Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 230: Another Ancient Relic

Clearly feeling the changes in its body, Sableye's attitude toward Sato had grown even more complicated.

"Sab Sab!"

Suddenly, Sableye called out softly to Sato twice, then darted into the bushes. Sato looked puzzled but patiently waited in place.

Two minutes later, Sableye returned holding a large leaf and handed it to Sato.

"These look like ancient statues... and some old coins?"

Sato picked up a grayish-black statue first. It was about palm-sized but had noticeable weight to it. A faint, familiar power pulsed from within the statue.

Aside from the statue, there was a scattered pile of old coins. After a quick sorting, there were roughly a hundred copper coins, thirty silver coins, and only nine gold ones.

Likewise, each coin emitted a faint unknown energy, similar in nature to the ancient statue.

It was strange. Ancient Relics were supposed to be rare collectibles, but since the start of his journey, Sato had somehow acquired several of them.

A Relic Crown, a Relic Band, a Relic Statue and now a pile of Relic Coins -Relic Copper-, Relic Silver- and Relic Gold Coins-.

Moreover, judging from the faint power within them, they all appeared to be genuine.

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"I'll accept your gift. If fate allows, we'll meet again." Sato placed the Relic items into his backpack, nodded at Sableye, called Gengar, and left.

Behind them, Dusknoir happily spun around Sableye in circles. The bothersome human had finally left... it looked like he wouldn't be coming back... from now on, Sableye would be its alone. With that thought, Dusknoir spun around even more joyfully.

Sableye watched Sato disappear into the distance. Over the time they'd spent together, its attitude toward him had changed significantly.

But sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

Once Sato was completely out of sight, Sableye grabbed Dusknoir's big hand and slowly walked into the depths of the forest.

---

Back at Madame Kaori's inn, Mark and Joseph were already packed and waiting for departure.

With his backpack already prepared, Sato and the other two solemnly bid farewell to Madame Kaori. Joseph, in particular, was reluctant to leave.

Sato hadn't been able to make Sableye his partner, and Joseph also never officially became Madame Kaori's apprentice.

"She's already taught me everything she could. It's just... she has her reasons and won't acknowledge the mentor-apprentice relationship." After leaving the inn, Joseph explained this to Sato.

"Then follow her wishes. Don't let outsiders bother her anymore," Sato said meaningfully.

"Yeah." Joseph nodded. He understood what Sato meant.

A renowned top-level Pokémon Breeder, now blind and living alone near Mt. Pyre... who would believe there wasn't some untold story behind that?

"So where are we heading next?"

Mark was the happiest to leave Mt. Pyre. The place had nearly driven him mad. He was dying to go somewhere more fun.

"I heard there's a forest rich in Pokémon resources directly north of Mt. Pyre. It's called Sand Arc Forest. Why don't we go there?"

This time, it was Joseph who made the suggestion. Since Sato and Mark had no particular destination in mind, they readily agreed.

The three rode Sharpedo and Lapras back to the beach where they had first discovered Mt. Pyre and then headed straight north.

Sand Arc Forest, located at the northernmost point of the Hoenn Region, was a massive forest. Because it was so remote, many unique Pokémon from other regions were often spotted there, attracting countless adventurers and Trainers.

However, after traveling only half a day, they had to stop... because the Pokémon Egg Sato had in his backpack was finally showing signs of hatching.

"Looks like we've got about half a day until it hatches. I recommend we don't keep moving. Let's set up camp near a water source."

Joseph held a device similar to a stethoscope, placed it gently on the Egg, analyzed its condition, and offered his "professional" advice with a serious face.

"Awesome, awesome... a Pokémon is about to hatch. I've never seen one before!" Mark agreed before Sato could even respond.

"..."

---

The three of them found a river with crystal-clear water. After setting up their tents, Joseph began preparing everything needed.

Meanwhile, Sato and Mark had nothing to do but stare at the Pokémon Egg, watching as it emitted a glow... though it took quite a while.

At first, the Egg only glowed once an hour, but now the interval had shortened to once every ten minutes. The glow was becoming more frequent.

Time passed slowly. Aside from meals, Sato didn't dare leave for training. He simply sat quietly, waiting for the Egg to hatch.

"Doss~"

At dinner, the three of them let out all their Pokémon. Everyone was just as excited for the arrival of a new teammate.

"Doss~"

Ariados, who had been raised since it was an Egg, was the most attentive of them all.

From the moment it was released, it stayed by the Egg's side. Its two dark eyes remained locked on the Egg without blinking.

At this point, the Egg's glowing frequency had reached once every thirty seconds. If the pattern held, it would likely hatch in the early hours of the morning.

They lit a campfire. The three of them, along with the Pokémon, gathered around it. The Egg was placed beside Sato, with Ariados in charge of watching over it.

"Sato, Joseph, just sitting here is kinda boring. How about we all share how we catch our Pokémon?"

Mark, who couldn't sit still, sparked the conversation. And truth be told, Sato was actually curious about Joseph's team too.

"Doss!"

Ariados enthusiastically waved its spindly legs, pointing at the Egg nearby.

"Ariados was the first Pokémon I hatched myself. I raised it from a Spinarak and it's been with me for a long time... A very dependable partner," Sato added after a pause.

"Doss!"

Ariados swayed joyfully and even nuzzled its head against Sato. Like a perfect little Bug-type Hatchling.

"Yeah yeah! What about the others?" Mark asked eagerly, unable to contain himself. For someone who struggled even to catch one, these stories were like dreams to him.

"Joseph, why don't you go next? We'll take turns."

"Sure! As you know, I'm from Lumiose City in the Kalos Region. Madame Florges and Gogoat are native Pokémon from there. Madame Florges was my mother's Pokémon. Gogoat was my starter."

"That's it?"

"That's it. What else did you expect?" Joseph laughed helplessly. What kind of exciting story could there be for a starter Pokémon?

But a few minutes later, after Sato finished telling the story of how he got Zorua, Joseph realized he had just been utterly outclassed.

He could only blame his lack of experience...he hadn't seen the world yet. At the same time, both he and Mark were genuinely shocked by what Sato had been through.