Pokémon: Starting with a Volcarona

It was only after witnessing how ruthlessly Nathan dealt with The Tiger that Joseph considered asking him for help.

If Nathan hadn't been after something else and had truly targeted The Tiger, that man might have been beaten to death on the spot by Nathan's flurry of punches.

"Oh right, Trainer Nathan, the semifinals will be ruled in your favor. Player Mira will be disqualified for colluding with the Dark Organization."

"But Mira's situation is a bit complicated. I'll send the full details to your email once everything is confirmed."

Just as Nathan was about to leave, Joseph suddenly seemed to remember something and said this to him.

Nathan wasn't surprised and simply nodded in acknowledgment.

However…

Suddenly remembering something as well, Nathan turned to Joseph and asked, "You people with titles like President and Vice President… do you all like calling others 'little brother' or something?"

(TN: I have been removing them because it sounds weird and changed them to Trainer Nathan or just Nathan.)

Shane did it. Now Joseph was doing it too.

Nathan couldn't help but suspect—was this thick-skinned, overly familiar behavior some sort of traditional trait of the Pokémon League?

Joseph: "..."

Faced with the League President's speechless expression, Nathan gave an awkward laugh and quickly made his exit.

Although he'd just gone through a whirlwind of complex events, Nathan didn't suffer any lasting effects.

However, his stomach was completely empty. After bidding farewell to Joseph, he went straight to the buffet in the competition venue.

As a contestant, Nathan still had quite a few free meal vouchers left.

"Idol, eat slower. It's not good for your stomach,"

Watching Nathan devour food like a starving wolf, Zoe said with a conflicted expression.

But seeing her idol eat with such gusto made her feel hungry too. What was she supposed to do?

After all, to maintain her figure and weight, Miss Xue was very strict about her eating habits.

"I didn't expect to find you here, Nathan."

Before Nathan could respond, a voice suddenly called out.

A stunningly cold-looking beauty sat down beside Zoe without asking.

It was none other than Ada.

"Excuse me… and you are?"

Swallowing the burger in his mouth, Nathan looked confused.

Seeing his unpretentious reaction, even someone as aloof as Ada couldn't help but feel irritated.

Still, remembering why she had come, she took a deep breath and said, "Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Ada. I run the Dragon Chant, and I want to cooperate with you."

"Not interested."

Before she could finish, Nathan spoke with a muffled voice.

Why muffled? Because his mouth was once again stuffed with food.

He hadn't felt hungry until he started eating, but now that he had, he felt like a ravenous beast.

If he could, he'd devour an entire pile of food in one bite.

Now, a vein visibly popped on Ada's pale forehead.

If this were a different art style, she'd probably be surrounded by a dark aura with a huge cross vein on her forehead—

maybe even lower the room temperature by dozens of degrees.

To the point where the air might start to freeze!

"Aren't you going to ask what kind of cooperation I'm proposing?"

Clenching her pale fists, Ada asked in a voice that was cold as ice.

She knew Nathan didn't seem to like her, but she hadn't expected this brat to be so... unmanly!

Facing a beautiful woman like her, even if he wasn't a lecher, shouldn't he at least act a bit gentlemanly?

What she didn't realize was—Nathan was genuinely face-blind.

He hadn't reached the point of being unaware of his future wife's beauty, but if it was someone he didn't care to know, he'd forget them instantly.

"Whatever it is, I don't really have the time."

Shaking his head, Nathan handed a bun to the little girl beside him and said.

Chiyou would eventually notice Mewtwo had disappeared. When that happened, even without evidence, Chiyou definitely wouldn't let Nathan off the hook.

Not to mention, he and The Tiger had formed an irreconcilable enmity.

That guy wouldn't rest until he got rid of Nathan—Nathan might well become the shadow haunting his life!

So, before Chiyou came knocking, Nathan needed to accomplish as much as he could:

Such as capturing the descendant of the old mischievous Gengar…

Or gathering data from Grace City Pokémon University.

And most importantly—winning the finals of the national tournament and taking the championship!

Until he settled all that, Nathan had no interest in forming any partnerships.

