At last, the doubts and mysteries lingering in his heart finally had an answer.
So that was it—within this mystic realm, it turned out there was actually a legendary Pokémon causing trouble from behind the scenes. No wonder every Pokémon they had encountered was brimming with such an unusually strong desire to fight.
"It seems I've finally figured out why the Pokémon here have such an abnormally high thirst for battle."
A faint smile surfaced on Nathan's lips as he spoke.
It was a pity, though. When he set out this time, he had only brought Volcarona along. None of his other Pokémon were with him.
If Mewtwo had been here, and if it could have defeated this legendary Pokémon, then it would have taken yet another step forward on its own path toward legendary might.
But since they had stumbled across this situation today, then of course it had to be resolved as quickly as possible.
After all, the Pokémon here were being forced to live every single day under conditions completely against their will. If it were humans trapped in such a state, Nathan estimated they would have broken down long ago.
"Why? Did you discover something?"
Beside him, Xerneas tilted its head curiously and asked.
It still had not figured out why these Pokémon had all turned out this way, while Nathan had managed to discern it clearly.
Perhaps it really was no wonder that humans had risen to become the rulers of the world.
"Mhm. The Pokémon here should have been manipulated by another Pokémon's power. That's the only reason they're consumed by this overwhelming urge to battle."
Nathan did not bother concealing the truth and spoke openly.
At this point, he no longer felt like he was in a mystic realm at all. Instead, it was as if he had entered a dungeon—one overflowing with experience points. He had already cleared through the mobs at the front, and now there were only elite monsters and finally a waiting boss ahead.
Still, Nathan was very curious. Just what kind of Pokémon had the ability to twist so many others into such a state?
Once Volcarona had recovered a little, Nathan pressed forward once again.
As expected, the deeper he went, the stronger the wild Pokémon became.
Yet despite their growing power, none of them exceeded the Champion level.
From the looks of it, this mystic realm housed only a single legendary-level Pokémon.
Nathan could not remember how many Pokémon he had defeated by the time he finally reached what seemed to be the very end.
At the terminus of this mystic realm, the ground was littered with broken stones, resembling the shattered remains of ancient ruins.
As soon as Nathan arrived, he immediately felt a violent and destructive emotion welling up from deep inside his heart.
That emotion gnawed away at him, making him feel an almost uncontrollable urge to lash out at something—at someone.
Xerneas noticed the shift in him. Its body emitted a faint, multicolored glow that stood out starkly amidst the suffocating negativity saturating the place.
The instant that light radiated outward, Nathan felt clarity return to his mind. His heart steadied, and he regained his normal state of being.
"I see now. The closer we got to this place, the stronger the Pokémon became. Lower-leveled ones trapped here… they might very well go insane under such conditions."
A lingering trace of fear flashed across Nathan's heart as he spoke.
He had come here without any preparation at all and had nearly been swallowed whole by the negative emotions.
If not for Xerneas by his side, he might have fallen here and now.
"What terrifying power… what terrifying negative emotions!"
Xerneas didn't answer him. Its gaze fixed on a particular spot amidst the rubble and spoke with solemn weight.
"Eh~ A human? Did you come here to die?"
"Kill him! Kill him!"
"I'll smash him to pieces!"
The moment Xerneas finished speaking, a cacophony of voices suddenly echoed from within the piles of broken stone.
The voices were chaotic, none of them the same, as though countless different Pokémon were gathered there together.
And yet, every single one carried the same underlying resonance—pure negativity.
Each phrase was steeped in hatred, violence, and bloodlust.
"Show yourself!"
Nathan shouted sternly, his voice echoing.
Though he could hear them clearly, he still couldn't see any Pokémon.
But as soon as his words fell, a ghostly figure floated out from between the shattered stones.
That ghost was only the beginning. Very quickly, more and more ghostly forms emerged, one after another.
They swarmed above the ruins, drifting aimlessly through the air, so numerous that Nathan couldn't even begin to count them.
Still, he was certain of one thing—there were at least a hundred of them.
But these were only ghosts. Where was the Pokémon itself?
Hadn't the system specifically said that there was a legendary-level Pokémon here? Why was he seeing nothing but these specters?
Just as confusion clouded his thoughts, the ghosts began drifting together, converging toward the center.
Soon, the hundred-odd ghosts had merged into one mass.
At the heart of that dark gathering, Nathan noticed a peculiar stone etched with strange markings.
As the ghosts pressed closer, the stone rose into the air.
One after another, the ghostly figures dissolved into it. In their place appeared a sinister, gas-like substance.
