High Level?
Nathan's eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately pulled up Ditto's information panel, and only then did he realize something—Ditto actually had levels as well.
And its level was ridiculously, unbelievably low.
Only Level 1—the very bottom.
Meanwhile, his Charmander was already at Level 27.
Didn't that basically mean his Charmander completely outclassed Ditto?
For a second, Nathan felt like he'd been punched in the chest. To think that the "mystical transforming Pokémon" he caught was so weak that it couldn't even measure up to a baby Charmander.
Still, after steadying his emotions, he asked:
"How big of a gap can there be for you to transform?"
If Ditto could only transform when it was stronger than its target, then wasn't that ability completely useless?
"As long as the difference isn't more than ten levels, I can transform."
Ditto extended a hand toward Nathan as it answered.
Nathan raised a brow. Without hesitation, he pulled out another pokeblock and handed it over.
Not more than ten levels—that was actually acceptable. At least it meant once Ditto reached the Elite level, it would be able to mimic Champion-level Pokémon.
But the restriction of exactly ten levels… that was a bit tricky. After all, the gap between Champion rank and Legendary rank was more than twenty levels.
For a moment, Nathan didn't even know how he should train this thing.
He continued asking,
"When you transform, is your strength the same as the target's, or is there a difference?"
"No. When I transform, I'll be just a little bit stronger than them."
Ditto's voice was firm.
Nathan's heart gave a jolt of excitement.
Stronger—just a little stronger.
At lower levels, that small edge might not mean much. But at higher levels? That tiny sliver could be the deciding factor between victory and defeat.
In battle, sometimes it only took a hair's breadth to turn the tide.
Nathan carefully studied Ditto for a long while. Eventually, he pieced together a general understanding of its unique mechanics.
Ditto had no inherent typing at all—nor even a natural ability.
Instead, both its type and ability changed according to the target it transformed into.
For example, if the target was a Pokémon with base stats of all tens, then Ditto's transformation would raise them to elevens across the board.
Not only that, but it would also inherit the target's ability.
In other words, Ditto was the very definition of "adapt and overcome." The stronger the opponent, the stronger Ditto would become.
And there was more. Ditto could consume all sorts of stat-boosting resources. Even though the boosts wouldn't show up on its panel normally, once it transformed, those hidden bonuses would immediately surface.
For instance, if Ditto swallowed a potion that permanently boosted Special Defense by +10, then when it transformed into a Pokémon with base Special Defense of 10, it wouldn't just reach 11 like normal—it would display a full 21.
This discovery delighted Nathan beyond measure.
He made up his mind. Two days from now, once he had dealt with the remaining three challengers, he would take Ditto for serious training.
He had a gut feeling—this Ditto could very well become his third strongest Pokémon… maybe even his second.
But one thing still bothered him: Mega Evolution.
Ditto could certainly copy other Pokémon. But what about Pokémon that had Mega Evolutions?
Take Mewtwo, for example. Mewtwo had two distinct Mega forms. If Ditto copied Mewtwo, what would happen? Could it Mega Evolve as well?
"Forget it. I'll save these questions until its level gets higher. No point overthinking when I can't test it yet."
Although curiosity burned inside him, Nathan chose to set aside those thoughts. Experimentation was the only way to get a real answer.
Right now, Ditto was still stuck at Level 1. Forget turning into Mewtwo—it couldn't even copy a tiny Charmander yet.
So Nathan entered the system store, bought a mountain of resources, and tossed them all to Ditto to eat at its own pace.
…
Two days slipped by in the blink of an eye. In that time, Ditto had polished off every single resource Nathan had given it.
Though its status screen still looked the same, Nathan knew those bonuses were just lying dormant, waiting to be unlocked the moment Ditto transformed.
Meanwhile, his Frosmoth's injuries had healed completely. It was back to peak condition once more.
"Today, the two of you need to give me your very best," Nathan said, looking at both Frosmoth and Mewtwo.
"If you can win, you'll both earn the qualification to ascend into the Legendary level."
With that, he recalled all his Pokémon and made his way to Grace City.
