On the sidelines, Kelly couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the equipment Grog had taken out.
At the very moment Grog revealed his device, the white-robed man across from them immediately released his Pokémon.
The Poké Ball fell to the ground, bursting open in a flash of brilliant white light.
Nathan's eyes locked firmly onto the glow, staring without blinking.
When the white light finally dissipated, the creature's figure was revealed at last.
And the sight left Nathan feeling an unexpected jolt of surprise.
Because the Pokémon standing there was none other than Regirock—the Titan of Rock, one of the legendary Regi trio!
One of the three Legendary Titans—Pokémon that had been artificially created.
But this creation was completely different from so-called "genetic Pokémon."
Genetic Pokémon were products of biological science, born from manipulation and research into DNA.
Take Mewtwo, for example. As a genetically engineered Pokémon, it could be considered the very definition of perfection.
Yet even so, Mewtwo still possessed a living heart, a functioning brain—its existence, though artificial, was still that of a complete lifeform.
The Regi trio, however, were fundamentally different.
Their creation had nothing to do with genes at all.
Strictly speaking, they weren't even "living organisms" in the usual sense.
Inside their bodies there was no heart, no brain—like three autonomous machines. But even machines required energy to function.
The Regi trio, however, were a mystery. They clearly possessed thought, will, and decision-making, yet they lacked the organs that made such things possible.
Creatures like these had long since surpassed the boundaries of human understanding.
And because of that, the Regi Titans could almost be considered flawless beings—without any obvious weaknesses.
Standing before them, Regirock's entire body was formed from gray and orange rocks.
On the front of its head glowed seven orange dots, arranged in the shape of an "H."
It possessed two massive, blocky rock arms, each hand little more than huge chunks of stone.
Its shoulders were crowned with tall, jagged, orange spikes, connected to its arms by segments of fractured rock.
Its torso was a cylindrical pillar of stone, uneven and rugged, with two bright orange patches—one on the left side of its chest, another above its right leg.
Its legs were short and stumpy, while its back bristled with three vertically aligned orange spikes.
Behind it extended a stubby gray stone tail, almost unnoticeable at first glance.
As he studied Regirock's appearance, Nathan's mind worked quickly, pondering how best to face such an opponent.
He did have some knowledge about Regirock.
In particular, there was one of its abilities he remembered with absolute clarity.
No matter what kind of attack Regirock suffered, no matter how severe the physical damage it took—
As long as Regirock could touch ordinary rocks, it could absorb them to restore its own broken body.
That trait alone was nothing short of terrifying, almost unnatural.
The white-robed man smirked when he saw Nathan delay releasing his own Pokémon.
"What's wrong? Just the sight of my Regirock, and you've already lost the courage to send yours out?" he taunted.
Nathan's eyes narrowed. "No. I was simply deciding which of my Pokémon should defeat you."
His tone carried the same provocation back, as though all of his Pokémon were capable of toppling Regirock without question.
After a brief moment of thought, Nathan no longer hesitated. With a flick of his hand, he sent out Mewtwo.
The Volcarona was out of the question. With its abilities, defeating Regirock would be far too difficult.
Mewtwo, on the other hand, had already mastered the move Iron Body. Even though its body was made of flesh and blood, once that technique was used, its durability became monstrously strong.
So, what if Regirock's body was hard? Yes, it was incredibly tough—
But could any rock be harder than iron itself? Against such a hard, stone-walled opponent, Nathan chose to counter with the sharpest fangs he possessed.
"Come out, Mewtwo!"
The white-robed man burst out laughing when he saw Nathan's choice.
At first glance, Mewtwo appeared to be a Fighting-type Pokémon.
He sneered inwardly, thinking Nathan didn't know a thing about type matchups.
To pit a Fighting-type against his Regirock? What a joke.
That stone body was so solid—what damage could mere flesh deliver?
"Are you sure? You really want to use that Fighting-type Pokémon against my Regirock?" the man asked with a smirk.