Within that shifting haze were crude, eerie patterns resembling eyes and a mouth—ugly, warped, and unsettling.
And encircling its form were dozens of round, irregular shapes, large and small.
Spiritomb!
The moment Nathan recognized the Pokémon's true form, he finally understood.
So, at the end of this mystic realm, the one lurking here was none other than a Spiritomb.
And not just any Spiritomb—it had reached the level of a legend.
No wonder it was considered an evil Pokémon capable of rivaling ancient ones.
The instant its true body revealed itself, Nathan felt the crushing weight of its aura pressing down on him.
Staring at it, his head began to ache.
How was he supposed to deal with a Pokémon that was nothing but a fusion of a spirit body and its keystone?
This was the first time he had ever encountered a creature of such form.
"…Shall I handle it instead?"
Xerneas looked calmly at the oppressive Spiritomb and offered.
"No need. I'll take care of it myself."
Nathan shook his head firmly.
It was just a legendary level Pokémon. Volcarona had already defeated three different legendary Pokémon in the past.
Not to mention, on the journey here, Volcarona's level had soared dramatically. It was only a few steps away from breaking into the legendary realm itself.
And besides, he had a system mission to complete. How could he possibly let it go unfinished?
Seeing Nathan's unwavering determination, Xerneas simply stepped back a few paces, giving him space for the coming battle.
"Volcarona, let's go!"
Nathan called out with resolve.
"Volcarona, use Heat Wave!"
At his command, Volcarona immediately struck first. Against a legendary level foe, and one of such a strange form, there was no room for carelessness.
Blistering waves of hot air surged forth, instantly thinning the oppressive miasma of negative energy that permeated the ruins.
The suffocating emotions weakened as the high temperature spread, and Spiritomb twisted uncomfortably under the heat.
With a distorted wail, a dark shadow suddenly swelled behind it.
That shadow stretched outward rapidly, spawning countless menacing silhouettes.
The very surroundings grew darker, shrouded as though night itself had fallen.
Nathan recognized the technique at once—it was Spiritomb's Night Shade!
The shadows surged forward, all of them rushing toward Volcarona.
"Volcarona, use Fiery Dance!"
Nathan's voice rang out urgently.
In an instant, blazing flames erupted across Volcarona's body. But the shadows weren't true entities.
They felt no pain, had no senses at all.
One after another, they crashed into Volcarona, only to be burned away into nothingness by the flames.
Each shadow vanished the moment it touched, yet with each sacrifice, Volcarona's fire grew thinner, flickering as though ready to sputter out.
"Grrraaahhh!"
Spiritomb let out another twisted cry, furious that its attacks had done nothing.
The mouth within its gaseous body suddenly flared, releasing a bizarre beam of energy that shot straight toward Volcarona.
Caught unprepared, Volcarona was struck head-on. Its eyes glazed over, its movements turning erratic—it had been thrown into confusion.
Nathan's heart clenched. Spiritomb had such a move? To inflict confusion? But he quickly steadied himself.
Too bad for Spiritomb—Volcarona had a Trainer.
And not just any Trainer, but one who could synchronize with his Pokémon.
"Synchronize!"
Without hesitation, Nathan called out.
In the blink of an eye, Trainer and Pokémon entered perfect resonance.
A second earlier, Volcarona had been stumbling in midair. Now, in synchronization, its body steadied instantly.
The confusion remained for Volcarona itself, but it no longer mattered. Nathan was in control now.
"Charge up—Flame Charge!"
Under his command, the flames that had nearly dissipated reignited and cloaked Volcarona's body once more.
Blazing with renewed vigor, Volcarona hurtled straight toward Spiritomb.
Its speed was so fast that within a single breath, it was already upon the foe.
But the next moment, something shocking occurred—
Volcarona's body passed directly through Spiritomb's form.
The only consolation was that the flames coating it still managed to scorch the gaseous body, inflicting damage.
But the strongest part of Flame Charge was the crushing physical impact, and that had completely missed.
The attack's power had been reduced by two-thirds.
And then, as Volcarona slipped through, Spiritomb's shadow stretched unnaturally. Its entire figure faded into it and vanished.
"Shadow Sneak!"
Nathan's eyes sharpened instantly.
Even as he called it, he was already moving.
Under his control, Volcarona whirled around and unleashed a searing Ember behind it.
Spiritomb had reappeared, lunging from the shadow for a sneak attack—but before it could even strike, the fireball slammed into it.
Hit dead-on, Spiritomb shrieked.
Taking no chances, Nathan immediately commanded Volcarona to retreat backward at speed.
(End of Chapter)