and said, "I think we should let Gardevoir join us. I've always felt like our team has too much masculine energy, we need some balance."

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Joseph rolled his eyes at Mark. 'Gardevoir was a Pokémon, not a girl!'

'If you're counting female Pokémon, then what about Ariados, Sharpedo, Houndoom, Lapras, Chansey, Wigglytuff, Florges...so many ladies already! Where do they all fit in?'

"I've got no objections," Joseph followed up, stating his stance clearly.

"?" Sato glanced at the two who had defected in an instant, then turned to see Gardevoir smiling at him with an extremely gentle expression.

...Something felt off.

He thought about it for a while, but unable to figure out what exactly was wrong, Sato finally nodded slowly, agreeing to temporarily let Gardevoir join their team.

"Your appearance is way too eye-catching, so..." Sato, still a bit uneasy, pulled out a Friend Ball.

Friend Ball: a Poké Ball that significantly increased the bond between Trainer and Pokémon.

In this era where Poké Ball types were still limited, Poké Balls made from Apricorns with special effects were incredibly valuable.

He didn't know if the Friend Ball would work on a Gardevoir who had lived for who knows how long, but at the very least, it offered some peace of mind.

Besides, in crowded places, a black Gardevoir absolutely couldn't be let out... it drew way too much attention.

When Sato took out the Friend Ball, Gardevoir froze for a second. She hadn't expected Sato would actually choose to capture her.

Still, Gardevoir was only momentarily surprised. In the end, she reached out without hesitation and tapped the Friend Ball. When it came to joining the team, she was serious.

A flash of red light, Gardevoir entered the Friend Ball. There was no resistance. With a crisp "click", the ball confirmed capture.

Sato picked up the Poké Ball that had rolled onto the couch. He hadn't expected things between him and Gardevoir to turn out like this.

A Pseudo-Elite Four level Gardevoir!

It only hit Sato after the fact... he had just captured a Pseudo-Elite Four-level Pokémon, and one that could return to Elite Four strength at any moment.

Wow.

From anyone else's perspective, this was like skyrocketing straight to the top!

His caution and wariness faded, replaced by a huge surge of excitement. More importantly, Gardevoir fully understood what it meant to be Elite Four level.

If she was willing, Gardevoir could teach Sato how to help his Pokémon break through to that level.

This wasn't just capturing a Pokémon, this was recruiting a teacher... or more like a paren-no, a mom.

Sato suddenly regretted it. Why did he have to go and capture Gardevoir with his own hands? Shouldn't he have just treated her like a Legendary and worshipped her?

What if Gardevoir got upset and didn't want to teach him anymore?

---

It took a long time for Sato to finally calm down. After all, those goals were still a ways off, he still had time to build their relationship.

In daily life, he wouldn't be ordering Gardevoir into battle anyway. At most, she'd serve as a trump card for emergency situations.

And after capturing Gardevoir, Sato realized another major problem... his active Pokémon slots were seriously insufficient.

Pichu was still being raised as a pet and hadn't been officially caught. If it ever ran off and got caught by someone else, they'd never be able to find it again.

The Gardevoir he just caught also clearly wasn't someone who could be sent out casually in the main lineup.

He needed to figure out a solution...

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150 power stones for an extra chap.