Pokémon: Starting with a Volcarona

It had nothing to do with kindness—just mutual recognition between opponents.

"If this is all you've got, then I must need my eyes checked for ever considering you a worthy rival."

Seeing Jenny still unresponsive, Nathan continued to taunt her.

From what he observed, Jenny was somewhat prideful and a bit of a tsundere.

Sure enough, a few veins bulged on Jenny's forehead. Looks like it worked quite well.

"You little brat! Even if I can't beat you, I'm still gonna teach you a lesson!"

Grinding her teeth, she angrily withdrew her Arcanine and released her third Pokémon.

Nathan maintained a serious, composed expression, but inwardly, he was quite satisfied.

Even though Jenny had already used two Pokémon, she had come dangerously close to defeating Zeraora!

In both strength and talent, she truly lived up to her reputation as a genius.

That much was clear when Nathan recalled Zeraora—he wouldn't have done that unless she genuinely posed a threat.

And besides, Nathan had already taken a fair bit of damage in the earlier fights.

Compared to the first three battles, however, the remaining matches were far less exciting.

Or rather—nowhere near as intense.

After using his Flygon to sweep through two of her Pokémon, Nathan finished off her final one with Pangoro.

With a flawless, undisputed victory, Nathan stood triumphant under the spotlight!

At the same time, he had put immense pressure on the other top-eight contestants.

Originally, they thought this young upstart—no matter how talented—would need to go all out to beat Jenny.

After all, reaching the quarterfinals of a national tournament at his age was already an unprecedented achievement!

But what no one expected…

Was that Nathan still hadn't used his hidden trump cards!

He was just that monstrously strong!

Even in the middle of a high-stakes national competition, Nathan wasted no time—he seized every opportunity to grow stronger!

Meanwhile, others like Seth Cole and Griffin Zorn were focused entirely on preparations.

…Or doing their best to relax before the next round.

Forget specialized training—even sparring with others was being avoided.

As for the strange looks he was now getting from everyone, Nathan paid them no mind.

However, just as he was leaving the arena, his phone suddenly rang.

"Serene?" (Gym Leader Serene Lee)

Seeing the name on the screen, an image of a mature, seductive woman popped into Nathan's mind.

That kind of woman—like a ripe peach—whose charm even someone like Cecil or Tina couldn't compare with.

It wasn't just her appearance—it was her elegant, commanding presence. A mix of businesswoman and big-sister energy.

It was complicated, but such a woman could easily ensnare a young man like Nathan.

If not for his mentally older self, he might've already fallen for her.

"Sister Lee, what's up?"

Answering the call, Nathan was genuinely confused.

At this time, Serene had no reason to contact him, did she?

Yet her voice came through cheerfully:

"You call me 'Sister Lee,' but then go and show no mercy to my daughter. You really are something, aren't you?"

Hearing her gentle tone, Nathan's face immediately stiffened.

That's when he remembered—Serene had mentioned that her daughter would be entering the national tournament.

And might even face off against him.

Just now, during the match, Nathan had shown no mercy whatsoever.

Jenny had left the stage with her eyes red and puffy.

Strangely, Nathan suddenly felt a bit guilty.

…

"Um, I…"

Before Nathan could even explain, Serene cut him off.

"Let me guess—you were about to say you didn't realize your opponent was my daughter, right?"

Though she was still speaking gently, her tone made Nathan feel even guiltier for some reason.

Then Serene continued, "Relax. I'm not calling to scold you. Quite the opposite, actually—I'm here to thank you."

"...Huh?"

Tilting his head, even Nathan felt a little lost.

Serene's tone shifted, her voice now tinged with a touch of melancholy:

"Jenny is a great kid in every way… except that she's too proud."

"Not that pride is bad. But I've always believed that with her kind of arrogance, she was bound to fall—and the later that happens, the harder she'll fall."

"Better that she takes a hit from you now than crash and burn at the hands of someone else later."

Hearing her words, Nathan felt a mix of emotions.

He wanted to sigh and say, Parenting really isn't easy.

But at the same time, he also wanted to joke: Yup, definitely her biological mother.

And then, he felt kind of grateful for how open-minded his own mother was.

"There's no need to thank me. I didn't really do anything."

That was all Nathan said in the end.

Later that night, he found that he had run out of Berries to make Pokéblocks.

After tucking little Loli Bella into bed, he snuck out quietly to buy some more.

"Hm? Isn't that… Jenny?"

Carrying a bag of Berries, Nathan squinted at the figure of a petite girl walking into a bar.

He had said it before—girls who like hanging out in bars tend to have pretty bad luck.

And someone like Jenny would undoubtedly become a prime target for all the creeps.

Of course, the real issue was Jenny's identity.

If it were a stranger, Nathan naturally wouldn't get involved.

But Serene had personally come to thank him—so Nathan couldn't just stand by.

"Good thing I brought you along, Volcarona."

Patting the Poké Ball hanging from his neck, Nathan spoke softly.

Aside from Volcarona, all his other Pokémon were back at the hotel—either resting or guarding little Bella.

Volcarona was the only one he kept by his side at all times.

"Damn that brat! He's so young, yet so annoying! Doesn't even know how to be nice to girls! Hope he stays single for life!"

Muttering under her breath, Jenny slowly walked into the bar.

She had come here tonight to drown her sorrows.

But the moment she stepped inside, she already began to regret it.

The flashing lights, the chaotic atmosphere…

This place wasn't about healing or relaxing. It was a den of indulgence and self-destruction.

And Jenny wasn't looking for depravity. She just wanted to get drunk, then go back to being a Trainer.

"Hmph! You think I'll back down?! It's just a bar—how could it possibly be worse than that annoying brat?!"

Muttering to herself, Jenny stepped further inside, catching the attention of many.

She was clearly a top-tier target—and most of them had never seen prey this rare before.

Nathan entered the bar shortly after.

Seeing Jenny already getting hit on by random strangers, he sighed.

"Of all the places to go, she came here… Serene was right after all."

Glancing at his phone, Nathan couldn't help but complain.

According to the intelligence from Tina's network, this bar—called The Cave—was notorious.

Even girls looking to let off steam wouldn't choose a place like this.

There were only two kinds of women who ended up here:

One, those completely unaware of the bar's reputation—total newcomers.

Two, those who knew and still chose to come.

Either way, the girls who came here usually met terrible ends.

Sometimes even worse—left to fend for themselves, unable to say a word even if they were drugged or violated.

That's why Nathan said she was unlucky.

First, she ran into him of all people.

Then, she just happened to choose this dump to relax.

Jenny must be cursed by the Goddess of Misfortune.

Though, to be fair, she wasn't completely unlucky—at least Nathan had seen her.

If he hadn't… who knows what might've happened.

She could've been ruined… even taken her own life.

Thinking of that possibility made Nathan fall silent.

Such was reality.

So strange. So cruel.

All it takes is a few bad factors piled together—and people break.

Despite being once the dominant species of Blue Star.

Even capable of taming and commanding Pokémon.

Shaking off his thoughts, Nathan looked over at Jenny again.

She had already driven away all the men trying to hit on her—clearly just wanting some peace and quiet.

But Nathan could clearly see that some people weren't giving up.

One of them approached the bartender and handed over a wad of cash.

The bartender didn't do anything obvious—he just quietly swapped the original mix for something else.

No drugs, just a much higher alcohol content.

Whether it's a naive girl or a sly fox, most people can't handle it.

The difference is, the former has no clue what's coming…

While the latter chooses her target.

Then a voice interrupted—

"Hey there, Handsome. Wanna come join me for a drink?"

(End of Chapter)