At that moment, the live stream chat exploded with a barrage of comments, and even the top-tier servers—purchased at a high cost—nearly crashed under the pressure!
Amid the attention of the entire nation, Nathan held Zeraora's Pokéball in his hand, feeling a heartfelt sense of relief.
Just as what he said earlier—he could always trust his Pokémon!
"Well then, bring out your last Pokémon and put an end to your journey in the National Tournament!"
Storing Zeraora's Pokéball, Nathan spoke calmly, his expression composed.
To be honest, his body was a bit weak now, and inwardly, he was thrilled.
But during a battle, all of that had to be pushed aside!
"Hmph, arrogant! Even if I have to give it my all, I'll make you pay for your conceit!"
Sai's face darkened completely. With a cold snort, he drew his final trump card.
Pidgeot!
And a level 55 Pidgeot at that!
"Come out, Pangoro!"
Without hesitation, Nathan threw out Pangoro's Pokéball.
Although the level of this Pidgeot was a bit unexpected, Nathan didn't sense the arrogance of a Pokémon who know a combination move from it.
Which meant—this Pidgeot was just a average Elite-level Pokémon.
"Roar!"
"Pidge—ot!"
The moment the two Elite-class Pokémon appeared, they both let out powerful roars. Their auras were even more intense than Charizard and Zeraora from earlier!
Pidgeot's imposing presence was understandable, but Pangoro—who had a slightly lower level—faced it without a trace of fear.
It even looked like it was eager to throw down at any second!
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, Sai's expression grew even more sour.
Even so, he had no choice but to go all in—not for victory, but for his own pride!
"Pidgeot, take flight! Use Agility and Swords Dance!"
Taking a deep breath, Sai issued his command.
Pidgeot soared into the sky at lightning speed, its momentum steadily growing.
"Interesting. So, you're going for a stalling strategy, stacking Swords Dance?"
"But no matter. Pangoro, we attack first! Use Moonwalk!"
Seeing through Sai's tactic, Nathan gave a decisive command.
Anyone else in this situation, facing such a disadvantage, would probably hesitate or even switch Pokémon.
After all, Pangoro couldn't fly and would normally be worn down slowly by a strategy like this.
But Nathan showed zero hesitation.
Pangoro, for its part, was excited—stepping on air repeatedly, its muscular form flashed through the sky.
Then, in a burst of speed, it lunged toward Pidgeot!
"Hmph, Double Team!"
Sai had thrown all sense of pride aside. Seeing Pangoro take the initiative, he doubled down on the stall tactic.
His goal was simple: wear down Pangoro's stamina as much as possible!
At this point, even the commentators couldn't take it anymore.
"Wow, Sai's desperate stalling is just disgusting. He's got the level advantage and still chooses this slimy tactic."
"As a man, I'm ashamed to be associated with him!"
The veteran commentator, Draven, looked visibly nauseated and quickly distanced himself from Sai's strategy.
In fact, many viewers were equally disgusted.
[Seriously, no shame at all? With all those advantages and still pulling this crap?]
[This is next-level shameless, the kind that could rival a city wall in thickness!]
[Classic Sai—shameless as always.]
[And yet it's still just a desperate struggle. Nathan's Volcarana hasn't even shown up yet!]
[You typed "Volcarona" wrong, by the way!]
...
Thanks to his underhanded tactics, Sai's image had completely shifted from "bald powerhouse" to "sleazy scumbag."
But Sai clearly didn't care. All he wanted was to make this arrogant kid taste defeat!
Disgusting or not, his strategy was effective.
Pangoro kept attacking Pidgeot, but with its boosted speed and multiple afterimages, landing a hit was tough.
Before long, Pangoro was panting heavily, forced to land back on the ground.
This damn bird was too slippery!
Wait… who's the real rogue here, the panda or me??
"Pangoro, don't think too much. Activate Sage Mode!"
(TN: I don't know if I'm correct here, I forgot what I called this mode in the past chapters.)
