As for those Pokémon, Nathan had no interest in them and simply handed them over to Zoe.
Some of them might have been trained into submissive slaves, requiring no bond or adjustment to be usable.
But Nathan disdained that.
Though admittedly, he did feel a bit of pity.
"For scum like you, you'd better pray you've got a few backup Pokémon hidden away!"
Staring coldly at Aamon, Nathan spoke in an equally icy tone.
Once someone chose the path of a Pokémon Hunter, enemies were inevitable.
Now that all of Aamon's main battle Pokémon had been taken by Nathan, whether he could even survive the night was uncertain.
"Give them back! Return my Pokémon! You only beat me in a battle—what right do you have to take all of my Pokémon?!"
Aamon trembled, his face twisted in fear and rage as he roared.
He had finally realized—if he didn't get his Pokémon back, his fate would be utterly miserable.
As a lone Pokémon Hunter with no organizational backing, once he lost his Pokémon, no group would ever want him again.
And it was precisely people like him—those without support—who were the most brutal to Pokémon.
The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. The more he thought, the angrier he got.
Seeing that he couldn't retrieve his Pokéballs, Aamon suddenly rushed forward, trying to attack Nathan with his bare fists!
He was probably betting on the idea that Nathan wouldn't let Volcarona retaliate against a human.
As long as no one was paying close attention, he could knock the brat out, steal back his Pokémon, and escape…
That's what Aamon was thinking, his eyes growing bloodshot with desperation.
"Watch out, Idol!"
Zoe was the first to react, shouting in panic.
However, what happened next completely short-circuited her brain.
Nathan simply dodged Aamon's surprise punch and countered with a backhanded elbow strike!
Enhanced by the power of the Dragon Force, the elbow connected—Aamon's eyes bulged, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"This Nathan… might not just be terrifying as a Trainer."
Several bystanders exchanged glances, silently deciding it would be wise not to gossip too loudly about him in the future.
Who knew if he might come knocking on their door one day with military-style punches? That'd be a tragic end.
Meanwhile, in an office above them, a scantily dressed woman watched the screen with a thoughtful expression.
"As a partner… he might actually work…"
Her melodious voice echoed softly in the office, but no one was around to hear it.
…
"Idol! Idol! You were seriously too cool just now! You took down that thug Aamon in one hit!"
"And Idol, your Volcarona is way too awesome and powerful now! It doesn't even feel like a regular Volcarona anymore!"
"Idol… why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me you're starting to find me annoying…"
...
As they left the club, Zoe instantly turned into a chatterbox, going on and on nonstop.
Seeing her pitiful, anxious expression, Nathan shook his head and said, "I know. This has nothing to do with you."
"Whether it's Will or Aamon…"
He didn't finish the sentence, since Zoe still didn't know the real reason why Will would never see daylight again.
After such a mess, Nathan really didn't feel like hanging out anymore.
Just as he returned to his hotel room, his phone started ringing.
"Vice President Shane, couldn't hold back any longer, huh?"
Seeing the caller ID, Nathan couldn't help but chuckle.
Honestly, he was a bit impressed that the Pokémon League had managed to hold out this long.
But admiration aside—since they made him wait this long, they shouldn't blame him for making outrageous demands.
He answered the call.
Immediately, the Vice President Cloud's voice came through loud and clear:
"Nathan! I won't even sugarcoat it—you're incredible! Not just incredible—you're the most incredible!"
"The League's old geezers have been racking their brains for days and came up with nothing! I've lived this long and only admire you!"
Shane launched straight into a flurry of flattery.
But his compliments essentially boiled down to two things:
First, Nathan's patience. Second, his confidence.
The former was easy enough to come by—anyone greedy enough could take risks.
But the latter? That's what really impressed Shane.
Nathan wasn't the slightest bit worried the League would manage to figure out Super Evolution on their own!
If they actually did, Nathan's value would plummet from gold to mere gold-plated stone.
Other than producing Pokéblocks, he'd be worthless—at least until he fully matured.
But the League couldn't figure it out.
They'd tried every method, used every stone, analyzed Nathan inside and out.
Still, they couldn't make the slightest progress—couldn't even produce a fart.
"Enough small talk. If the League wants Mega Evolution, fine. I've got the complete data."
