"I didn't expect Nathan to secure such a dominant win even in the quarterfinals. Truly deserving of his status as the top title contender!"
"So, what Pokémon will Jenny send out in response? There it is! It's a Magmortar! And it's at the Elite level!"
"Looks like Jenny is clearly dissatisfied with her earlier loss!"
Commentators Kat, Lee, and Draven collectively narrated the battle unfolding in the arena.
Jenny, on the other hand, was glaring fiercely at Nathan—she was clearly fired up!
If she were to lose like Sai Tamel did in the first round, she'd rather bash her head into a brick wall!
"Tch. Alright then, it's your turn, Zeraora!"
Feeling the scorching heat radiating from Magmortar's body, Nathan had no choice but to recall Mimikyu and send out Zeraora instead.
This girl really didn't play by the rules. Her second Pokémon was already Elite level!
Didn't she know that Elite-level Pokémon were supposed to be saved for the endgame?
At least, that's how Nathan treated his ace, Volcarona—it hadn't even made an appearance yet.
But then again, no one had forced Nathan to send out his sixth Pokémon so far—not since his Metagross and Zeraora had both reached the Elite tier.
Still, would someone like Jenny—a seeded champion contender—really be that simple to beat?
That could only be answered once Zeraora and Magmortar had fought it out.
"Magmortar, Flamethrower!"
Before Nathan could make a move, Jenny gave a loud command once more.
The comment section online lit up immediately, flooding the screen with one phrase:
"A second wave!"
"This girl... Could she be the legendary hotheaded fool?"
Unable to resist a jab, Nathan's eyes suddenly sharpened as he said calmly,
"Zeraora, don't dodge. Use Chidori!"
"Chii-chii...!"
In an instant, the sound of a thousand birds chirping rang from Zeraora's claws.
After reaching the Elite level, Zeraora's Chidori had become even more terrifying!
Azure lightning and near-tangible electric threads surged wildly!
As Zeraora charged at Magmortar, its golden figure turned completely blue in a flash.
"It's here! The Blue Flash!"
Upon seeing this, commentator Draven jumped to his feet and roared,
"I didn't expect to see Zeraora in its thunder god form so early! I'm honestly moved to tears!!"
Anyone listening might have thought he wasn't a commentator but a die-hard Zeraora fanboy.
And in fact… he kind of was.
…
"Whoa! Blue Flash—that was amazing!"
"Long live Zeraora! Long live Lord Nathan!"
"Go [Thunderflame Saint]! Don't give up, Miss Jenny!"
...
The moment Zeraora entered the field, the atmosphere in the audience hit its peak.
"Hmph, see that? That's the power of my idol!"
In the stands, Zoe smugly laughed while hugging Bella, clearly proud.
But the woman beside her, watching the battlefield, remained expressionless.
No, even if her expression had changed, it definitely wasn't because she was convinced.
After all, not long ago, this very woman had been tricked by Nathan.
"[Thunderflame Saint], huh? If the thunder alone is this dazzling, I wonder how spectacular the flame will be."
Staring blankly at Nathan, Ada muttered under her breath in a voice nearly inaudible.
...
Back in the arena, Nathan had no idea that Ada hadn't given up yet.
"Zeraora, attack Magmortar's side!"
Facing Jenny, Nathan spoke confidently,
"I've been watching Magmortar's movements closely. Your Magmortar's been injured before, hasn't it?"
"If it gets hit on its side, I bet it'll go down immediately!"
Though it sounded like a question, Nathan's tone was absolutely certain.
Jenny clenched her teeth in frustration.
This guy!
He might be young, but his observational skills were downright oppressive—like that of an veteran Elite-tier trainer!
Whether it was the telegraphing of moves, the trajectory of attacks, or the Pokémon's behavior...
He could see through everything, like some kind of prophet!
"But you think a few words will make me give up?"
Giving Nathan a dangerous glare, Jenny suddenly let out a low laugh:
"Magmortar, use that!"
"Lava Whirlpool!!"
At her command, Magmortar let out a furious roar despite being at a disadvantage.
