In the end, Sato and the others still left Boshire Town. The issues there weren't something that could be solved in a short time; most importantly, it was about changing the residents' way of thinking.
And that… was extremely difficult!
All they could do was make sure Gliscor and Floatzel stayed obedient for a while longer, then have the Sinnoh League send someone over to help.
The rest would be up to Boshire's own fate.
---
After bidding farewell to the warm and kind Miyu, Sato and his group set out again, heading toward the tall mountain behind Boshire Town.
The mountain had no name, but it was extremely steep. Plus, its location was already near northern Sinnoh, so the higher they climbed, the colder the temperature became.
By the time night fell, the three of them had already reached the upper midsection of the snowy mountainside, just half a day's journey from the summit.
To stay safe, they of course wouldn't travel at night. Setting up camp and taking a proper rest was the smart choice.
"Boss, look at that faint glow over there… could that be Boshire Town?"
While waiting for dinner, Mark wandered around nearby. Anytime he saw something, he'd run back to tell Sato about it.
Sato merely nodded absently while brushing Zoroark's "hair".
Zoroark's hair was thick and lush, and if they wanted to keep it silky and flowing, it had to be groomed daily.
Cutting it wasn't an option. It was part of Zoroark's future appeal to potential mates, just like Pyroar's red mane.
Joseph was busy preparing dinner. It had been a while since they last camped outdoors, and he was in high spirits, acting like a chef on a mission not to be disturbed.
Beside him, Chansey and Bayleef were the perfect assistants. So Joseph had no use for the interfering help -read: sabotage- of Mark and Sato.
The surroundings were all snow and ice. A simple tent couldn't provide proper warmth, and there was no good spot nearby to dig an igloo either.
Fortunately, this was the Pokémon world. Using Pokémon moves smartly could solve problems like this with ease.
"Weavile, Ice Beam."
"Lapras, Ice Beam!"
Once the tent was covered in fluffy snow, Lapras and Weavile froze it over. Just like that, an igloo in the shape of their tent was complete.
As for packing up the tent tomorrow? A single Flamethrower would take care of that.
After letting out Weavile and Lapras, Sato and Mark didn't return them to their Poké Balls. The two Pokémon really liked the environment here.
"Dinner's ready!"
Not long after, "Chef Joséphon" had finished cooking. The steaming plates of food made both Sato and Mark gulp with anticipation.
Up on the snowy mountain, under a sky full of stars, the three of them and their Pokémon gathered around, sipping hot soup and eating hot dishes. It was incredibly cozy and pleasant.
"Hic~"
Mark put down his chopsticks and let out a full-bodied burp without the slightest concern for image. Every last bit of food on the table had been devoured.
With Joseph handling support and logistics during their travels, Sato and the others didn't even have to worry about washing dishes. Gallade used Confusion to handle everything, which also served as fine control training for its psychic powers.
"All full~ Boss, let's battle!"
Just as Joseph finished folding the table, Mark sprang up like a Magikarp Splash, full of energy as he challenged Sato to a match.
"There's not much room around here, so let's have a Sky Battle. Murkrow, go stretch your wings!" Sato had no reason to refuse and quickly picked his battling Pokémon.
"Hahaha, a Sky Battle~? I won't lose to you in the sky, boss! Togekiss, let Murkrow witness the power of true luck!"
Mark burst out laughing and immediately sent out Togekiss, his voice full of confidence.
…But after living together for so long, Murkrow and Togekiss had already battled each other many times.
Mark's excitement? Pure bluster.
"Ahem! Then… battle start!"
At some point, Joseph had stepped between the two of them, naturally assuming the role of referee.
"Togekiss, Air Slash!"
"Murkrow, dodge with Aerial Ace, then use Thunder Wave."
In the sky, one black and one white, one small and one large, two Pokémon faced off in midair.
When both commands rang out at the same time, it was inevitable that Murkrow would be slightly faster.
Togekiss moved with elegance, waving its cloud-like wings as several blue-white blades of air slashed across the night sky, targeting Murkrow.
At first glance, it looked beautiful through the dark.
But beautiful things were often deadly. Under the boost of Serene Grace, Togekiss's Air Slash became a terrifying force.
If hit even once, what followed would be endless flinching; effectively the end of the match.
So when it was time to dodge, Murkrow didn't hesitate. Not even a graze could be allowed from that move.
Murkrow understood this perfectly. It had learned the hard way before… no need to talk about the outcome, the tears said enough.
Using Aerial Ace to boost its speed, Murkrow vanished in an instant.
Then, taking advantage of the night as cover, it silently closed in behind Togekiss.
Crack! Snap~
Blue sparks of electricity burst from Murkrow's feathers and struck Togekiss before it could react.
But in the next moment, Togekiss seemed completely unaffected by the Thunder Wave, it vanished from sight in an instant.
Boom!
When it reappeared, Togekiss had taken Murkrow's original position, and only then did a few paralyzing sparks appear on its body.
As for Murkrow? It had already been knocked flying, no one knew where it landed.
"Hehehe, Boss, how's that for a perfected Extreme Speed?" Mark grinned proudly. Though Togekiss could learn Extreme Speed, the move wasn't easy to control because of its body structure.
This hit marked the latest result of Mark's recent training with Togekiss. And now it had proven itself in its first real outing.
"Togekiss is solid. It's you I don't trust. Murkrow, Assurance."
Assurance: double power after being hit. The perfect counterattack move!
"Togekiss!"
Boom!
Tit for tat. Just moments ago, Murkrow had been blasted by Togekiss's Extreme Speed. Now, it returned the favor with Assurance.
Just as things were about to get serious between them, Joseph the referee shouted loudly, "That's enough!"
Though both Togekiss and Murkrow looked like they still wanted more, they obediently pulled back.
A Pokémon could sometimes ignore its Trainer, but Joseph's…
Otherwise, when dinner went missing, not even the Trainer could help them. Everyone had already learned that lesson very clearly… and very painfully.
"It's about time to rest. We've got a long road ahead tomorrow," Joseph declared.
Just as the three were about to crawl into their igloo, a series of loud yet sorrowful cries suddenly echoed from the other side of the snowy mountain…