It's worth mentioning that a trainer's rank isn't like the level system shown on Nathan's panel.
Typically, ranks are divided into tiers like Elite, Gym-level, etc.
And once one reaches the level of the Elite, it becomes a true test of both the trainer's and the Pokémon's potential.
If the trainer lacks the necessary qualities, situations like Charizard ignoring Ash's commands in the anime might occur.
And if the Pokémon lacks potential, then that might be the limit of its growth for life.
"Anyone want to challenge me? There's a reward if you win!"
Seeing the whispering trainers around him, Nathan spoke up again.
On his young but composed face, there was neither arrogance nor recklessness.
"He's young, powerful, and mentally mature?"
"We really can't compare…"
As the crowd murmured in awe, a young man about four or five years older than Nathan stepped forward.
Wearing glasses and a clearly fake, insincere smile, he said, "My name's Fian. My Pokémon is a Gym-level Serperior."
With that, Fian pulled out a Poké Ball.
A fully evolved Serperior appeared beside him.
It was at the peak of Gym level, seemingly on the verge of breaking through its limits!
Nathan showed no reaction, but his gaze did turn a bit colder.
"Pangoro, come out and teach him a lesson."
He took out Pangoro's Poké Ball and spoke without holding back.
As the ball expanded, the massive Pangoro appeared on the field!
Even when facing a peak gym-level Serperior, Pangoro didn't show a hint of fear.
"Roar!"
Seeing this, Fian's fake smile froze momentarily before returning to normal.
"Serperior, use Swords Dance!"
A shadow of malice flashed in Fian's eyes as he commanded his Pokémon.
Swords Dance was a self-buff move that significantly increased offensive power.
Unless a Pokémon could learn it naturally, it was a very expensive move to acquire on the market.
"Wait, seriously? He's using Swords Dance despite having a level advantage?"
"That's just shameless. He's probably sold all his dignity already."
"He says his name is Fian, but that has to be a fake name, right?"
The observing trainers exploded in protest.
One after another, they sneered and scoffed at Fian, shocked by his utter lack of shame.
Fian, however, seemed unaffected.
"Keep using Swords Dance!" he commanded Serperior.
Seeing this, a smirk tugged at Nathan's lips.
"Planning to end it with a single Leaf Blade or Leaf Storm, huh?"
"Then let's show you what a real beatdown looks like. Pangoro!"
"Use Shave! Then follow up with Fire Punch!"
Since the opponent played dirty, Nathan had no reason to hold back.
"Roar!!"
With a loud roar, the ground cracked beneath Pangoro's feet.
In an instant, Pangoro appeared right in front of Serperior!
Flames ignited on his fist—natural nemesis to a Grass-type like Serperior!
"Not good! Use Iron Tail!"
Fian's expression changed dramatically—clearly, he hadn't expected this.
Leaf Blade was no longer an option, and there was no time to dodge.
Serperior could only obey orders, swinging its glowing white tail toward Pangoro!
Iron Tail and Fire Punch collided.
To everyone's surprise, Pangoro and Serperior were evenly matched!
"Now, Pangoro—Energy Ball!"
Seeing the sweat forming on Serperior's head, Nathan chuckled and gave the next command.
After consistent training, Pangoro could now compress Energy Ball to a much denser form!
Not only did this massively boost power after absorption, it also made the projectile itself much stronger.
Nathan wouldn't even be surprised if one day, Energy Ball evolved into a Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Roar!"
Pangoro roared, opened his mouth, and began charging the Energy Ball.
Unlike the ones meant for ingestion, this attack-focused Energy Ball retained all its violent power.
And the more savage, the better!
"Serperior, dodge it!"
Feeling the terrifying energy from the ball, Fian shouted desperately.
His fake smile had completely crumbled.
But Serperior was already locked in close combat—there was no way it could escape!
Boom!
The Energy Ball detonated right in Serperior's face.
It collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
"Hmph."
Fian let out a cold snort and silently recalled Serperior into its Poké Ball before walking away with a gloomy expression.
"Something feels off…"
Watching Fian's retreating back, Nathan couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong.
Strange.
For example, Serperior went down way too easily, and Fian's behavior had felt stiff and unnatural.
Almost like… an actor?
Shaking his head, Nathan let the thought go.
Whatever happens, he'd handle it.
Looking back at the crowd, he gave a light smile.
"Anyone else want to challenge me? If you win, I'll share some tips on how to raise your Pokémon!"
Nathan was putting a lot on the line to help Pangoro reach the Elite level quickly.
After all, this was the wisdom of someone who managed to raise an Elite-level Pokémon before even starting college!
"I'm up! I'm just one step away from Elite level!"
"Get outta here—your Gyarados just barely reached Gym level!"
"Everyone back off! This boy is mine, and I'm not letting go!"
"Not even Jesus could save him now, I'm telling you!"
Clearly, Nathan's offer had serious appeal.
What was supposed to be a laid-back exhibition turned into a near-riot.
In the end, Nathan had to personally choose his opponent to avoid an all-out brawl.
What followed was a string of boring battles.
He faced all kinds of Pokémon, some not even at Gym level—just there hoping to score an easy win.
That said, a few overly enthusiastic challengers were quite exhausting to deal with.
Especially one bold and curvaceous older woman—
She nearly dragged Nathan off to a hotel herself right then and there!
Maybe the timing just wasn't right…
About three hours later, no one else wanted to challenge him anymore.
Why?
Because Pangoro's energy, though nearly drained at times, kept bouncing back stronger after consuming an Energy Ball!
Not only did it recover stamina—it made him even more powerful!
How could anyone fight that?
Thanks to this, Pangoro's level reached the very top of Level 49.
But it still hadn't crossed into Level 50.
"Just a little more. No need to rush—there's still time."
Looking at the panting Pangoro, Nathan's eyes showed no urgency or frustration.
Come on.
Raising your first Pokémon is always the hardest!
It took Nathan years to get Volcarona from Gym level to Elite.
From middle school through high school!
If he didn't have patience, he'd have gone insane from how slow the progress was.
…
By the time Nathan returned to the hotel, the sun had already disappeared.
After feeding his Pokémon, he didn't even bother with dinner—he collapsed onto the bed and instantly fell asleep.
"Vol~"
Volcarona let out a soft chirp as it watched the sleeping Nathan, then nestled beside him.
In the slightly chilly air-conditioned room, Nathan instinctively embraced the warm, familiar presence.
Unfortunately, due to its Gigantamax evolution, his Volcarona-shaped body pillow was getting harder and harder to hold onto.
The next morning, Nathan was awoken by his finely tuned biological clock.
Thanks to his disciplined routine, he didn't feel the slightest bit groggy.
He patted Volcarona's soft body, got out of bed, and stretched with a yawn.
Growl~
Having skipped dinner last night, Nathan's stomach let out an impatient rumble the moment he woke up.
"I wonder what kind of breakfast they have here?"
With that hopeful thought in mind, he returned Volcarona to its Poké Ball and headed out.