In the sky, one figure after another appeared—it was flocks of Pidgey and Spearow, and if one looked closely, they could even spot a few Pidgeot among them.
The sheer number was staggering—nearly a hundred in total.
As these Pidgeotto arrived, all the nearby Bug-type Pokémon were completely spooked. In a frenzy, they all ran off into the distance, terrified they'd become the Pidgey's next meal.
"Pii~!"
A Pidgeotto flew up to Nathan, lifted its little head, and chirped at him proudly.
"That's what you call reputation. See that? Now hand over all the tasty stuff."
Well, that's what Nathan interpreted from the look on the Pidgeotto's face.
Looking at all the curious Pokémon perched on nearby branches and staring at him, Nathan let out a helpless sigh.
"Well then, looks like I'm gonna be dealing with these Pidgey the entire day. But man, Ghost-types going up against Normal-types? What a headache. Guess I'll have to rely on non-Ghost moves."
After all, Ghost and Normal types are mutually immune to each other's attacks.
Fortunately, Mimikyu had quite the arsenal of moves now. Plus, after mastering Multitask, even a simple physical attack, if used strategically and unexpectedly, could produce some impressive results.
"Mimikyu!" Nathan shouted.
"Q~!"
Surrounded by so many Pidgeys, Mimikyu didn't show even a hint of fear—on the contrary, it looked more battle-hungry than ever.
"Who's first?"
Nathan grinned and held up a Pokéblock. "Win a fight, and you get something tasty. No one gets hurt—I'll take care of healing you all."
No sooner had he spoken than a Pidgey dove at Mimikyu, executing a Quick Attack with lightning speed, just like the one earlier.
…
"Mimikyu, stay calm. Use Hone Claws, then finish it off!"
As night fell, Nathan's voice echoed through the forest.
"Q~!"
Mimikyu nodded, its claws glinting with a cold light. It suddenly leapt at a heavily injured Pidgey and slashed sideways with one clean swipe. The Pidgeot let out a painful cry before collapsing, knocked out cold.
[Your Pokémon "Mimikyu" has won the battle and gained EXP. Level increased to 34!]
Hearing the system prompt in his ear, Nathan let out a long sigh.
"I'm done... I'm seriously gonna throw up."
Only he knew how grueling the day had been—battle after battle. Fighting Normal-types with a Ghost-type like Mimikyu was a nightmare. Many of its moves couldn't even be used.
The win-loss ratio was decent—more wins than losses—but Nathan still felt drained.
He swore he'd never do something like this again. Even if he did, he'd at least pick a more suitable Pokémon group.
And if that wasn't enough, the day cost him a ton of money.
Between healing injured Pidgey and handing out Pokéblocks, Nathan had spent nearly a million.
Now, he only had about 400,000 left.
But at least Mimikyu had leveled up into the Commander tier, and once his exploration mission was approved, he'd receive a hefty reward.
Soon, he'd be rich again.
[Name: Mimikyu] – chapter 78
[Ability: Disguise! (Negates the first damaging move in every battle completely!)]
[Type: Ghost + Fairy]
[Description: A Pokémon regarded as a harbinger of misfortune and calamity by many Trainers. No one dares uncover its true appearance—not even the curious. But few understand the deep loneliness that hides within. Fearing its powers may bring death to others, Mimikyu hides in solitude. It wants friends but is too afraid to get close. (Friendly reminder: Do not damage its disguise cloth. If you do, it will hunt you to the death.)]
[Level: 34 (Commander Tier: 31–40]
[Moves: Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, Double Team, Hone Claws, Scary Face, Shadow Sneak, Baby-Doll Eyes...]
That day, Mimikyu had also learned a new Fairy-type move: Baby-Doll Eyes.
By gazing into the opponent's eyes, it applied mental pressure, temporarily paralyzing them and giving Mimikyu the initiative.
A handy support move.
"Phew."
Shaking his head, Nathan took out Mimikyu's Pokéball. "Come back for now, Mimikyu."
The little guy looked completely exhausted after the whole day of fighting, and Nathan's heart ached seeing it like that. He promised to prepare a hearty meal later as a reward.
After returning Mimikyu, Nathan treated the injured Pidgeot and gave it a Pokéblock, then left the area.
As night fell, Nathan found a lake and decided to pitch his tent there.