Then, a searing heat—beyond anything a normal human could bear—radiated from its body.
And what happened next was astonishing.
The area around Magmortar transformed into a lava hot spring!
"Tch. A self-developed field move, huh?"
Seeing this, Nathan clicked his tongue in displeasure.
Field moves were technically part of combo techniques.
Take this Magmortar, for example—having lived in volcanic terrain for so long, it could use that environment to its advantage.
Even against fellow Fire-types, the lava battlefield could be fatal!
Of course, field moves were considered the domain of Elite-level trainers, and Magmortar could only manage a limited version with all its strength.
"Even so, it's impressive. No wonder she's called a championship-caliber genius."
Nathan silently grinned as he touched the Poké Ball at his neck.
To have made it this far, he'd already encountered true prodigies.
And not just any prodigies—ones who were an entire tier above him.
In terms of age, that is.
"Tch, genius? Are you sure you're not just bragging about yourself?"
Jenny rolled her eyes at him.
Even among the few seeded championship contenders, Nathan was one of the most dazzling four!
Not to mention he was absurdly young!
Being called a genius by this monster? It just made her feel worse.
"A genius is still a genius. Born with talent—that much is undeniable."
"Compared to that, I've just cheated a little—just a teeny tiny bit."
Striking a "galactic fingertip" pose, Nathan's voice was sincere.
He was being honest.
He'd only hacked the system just a little.
But the more sincere Nathan acted, the angrier Jenny got. She immediately shouted:
"You're seriously annoying! Magmortar, use Flamethrower!"
As soon as her words fell, an astonishing scene unfolded.
Surrounded by lava, Magmortar's Flamethrower became almost instantaneous!
Not only that—its power had increased significantly!
And from within the lava pool, Magmortar could easily defend itself with the molten rock.
Honestly, even if this was just a junior version of a field technique, the results were overwhelming!
Unless you were an Elite-level trainer, by this point in the match, victory depended entirely on how well you had mastered combos and battlefield control.
"It's such a shame—if this were any other year, this would probably be the most spectacular tournament we've ever seen."
"But with that monster in the mix, there's just no suspense anymore."
In an inconspicuous corner, Tina murmured with a seductive smile.
Elite level or even Champion-tier trainers all had their trump cards—their proudest, unbeatable aces.
But whether Elite or Champion...
Combo moves only really worked against opponents of equal rank.
Against a Nation Master-level opponent...
All your tricks were just desperate flailing.
And Tina had realized something else: Nathan's Steelix wasn't just any Elite or Champion-tier Steelix.
"That sheer size... that aura... Chiyou was really unlucky."
She recalled the overwhelming pressure she had once felt—enough to make even her, a genuine Elite-level trainer, tremble.
Her eyes now held a tinge of pity.
Without such a powerful trump card, would her insane boss really have revealed mega evolution so easily?
Everyone had been completely fooled by this deceptively young monster.
The thought gave Tina a deep sense of superiority.
Even if she was technically under his command, he definitely had the qualifications.
Of course, if Tina had known how Nathan had captured Steelix, her mood would be quite different.
Who would've guessed that a mighty Dynamaxed, Master-level Pokémon had been lured in by snacks?
And thanks to the Dynamax crystal, Steelix no longer resisted Nathan—there was no resentment, only obedience.
Once Steelix completed its full Dynamax evolution and no longer fell into frequent slumbers...
Then Nathan would truly possess an ace so powerful that even the Pokémon League couldn't ignore it.
For now, however, Nathan's main goal remained the National Tournament championship.
And he was working tirelessly toward that.
"Zeraora—Bond Evolution!"
Watching Magmortar fire off wave after wave of fire attacks, Nathan didn't hesitate to command the evolution.
He had seen enough.
In the main bracket of the National Tournament—among the final eight—not a single opponent could be underestimated.
If he wasn't careful, even Volcarona could get tripped up by one of them!
"Zoar!"
Dodging another Flamethrower, Zeraora was suddenly engulfed in the pure white light of evolution.
(End of Chapter)