Seeing Pangoro's state, Nathan remained calm and issued another order.
He could accept defeat—he'd already experienced it thousands of times with Volcarona alone.
As long as the opponent wasn't maliciously targeting his Pokémon, Nathan wouldn't be bothered by dirty tactics.
He just needed to go all out.
Sensing Nathan's resolve, Pangoro let out a thunderous roar and summoned an energy ball, swallowing it whole!
In an instant—
Pangoro's physical attributes were drastically enhanced, now perfectly suited for using Six Power's pure martial arts techniques.
Shave!
With rapid steps on the ground, the energy-wrapped Pangoro moved like a teleporting shadow, appearing mid-air!
"Quick Attack!"
Clearly, Sai had studied Nathan well. Seeing Pangoro activate Energy Mode didn't faze him.
Pidgeot, already blazingly fast, let out a cry and used Quick Attack to dodge Pangoro's strike.
"Now! Wing Attack!"
Feeling that the Swords Dance boosts had reached their peak, Sai seized the chance and issued the command.
Even if it was just one win, it would be enough!
Clinging to that humble hope, Sai's eyes were filled with anticipation.
But reality is often brutally cruel.
The world's indifference toward the weak is sharper than any blade!
"Pangoro, Synchronize: Gear Second!"
Watching Pidgeot finally take the offensive, a smirk appeared at the corner of Nathan's mouth. In an instant, synchronization activated!
The energy ball Pangoro had absorbed earlier began to speed up his blood circulation, pushing his physical abilities even further.
"Now! Moonwalk—Ghostly Phantom!"
Nathan's voice echoed in Pangoro's mind. In a blur, Pangoro used Moonwalk multiple times in rapid succession.
He truly looked like a Ghost-type now, his afterimages surrounding Pidgeot from all angles!
Before Pidgeot could react—
A massive axe strike slammed into it with overwhelming force. The collision disrupted both its Swords Dance power and Wing Attack energy!
Pidgeot plummeted from the sky like a wounded bird.
It struggled a few times on the ground—but never got back up.
Pidgeot—defeated!
…
With Pidgeot down, Sai's eyes turned lifeless as he silently returned it to its Pokéball.
Nathan wasn't doing too well either.
Using Synchronization twice in a row hadn't knocked him out like last time, but he still had to clutch his chest and rest a bit.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination—
But it felt like the Dragon Force granted by Kroxus was helping him resist the backlash.
Perhaps Kroxus didn't give him the Dragon Force just for self-defense...
Maybe it was to allow Synchronization to evolve even further—perhaps even enabling it to be used without any side effects.
After all, compared to psychic abilities or the Viridian Power, Synchronization consumed far more stamina.
"Let's thank Nathan for bringing us such an incredible Pokémon battle! A round of applause for this young prodigy!"
Finally, with the combined voices of commentators Lee, Kat, and Draven, the first official match of the National Tournament came to a close.
Not only did it satisfy veteran fans of the tournament—
It also drew in countless new viewers, many of whom instantly became hooked and even inspired.
They dreamed of one day standing on a grand stage like Nathan, showcasing their power to the entire nation!
But as the protagonist, Nathan now sat beside Zoe like a salted fish.
Though he was no longer gasping for air, the constant fatigue in his body made him not want to move at all.
"Master, that was awesome!"
The silver-haired little one lay in his arms, her innocent face glowing with admiration.
Oddly enough...
Though Bella was clearly growing up, Nathan felt she was somehow becoming more childlike.
Kids her age usually had some rough edges, maybe a bit bratty—but not her.
Unless they had especially good upbringing, most kids weren't nearly this likable.
Sigh "One step at a time…"
Stroking Bella's soft silver hair, Nathan could only sigh.
It was a psychological issue, probably tied to Bella's mysterious past—and there was nothing Nathan could do about that.
His eyes turned back to the arena.
After Nathan's match, Seth stepped up to face an opponent named Radol.
Unlike Nathan…
(End of Chapter)