Pokémon: Above the Top

The people of Shadownight Town felt that life this year was especially rich and colorful. They could sit around chatting all afternoon without repeating topics once.

First, their long-awaited Gym Leader, Sato, had finally taken office. On the day of the Gym's opening, he crushed the competition and instantly solidified his position as Leader.

Even though Sato was very young, no one questioned or complained about it. Anyone with a positive outlook could feel the rapid changes sweeping through their town.

In the month following the Gym's opening, the hot topic on everyone's lips was which challengers Sato had defeated that day.

Some of them were even fairly well-known Trainers, sparking new waves of excitement every time.

What made them even more hopeful was that the registered Trainers officially listed under Shadownight Gym were all locals and from the two nearby villages.

So, it wasn't hard to see that Sato was clearly determined to develop Shadownight Town and was actively working to raise excellent Trainers from the local community.

Because of this, the people of Shadownight found a new sense of belonging. The way they looked at Sato was like watching one of their own children: full of warmth and familiarity.

And since the roster of registered Trainers wasn't permanent, there would surely be new recruits or expansions in the future. That meant their own kids might have a chance someday too.

Every parent wanted a good starting point for their child, a good future.

And being a registered Trainer at Shadownight Gym had become, in many people's eyes, a golden opportunity.

Because of that, the town took an intense interest in any news about the Gym. Many even believed Sina and the others had just gotten ridiculously lucky to be picked early by Sato.

After all, in the eyes of parents, their own child was always the best.

And the role Mark had played in all of this began to spread as well. The once mischievous kid who didn't even dare catch a Pokémon had now become Sato's "right-hand" man.

A perfect model of a complete turnaround.

While people gossiped with envy, jealousy, and admiration, they also started poking around quietly, hoping to somehow get connected to Mark's family and maybe sneak in through the back door.

Mark, helpless, had to come clean to Sato. Then, to stay out of sight, he took on the task of locating portals and started spending all his time running around outside.

Sato, knowing exactly what people were hoping for, simply decided to introduce a widely used "trainee recruitment program" adopted by many Gyms.

trainees would be recruited regularly and trained. Then the best would be selected to become official registered Gym Trainers.

This was the most effective way to both scout talent and win the hearts of the people. As long as basic fairness and transparency were maintained, the Gym's credibility and public trust would remain strong.

After all, even if a child didn't become a registered Trainer, they could still learn a lot; and that alone was worthwhile.

The second most discussed topic was the recent massive overhaul at the Shadownight Intelligence Shop.

Thanks to its geography, Shadownight Town's residents had above-average strength, and many earned their living through wild expeditions and selling information.

But at some point, people suddenly realized that the former boss, Victor, had disappeared. The Intelligence Shop was now managed by the Gym's administrator, Amber.

Amber, well aware of how dangerous parasites could be to the shop's future, immediately acted with force after taking over, rooting out the leaders of the parasites.

In front of everyone, he declared that the shop would no longer accept any information collected by them.

…Of course, this caused an uproar. After all, Amber was just an administrator. Even Leader Sato hadn't stepped in, so naturally, they weren't too afraid.

Even if Sato had shown up, these hard-headed types who wouldn't cry until they saw the coffin still wouldn't have backed down. In their eyes, what could a kid possibly understand about business?

But they hadn't even stirred things up for three minutes before they were completely shut down. Amber released three Pokémon at Pseudo-Elite Four level, instantly scaring the ringleaders stiff.

And then… Officer Jenny arrived.

And then… there was nothing more to say.

After dealing with the troublemakers, Amber immediately pulled out the set of regulations he had already prepared and read them aloud in public. The ultimate goal was to ensure that all intel collected would be accurate and effective.

Then came mass layoffs, straightforward promotions of his trusted aides, and salary increases.

With a clean and swift cut, the Shadownight Intelligence Shop's operational capacity was halved, but the parasites were wiped out entirely.

Among those dismissed were quite a few local residents. Some had thought of filing complaints or protesting to Sato, but on the same day the Intelligence Shop's actions were announced, the trainee recruitment program was also publicly released.

For the sake of their children, no one dared to act recklessly anymore. Even those itching to stir up trouble had to consider whether the rest of Shadownight Town would allow it.

However, just as the townspeople were still processing all these rumors, the empty lot next to the Gym suddenly began construction.

'The Gym was already expanding?'

In their eyes: Gym expansion = understaffed = recruitment opportunity = road to the top.

In other words, Gym expansion meant a chance to reach the peak of life!

Who cared about the mess at the Intelligence Shop anymore? People began going door-to-door, and even Akira's parents and the others found themselves bombarded with visits and gifts.

Sato didn't care, nor did he want to. When the official trainees recruitment began, everyone would realize that bribery was useless. In the end, it all came down to the child's abilities.

After all, with Trish as his loaded little "sister", Sato might never run out of money in his life.

Thinking about it like that, Sato realized… this might actually be the greatest reward from his trip to the Reverse World.

Now, Shadownight Town was nothing like its name suggested. Far from quiet, it had become almost bustling.

Hotels, department stores, schools, housing... A flood of companies had started setting up shop, and more and more outsiders were arriving by the day. The entire town was thriving.

---

And at this moment, the one behind it all -Sato- was with Mark and Joseph, visiting the only orphanage in town.

The orphanage wasn't directly run by the League, but they had already looked into it. Many of the children who left ended up returning to support it, which was truly admirable.

Because of this, Sato had asked Amber to investigate the head of the orphanage. They found that she was indeed a respectable elder.

People called her "Grandma" Joanne, and she had spent her entire life savings to establish the orphanage. Sina had once received her help and guidance.

It wasn't until Sina could care for himself and his sister that Joanne finally let go.

Sato's visit this time was indeed to offer support to the orphanage.

But not because he wanted to play the good guy or gain recognition or fame. It was simply because many who joined Team Rocket and other underground forces did so because they had no way out, no one to rely on, and were left with no choice.

Sato had once walked through darkness himself. He knew how brutal it was. He couldn't change the world… but Shadownight Town was his territory.

Though Shadownight Town was named for its pitch-black nights, Sato hoped that everyone in it could find a light to keep them warm.