After some time setting up, the tent was ready. Nathan released several of his Pokémon to let them stretch out and roam freely, while he cooked dinner.
Tomorrow, Nathan planned to leave the island and head back to River City, then take a flight to North City. With about half a month left before the college entrance exams, he figured the timing would work out perfectly—he'd finish his tasks in North City and get back to Poplar City just in time.
Achievement unlocked: Master of Time Management.
…
During dinner, the Pokémon dug in heartily.
Though Pokéblocks were nutritious, a change in diet was always welcome. It was clear that Volcarona and the others enjoyed the meal thoroughly.
After dinner, Nathan documented Volcarona's growth.
While a typical Volcarona stood at around 1.6 meters tall, his had already passed the 2-meter mark and was nearing 3 meters.
This wasn't just due to Nathan's excellent training—it also owed to the fragment of the Wishing Star he had used.
With its increased size came significant boosts in Special Attack, Defense, and stamina.
Speed hadn't decreased yet, but Nathan figured that if it continued growing, it inevitably would. Still, targeted training could offset the drop.
"If only I could get another Wishing Star… or at least a fragment."
Nathan sighed. He wanted to use one on Pangoro. An Gigantamaxed Pangoro would be terrifying.
But that was just a dream for now. Unless he got lucky with a mission or the system shop restocked, it wasn't happening.
…
After finishing his records, Nathan found Mimikyu already curled up in the tent, fast asleep on his clothes.
Meanwhile, Pangoro, Flygon, and Metagross were playing rock-paper-scissors nearby, clearly having a blast.
Seeing this, Nathan smiled and shook his head. He sat cross-legged and brought the Azure Flute to his lips.
Volcarona gently landed beside him and leaned against him.
Soft, melodic music floated into the night air, drifting through the darkness.
Over time, Nathan's flute skills had noticeably improved—from painful squeaks to passable tunes, and now to something genuinely pleasant.
Whenever he had free time, he practiced.
As the flute melody carried through the air, it felt like a gentle stream washing over the soul—calming and beautiful.
One by one, nearby Pokémon looked toward Nathan's direction, then closed their eyes and listened quietly.
The night passed in peace.
By dawn, Nathan squinted as he unzipped the tent. Dressed in a white tank top, he smiled warmly at the sunlight.
"Another beautiful day, right?" he said softly.
"Q~"
Mimikyu, perched on his shoulder, rubbed its eyes and let out a yawn-like squeak in agreement.
Nathan patted its head. The cool touch woke him up instantly. Stretching, he stepped out of the tent and called out:
"Alright, everyone—wake up! Time for breakfast. Today we're heading to our next destination!"
"Vool~"
"Raarh~"
"Groo~"
"Q~"
Each Pokémon responded, rising from their slumber.
In the distance, other Pokémon calls echoed back—almost as if they were replying to Nathan.
High in the sky, a green shadow streaked past, vanishing into the horizon like a mirage.
Was it real?
Or just a trick of the eye?
Who could say?
…
River City
After a few days, Nathan rode Flygon back to River City.
A gentle breeze blew as Flygon carried him straight to the top floor of the Pokémon Hotel. Once there, Nathan checked into a room.
Same rate as always: 100,000 per night.
Yes, he was broke...
But his exploration mission had just passed review, and the rewards had come in.
Just in Pokécoins alone, he received six million.
Originally, it was three million, but because some of the reward items weren't useful to Nathan, he exchanged them for coins instead.
For Nathan, unless the items were extremely rare—like Z-Crystals or Wishisng Stars—he'd rather just use the system shop. He could get most resources from there anyway.
With plenty of Pokécoins on hand, he could wait for the system store to refresh and grab some rare finds.
After spending a few days abroad, the first thing he did upon returning was take a long shower and sleep like a log.
He didn't wake up until the next morning and then immediately booked a flight to North City for the afternoon.
North City was surrounded by mountains and plains, with a few forbidden zones farther out.
"Challenge the Gym, then search for Palkia. Time-wise, I should be good."
Muttering to himself, Nathan opened the exploration app and quickly found a mission.
[Solo Exploration / Kazil Mountain Range!]
Located a way from North City, the Kazil Mountains remained largely unexplored due to the region's complex geography.
Still, this time, Nathan wasn't in a hurry to complete it.