A Pokémon that was usually known for its gentle and docile temperament—in other places, even if a human approached it, not to mention just seeing it, it wouldn't necessarily launch an attack. Sometimes, it would even allow humans to stroke or pat it without resistance.
But now, without Nathan doing anything at all, this Pokémon had immediately chosen to attack them.
"There seems to be something here… something that can stir up and provoke the hidden battle lust within a Pokémon's heart. Even I can faintly feel it."
Xerneas frowned as it spoke, its voice carrying a note of unease.
Under Nathan's command, Volcarona made quick work of the enemy. With only a few swift moves, it cleanly and decisively brought down the aggressive Pokémon.
After the skirmish, Nathan and Xerneas walked over to the fallen Heliolisk that had been knocked unconscious.
Xerneas' sharp perception instantly detected that the Pokémon's injuries were healing at an abnormally fast rate.
This was obviously not the natural recovery speed of a Heliolisk.
It was clear there was some other factor providing a boost, as if something was enhancing or accelerating its regeneration.
"Looks like this mystic realm really does have some surprising features."
Nathan observed calmly as the Heliolisk's wounds closed up at a pace visible to the naked eye.
"Indeed. But I don't think the force that allows them to recover so quickly is the same as the one that ignites their battle lust."
Xerneas gave its judgment with quiet certainty.
As a Legendary Pokémon, and one that symbolized life itself, Xerneas had a keen sensitivity toward vitality and recovery. It could tell that the fast healing was coming from within the Heliolisk itself—likely the result of some fruit or other special resource it had consumed earlier.
It was completely unrelated to the strange aura here that was rousing Pokémon into aggressive combat states.
With that matter settled, Nathan pressed on with both Xerneas and Volcarona at his side.
Along the way, he encountered an endless variety of Pokémon, and the surrounding terrain shifted constantly as they advanced.
At the beginning, long stretches of forest had dominated the path. But as they moved deeper, the scenery changed: swamps, ponds, small hills, sandy expanses—each environment appeared one after another, giving the mystic realm a vivid, almost ever-changing atmosphere.
Inside the mystic realm, Nathan was battling fiercely and ceaselessly with Volcarona at his side. Meanwhile, outside the mystic realm, things were becoming increasingly lively as well.
The news that Nathan had entered the Trial Mystic realm had already spread, thanks to the guard at the entrance.
Once word got out, many people had rushed straight to the entrance, waiting eagerly.
After all, this was none other than the World Champion Nathan entering the Trial Mystic realm! How could they possibly miss out on watching this spectacle?
Outside, most of the gathered crowd were trainers who regularly brought their Pokémon here to challenge the mystic realm themselves.
They too were curious—just how far could Nathan, the reigning World Champion, make it inside this endless trial?
"Alright! Place your bets, place your bets! Who wants in? The wager is simple: how far do you think Nathan can go? Maximum bet is ten thousand Pokécoins per person!"
A portly man, clearly unable to sit still, excitedly opened a betting pool.
After all, standing around waiting was boring. Why not have some fun—and maybe make some money on the side?
"I'll bet! I'll bet Nathan makes it at least twenty kilometers in!"
For many of the spectators, ten thousand Pokécoins was nothing at all. The moment someone placed the first wager, others immediately followed.
Once the first domino fell, the second and third quickly followed suit.
In no time at all, over two hundred people had already placed bets.
The fat man collected the wagers with a grin so wide it practically split his face apart, his squinting eyes nearly disappearing into his plump cheeks.
"I'll bet that Nathan makes it all the way to the end!"
A new voice rang out—it was the guard who had taken over the previous shift at the entrance.
Seeing that someone had opened betting on Nathan's progress, even he couldn't resist joining in.
But unlike the others, this guard happened to be a dedicated fan of Nathan. He had absolute faith in him.
Ever since Nathan had first made a splash in the national tournament, he had admired him greatly.
Since then, he had watched every one of Nathan's matches over and over again, never missing a single highlight.
"Now that's guts!"
The fat man roared in approval, slapping the table.
Among the hundreds of bets, guesses ranged from fifteen kilometers to fifty kilometers.
Yet not a single person had dared to wager on Nathan reaching the end.
This guard was the first.
The fat man glanced at the growing pile of coins he had collected. The sum was already substantial, and if he kept taking bets, he might end up losing big.
So, he called out loudly: "Anyone else? Anyone else want to place a wager? Last chance before I close the pool!"
He shouted a few more times. When no one else stepped forward, he sealed the betting round and settled back, waiting quietly for Nathan to emerge.
Of course, Nathan himself knew nothing about this lively scene outside. If he had, he would certainly have bet on himself going all the way to the very end as well.
But right now, Nathan was far too busy.
As he ventured deeper, he finally encountered a truly troublesome opponent.
Not a single powerful foe—but an entire group of Pokémon.
It was a massive colony of Golbat.
Within this colony, the weakest among them were at Gym level, while the strongest had already reached Champion-tier strength.
Golbat were naturally swarm-dwelling Pokémon. But what surprised Nathan was their extraordinary strength.