Kelly arrived soon afterward. Together with the others, they boarded a plane and flew back to the desert battlefield.
As Nathan stepped onto the familiar sands, a powerful fighting spirit welled up inside him.
Three challengers.
No matter if it was Mewtwo or Frosmoth, as long as one of them defeated two Legendary Pokémon, they would qualify for ascension.
At that point, he wouldn't just have Volcarona—he would command two Legendary Pokémon of his own.
And yet… even that wasn't the most important thing.
The true focus was Xerneas.
Compared to his Volcarona, Xerneas's power was undoubtedly greater.
Not because Volcarona was weak—but simply because Xerneas had been at the Legendary level for far longer. Over the years, its strength had been honed to the very peak of Legendary level Pokémon.
Volcarona, in contrast, had only just broken through.
Still, back when Volcarona had ascended, Xerneas had already shown a clear intent to follow him.
If he let Xerneas witness another of his Pokémon rise to the Legendary rank… it would surely shake its heart again.
Maybe, just maybe, this time he could truly win Xerneas's allegiance.
"Boss, your drool is showing…"
Nathan snapped out of his daydream at Grog's teasing voice. Subconsciously, he wiped his chin—but his hand came away dry.
Only then did he realize Grog was messing with him.
"Grog," Nathan said coldly, "looks like I'll have to reconsider your business with Meisha."
(TN: You guys remember who he is dating? I forgot to label it in my list of names.)
How dare this guy embarrass him in front of others? Clearly, Grog had grown a little too bold.
"Boss, I was wrong!"
Grog panicked. He had only meant to crack a joke after seeing Nathan daze out for so long. He never expected his leader to take it so poorly—let alone drag Meisha into it.
That instantly made his heart jump into his throat.
Right now, Grog's whole world revolved around two things: Meisha and his career. If his boss really forced them apart, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.
"Boss, please! I was really only kidding—"
But Nathan just waved him off.
"Enough. We'll talk when we're back."
He hadn't actually meant anything serious. Just wanted to scare Grog a bit.
But then Grog blurted out something that nearly made Nathan explode on the spot.
"We already have a child on the way!"
Nathan froze.
He'd only been bluffing, but for someone in love, certain things weren't jokes.
And Nathan, as Meisha's de facto guardian, absolutely had the authority to split them apart.
"Are you serious?"
Nathan turned, eyes blazing with fury.
The sheer anger radiating from him nearly drowned out his earlier battle intent.
He was livid. He himself had only just secured his first proper "win" not long ago. Yet his underling already had a kid on the way?
How could he not be furious?
"I… I'm serious, Boss! Please don't separate me and Meisha!" Grog begged pitifully, shrinking under Nathan's glare.
Since the day he'd followed Nathan, he had never seen his boss this enraged. He couldn't even figure out what he had done wrong. Was it really just because of Meisha?
Or maybe Nathan thought he had overstepped, moving too fast?
Either way, this was no longer a time for battle.
"Apologies, but I won't be able to fight today," Nathan told the challengers, trying to keep his voice steady. "I need to handle some family business first."
The three challengers hurriedly waved their hands.
"No problem at all. Family comes first."
"Exactly. We'll just treat Grace City as a sightseeing trip while we wait."
They weren't about to argue. Who in their right mind would fight Nathan when he was like this? If he decided to unleash Volcarona in a fit of rage, what chance would they have?
"Let's go. We'll settle this back home."
Nathan's tone was ice cold. Without another glance, he boarded the plane.
Everyone followed.
Just like that, they had flown all the way to the desert, only to turn right back around without even starting the battles. Half a day wasted, nothing accomplished.
On the return flight, Nathan grew more and more furious.
He was so skilled at training Pokémon—yet for some reason, Lily's side had remained utterly stagnant.
And now even Grog had gone ahead of him, having a child first?
Still, anger or not, this was something that had to be dealt with.
When they landed in Grace City, Nathan dragged Grog straight back to the manor.
(End of Chapter)
(TN: Aren't they still in college? Why is he rushing to have children?)