"Whether it's for Zeraora or Metagross—if the League wants it, they'll have to pay a worthy price."
Unaffected by Shane's praise, Nathan smiled calmly.
He'd waited all this time for one reason—profit.
Otherwise, he would've just taken down Chiyou's base with Tina ages ago. That would've been much more satisfying.
And as long as things didn't spiral out of control, the Pokémon League could always cover it up.
Apparently not expecting Nathan to be so blunt, Shane coughed awkwardly and said,
"Ahem… Nathan, come on. We've got history. Couldn't you be a little more subtle?"
After all, the League was still protecting Nathan's parents and girlfriend.
Of course, Shane didn't mention this—sounded too transactional.
Nathan understood. He could make steep demands, but he couldn't go too far.
Clearing his throat, he rolled his eyes and said,
"Cut the crap. We've barely known each other. If you want Mega Evolution, give me two to three hundred stones—minimum."
"Don't tell me you don't have that many. You guys must've gathered them like crazy for your research."
And Shane really couldn't argue—because it was true.
The League now had not only the Mega Stones and Key Stones, but a mountain of other stones as well.
Their budget for the Mega Evolution was the most generous it had been in a century.
But even then, they still hadn't cracked the secret. So now, they were left with no choice but to negotiate with Nathan.
Nathan knew this full well, and to him, this was just the beginning.
There were still many rare Pokémon evolutions, Dynamax forms, and Z-Moves waiting in his vault.
If he was willing to share all of that, forget just being a bigshot—he'd be the youngest Pokémon researcher prodigy in history.
"…Fine."
With a deep sigh, Shane finally said, "You win. You give us the Mega Evolution method, and the stones are yours."
Although the League had already confirmed the roles of Mega Stones and Key Stones, they had collected many other types.
When Nathan saw the photos Shane sent over, he replied instantly:
Nathan: [I want them all.]
Then he followed it up with a greedy meme hand gesture.
Shane: […Come on! The League needs to eat too, alright? We still need those stones for our research!
Shane: [Nathan! At least leave us a few!]
Seeing Shane's messages, Nathan knew the man was pulling out his ultimate bargaining move:
The auntie-at-the-market haggling technique.
And so, unsurprisingly, the negotiation became a classic back-and-forth.
Nathan raising the price, Shane slashing it down.
In the end, the League kept 30% of the Mega and Key Stones. The rest went to Nathan.
And from the photos Shane sent, there were even quite a few Z-Crystals included.
After the deal wrapped up, Nathan was in a fantastic mood.
Once he mastered combination techniques and got Charmander and Treecko's Abilities up to speed with the rest of his team,
he could start researching Espeon. (TN: Sun Ibrahimovic, lmao)
Perfect timing too—after the National Tournament, Nathan's university life would begin.
That would give him a chance to deepen his foundation even more.
Right now, he was indeed strong—but only among the younger generation.
His true strength still hinged on Volcarona and Steelix.
And there was no way Chiyou would only send low- to mid-level grunts next time.
Nathan understood that clearly.
If Chiyou struck again, it would be an absolute kill shot.
"Onii-chan, come play with Bella~ You've been in the bathroom forever!"
Suddenly, a young girl's voice came from outside, making Nathan freeze.
Before he realized it, he had been in there for quite a while.
"…Alright, alright, Bella. Don't be so impatient."
With a helpless smile, Nathan stood up from the toilet and went to play with the little girl.
Bella was pretty easy to handle.
Within half an hour, she was already yawning adorably and dozing off.
"Bella, don't sleep yet. You still need to wash your face, feet, and change clothes first…"
After helping the half-asleep girl get cleaned up, Nathan finally started making Pokéblocks.
Charmander and Treecko stared eagerly at the Dynamax-grade Pokéblocks like kids eyeing booze.
Steelix, who needed to be fed on the rooftop, would have to wait.
Volcarona wouldn't let the two younger ones eat the Dynamax blocks.
Not out of selfishness, but because of the risk of overnutrition.
Even if Pokéblocks were safe, too many nutrients could cause health issues.
Just a few years ago, many Pokémon ended up in the hospital after falling for misleading product ads.
"Sigh… I still need to win the championship first."
Thinking of the studio's business, Nathan rubbed his temples with a sigh.
(End of Chapter)