His name was Jin Tole. He had originally thought he could win today's match without much effort. He had even been feeling smug about it yesterday.
But today, Nathan's demeanor completely shattered his confidence.
Many opponents couldn't even send out their third Pokémon before conceding defeat against him!
That sense of hopelessness made Jin extremely wary!
"Now, will both sides please release their Pokémon!"
No matter how apprehensive he was, once the referee gave the signal, Jin still had to release his Pokémon.
A level 43 Goodra.
Hmm... how to put it?
Although it was a pseudo-legendary, its training was clearly far inferior to Nathan's Flygon—it looked almost malnourished.
If it weren't for Goodra's natural advantage as a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary, Jin probably wouldn't have made it this far at all!
"Zeraora is still recovering at the Pokémon Center. In that case... come out, Metagross!"
Seeing the Goodra, Nathan's eyes flashed coldly. "If you don't know how to train a Pokémon, you shouldn't have captured it. Now, watch carefully what a properly trained pseudo-legendary looks like."
Currently, his Metagross was already level 49, and through constant synchronized training with Nathan, it had even filled half of its experience bar beyond level 49.
But when Metagross appeared on the field, it wasn't just the level difference that overwhelmed Goodra!
"Meta!"
Letting out a mighty roar, Metagross didn't hold back its terrifying aura.
Meanwhile, Goodra could barely resist, letting out a low whimper.
It was hard to believe this was a Dragon-type! And a pseudo-legendary, no less!
Nathan took a deep breath and, with an utterly expressionless face, said, "Metagross, initiate Synchronization! Let's see if you have the guts to even bring out a third Pokémon!"
Seeing such a waste of a brilliant talent in Goodra, Nathan felt heartache as a trainer.
If he had this Goodra, it would absolutely rank among the first tier alongside his Metagross and Zeraora!
"Damn it, don't underestimate me!" Jin, who had initially hesitated, now flushed with anger after seeing the contemptuous (in his eyes) expression on Nathan's face.
Even though Nathan wasn't actually looking down on him—he was more angry and regretful at the poor training of the Goodra—his gaze still hit Jin where it hurt most.
Because the reason Goodra was this weak... was entirely Jin's own doing.
The reason? Simple: he was afraid that if Goodra became too strong, it wouldn't obey his commands!
The rarity of Elite-level Pokémon in human society wasn't just because they were hard to train.
The broader societal environment was also a factor.
Jin was a product of that environment.
This, fundamentally, was why Nathan felt so angry.
If Jin had truly been poor, Nathan wouldn't have minded. After all, the bond between trainer and Pokémon was important—no one should interfere.
But the truth was, Jin wore luxury clothing, the kind you'd find in upscale boutiques.
Meanwhile, his Pokémon was in such terrible condition.
What did that say? Anyone who understood, understood.
"Synchronization, commence!"
With the synchronization process underway again, Metagross initiated a direct psychic link with Nathan.
In less than a second, one of Nathan's eyes turned scarlet red, while the othis became the same brilliant blue as Metagross's.
His heterochromatic eyes gave him an eerie yet striking beauty.
Nathan, unaware of his altered appearance, simply felt his psychic power and Viridian Power become even more harmoniously integrated.
If before they were in a passionate relationship, now, under Synchronization, it was as if they were creating a child together.
The change in eye color was actually a side effect caused by forcibly merging their bond, Kroxus' power, and psychic abilities.
Correspondingly—
After entering Metagross's body, Nathan found the experience completely different from before.
It felt like he could Mega Evolve at just a single thought!
If Metagross willed it, Nathan could directly control its body!
Without a doubt—
Synchronization had evolved.
"So... Metagross, use Comet Punch with all four hands at once!"
Thinking of a certain possibility, Nathan directly ordered Metagross via the mind link.
Perhaps without realizing it herself, as Metagross started using the move—
Nathan's own human body also adopted a punching stance.
It looked a bit dramatic, maybe even a little chūnibyō but more than that, it was stunning and awe-inspiring.
Even though he was human, his punching posture mirrored Metagross's perfectly!
"Pegasus Comet Fist!"
As Nathan quietly whispered a name for the move, Metagross launched its attack.
