Pokémon: Above the Top

"Yo yo yo, time to sail, Manaphy!"

Mark lifted Manaphy high into the air, then quickly lowered it again. The feeling of weightlessness didn't scare Manaphy at all; on the contrary, it was thoroughly enjoying it.

Sato boarded the sailboat owned by the newlywed couple, Kyle and Meredith. Seeing the annoying scene in front of him, he turned and walked straight into the cabin.

Soon, all five of them had returned to the cabin. Mark was still holding Manaphy, playing happily and ignoring everyone else.

To be honest, there was no such thing as an "ugly" Mythical Pokémon. In fact, they were all explosively cute.

Well... the majority.

As the only known Water-type Mythical Pokémon, Manaphy itself was a soft and adorable creature.

Its deep-ocean blue eyes were crystal clear, and its droplet-shaped body was soft and cool to the touch.

Most importantly, the two long ribbon-like antennae on Manaphy's head were said to be capable of conveying emotions and communicating with others.

Because of that, whether Manaphy was happy or sad, it could easily influence the emotions of those around it.

Just like Mark, who hadn't stopped smiling since Manaphy hatched, clearly affected to some extent.

"Thank you for giving us a ride. Once we reach Pastoria City, let's have a meal together!" Joseph said to Meredith, deliberately starting an acting contest.

"We won't be shy then. My Kyle eats a lot~" Meredith smiled gently, playing along very naturally.

"I do not!" Kyle blushed and scratched his head in protest.

…Looking at it now, he was actually the most convincing.

Kyle: What do you mean acting? That was a genuine reaction!

"Pastoria City? We're going to Pastoria City?"

Mark's attention was finally caught. No one had mentioned this before they boarded the boat; he had thought they were already setting off to return Manaphy home…

"Wasn't the original plan to go to Pastoria City?" Joseph replied with a slight smile.

Sato, on cue, chose silence.

"We just happen to be headed in that direction too. Or do you have another plan?" Meredith, now fully into the role, took the opportunity to jump into the conversation. At the very least, it gave her more screen time.

"No no… no plan! Pastoria City is great!" Mark shook his head like a bobblehead, hugging Manaphy a bit tighter.

Even a little more time together was a gift.

"Set sail!"

Kyle shouted loudly as he took control of the boat. The sailboat slowly began to move, pulling away from the shore.

Sato glanced to the side and noticed two Mantine flapping their wings energetically in the sky, generating wind to help push the sailboat forward.

At the back of the boat, Floatzel, Gorebyss, Azumarill, and other Water-type Pokémon were manipulating the waves, gently pushing the boat along.

Soon, the boat picked up speed and got on course. Once the sail was lowered, the sea breeze naturally carried the boat forward.

The Mantine, having completed their task, dove into the sea to join the Floatzel team, playing and frolicking as they followed the boat.

"Mana! Mana!"

Now surrounded by the sea, Manaphy was clearly even more excited. Seeing how much fun the Mantine and the others were having, it tugged at Mark nonstop, signaling that it wanted to go out and play too.

Mark looked toward Sato for help…

Only to be met with total indifference.

He then turned to Joseph, who simply smiled and looked out the window.

Helpless, Mark finally turned to Meredith, who was still somewhat unfamiliar to him.

"There are rapids in this area. Manaphy was just born, so it's not a good idea to play here. Once we reach calmer waters, we'll stop and let it have some fun."

What Meredith said was perfectly reasonable. Mark had no way to refute it, so he could only quietly try to comfort Manaphy.

And then...

Manaphy suddenly burst into tears with a loud "Waaah!" Startled, Sato, who had been resting with his eyes closed, jolted awake immediately.

The "earth-shattering wail" echoed through the cabin. Mark fumbled around trying to calm it down, but nothing worked.

Kyle and Meredith instinctively covered each other's ears and exchanged confused looks.

"Are all kids this noisy?"

"I guess so..."

"Kyle, I've made up my mind!"

"To wait a bit before having kids?"

"Wait a bit before having kids!"

The two said in unison, then shared a knowing smile filled with silent understanding.

In the middle of the cries, Sato and the others got an unexpected taste of the couple's affection.

Manaphy cried for over half an hour before its voice finally began to weaken… not because it no longer wanted to cry, but because it was too tired to continue. Exhausted, it began dozing off.

Mark sighed in relief and gently rocked Manaphy in his arms to help it fall asleep faster.

"Mana~"

As if by instinct, Manaphy wrapped its tiny little arms tightly around Mark. Feeling the warmth of his embrace, it pouted contentedly and drifted off to sleep.

That unconscious gesture instantly wiped away any lingering trauma the crying had caused Mark, leaving only overwhelming tenderness and love.

"Keep these on you at all times. If you run out, just come to me. Next time it cries, it'll help calm it down."

Joseph handed Mark seven or eight bottles of Sweet Milk in one go. Even someone as "gentle and patient" as Joseph was clearly still shaken by Manaphy's crying fit.

Manaphy could sense emotions and amplify them to affect those around it.

During its crying, aside from the couple who used the "power of love" to shield themselves, Sato and the others all felt inexplicably sad.

That stifling feeling was truly unpleasant.

---

The sailboat continued onward. By the time Manaphy woke up again, it was already dusk.

As soon as it opened its eyes, Manaphy began looking around restlessly. But once it saw Mark peacefully asleep beside it, it immediately brightened up.

"Mana~"

With a burst of adorable energy, Manaphy launched itself like a tiny missile straight into Mark's chest.

Mark jolted awake instantly, eyes wide open in stunned silence. No matter how cute the beast, a beast's still a beast…

"Mana?"

Sensing Mark's discomfort, Manaphy furrowed its brow and pouted its lips, looking so pitiful it seemed about to cry again.

Seeing this, Mark didn't care at all about the blow to his chest. He whipped out a bottle of Sweet Milk and popped the nipple into Manaphy's mouth in one swift motion.

"You're hungry, huh? Quick, have some Sweet Milk. We'll go out and play in a bit!"

"Ma Ma~" Manaphy's little eyes lit up as it mumbled an enthusiastic response.

Then it eagerly began slurping down the Sweet Milk, clearly impatient to go play in the water.

In less than half a minute, it downed the whole bottle. Manaphy immediately reached out its little arms, giving Mark an adorably pleading look, asking to be taken "outside".

"Alright, alright, I must owe you from a past life…" Mark chuckled helplessly, picked up Manaphy, and walked out of the cabin.

At dusk, the sun hung low in the west, casting a crimson glow over the ocean. The waves swayed gently, the shimmering light danced on the surface, dazzling the eyes and stirring the heart.

Manaphy stared blankly at the breathtaking scene.

…In that moment, it faintly felt as though something was silently calling out to it.