Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 287: Mark’s Crisis

Most of the Trainers they passed were accompanied by Water-type Pokémon, a testament to the city's fondness for the type.

As they wandered, they eventually reached a large fountain plaza. The place was already packed, with everyone's eyes fixed on the water.

Suddenly, a massive jet of water shot up from the center of the fountain. Within the column, a sleek Water-type Pokémon was swimming gracefully.

When the fountain reached its highest point, the Pokémon leapt from the water, scattering droplets in every direction, revealing a stunningly elegant and beautiful Milotic to the crowd.

"WOWW!"

The plaza erupted in gasps and cheers. Everyone was dazzled by Milotic's enchanting beauty.

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"Pichuuu~"

Perched on Sato's shoulder, Pichu's eyes turned into little pink hearts, completely mesmerized.

Milotic descended with the spiraling water stream, showcasing incredible control over water. The crowd burst into even louder applause and cheers. The energy was electric.

With Pichu urging them and Mark opportunistically weaving forward, the three managed to squeeze to the front of the crowd. That's when they saw Milotic's Trainer.

Black hair with a flashy streak of white. It only took one glance for Sato to recognize him: Juan, the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City.

Surrounded not only by Milotic, but also by adorable Pokémon like Luvdisc, Gorebyss, and Corsola, Juan looked like he was glowing with pink sparkles.

Truly flamboyant!

"Thank you all for your love and support! Today's performance ends here. Up next will be a Water-type Free Battle Event. Trainers interested in participating, please register to the left of the plaza. The winner will receive a special mystery prize I've prepared."

At just over thirty years old, Juan was in his prime, oozing the charm of a mature man. Sato couldn't help but cover his ears from the piercing screams of the girls around him.

"Hey hey, Sato, are you joining too? I'm planning to let my Lapras have a go!"

At that moment, Mark waved Lapras's Poké Ball in excitement and called over to Sato. Without even waiting for a reply, he sprinted straight to the registration area.

Sato glanced around at the lively atmosphere and thought of how rarely his teammates got to participate in something so cheerful and fun. With that, he also headed over to sign up.

Once at the registration table, Sato noticed that nearly 90% of the participants were girls. Most of the Pokémon being used were "cute" and clearly undertrained, like Psyduck, Corsola, Azumarill, and Magikarp.

Thinking of his own Sharpedo, with its vicious looks and intensely serious personality, Sato became even more certain: it had to participate.

After all, Sharpedo was a real, genuine, no-fooling-around girl.

Though most participants were casual fans just jumping in for fun, there were still a few solid contenders in the mix.

Blastoise, Vaporeon, Swampert... there were quite a few final-stage Water-types. Even Mark's Lapras barely made the cut as one of the stronger ones.

While waiting in line, Sato got a rough understanding of the rules. In short: it was a chaotic free-for-all.

All registered contestants were grouped into sets of ten based on the total number of entrants. Once a round began, ten Water-type Pokémon were released into the fountain to compete for a single winner.

The victor would proceed to the finals, which followed the same chaotic format to determine the overall champion.

Upon hearing these simple and brutally direct rules, both Sato and Sharpedo felt a little excited. This kind of battle sounded way more fun than standard 1v1s.

Soon, registration closed. There were 138 total participants, divided into 14 groups. The last group had two fewer participants.

Sato watched the big screen as the participant names scrolled, silently wondering if he would be in the first round.

Indeed, each group was drawn only after the previous match concluded. This kept all the competitors on edge, never knowing when they'd be up.

Sato cracked a small grin. 'This format's pretty interesting.' Rough but strategic; it got the audience fully engaged.

Soon, the scrolling screen stopped. The ten participants of the first group were announced.

"That's me, that's me! I'm up first!" Mark turned around with excitement, and from the look on Sato's face, he was absolutely certain... Mark had somehow "cheated" behind the scenes.

"See you in the finals."

"Don't worry, boss! Beating these girls will be a piece of cake!" Mark declared smugly, unaware that his one comment had just earned him the glares of nearly every participant.

Sato quietly backed away, deciding that -for the duration of this event- he didn't know Mark.

Soon, Mark entered the field. The appearance of Lapras brought a wave of cheers, after all, Lapras was a Pokémon that boasted both strength and beauty.

Its gentle temperament made it a beloved choice among Trainers. In Sootopolis City, Lapras was still considered a relatively rare Water-type.

However, Mark's blatant and unfiltered mockery of his opponents had already been spread among the participants like wildfire. And since 90% of them belonged to that one big category: fans...

Mark found himself facing a full-on crisis before the battle had even begun.