Pokémon: Above the Top

In the unique environment of Luminous Swamp, Sato quickly identified the attackers—a swarm of Golbat!

Before he could even give a command, Ariados had already launched its silk, but unfortunately, the Golbat were far more agile than Gligar.

Having already been on high alert, they easily avoided the attack.

"Use Scary Face!"

Before Sato could finish speaking, the Golbat had already reached him—Carvanha darted forward, and under the dim lighting, its terrifying expression became even more effective!

Ariados followed up immediately—though its second attack wasn't as effective as the first, it still managed to weaken Golbat's initial assault!

"Carvanha, Ice Fang! Ariados, prepare Sticky Web!"

Carvanha's ferocious jaws gleamed with an icy light, it rushed into the Golbat.

For a moment, they were too intimidated to fight back!

"Sticky Web—target the three below!"

"Dos!"

Ariados fired a dense web toward the three disoriented Golbat beneath Carvanha!

Direct hit!

"Pin Missile—knock them down! Carvanha, keep disrupting them!"

Ariados fired glowing white needles in an arc, striking the three trapped Golbat, sending them crashing into the swamp!

Meanwhile, the remaining Golbat, whose speed had been severely reduced by Scary Face, had no time to save their allies—they were too busy dodging Carvanha's relentless pursuit!

The Ice-type attack instilled a natural fear in them.

And for a Flying-type Pokémon, being outpaced by a fish was humiliating! They couldn't continue like this.

After a brief exchange of screeches, the Golbats quickly changed tactics. Three stayed behind to stall Carvanha, while six others rushed at Sato and Ariados!

By this time, Ariados had quietly completed Swords Dance.

As soon as it saw its prey approaching, it showed no fear—despite being a Bug-type facing Flying-types!

"Use Sucker Punch!"

"Shhh!"

Ariados lunged straight into the attacking Golbat, its sharp horn piercing through the wing of one—the thin membrane was instantly punctured!

With its two front legs, Ariados simultaneously intercepted two more Golbat, blocking them from advancing.

Sato's right hand instinctively gripped his knife.

As the remaining Golbat closed in, his mind quickly calculated their attack patterns, while his Dark Energy surged to life.

In the swampy terrain, Pupitar and Houndoom weren't well-suited for battle—if they fell into the marsh, it would only create more trouble.

Luckily, there weren't too many Golbat left—he could handle these himself!

The three Golbat surrounding him had perfect coordination, spreading out before closing in together. Their sharp fangs shimmered with dark energy—Dark-type move—Bite!

Sato almost laughed—they were using Dark-type moves against him? Under his Dark Energy's perception, their darkened fangs stood out like flames in the night—they were too obvious!

You're all just too greedy!

"Slash!"

Sato's knife, infused with Dark Energy, swung upward, slicing open the throat of the Golbat targeting his neck!

He swiftly sidestepped, his left hand coated in Dark Energy, then grabbed the Golbat lunging at his abdomen—with a quick twist, he hurled it straight into the swamp!

Double kill!

"Creak!"

The last Golbat, preparing to strike from behind, was sent flying by Sato's counterattack.

Terrified by the fate of its comrades, it let out a shriek and immediately fled!

"Swish!"

A small throwing knife flashed through the air—the escaping Golbat suddenly stiffened, then fell lifelessly into the swamp, sinking below the surface.

Sato took a deep breath, then turned to observe Carvanha and Ariados' battle.

Ariados continued to fire Pin Missile at the remaining two Golbat, keeping them at bay. After all, it couldn't fly, and in the swamp, its movement was restricted.

Meanwhile, Carvanha had become a mere blur—its Speed Boost ability was fully activated.

Of the three Golbat that had engaged it, two had already fallen, and the last was barely managing to dodge.

But it wouldn't hold out for long.

Sato didn't need to step in again—after Carvanha took down the final Golbat, it swiftly assisted Ariados in finishing off the remaining two.

With that, all twelve Golbat were wiped out!

The battle hadn't lasted long, but the shockwave of fear it sent through the area was undeniable.

The nearby wild Pokémon didn't even dare to run—they simply curled up tightly, trying to reduce their presence as much as possible.

They had seen it clearly—even the Golbat that tried to escape were shot down and sent plunging into the swamp.

Ariados and Carvanha returned to Sato's side, remaining silent and vigilant.

The faint but lingering scent of blood stirred the lurking Pokémon, yet none dared to make a move.

Sato fed Ariados and Carvanha some stamina-recovering suplements.

Just as he finished, the swamp water began bubbling, and moments later, Gengar surfaced first, sniffing itself with an expression of disgust—clearly checking for any lingering stench.

Weezing floated up slowly, seemingly lost in thought.

As Sato had suspected, there was indeed a hidden space beneath the swamp—but even Gengar couldn't describe the specifics clearly.

"Carvanha, Gengar, here's what we'll do…"

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Ten minutes later—Gengar struggled to maintain a Psychic-induced air bubble within the swamp, while Sato clung to Weezing, slowly floating into the bubble.

Gengar sealed the air pocket and began lowering it rapidly into the depths!

Weezing, using its Levitate ability, kept Sato stable inside the air bubble, while Gengar controlled their descent, ensuring they remained in sync.

Sato regulated his breathing, conserving oxygen, and listened quietly as Weezing and Gengar continued communicating.

Luckily, the process didn't take long—within minutes, Sato felt the oppressive sensation fade.

Then—gravity suddenly reversed!

Gengar quickly steadied Sato, preventing him from falling awkwardly.

Once his feet were firmly on solid ground, Sato looked up—and saw a pitch-black hole overhead.

He had entered through that hole, and everything here was a mirrored reflection of the world above—even gravity itself was reversed!

After gathering his thoughts, Sato shifted his focus to his new surroundings.

A luminous green world! The walls were completely covered in a glowing, fluorescent green.

Even the scattered wild grass peeking through the cracks emitted a soft radiance, making it dizzying to look at.

A rock was kicked aside, instantly drawing the attention of both Sato and his Pokémon.

As for Weezing, it was daydreaming once again.

"A luminous Sandshrew?" Sato murmured as he caught a glimpse of a tiny tail disappearing into a burrow.

Aside from that brief sighting, the area was eerily quiet.

Wasting no time, Sato pressed forward—heading into the only winding passageway before him.

There was no need for a flashlight—the surroundings were bright enough on their own.