Pokémon: Above the Top

Although Sato was curious to test Ariados's poison right away, the desert environment was clearly not ideal for experiments.

Glancing at the Cacturne, who were still huddled together despite the heat, he decided not to disturb their fragile minds any further.

"Cac!"

Suddenly, the leading Cacturne called out, stopping Sato and his Pokémon.

After a brief exchange, Sato was genuinely surprised. They were actually inviting him to their territory!

Were they… intoxicated by the poison?

However, after a moment of thought, Sato quickly understood their reasoning.

To them, Sato had the power to destroy them, but chose not to. In their eyes, he had saved them.

Since Cacturne were also Dark-types, Sato wasn't against the idea of adding another strong member to his team if he found one with good potential. So, he agreed to go with them.

And so, a bizarre sight unfolded in the desert... a lone human, walking among a gang of Cacturne, notorious for being desert bandits.

From a distance, it looked like he was their captive!

The Cacturne moved swiftly, their broad, flat feet providing them with excellent traction on the sand.

Houndoom, however, normally a symbol of agility, found itself struggling in the desert, its thin legs sinking slightly into the sand with every step, draining its stamina faster than usual.

Even so, Houndoom's trained endurance allowed it to keep pace with the Cacturne despite the disadvantage.

This was simply a difference in species traits, one that couldn't be bridged.

---

After just ten minutes, under the guidance of the Cacturne, Sato arrived at a rare oasis within the desert.

"Eevee!"

Eevee excitedly pointed ahead, drawing Sato's gaze toward the edge of the oasis, where the four young Cacnea from earlier were waiting anxiously.

The moment they spotted Sato and Eevee among the Cacturne, their round little eyes widened in shock.

"Who am I? Where am I? What am I seeing?!"

As the group drew closer, the four Cacnea suddenly panicked, hastily scurrying into the grasslands to hide.

Sato paid no attention to their antics, instead turning his focus to the oasis itself.

A crescent-shaped lake of crystal-clear water lay at the center, surrounded by tropical vegetation and patches of sparse grassland.

Just by approaching, the temperature dropped by several degrees, and a cool breeze carried a faint refreshing scent.

His Pokémon, previously fatigued from the heat, immediately felt revitalized.

Not only was this oasis home to a large number of Cacnea and Cacturne, but other common desert Pokémon also came here to drink water, maintaining a rare harmony among species.

However, Sato's arrival made the wild Pokémon nervous. Many watched him cautiously, their instincts telling them to stay away.

But with so many Cacturne surrounding him, none of the other Pokémon dared to act rashly.

Still, those who had been relaxing peacefully quickly retreated to the shadows, unwilling to be seen.

Soon, a few Cacnea hopped over, each carrying a selection of different fruits, a clear offering meant to welcome Sato as their guest.

Sato glanced around. This small oasis had very few fruit-bearing trees, meaning these fruits were quite precious to them.

Casually picking up a banana, he peeled it and broke off half for Eevee, before taking a bite himself.

Huh? Pretty sweet!

Eevee also seemed to love it, holding its half-banana tightly, nibbling happily as its tail wagged in delight.

Houndoom, being a carnivore, had no interest in fruits or vegetables, while Ariados, still disliking the desert environment, had already returned to its Poké Ball.

As Sato and Eevee enjoyed their snack, they noticed a few Cacnea staring at them with obvious longing.

After thinking for a moment, Sato reached into his bag and pulled out several jars of basic Pokéblocks, something that most Pokémon could eat.

A gift in return for a gift.

For the Cacnea, Pokéblocks were an uncommon delicacy.

The round little Cacnea carefully distributed the Pokéblocks among themselves, surprisingly well-behaved and orderly.

Meanwhile, the Cacturne also eyed the food with clear envy, yet not a single one stepped forward to compete for it.

Sato found this interesting. Perhaps in the harsh desert environment, the only way to survive was to look out for each other and offer mutual support.

"Cac-cac!"

Suddenly, a smaller-than-average Cacnea came running over from a distance, eagerly joining the feast.

"Hmm?"

Sato's eyes narrowed as he took a closer look at this particular Cacnea. Its color was distinctly different.

Another Shiny Pokémon!

After the white Arbok (Belle) and the bright green Weezing, this wheat-colored Cacnea was the third Shiny Pokémon Sato had encountered!

Compared to the usual green of Cacnea, this one resembled a real scarecrow even more.

But… something wasn't right!

The other Cacnea refused to share the Pokéblocks with the Shiny one!

"Cac… mo~"

The Shiny Cacnea looked at the Pokéblocks with pleading eyes, softly begging its companions for just a small piece.

Yet, not a single one responded. Even the Cacturne pretended not to see anything.

Sato observed in silence, recalling a well-known fact about Shiny Pokémon.

Because Shiny Pokémon were born different, they were often rejected by their own kind.

Weezing's case was different. Since it lived alone, it was never rejected. But this Shiny Cacnea had clearly been cast aside.

Perhaps because desert Pokémon tended to be more united, it hadn't been completely exiled. Still, judging from its expression, life had not been easy for it.

"Eevee!"

Suddenly, Eevee dashed forward. Having already defeated four Cacnea at once, it had no fear of them whatsoever.

It angrily scolded the Cacnea who had refused to share the Pokéblocks with the Shiny one.

Though small in size, Eevee carried a "commanding" presence.

The Cacnea looked like they wanted to argue back. But then they remembered that the food was given by Sato.

In the end, they muttered under their breath but said nothing.

Finally, one of the Cacnea responsible for distributing the Pokéblocks grabbed a piece, then angrily threw it in front of the Shiny Cacnea.

The Pokéblock hit the ground, rolling several times, getting completely covered in sand, making it completely inedible.

"Cac…~"

The Shiny Cacnea stared blankly at the Pokéblock on the ground, then at its cold, indifferent companions.

It swallowed back its tears, turned around, and ran off without looking back.

"Eevee!"

Eevee immediately chased after it, while the rest of the Cacnea simply continued their meal—as if this was an everyday occurrence.

Sato stood up, watching the Cacnea resume their second round of food distribution, but said nothing.

Instead, he turned around and went after Eevee and the Shiny Cacnea.