In his mind, the battle was already won.
Nathan calmly replied, "I'm sure. But you should know—my Mewtwo is not only Fighting-type. It's also Psychic."
He saw right through what the white-robed man was thinking.
But the man had no understanding of the truth—this was not just any Mewtwo.
This was a Mewtwo that had trained in Iron Body.
The man snorted. "In that case, don't blame me for showing no mercy. Regirock, attack! Show them your might!"
Regirock's colossal body shifted, pounding forward step by step.
Each time its feet slammed into the ground, the earth echoed with a deep, booming thud.
Its sheer weight was unmistakable.
Meanwhile, Mewtwo remained perfectly still, making no move to charge.
And Nathan gave no orders, simply watching quietly, curious to see how Mewtwo would respond.
This Mewtwo had endured gravity training—its strength and speed had long surpassed ordinary limits. Against Regirock, Nathan wasn't worried.
Within the span of just two breaths, Regirock closed the distance, swinging one massive stone fist directly at Mewtwo's chest.
But Mewtwo lowered its stance, bracing itself in a horse stance, and threw its own punch forward.
Fist met fist, and the two Pokémon collided with a resounding impact.
The white-robed man was ecstatic—what fool would trade punches with Regirock?
In his mind, Mewtwo's arm would be crushed, maybe even shattered completely.
But to his shock, no such thing happened.
Instead, the two Pokémon were forced back a step each.
A deadlock.
The man froze, stunned. This was supposed to be a Fighting-type Pokémon? Wasn't it more like a Rock-type in disguise?
How could a so-called "Fighting-type" go blow for blow with Regirock and not lose ground?
What's more, Regirock's punch had carried forward momentum, while Mewtwo had been standing still—yet the clash still ended evenly matched.
Just how terrifyingly strong was this Mewtwo's raw power?
"Haha! Looks like all that training really paid off!" Nathan laughed heartily.
But his amusement didn't last long. His hand closed around a gleaming stone—Mewtwo's Mega Evolution stone.
A burst of radiant white engulfed Mewtwo as trainer and Pokémon connected. Within that brilliance, Mewtwo's body stretched and expanded, becoming even more formidable.
When the light receded, Mewtwo had transformed—Mega Evolved.
"Now… the real battle begins," Nathan said coldly, his eyes sharp as blades.
At this point, it wasn't just the white-robed man who was stunned.
The other four challengers gathered to watch were also shaken to their cores by Mewtwo's sheer power.
The strength it had shown already bordered on monstrous—and now, after Mega Evolution, its power had ascended to another level entirely.
The evolved Mewtwo loomed even larger, its figure over three meters tall—like a small giant towering over the battlefield.
By comparison, Regirock, barely two meters tall, looked almost like a mere pile of stones.
"You… damn it! Regirock, use Rock Slide!"
For the first time, the white-robed man felt regret gnaw at him.
If he'd known Nathan could unleash a monster like this, he would never have chosen to fight first.
He would have rather let Regirock battle the Volcarona.
But now it was too late. What stood before him was no ordinary Pokémon—this was a monster in the guise of a champion-class Pokémon, wielding power on par with legends.
Regirock shoved its arms deep into the ground. When it lifted them again, each hand clutched a massive boulder.
Despite its short stature, its strength was formidable.
But compared to Nathan's Mewtwo, it was simply lacking.
Mewtwo's own power was already immense, further enhanced by endless resources and now heightened again by Mega Evolution.
Regirock hurled the stones like weapons, each more than a meter wide, ripping through the air with a menacing whoosh.
Nathan's lips curved into a confident smile. "Mewtwo, show them the might of your new technique!"
If Iron Body made Pangoro's body both shield and sword, then in Mewtwo's hands, it was a move that could split earth and sky apart.
And with Mega Mewtwo X's towering frame, that iron-like power was pushed to terrifying extremes.
(End of Chapter)