Pokémon: Starting with a Volcarona

"Hey, you're Nathan, right? That Pokémon of yours... what exactly is it? And you…"

Griffin asked in a deep voice, staring at both Mewtwo and Nathan, whose entire presence seemed out of place compared to ordinary people.

At the same time, Sandslash struggled to get back on its feet, seemingly still holding on to its last bit of strength.

After all, it was an Elite-ranked Pokémon. Even with a type disadvantage, it couldn't possibly be taken down in just one hit.

Truth be told, Mewtwo had only barely escaped the brink of death—what it could currently display wasn't even one percent of its peak power.

Not to mention that even at full strength, this version of Mewtwo was still in its newborn stage.

"Well, if you're asking where my Pokémon came from, how could I possibly know?"

"The most I can tell you is that this power comes from their recognition and gift to me—and in turn, I shall respond to them!"

Nathan's scarlet right eye gleamed as he spoke with utmost seriousness.

Pokémon respond to their trainers' hopes—so naturally, as a trainer, one must also answer their expectations.

That, perhaps, is what a trainer's true aptitude really is.

"Tch, you really do sound like one of those classic shounen protagonists or a genius out of a story. Come to think of it, I was like that once, too."

"Whatever. How about we just have a good, all-out battle—win or lose!"

Clicking his tongue, Griffin cast aside all other thoughts and focused entirely on the battle.

The genius trainer, now burning with fighting spirit, turned to his Pokémon and shouted,

"Let them witness the strength of a seasoned veteran, Sandslash!"

"Earthshatter Claw!"

This was Sandslash's final combo move—combining the immense power of Earthquake with the sharpness of Slash!

With a roar, Sandslash somehow managed to summon a terrifying momentum and charged Mewtwo once more.

Speed, power, angle—flawless in every aspect!

Had it been Zeraora using its bond-evolved form, it would have barely managed a draw at best!

But unfortunately, Sandslash was facing Mewtwo.

Even in its current state, Mewtwo was still a legendary Pokémon.

"Mewtwo, teleport and fly into the air!"

At Nathan's command, Mewtwo instantly dodged the attack and reappeared in the sky.

The moment Sandslash's strike hit the ground, the entire battlefield trembled!

It was obvious this move wasn't just a single-target attack—it was an extremely dangerous area-of-effect blow!

"Now—freeze it with Ice Beam!"

Seeing the opening, Nathan gave the order without a second's hesitation.

Mewtwo seamlessly extended its right hand, palm encased in armor, and aimed it directly at Sandslash.

In the next instant, Griffin's ace was trapped within a prison of rapidly forming ice!

The more Sandslash struggled, the faster the ice grew—until it was completely encased.

When the dazzling prison of ice finally dissipated, Sandslash lay unconscious, unable to rise again.

"So strong! Way too strong—not just the Pokémon, but also the trainer!"

Griffin couldn't help but grit his teeth at the scene.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he never expected Nathan to be such a skilled trainer in battle.

"How many battles has this guy even gone through?!"

Griffin muttered aloud.

He considered himself to have a fair amount of combat experience, but in front of Nathan, he seemed immature.

And the truth was, Mewtwo hadn't even demonstrated that much more raw power than Sandslash had!

"Hmm… maybe around 8,000 or so?" Nathan replied with a grin.

"Why else do you think my Volcarona reached Elite rank before I even graduated high school?"

"Eight… eight thousand battles?"

"No way! Did I hear that right!?"

"I've had a Pokémon since I was three—and even I've only fought maybe 500 battles!"

…

Nathan's voice, broadcast through loudspeakers, caused the entire audience—both live and online—to erupt!

8,000 battles!

That was a number far beyond their reach!

Because under normal circumstances, those who obtained Pokémon before high school typically came from wealthy families.

And people like that tended to take their time.

Lose a battle?

Alright, train for ten days or half a month before trying again.

Win a battle, but barely?

Hmm… that was too close—more special training needed!

Worst case?