Though Ada had no way of knowing these things, she could tell that Nathan was telling the truth.

This made her fall silent, and even Zoe started feeling uneasy.

But after a moment of silence, Ada's eyes turned resolute as she said:

"I won't give up. When you have time, I'll come find you again!"

She had no other options. After waiting so many years, Nathan was the only one who met her criteria.

So she would never give up!

To that, Nathan only shrugged. After watching her leave, he resumed eating.

"Why didn't you agree to her proposal? Isn't it common for humans to pursue attractive members of the opposite sex?"

At that moment, Mewtwo suddenly used its psychic powers to ask Nathan directly in his mind.

Its usually cold voice now carried a trace of curiosity.

This was probably the first time…

A man-made Legendary Pokémon was expressing curiosity about human behavior.

"Cough cough…"

Caught off guard by the question, Nathan almost choked.

"Who told you humans have to pursue beautiful people?"

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Nathan responded telepathically.

"The humans who created me. That's what they liked to talk about most—opposite sexes and hair."

After a pause, Mewtwo's voice returned to its usual coldness.

For Mewtwo, those humans were a part of an unpleasant past.

After all, growing up surrounded by adult men constantly discussing such things…

That was enough to scar anyone for life.

Let alone Mewtwo—even Nathan would've had a hard time dealing with that.

"Ahem… well, they're not me. I'm different."

"Then what's the deal with those two girls hanging around you?"

"…"

Nathan didn't answer. Once he no longer felt as hungry, he quietly walked out of the cafeteria.

The little girl beside him held an ice cream in her hand, nibbling on it like a small animal—adorable enough to melt anyone's heart.

He found a nearby Pokémon training room and summoned all his Pokémon.

Other than Mewtwo and Steelix, he also called out Charmander and Treecko.

"Same training routine as usual. Zeraora, come with me for a moment."

After instructing the others, Nathan brought Zeraora over for a private chat.

This surprised not only Zeraora but also Zoe and Bekka, who looked on with curiosity.

"Zeraora, you've noticed it too, haven't you?"

"Our strength isn't improving as much as before. Even our level progression has slowed down drastically."

Nathan tilted his head as he spoke to Zeraora.

Although Zeraora had battled several Elite-level Pokémon, its experience gain had been unsatisfactory.

The same was true for Pangoro and Metagross.

But that was expected.

The reason Volcarona had been able to rapidly reach Champion-level wasn't just because Nathan constantly pushed it through endless battles—

Kroxus's support had played a major role.

Especially after using Kroxus's power once, Nathan could clearly feel just how extraordinary that environment had been.

To put it into perspective—leveling up outside was like real-life fitness training.

Whereas in that mystic realm, it was like playing a role-playing game.

A game where one slash dealt 99,999 damage!

Unfortunately, with Kroxus's departure, that kind of situation could no longer be replicated.

Otherwise, Nathan might have become a global overlord in just a few years.

"Zoar!"

Zeraora nodded in agreement.

If the pre-Elite level-up pace had been a waterfall, then now it was a trickling stream.

While they were still improving, the difference in speed was massive.

Of course, with that came a qualitative leap in strength.

Still, the issue remained.

If it wasn't solved, the leveling progress of Nathan's entire team would slow dramatically.

Although even now, Nathan had already surpassed 99% of people—both nationally and globally…

And if we're talking about his peers, there's not a single person on Earth like him!

No matter how ridiculous someone's background, resources, or luck might be.

"So what are you planning to do? After the national tournament ends, there's less than a week before you have to register at university, right? Idol?"

Zoe moved closer to Nathan, asking with curiosity.

In fact, the issue Nathan faced was universal among all trainers.

Even daughters of powerful families like Zoe could only slowly grind their way forward with time.

And that was already a luxury.

If a person lacked the talent, they could hit their ceiling early and never see hope for further growth.

Maybe that's exactly why organizations like the Dark Group were impossible to eliminate.

It's not that the existence of light requires the existence of darkness—

Rather, humans have never been able to completely purge the darkness within themselves.

"I want Zeraora to change its battle style."

Nathan shook his head and dropped a bombshell.

(End of Chapter)