While Moose and Garchomp were being escorted away, two gentle-looking nurse sisters carefully placed Nathan onto a stretcher.
Even the referee and commentator were left utterly bewildered, completely clueless as to why the security guards had subdued and taken Moose away.
Could it be... because of that black mist?
Just as they started to speculate, a message appeared on their phones that instantly made them break out in cold sweats and fall silent.
For people like them, knowing too many secrets would only bring misfortune.
After all, those who know too much are often the first to be silenced.
Later that afternoon, after Nathan was sent to the hospital, the heiress of the Mist family rushed over by plane.
Meanwhile, Lily was still agonizing over making it into the Top 32 and had no mind to pay attention to the news online.
To put it simply—
It's just that Lily's ranking is higher than Evelyn's. I don't know what kind of expression the daughter of the Mist family will have if Evelyn finds out about this.
But there was nothing that could be done about it.
Luck is often part of strength.
Meanwhile, on the internet—
The entire Pokémon community exploded!
The news rapidly spread across the nation and even abroad!
The reason?
A Pokémon that had already undergone its final evolution... could actually evolve again?!
This discovery left countless people thrilled, curious, and trembling with excitement!
Regardless of status or background—
It could be said—
That night, countless people anxiously wished for Nathan to wake up and explain everything.
Seizing this opportunity, the Mist Group also managed to help Nathan make a grand comeback.
Even though the Pokéblock advertisement didn't maximize profits, it was still highly successful.
After all, the Mist family had managed to rally many big-name figures willing to advertise for them voluntarily.
Of course, none of this had much to do with Nathan himself.
…
"Doctor, how is Nathan doing?"
Sitting outside the hospital room, Evelyn immediately asked anxiously when she saw an elderly man walk out.
Right now, Nathan was extremely important, both personally and publicly. Evelyn didn't want anything to happen to him.
"Please rest assured, Miss Evelyn. Mr. Vesper is doing very well. He's even expected to wake up tomorrow morning," the elderly doctor in the white coat said warmly upon seeing the Mist family's heiress.
"But... there's something quite strange," he added.
Evelyn's heart had just settled down, but when she heard the word strange, it immediately jumped back up.
"In fact, based on Mr. Vesper's condition when he was first admitted, it should have been impossible for him to wake up in fewer than seven or eight days."
"But according to the test results, Mr. Vesper's body is recovering at a rate far beyond that of a normal human."
"It even made us wonder if Mr. Vesper is actually a Ditto transformed into a human," the old doctor said with a look of amazement.
He figured that an incident like today's might be a once-in-a-lifetime encounter.
Hearing that, Evelyn finally breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how strange it was, the fact that Nathan was fine was all that mattered.
If he could wake up the next day, he wouldn't even miss the upcoming matches.
In fact, given Nathan's two consecutive victories today, even if he missed a day or two, he'd still have a chance.
But missing more would be problematic.
Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, the night was over.
In the hospital room, lying on the bed, Nathan once again entered a dream.
This time, there was no outside observer's perspective.
Instead, it was as if he had become something—or someone.
Although he couldn't control the dream, Nathan could easily sense the emotions of the being he had merged with.
The joy of being born, the innocent attachment, the sorrow and grievance from being rejected by its creator...
And finally, the hatred from being abandoned!
When Nathan opened his eyes in the hospital room, all he saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Was it you who helped me?"
He placed the pendant around his neck into his palm and asked curiously, "Why?"
Whether it was the dream or their first encounter, it was clear that this pendant belonged without a doubt to a villain or an antagonist.
[Because... the bond...]
A fragmented and vague message echoed in his mind, making Nathan even more puzzled.
Normally, beings who had been abandoned and twisted by hatred would never trust others again, right?
Wait!
In the next second, Nathan realized he had fallen into a logical trap.
The black pendant hadn't been betrayed—
It had been hated by that alpaca from the very beginning.
Just like how cancer and diseases originate from one's own body, yet no one could ever love them.
"So, you want to become my Pokémon?"
Nathan tilted his head slightly and asked tentatively.
Almost immediately, the black pendant emitted a soft light.
[Yes.]
Such a simple response, yet Nathan could clearly feel the longing... and envy.
It was a raw, unfiltered emotion, and the pendant made no effort to hide it.
After all, no matter how extraordinary its origin might be, right now it was no more than an odd-looking Pokémon egg.
Without even a fully-formed embryo, the pendant couldn't even properly form a consciousness yet.
Under the sensing of the Viridian Power, Nathan could easily tell truth from lies.
Still, he didn't agree right away. Instead, he frowned slightly and said, "What if you turn against me later?"
After all, hearts could change.
Even Pokémon, despite their purity, could transform after being hurt.
Not to mention this pendant hadn't even started out as a Pokémon.
[A contract can be signed. ]
[Without... me... you can't... become a legendary... trainer...]
Hearing this, the pendant tried hard to convey its meaning.
It was like listening to someone half-asleep talking; it took Nathan a lot of effort to understand it.
"Impossible?"
Nathan quietly pondered these words, and a sharp gleam appeared in his eyes.
He thought back to all his previous encounters with legendary Pokémon.
No matter how friendly or generous they were, none had ever expressed any intention of becoming his Pokémon.
And rightfully so.
After all, no sane being in the modern world would willingly enslave themselves to a random kid.
Under such circumstances, it was almost impossible for an ordinary Pokémon to break through the Level 80 barrier—the line separating mortals from gods.
Even with the help of power seeds, it only provided a possibility.
And even if you broke through—
Could you really defeat a Legendary Pokémon with all their strange, extraordinary powers?
Thus, what the black pendant said was absolutely true.
And Nathan indeed wanted to become the first human in history to have legendary Pokémon under his command.
Not necessarily by force—
But perhaps by defeating rogue or rampaging legends and then earning their allegiance.
Regardless, foundational strength was absolutely necessary!
"So, tell me, what is this contract about?"
Although his heart was moved, Nathan remained cautious.
The black pendant fell silent for a few seconds—
Then suddenly began to radiate a soft, starry light!
Its surface shimmered like a piece of the night sky—far more beautiful and dreamlike than any gem Nathan had ever seen.
[I declare! From now on, I shall become the Pokémon of Trainer Nathan!]
[Never to abandon! Never to part! Never to betray!]
[By my name, Kroxus!]
A grand and majestic will unfolded inside Nathan's mind, forming a contract.
He had the choice to either accept or reject it.
If he rejected, the pendant might leave, become twisted, or completely fall into darkness...
It was impossible to predict.
But if he accepted, he would be obligated to treat the black pendant—Kroxus—just like any of his other Pokémon.
Essentially, it meant Nathan had to work hard, nurturing the pendant to help it eventually hatch.
This would not be easy.
After all, the pendant had lingered inside the secret realm for who knows how many ages without fully becoming a Pokémon egg.
Only at the most critical, determined moments did its consciousness finally awaken.
"I agree!"
After carefully reading through Kroxus's incredibly simple contract and confirming there were no hidden traps, Nathan nodded and chose to accept.
As soon as he did, the pendant disappeared.
At the same time, a pair of black wing-shaped markings appeared on the back of Nathan's hand—
Symbols that would help maintain their connection, and even allow for a state of "synchronization" between Nathan and the pendant, nurturing their... bond.
…
(AN: Kroxus is the dark side of Arceus, and it's an original creation!)