Just throw more resources at the problem!

That was the norm for real-life trainers.

Even the less privileged students who only got Pokémon after high school didn't stray from this pattern.

But who was Nathan?

A transmigrator!

And what was he most familiar with in his past life?

Games!

So, Nathan set out on a journey completely unlike anyone else's.

Lose? Fight again.

Win? Keep going.

No special training. No expensive resources.

Besides some basic pokeblocks and cheap items, all he and Volcarona ever did was charge into battle—again and again!

He treated the real world like a game.

And the end result… was the present.

Countless people now stared at Nathan like they were looking at an inhuman monster!

Only Griffin managed to remain somewhat calm, still full of fighting spirit as he released his second Pokémon—

Another Elite-level Pokémon!

And not just any Pokémon—a pseudo-legendary: Goodra!

This was the second Dragon-type pseudo-legendary that Nathan had ever encountered.

But unlike the last Goodra, this one wasn't just Elite-ranked—it was exceptionally well-trained.

From the moment it appeared, it exuded overwhelming battle spirit!

It was a perfect embodiment of why Dragon-types are known for ignoring type disadvantages and overpowering opponents of any type—

(Well… except for Fairies.)

Across all mythologies, novels, and stories, Dragons are a symbol.

A symbol of power.

The embodiment of strength.

The incarnation of destruction.

"Goodra may not have any combo moves, but Nathan… it's level 55!"

Griffin said confidently as he looked at Goodra's silhouette.

Unlike Sandslash, it didn't specialize in combo or terrain techniques.

But simply being a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary, and having such an overwhelming level advantage, was enough for it to dominate the field!

"Tch, no wonder they call you the 'Zorn Family Dragon' who even keeps Seth in check," Nathan muttered, tongue clicking.

Seth was another top-tier prodigy acknowledged by the League itself—

And yet, he was still forced into submission by Griffin.

The pressure from Goodra was intense.

If Mewtwo hadn't chosen to fight of its own will, just this one Pokémon would've been enough to wipe out Nathan's entire team—

Except for Volcarona and Steelix.

Even if Metagross could mega evolve, it wouldn't be able to overcome a four-level gap—

Especially since its opponent was also a pseudo-legendary, and a Dragon-type at that!

Among all types, only Dragon could counter Dragon—

That is, until the Fairy type was discovered.

"Mewtwo, synchronize!"

"No problem, partner. I'll let you take the lead in this battle!"

"Even though that was just a skirmish earlier… I believe you can do it!"

Faced with Nathan's request, Mewtwo spoke to his heart using telepathy.

"Huh? I'm taking the lead?"

Nathan blinked in surprise.

Even with Zeraora, he had only ever taken a supporting role during synchronization.

But Mewtwo gave a helpless explanation:

"My mind is still weak right now—so I'll leave it to you."

Only then did Nathan realize—

Unlike physical strength, the mind is tied to one's spirit and willpower.

A person, no matter how frail, could still swat a bug if they could move a finger.

But what if their mind was utterly exhausted?

There's no clear answer—

But clearly, Mewtwo was worn out.

"Then I'll handle it. I won't let you down!"

Grinning, Nathan felt his blood boil with excitement.

Though trainer battles were intense in their own right, every now and then—he wanted to try fighting with a Pokémon.

Especially when that Pokémon… was Mewtwo!

In the next second, synchronization began.

His once-golden left eye now glowed with a faint light, forming a contrast with his bright scarlet right eye—

Eventually turning a deep navy blue.

Nathan's consciousness entered Mewtwo's body.

First impression?

Power.

Unmatched power.

Compared to this strength, Nathan's own might was like a firefly next to the sun.

But along with that power, he could also feel Mewtwo's fatigue.

Still, under Mewtwo's guidance, countless bits of information—move data, bodily functions, energy flow—were quickly transferred into Nathan's control.

To the outside world, only a single second had passed—

And Nathan, the trainer, slowly bowed his head.

(End of Chapter)