Ordinarily, Pokémon that lived in such large colonies rarely had individual members that surpassed Elite-tier power. Many didn't even reach Gym-tier at all.
But here, the weakest were Gym-level, and the strongest Golbat was already at the very peak of Champion class.
What made them especially dangerous was their bloodsucking trait. For an ordinary Pokémon, being surrounded by such a colony meant certain doom.
In less than two minutes, the swarm would have drained it completely dry.
If they came one by one, Nathan was confident that Volcarona could wipe them all out eventually.
But facing them all at once was another matter entirely.
"Volcarona—use Fire Spin!"
Nathan's voice rang with decisiveness.
Volcarona's wings beat fiercely, conjuring a blazing vortex of fire in the blink of an eye.
The spiraling inferno surged forward, swallowing a portion of the swarm. Yet the Golbat, seemingly unafraid of injury, pressed on fearlessly, diving straight through the roaring flames toward Volcarona.
The fire claimed countless weaker Golbat, their bodies scorched as they fell from the sky in droves.
But those of Gym-level and above endured the flames and continued to close in.
"Bat!"
"Bat!"
Just as Nathan was about to cheer for Volcarona's performance, the Golbat let out a piercing chorus of screeches.
This was their move supersonic Screech.
A single Golbat's screech was negligible to Volcarona. But an entire swarm using it in unison was devastating, its power magnified several times over.
The chaotic din shook the air itself. Leaves trembled violently on nearby trees, resonating with the sound.
Nathan, being human, could hardly withstand it. He had already clamped his hands tightly over his ears, but the shrieking still drilled into his head.
For Volcarona, the primary target of the attack, the pain was far worse. Its body shuddered midair, clearly affected.
"Volcarona, use Struggle Bug!"
Nathan's expression tightened. Seeing Volcarona's distress, his heart ached as well. He quickly gave the order.
Struggle Bug not only resisted enemy attacks but could also weaken the opponent's special attack power.
Obeying his command, Volcarona released a faint crimson glow that shimmered across its body.
The red light absorbed much of the sonic assault while waves of the energy rippled outward.
Every Golbat touched by the radiance immediately felt their special attack power drop significantly.
Thanks to Struggle Bug, the swarm's Screech lost nearly half its effect, relieving Volcarona somewhat.
Nearby, Xerneas observed the struggle. Concerned, it stepped closer to Nathan.
"Do you want me to help?"
It could see plainly that Volcarona was in a dire situation, and the instinct to assist stirred within it.
But Nathan's resolve only hardened.
The harsher the trial, the more he had to overcome it with his own strength. Only through such struggles could both he and Volcarona grow stronger at the fastest pace.
"No need. I believe that Volcarona and I can handle this swarm ourselves."
Nathan shook his head firmly.
After speaking, he quickly scanned the surroundings.
An idea sparked in his mind.
"Volcarona! Lead them into the forest!"
His voice rang loud and clear.
If sheer numbers were their advantage, then he would use the terrain itself as his weapon.
Volcarona immediately complied, weaving through the air and drawing the swarm's attention, luring them toward the dense forest ahead.
Golbat, after all, were not known for their intelligence. And this colony lacked any leader above Champion-tier who might have developed near-human cunning.
Without such a leader, their behavior remained predictable and exploitable.
But even before reaching the forest, the swarm's relentless assault intensified.
Air Cutter, Confuse Ray, Aerial Ace—
A storm of attacks filled the sky, all aimed squarely at Volcarona.
Yet Volcarona twisted and turned with agility, darting behind trees to evade the incoming blows, using the trunks as cover.
Gradually, under its guidance, the entire colony was drawn deeper and deeper into the dense woodland.
"Volcarona—use Heat Wave!"
Nathan's eyes lit with determination as he issued his next command.
His strategy was simple: ignite the forest, turning the flames into a weapon to incinerate the swarm.
The trees here grew thick and close together. If even part of the forest caught fire, the blaze could quickly spread, and the Golbat swarm would be reduced to nothing more than experience points.
But setting the woods aflame was no easy task.
The trees were lush and green, full of moisture. Igniting them outright would cause only scattered patches of fire that would quickly fizzle out.
More importantly, the ground held few withered leaves or dried brush to fuel the flames.
If there had been a carpet of dried foliage, it would have been much simpler.
Still, Volcarona flared with power.
The moment Heat Wave was unleashed, the temperature in the area soared dramatically.
In battle, Heat Wave bolstered the strength of fire-type moves. But here, its purpose was different.
What Nathan wanted was to bake the moisture out of the surroundings—drying the trees and the earth beneath them until they became flammable tinder.
For nearly two minutes, Volcarona circled the forest interior, weaving through the trees while keeping the swarm in pursuit, all the while maintaining the relentless furnace-like winds.
In this dense woodland, Volcarona found perfect cover against their attacks.
And after two full minutes of Heat Wave, though it sounded brief, the scorching temperatures—well over one hundred degrees—were already enough to begin changing the very environment.
(End of Chapter)