"…You may now begin selecting your Pokémon."
As soon as they heard that, Sato and the other two immediately crowded forward, not minding the staff member's earlier overly cautious attitude at all.
After all, the man had already apologized, and the safety of Elite Four hatchlings was indeed a serious matter. Any one of those inside was a priceless treasure!
"The three of you can tell me the type of Pokémon hatchling you want, and I'll filter the options for you to view."
"Excuse me, are we not allowed to physically interact with the hatchlings?" Wallace raised an eyebrow and asked immediately.
"No!" The staff member replied firmly, while simultaneously opening a tablet interface to show them how to make their selections.
"Professor Wen, I forgot to mention earlier… President Charles Goodshow spoke with them at length. I believe he's hoping they find something they truly like."
Just then, the previously all-business female secretary suddenly added this in a low voice, instantly boosting the three Trainers' impression of her.
'Smart move!'
"Well… I'm very familiar with every hatchling in here. You can make your selections first, and I'll give you a brief overview of each Pokémon. But going inside is out of the question!"
Sato was a little surprised that this plain-looking staff member, with a somewhat youthful face, was actually a Pokémon Professor.
But what surprised the three even more was that he had relaxed the process slightly. Even if they couldn't interact directly, being able to learn about a Pokémon's personality and preferences would help them make a better choice.
After all, some Pokémon were naturally ill-suited for battle based on their personality.
With that, the three eagerly began making their selections.
Sato immediately began browsing through the available Dark-type hatchlings, but even within League Headquarters, there weren't many Elite Four potential Dark-types available.
There were nine in total: 2 Murkrow, 2 Poochyena, 2 Stunky, 1 Sneasel, 1 Houndour, and… one Absol.
No hesitation needed!
Sato instantly selected the Absol. In terms of both combat potential and rarity, Absol was an outstanding and uncommon choice.
Sato made his decision the quickest, but when Professor Wen saw his choice, a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.
"…Professor Wen, is there a problem with this Absol?"
The young-looking Professor scratched his head, then answered somewhat hesitantly, "This Absol has no physical issues, and its potential does meet Elite Four standards, but…"
"But?" Sato frowned. Why was this guy stopping halfway like he was deliberately dragging it out?
"But… this Absol has a rather complicated background, which led to it having an extreme aversion to human Trainers.
It's been claimed before, but the Trainer couldn't get it to listen. In fact, they even ran into several accidents while raising it, so eventually, they returned it."
"…Returned it? That's even possible?"
"Under normal circumstances, no. But that Trainer didn't ask for a replacement or any compensation, just sent it back outright. At the end of the day, it is a Pokémon with Elite Four level potential…"
Sato understood. But instead of backing down, this only made him want to "tame" that Absol even more.
Absol, also known as the Disaster Pokémon, had pure white fur and a dark blue-black face that made it resemble a grim reaper from some ghost story. Many people believed Absol was a symbol of misfortune.
But to many powerful Trainers, all of that was just superstition. They believed that Absol possessed the ability to foresee disasters, and if that power could be developed, it would be like having a guardian deity by your side.
"Professor Wen, may I ask again… what exactly do you mean by 'complicated background'?"
Professor Wen seemed reluctant to speak, but seeing that Phoebe and Wallace were still hesitating, and with the President's secretary smiling politely beside him, he had no choice but to continue explaining.
"Most of these hatchlings come from the League's own breeding facilities. A small number are the offspring of long-standing League Trainers, who exchange them for other resources.
…But this Absol is different. It came from a poaching group that was taken down. Maybe it witnessed too much of humanity's ugliness and cruelty, so now it has a deep aversion to humans."
After saying this, Professor Wen seemed to realize he was talking too much. He shook his head and continued, "I've already said more than I should. And this Absol is almost out of the hatchling stage. I really recommend you pick a different one."
Still, Sato didn't make a decision right away. Instead, he asked another question.
"If no one claims this Absol before it grows out of the hatchling stage, what will happen to it?"
"It definitely won't just be released into the wild. Most likely, it'll be sent to a breeding facility and… a few years from now, they'll find it some mates."
Professor Wen shot Sato a look; he'd said he wouldn't say more, but in the end he couldn't help it. The more he spoke, the more disheartened he seemed.
A Pokémon with Elite Four level potential would be a king in the wild, and the main force in any Trainer's team.
But due to human mistakes, this one might end up as nothing more than a soulless breeding tool.
"Professor Wen… I've made my decision," Sato said softly, then pushed the tablet back toward him.
"Hmm… Sneasel or Houndour? Both of them have good temperaments, and since they were just born, they're still open to humans-"
"I choose Absol."
"Alright, Abso- w-wait, what…?"
Professor Wen froze mid-motion as he reached for the tablet, then looked up at Sato in disbelief.
"Didn't you hear a word I just said?"
"I heard everything."
"And you're still choosing Absol?" Professor Wen became a little flustered. He immediately followed up with a series of questions: "Do you know how rare Elite Four hatchlings are? Do you understand that once you choose, there's no backing out? DO YOU REALIZE-?"
"Yes, I understand," Sato nodded, his voice calm but unwavering.
"Absol is a born warrior. He shouldn't have his future ruined because of human mistakes. I specialize in Dark-type Pokémon, and I've done some research on how to communicate with them… so I want to give it a shot."
Sato looked straight into Professor Wen's eyes with firm resolve. But there was still one thing he didn't say out loud.
'If in the end, I really can't earn Absol's trust… then the day it becomes strong enough to protect itself, I'll release it back into the wild.'
"…You're sure?" Professor Wen asked again, this time more seriously than ever.
"I'm sure!" Sato replied with a smile and a nod.
"Alright… sigh… I hope you succeed."
---
Inside the President's office, Charles was looking down, reviewing a stack of documents, when the phone next to him suddenly rang.
He answered the call without even lifting his head, quietly listening to the report from the other end.
Once the call ended and the paperwork was signed off, Charles finally picked up his cup and took a sip of the juice inside.
"…He chose Absol, huh?"
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HEY, they're deleting fics! Just in case, I've also got it up on SH, but I'm shadowbanned there… so you'll have to search it directly on google. Just type 'Pokemon Above the Top' and it should pop right up. Also, all the chapters are free and public on my pa7reon/Romeloff - no subscription needed, all free chapters are public[1].
[1] https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1432910/pokmon-above-the-top