Pokémon: Above the Top

"The Sweep Operation is basically a full-scale cleanup of public roads that connect cities. Pokémon that exceed a certain danger level are to be either driven off or caught.

Since you're in Shadownight Town, you only need to sweep the roads that connect to its 'subordinate' villages and nearby major cities.

Hmm… just Olivine City and Ecruteak City. Your task is pretty light. Now look at the surroundings of Goldenrod Cit- never mind… forget it!"

The more Howard talked, the more worked up he got. By the end, just thinking of his own overwhelming workload made him too annoyed to keep speaking.

"That's what the 'Sweep Operation' is?" Sato was speechless after hearing the explanation. He'd thought it was about "cleaning up" underground organizations or something.

"What did you think it was? Wiping out Team Rocket? They're not some kind of weeds you can just cut down again and again," Howard rolled his eyes, leaving Sato with no comeback.

"One last reminder, kid. Don't assume your task will be easy. Shadownight Town is a newly developed town, and its old public roads were only cleared once every three years. A lot of wild Pokémon are still left behind. Don't get caught off guard."

Apparently worried that Sato might not take it seriously, Howard gave a final word of warning.

"Got it, thanks Leader Howard!" Sato nodded, chatted a bit more, then hung up.

"…Really don't get a break, huh…" he muttered as he stared at the darkened screen.

He used to think that every time the League Conference came around, it meant a long break for Gym Leaders.

Who would've thought the League already had the next task lined up for them?

Or maybe he just wouldn't do it…? 'Impossible!' Even if Howard hadn't emphasized the importance of the task, Sato would've figured it out on his own.

Rookie Trainers have very limited strength. If they run into a group of three to five wild Pokémon in the wild, their only option is to flee.

That's why the League's public roads exist, to give these rookies a buffer period, so they don't get wiped out the moment they leave the city.

So, the closer you are to a city, the weaker the Pokémon along the road are supposed to be. That way, new Trainers can "grind" and level up safely. Once they pass their weakest stage, wherever they go next, the League no longer interferes.

Because of that, public roads are usually built while being surveyed at the same time, with routes that avoid clusters of large Pokémon as much as possible. Safety comes first.

Which means following public roads makes the journey longer than taking a straight path, but much safer.

That's why "Sweep Operations" on public roads are extremely important. If Sato wanted to continue developing Shadownight Town, this was something he had to handle properly.

'Once the League issues the official notice, I'll gather everyone for a meeting and reassign tasks,' Sato had already made up his mind.

With new goals and responsibilities, Sato's mind gradually settled. Every day, he trained when it was time to train and disciplined rookies when it was time to discipline.

He didn't look for trouble anymore. Staying focused and improving his strength was what mattered most.

And just like that, two months passed smoothly. All the Gyms under the League had gradually entered a "dormant" phase.

As Sato and his group walked through town, they barely saw any visiting Trainers.

Now and then, they'd hear about some kid from a local family who failed to collect all the Badges this year and couldn't participate in the League Conference.

----

There was nothing to be done, Shadownight Town was still a small place. Even though plenty of new buildings had sprung up, the warmth of close-knit human interaction hadn't disappeared.

And that was exactly the kind of atmosphere Sato liked. Cold steel cities were heartless, but the gossip and small talk of a town could always bring a knowing smile.

A week ago, the official document for the Sweep Operation had already been delivered to Sato.

Just as Howard had predicted, the roads Sato was responsible for weren't many: two small public roads connecting to subordinate villages, and two medium roads heading to Olivine City and Ecruteak City.

At the same time, the League also sought Sato's opinion. Considering Shadownight Town's location, there was the possibility of opening two new public roads in the future.

One would extend south to Goldenrod City, the other east to Violet City.

Sato accepted immediately. Only by doing this would Shadownight Town be fully integrated into the Johto Region's road system, connected in all directions.

In the backyard of the Shadownight Gym, Sato had gathered everyone together. Even Amber, who was still managing the Intelligence Shop, had been called over.

"The reason I called everyone here today is to assign our work focus for the next two months. This is the official notice from the League, please take a look."

Sato handed out the copied documents. As he looked at the now fully seated meeting room, a strange sense of accomplishment welled up inside him.

"Since the Shadownight Gym is newly established, we're responsible for most of the cleanup along the roads to both Olivine City and Ecruteak City…"

"Why?" As expected, Mark interrupted before Sato could finish.

"There's no helping it. Previously, they only had to sweep once every three years. Now that the Shadownight Gym is here, they'll have to do it once a year along with us from now on.So for this first year, it makes sense for us to handle the bulk of the work."

"Oh." Mark nodded and sat back down. He just didn't want to think about it too much, anyone could figure this out with a little effort.

Still, even though Sato had explained it that way, once he thought of his two current Gym neighbors, he wasn't too enthusiastic.

Tetsuya of Olivine City only barely passed the Gym Leader Qualification Tournament in middle age thanks to his connections.

The Rocket Hideout incident made it clear he wasn't someone worth investing time in.

As for Morty of Ecruteak City, he was indeed powerful, but a year ago Sato had clashed with him over a dispute about Haunter's evolution.

Sato cleared those distracting thoughts from his mind and continued, "The hardest parts of the two medium public roads to clean up are all in the Forest of Shadows. Once you get past that, it gets much easier.

The two small roads are relatively simpler, but since they're vital for the development of the two villages, the operation must be thorough."

Hearing that, no one was happier than Ponyo and Sosuke. Both were Trainers from Shadow Water and Shadowgrass Village, and of course they hoped to see their hometowns thrive.

"Right now, my plan is this: Joseph and Akira, Mark and Sina, you'll each take one of the medium roads, excluding the Forest of Shadows sections.

Sia, Ponyo, and Sosuke, you three will handle the two small roads, one at a time. No rush. Amber will be nearby to assist. If you run into anything you can't handle, he'll step in."

"What about the parts in the Forest of Shadows?" …Once again, unsurprisingly, Mark asked the question that everyone already knew the answer to.

"Did I forget to assign those? Want to take them on yourself?" Sato asked deliberately.

"Oh! I get it now. Boss is handling those himself," Mark immediately caught on.

"Heh… During the sweep, Sina, keep an eye on Mark. Make sure he doesn't get lost," Sato rolled his eyes and added a well-meant warning.

"Yes, Gym Leader!"

"Hey, are you all looking down on me, Mark? I'm a grown man! You think I'd just go missing?"

"Yeah!" Everyone nodded at once.

Mark: ヽ(#`Д)ノ