It was fast!
Unimaginably fast!
And shockingly relentless!
Even though Goodra and Jin had mentally prepared themselves, facing Metagross's all-out assault left them completely dumbfounded!
It was absolute domination by speed and power!
Strategy, tactics, planning—
None of it mattered in the face of such a massive gap in strength.
Because even with brilliant tactics, Nathan would still overpower them!
…
"Goodra, snap out of it!"
Seeing Goodra being pummeled by the near-invisible fists, Jin panicked and shouted desperately.
But even before Goodra could respond, Metagross's fists grew even faster!
"One final punch—wake up! What's so great about a trainer like him anyway?!"
With that final blow, Nathan, still in Synchronization, commanded Metagross.
The last punch finally knocked Goodra out cold, leaving it sprawled on the ground.
Exiting the synchronization state, Nathan assessed his body's condition—there was none of the overwhelming exhaustion he used to experience.
His eyes returned to normal.
Facing Jin directly, Nathan said, "Maybe you have a lot of tricks up your sleeve. Maybe Goodra hasn't even shown its full strength."
"But battles are like this. I won't give you the chance to pull any tricks."
As Nathan grew stronger, he realized a fundamental truth:
All those flashy tactics were nothing but illusions.
A true battle is decided in an instant—leaving the enemy no opportunity is the true way!
Of course, that only applied when overwhelming weaker opponents. Pokémon aren't gunslingers—under equal conditions, a one-hit KO was nearly impossible.
Jin's quick defeat only showed he wasn't qualified.
"So, what will you use to defeat me? Come, let me see."
Hearing Nathan's voice—one that could only be described as contemptuous—Jin clenched his teeth.
His hand reached for a Pokéball at his waist, but his eyes were filled with despair.
He couldn't win!
Maybe his next Pokémon was a little stronger than Goodra, but it was nowhere near Metagross's level.
Crushing defeat. Instant knockout.
That only happened when the gap between opponents was massive!
"I... I concede!"
After a long hesitation, Jin finally gritted his teeth and admitted defeat, then fled from the battlefield like a man running from his own shame.
A meaningless defeat, crushed by someone younger than himself—he couldn't afford a second blow like that!
Besides, he still had a shot at the national tournament's main event later. There was no need to rush and waste everything now!
"Tch, not even going for a second match?"
Watching Jin's retreating figure, Nathan couldn't help but shake his head.
It seemed he had overestimated him.
Amidst the cheers of the audience, Nathan left the arena and headed toward the lounge, where Evelyn was already waiting with drinks and towels.
"Ahem, Miss Evelyn, I already have someone I love," Nathan said a little awkwardly after coughing twice.
Even though he and Lily often teased and leaned on each other, Nathan had already decided that he would spend his life with Lily.
However, Evelyn simply smiled, completely unbothered. "Don't worry, I'm only here as a partner."
"I'm just interested in your Pokémon training methods and battle strategies."
Hearing this, Nathan immediately felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders.
Smiling warmly, he said, "That's great! Are you looking to improve your command skills as a trainer? I think there are still some matches going on in the Southern Division. Let's go have a look together!"
Core training methods were the most private things for trainers—like military secrets.
Of course, Evelyn had only mentioned it casually.
Hearing that Nathan would discuss battle command with her, the usually cold heiress nodded like an excited little girl.
They arrived at the Southern Division's Ice Field, where two trainers had just begun their match.
Their Pokémon were a Lapras and a Dewgong.
Both at the Gym-level, which was the standard for the current qualifiers.
In fact, even trainers with Elite-level Pokémon often wouldn't use them in these preliminary rounds.
This was just the selection phase—the real battles would take place in the capital during the main tournament!
"See that? Lapras is about to use Ice Beam. After sealing off Dewgong's escape routes, it'll probably fire a Hyper Beam or something similar to finish the battle."
Sitting quietly in a corner, Nathan spoke softly.
And just as he finished speaking, Lapras indeed used Ice Beam to lock down the opponent's movement!
Then, with Dewgong trapped, Lapras launched a Hyper Beam—sending its opponent straight home!
A perfect prediction!
"So... strong!"