Today's highlight was whether Nathan could maintain his winning streak and take the championship,
or if Valar's team would finally end Nathan's myth-like record.
Outside the Murakami Arena, a large crowd of reporters had already gathered.
They were all eager to interview the two undefeated teams of the Pacific Regional Tournament: Team Celestia and Team Valar.
Among the reporters present, only half were from Valar.
Of the remaining half, 40% were from Celestia's, while the last 10% came from other countries.
This alone showed how much importance both countries placed on this match.
When Nathan appeared outside the Murakami Arena, some sharp-eyed reporters quickly spotted him.
Without hesitation, they surged forward, cameras and microphones in hand.
"Nathan, do you have confidence in facing Valar team this time?"
"Nathan, you're up against one of the top national teams in Pacific—will you be fighting alone again?"
"…"
Listening to the flurry of questions being thrown at him in various languages, Nathan felt a slight headache coming on.
"Alright, quiet down. I'll answer your questions one at a time," he said, raising his hand to calm the reporters.
"You, go first."
Scanning the crowd, Nathan noticed a reporter from the CT Channel—his home country's official media.
As a fellow citizen, Nathan naturally gave him priority.
The reporter, delighted to be chosen, eagerly held the microphone up.
"Nathan, you've maintained a winning streak throughout the tournament. Do you feel confident about keeping it going today?"
Many eyes lit up at that question—it was what a lot of people were dying to hear.
"With a streak already going, there's no need to break it now."
Nathan smiled as he replied.
Though he didn't explicitly say he would defeat Valar's team, the implication was clear:
I've been winning all this time—do you really think they're going to be the ones to stop me?
After that, Nathan randomly pointed at another reporter to ask the next question.
"Nathan, it's said that over the past few days you've been entering mystic realms constantly. Were you training for the match?"
This reporter was from Valar, likely planted by their team to dig for intel.
But Nathan didn't mind. After all, he was planning to let Frosmoth take the spotlight in today's match.
"Yes, I've been training a Pokémon," Nathan nodded.
"Is it your strongest one—Volcarona?" the third reporter asked.
"No, it's not Volcarona. As for which Pokémon it is—you'll find out during the match."
Nathan didn't want to reveal Frosmoth's name just yet—he preferred to leave an air of mystery.
He was basically saying: Yeah, I trained a new Pokémon. Want to know which one? Go ahead and guess.
Valar reporters were visibly disappointed at not being able to pry out any real details.
"It's rumored that a few days ago you caught a Pokémon in the Mt. Futu mystic realm, and you even said you'd use that Pokémon to defeat Valar's team. Is that true?"
This question came not from a Pacific region reporter, but from a North Columbardian journalist.
If he hadn't brought it up, many people might not have even remembered that story.
But now that he had, curiosity sparked—did Nathan really say that?
Was he really planning to take on Valar's team using a Pokémon he'd caught less than two weeks ago?
"Yes," Nathan replied.
The moment he said it, many of the spectators' expressions changed.
Some were thrilled—especially the Valarians.
If Nathan was truly using a freshly caught Pokémon for such a crucial match,
wasn't that basically telling the world: Valar is bound to win?
Others looked on as if waiting for a good show—though those people were mostly from outside Pacific.
In Pacific, Nathan's fame was already legendary.
He had soloed entire national teams—seven of them—and won every single time.
Such a godlike track record was unforgettable.
"But I can promise you this—even if it's a Pokémon I've only had for less than two weeks, I will still win this match!"
…
At that moment, a car slowly pulled up in front of the Murakami Arena.
The doors opened, and Valar's team stepped out in full uniform.
To mark the occasion, they were dressed in traditional clothing from their homeland.
Valar reporters, seeing their team appear, immediately swarmed over.
A crowd of reporters that had surrounded Nathan now surged away to surround Valar's team.
Even the other international reporters quickly moved to cover them.
After all, their goal wasn't just to report—they were here to stir the pot.
The more tension between these two nations, the better the headlines.
"Just now, during our interview with Nathan, we learned that he plans to defeat your team using a Pokémon caught in your country. What do you think about that?"
The North Columbardian reporter asked Valar's team with a sly grin.
The team members burst into laughter—clearly rehearsed, almost in perfect sync.
"I just have one thing to say about that: dream on!"
"Hahaha! I'm really looking forward to this!"
said Fujiwara Taka, laughing loudly.
The other members joined in, openly mocking Nathan.
From their expressions, it was clear they didn't take Nathan's new Pokémon seriously at all.
Soon, all the contestants and spectators entered the arena.
The reporters followed behind into Murakami Arena.
Inside, the place was absolutely packed.
Nathan even noticed some people sitting on top of the arena's roof!
Of course, with everyone owning Pokémon, it wasn't particularly dangerous.
Still—weren't they uncomfortable sitting on steel beams?
On the way to the preparation area, Nathan passed by many fans and admirers.
Though not technically a celebrity, he was more famous than most.
The fans enthusiastically greeted him, and Nathan politely greeted them in return.
When he arrived at Celestia's team preparation area, Nathan was stunned.
Was this the passion of his fellow countrymen?
That morning, he'd skipped breakfast due to the rush.
Now, looking at the scene before him, he regretted not eating more the night before.
Snacks of every kind, food for both humans and Pokémon, were piled high.
In addition to food, there were gifts addressed to Nathan.
Every item was labeled with encouraging notes:
"Keep going, Nathan—ride the waves and charge forward!"
"You've already won eight matches—how far can the ninth be? You're the best!"
Looking at the variety of handwriting and encouragements, Nathan was deeply moved.
Though he couldn't possibly eat all the food, the notes could be kept.
In the future, when he was old, those notes would feel like medals of honor.
Little did he know—years later, Nathan would regret it.
The encouraging notes would eventually fill an entire room of his house!
And that was just the notes.
While collecting them, he came across one particularly unexpected item:
A flatbread roll with green onions!
"My countrymen… amazing!"
Still steaming hot, someone had managed to send him a fresh, authentic street snack—even in a foreign land.
Moved by the gesture, Nathan took a huge bite.
He opened his mouth wide and chomped down, half the roll gone in one go.
A photographer, who had been filming him all along, instinctively hit the shutter.
Just like that, Nathan went viral—and he didn't even know it yet.
The photo of him eating the green onion wrap spread across the domestic internet like wildfire.
In less than an hour, memes had already started appearing.
Nathan never imagined that something as simple as eating a flatbread would make him blow up online.
And not just go viral—he went ridiculously viral.
"Dear viewers, today marks the final day of the Pacific Regional Tournament."
"Today, we'll find out who the ultimate champion of the Pacific region will be!"
"Now, let's take a look at our contestants!"
(End of Chapter)