Pokémon: Above the Top

The icy wind howled as Sato climbed the mountain, steadying himself against Houndoom with each step.

Everything around him was covered in white snow, with only a few evergreens standing tall beneath their icy burden, adding a touch of green to the desolate landscape.

"Howl!"

Houndoom released a faint pulse of Fire-type energy, briefly pushing back the surrounding cold.

"Save your energy. We'll need you for battles later," Sato said, patting Houndoom's head.

The environment in the outer snow-capped mountains was even harsher than expected. Eevee and Sharpedo had already returned to their Poké Balls.

Gengar remained in Sato's shadow. It seemed that, for it, the shadow was a special space, unaffected by the cold while also allowing it to stay alert for any sudden dangers.

As for the assassins, if they had tracked him this far, they wouldn't fare any better in these extreme conditions.

----

Despite the harsh environment, many Pokémon still thrived here, and their strength had increased significantly!

Suddenly, Houndoom halted, lowering its body cautiously while glaring ahead.

Sato followed suit, crouching behind Houndoom as he observed the area carefully.

Crunch… Crunch… Crunch…

The sound of snow being crushed underfoot echoed from the distance. A large brown figure gradually emerged from the raging blizzard.

Mamoswine! Peak Elite!

Mamoswine stopped as well. Even with its sluggish instincts, it could sense the heat radiating from Houndoom, a presence it absolutely despised!

For a moment, neither side moved. They simply stood locked in a silent standoff.

"We back away," Sato whispered to Houndoom.

Slowly, they stepped back, moving diagonally to the right while keeping their eyes trained on Mamoswine.

Fortunately, Mamoswine had a naturally lazy temperament, and with Houndoom's heat being so unpleasant, it simply ambled in the opposite direction, vanishing into the snowstorm.

"Let's keep going."

"Awf!"

Just as they were about to continue forward, a powerful Ice Beam suddenly shot toward Sato from behind!

Buzz!

A green protective barrier, Protect, appeared just in time, blocking the Ice Beam.

Gengar had already emerged from Sato's shadow, its face serious as it stared at the attacker.

Blood-red eyes, a golden gem embedded in its forehead, sleek crimson head feathers, and sharp, bone-white claws gleaming with a cold radiance!

Weavile!

Sato and Houndoom quickly recovered from their shock, their expressions shifting to a mix of excitement and caution.

This was a Peak Elite Weavile!

Activating his Dark Energy, Sato quickly received emotional feedback: Dark-type potential, Pseudo-Elite Four level!

Finally found one!

But just as Sato prepared to act, Weavile, realizing its ambush had failed, instantly retreated, flashing a wicked grin before vanishing into the snowstorm!

Even Gengar couldn't react in time to use Mean Look before it disappeared!

"Chase it!"

Sato swiftly mounted Houndoom, with Gengar floating beside him, as they raced in pursuit of Weavile's trail!

"Can you track its scent?" Sato asked while running.

Houndoom sniffed the air desperately, but ultimately shook its head in frustration.

With the howling blizzard raging around them, any scent was instantly wiped away. The weather itself severely weakened Houndoom's ability to track.

"Gengar, go ahead and search! See if you can find it!"

Gengar nodded and immediately phased underground, vanishing from Sato's side.

Ten minutes later, Sato and Houndoom had searched the area thoroughly, but there was no trace of Weavile.

A while later, Gengar also returned, shaking its head to signal that it found nothing.

"It's fine. At least we have a target now. That's better than before."

Sato gently reassured both Houndoom and Gengar before taking out high-energy suplements to help them recover.

Houndoom, in particular, was already panting heavily from the exhausting chase.

---

Half an hour later, Sato and Houndoom had regained their energy and resumed their search, paying extra attention to large trees that could provide cover.

At the same time, Sato freely released his Dark Energy, scanning for any traces of Weavile nearby.

However, even by nightfall, there were no leads. The environment on Seafoam Islands at night was even more brutal.

With no other choice, Sato found a large pine tree, carved out a makeshift ice cave, and settled in for the night.

Inside the cave, Sato leaned against the large body of Houndoom, while Eevee took the opportunity to come out for some fresh air, curiously inspecting its surroundings.

Sato sat cross-legged, meditating to enhance his Dark Energy, using it as a substitute for sleep.

Outside, the wind howled violently. But inside the cave, thanks to Houndoom's presence, the space remained relatively warm.

Eevee had already dozed off in Sato's arms, a bit of drool trickling from the corner of its mouth, clearly dreaming about something delicious.

At around 2 AM, a black shadow silently appeared beside the pine tree, its blood-red eyes fixed coldly on the ice cave Sato had dug.

It stood motionless for several minutes, then slowly approached.

Inside the cave, Sato's eyes snapped open.

At the same time, Gengar emerged from the ground. Seeing Sato awake, it simply stood quietly by his side.

Houndoom's ears twitched, but it remained in a half-asleep state, only vaguely sensing movement outside.

Sato had been alerted through his Dark Energy, while Gengar, being a Ghost-type, was accustomed to staying up all night.

Feeling the exact same emotional feedback as before, Sato clenched his fists.

It came back on its own? Then this time, it's not getting away!

Weavile inched closer, completely unaware that Sato and his Pokémon had already detected it.

Even Houndoom had been silently woken up, fully prepared for an ambush.

Weavile reached the top of the ice cave, its razor-sharp claws piercing the snow without a sound.

Swiftly, it dug out a massive chunk of ice, leaving only a thin transparent layer. Through it, Weavile could see Sato and his Pokémon "asleep" inside.

Such precise cutting skills... it's impressive!

Weavile extended its white claws once more, moving even slower this time. With perfect control, it removed the final thin layer of ice, lifting it without making a sound.

But as soon as Weavile turned its gaze back to the inside of the cave... It was met with a pair of glowing golden eyes!

Mean Look!

Weavile's body tensed, and for some reason, the thought of escaping didn't even cross its mind.

Right now, it only had one instinct: Fight!

Weavile's white claws darkened, enveloped in sinister Dark type energy. Then, without hesitation, it lunged forward with Night Slash, aiming directly for Gengar's eyes!

"Substitute!"

Boom!

A Gengar doll suddenly appeared between them, getting torn apart instantly.

Gengar used the moment to retreat to a safe distance, but in the next instant.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Several sharp ice shards were hurled at Gengar at blinding speed. A priority move: Ice Shard!