Pokémon: Above the Top

"Given how overwhelming the last performance was, we believe many spectators need a moment to recover, so we'll now take a ten-minute intermission before the final performance!"

Upon hearing this, Sato suddenly turned his head toward the lounge.

"…That bastard Wallace."

Only one "show" remained, and they were really calling for a ten-minute break? The corner of Sato's mouth twitched. He truly didn't believe this was part of the original plan.

'Could Wallace really have done this just to protect the impact of his own performance…?'

With that suspicion in mind, Sato and Mark slowly returned to the waiting area, where they were met with applause from all the other Pokémon Performers present.

But none of that mattered. Sato turned to Wallace, who stood at the front, and shot him a sharp, questioning look.

Clap Clap Clap

"As expected, it's true what they say~ Anything a talented person does is bound to shine. Sato, Mark, would you two be interested in pursuing the path of a Pokémon Performer?"

Wallace spoke eloquently. As the organizer of this competition, he had originally just wanted to bring Sato in for fun and maybe ride his popularity a little.

But to his surprise, it wasn't just Sato who shocked him… 'Even the clearly unreliable Mark turned out to be so dazzling~'

Wallace understood that spreading "performance competitions" to the mainstream couldn't be done by him alone.

Hosting the event at Lake Valor was just one part of his effort. At the very least, it allowed Pokémon Performers to connect and realize they weren't alone in their field.

And recruiting Trainers who had ideas and potential for performing was something Wallace had been working on for a long time.

Even if they didn't become full-time Pokémon Performers, just interacting with someone like Sato -who could effortlessly make headlines- was an opportunity Wallace would never turn down.

Otherwise, why would Wallace suddenly act so close and familiar with Sato after years of no contact?

Sato had started noticing something off on his very first night at Lake Valor.

At first, he thought Wallace had simply changed a lot, finally "unleashing" his true personality, and that's why he was so enthusiastic.

…But thinking calmly now, it was clear that Wallace had wanted something from him from the very beginning.

And Sato had instinctively regarded Wallace as the future Champion, harboring a natural sense of "respect", which is why he hadn't noticed earlier.

Although Sato wasn't pleased with being used unknowingly, he was more relieved than anything else, because it revealed a flaw in himself.

All his past life experiences could only serve as reference, he was no longer the Sato of his previous life.

Faced with these so-called genius Trainers, there was no need to see himself as "inferior." None of them had fully grown yet.

And when it came to the title of "genius"… he was no less qualified than any of them!

Still, this ten-minute intermission felt excessive to Sato.

He had agreed to show up, to give the event some buzz, to accept Wallace's invitation to participate.

But had he been too friendly? Had he made Wallace think he was easy to manipulate?

Now, even after receiving a clearly questioning look, Wallace pretended not to see it and instead asked if they were interested in continuing the path of Pokémon Performers?

So he could keep using them?

Use them as stepping stones?

Sato didn't respond. Mark had heard Sato grumbling in the hallway earlier, so he also remained silent.

The claps tapered off after a few minutes. The other Pokémon Performers looked at one another, confused, unsure of what was going on.

'…Why did it feel like something was off between idol Wallace and these two terrifying newcomers?'

"Still not sure? No problem~ If we host another competition like this next time, I'll invite you both again. After a couple tries, you'll know whether you like it or not."

Wallace said cheerfully, stepping forward and throwing his arms around the shoulders of Sato and Mark, wanting to take them somewhere else to talk more in-depth.

Sato immediately shrugged him off. Seeing that, Mark followed suit and dodged Wallace's arm.

The smile on Wallace's face was starting to falter. But with so many Pokémon Performers present, he couldn't exactly lose his temper.

Luckily, Sato suddenly smiled lightly. "You're about to go up and perform. Let's talk after. I'll be a bit tired after watching. Mark, let's head back to the hotel."

"Mm!"

"Alright then. I'll come find you at the hotel once I'm done here~" Wallace flashed his charming smile once more, watching them walk out of the waiting room.

"Wallace oppa~ are they your friends? They seemed… kind of arrogant."

A Performer who thought she was on familiar terms with Wallace mumbled quietly, drawing attention from everyone present.

Wallace's smile remained unchanged, but inside, he was dying to beat the smartass in front of him to a pulp.

"They're dear friends of mine. That's just how they are, please don't take it personally."

"Oh…"

No one dared to ask further. Many of them had only come to compete because of Wallace's "support," so to them, he was basically their sponsor. Best not to offend him.

The rest were already enchanted by Wallace's charisma and naturally followed his every word.

As Sato's group of three exited the venue, the place behind them burst into excitement again. Clearly, Wallace's performance had begun.

Right now, performance competitions weren't like the future Contests. There was no concept of elimination or advancement.

Everyone performed once, and the final rankings were determined by audience votes.

So Sato and the others leaving at this point had no effect on anything.

"Boss, Wallace…" Mark hesitated. He usually didn't like to think too hard, but after putting the pieces together, he now understood why Sato had chosen to leave early.

"What's with that face? You trying to comfort me or something?" Sato shot him a look of disdain, which almost made Mark want to throw a punch.

Joseph chuckled quietly beside them. He knew that since Sato had chosen to leave now, he had already made up his mind about what to do next.

"You figured out something was off about Wallace from the start, didn't you?" Sato glanced sidelong at Joseph, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"The Viridian Power told me. Wallace's intentions weren't pure. But you looked like you were enjoying yourself so much, I didn't say anything." Joseph chuckled again, making Sato want to punch him.

"…So what now? Are we really heading back to the hotel?" Mark muttered, steering the conversation back.

"Of course we are. With all those great services at a seven-star hotel, let everyone enjoy themselves before we leave."

"Wouldn't that cost a lot of money?" Mark was thrilled but still asked in a fake worried tone.

"Put it on Wallace's tab." Joseph said casually, earning a nod of approval from Sato.

"Hehehe…"

At dusk, Wallace rushed back to the hotel after wrapping up the post-performance work. He didn't even have time to eat, he just wanted to find Sato and the others to explain.

If they hadn't caught on, it would've been fine. But now that they clearly had, Wallace, having calmed down, realized he had no choice but to apologize.

The power behind Sato… was not something Wallace could afford to offend lightly.