In this territory, although this kind of stone wasn't everywhere, it could still be found in abundance if one took the time to collect it carefully.
"Don't worry, I may lack many things, but pokeblocks are not one of them," Nathan said confidently.
He could now produce pokeblocks himself, and he even had his own workshop—how could he possibly lack such things?
If he could find a Volcarona Mega Evolution Stone, Nathan wouldn't hesitate to trade even 100,000 pokeblocks for it.
Electivire waved its large hand, summoning all the Electabuzz that weren't engaged in battle.
It showed them the Mega Evolution Stone that Nathan had given it, then sent them off to search.
Watching the Electabuzz scatter in all directions, Nathan couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Truly, there's strength in numbers."
Originally, Nathan had planned to stay in this mystic realm for about a week. But now, it looked like one or two days would be enough.
Time flew by, and a few hours passed. Under Electivire's supervision, Nathan managed to gather dozens of Mega Evolution Stones.
However, among them, there was no sign of the one he needed most—the Volcarona Mega Evolution Stone.
Still, it wasn't a total loss. At the very least, he found Mega Evolution Stones for Grovyle and Charmander.
To acquire them, Nathan had traded a few hundred pokeblocks.
Two days later, Nathan, having gathered quite a bit, was preparing to leave.
In the past two days, Electabuzz had brought him many Mega Evolution Stones, but not once did they find the crucial Volcarona Mega Evolution Stone.
This left Nathan quite frustrated. He would rather exchange a hundred other Mega Evolution Stones just to obtain one for Volcarona.
"Volcarona... I wonder when I'll finally find your Mega Evolution Stone," Nathan said with a sigh.
The Poké Ball hanging around Nathan's neck glowed briefly, as if trying to comfort him.
"Huh? You again? Just my luck..."
Just as he was preparing to leave, Nathan saw a person appear ahead—someone he had seen just two days ago.
Unlucky Joe, after enduring two days of torment, had decided to temporarily give up on this mission.
But he never expected that just when he was about to head back, he'd run into Nathan again!
"It's you! It's you! Aaaahhhh!"
Seeing Nathan appear, all the frustration and misery Joe had felt these past days erupted into rage!
If it weren't for Nathan, he wouldn't have entered this mystic realm or suffered so much.
He'd been ridiculously unlucky these past two days—either running into high-level Pokémon or bumping into competitors.
He couldn't eat well or sleep well, and he blamed it all on the person in front of him: Nathan.
"Oh? You know me? Or did you come here looking for me for something?" Nathan asked, puzzled.
It wasn't strange that someone recognized him. After all, anyone who used the internet probably knew who he was.
But someone deliberately seeking him out in a mystic realm? That was much less common.
From the way this guy acted, it seemed like he had entered this place specifically to find him.
"Heh... Know you? Of course I know you. And yes, I'm here for something—your head!" Joe said as he pulled out a Poké Ball.
Someone was trying to kill him. Besides the Dark Organizations, Nathan couldn't think of anyone else.
Especially since he had sabotaged one of their operations just before entering the mystic realm.
"You're from a Dark Organization?" Nathan asked, stepping back.
"That kind of place? I absolutely hate it. I prefer to take the money and walk away!" Joe smirked, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes.
A hunter!
With that statement, Joe had essentially revealed himself as a hunter.
"Despicable people aren't limited to a Dark Organization... you hunters are just as vile," Nathan said coldly.
Though Nathan hadn't had many encounters with hunters, each one left a worse impression than the last.
"Despicable or not, it doesn't matter. As long as I kill you and take that 30 million, I'll change my face. Who would ever know I was just another filthy hunter?" Joe sneered, tossing his Poké Ball.
"Come out—Salamence!"
A Salamence over two meters tall emerged. Its red wings behind it were strikingly vivid.
Its limbs were short and thick, but filled with a sense of immense power.
This Salamence was already Level 59—just two step away from becoming a Champion-level Pokémon.
"Saaaa!"
As it appeared, Salamence let out a furious roar toward the sky.
Seeing Joe send out a Salamence, even Nathan was a bit surprised.
After all, Salamence was an incredibly rare Pokémon, and once it evolved, its temper was explosive.
Most trainers avoided such Pokémon, because in battle, Salamence often refused to obey commands.
That might not be a problem in casual fights, but in national or world tournaments, one disobedient move could lose the match.
"I'm never afraid of battle!" Nathan declared.
"Mewtwo—come out and show him true power!"
With a cold snort, Nathan summoned Mewtwo.
In response to his call, Mewtwo emerged from its Poké Ball.
Its old armor was still marked with scars, but it looked much better than during its first battle—visibly more energetic.
"Salamence, use Focus Energy!"
Joe didn't immediately order an attack upon seeing Nathan's Pokémon.
He didn't recognize it.
Having traveled all across the country, Joe had seen nearly two thousand types of Pokémon.
But never one like this.
"Hmph! Afraid to attack? Then don't blame me for not giving you the chance!"
"Mewtwo, use Double Team with Fire Blast!"
(TN: I used Double Team as I don't know an Illusion type move in Pokemon. Raw was Illusion Technique or just Illusion.)
Mewtwo, a symbol of power, had immense strength within its body.
Though not at its peak, Mewtwo had nothing to fear from a Salamence.
Double Team activated—within Salamence and Joe's eyes, Mewtwo appeared to split into four copies.
All four Mewtwos launched Fire Blasts simultaneously!
"Salamence, Protect!"
Joe cursed inwardly. Such a tricky combo—this guy really was a national champion!
BOOM!
The Fire Blast exploded against a thin layer of protective light.
The blast dispelled the barrier, and some lingering damage still struck Salamence.
But given its huge body, the damage was negligible.
Perhaps enraged by the attack, Salamence roared and lashed its tail, aiming to hit Mewtwo.
But Mewtwo reacted instantly, ascending into the air and dodging the tail sweep.
"Salamence, use Fire Fang and Thunder Fang to attack!" Joe frowned as he gave the command.
Salamence opened its mouth—red light shone as two flaming fangs shot out.
They were Dragon Fangs formed entirely from flames.
After releasing Fire Fang, Salamence immediately followed up with Thunder Fang.
Mewtwo dodged the Fire Fang midair—but Thunder Fang was too quick to avoid.
Fire Fang was slightly slower than Thunder Fang, so by the time Mewtwo dodged the first, the second had nearly reached it.
Joe had clearly refined this combination to perfection.
Suddenly, a dazzling white light flared—Thunder Fang landed on it and instantly vanished.
It was Mewtwo's Safeguard.
Though Salamence's Thunder Fang had been fast, there was no time for Nathan to give a command.
But Mewtwo wasn't a robot—it had its own mind and intelligence no weaker than a human's.
When it came to self-defense, it didn't need Nathan to say a word.
In a flash, the white light vanished, and Mewtwo reappeared in Salamence's line of sight.
"Mewtwo, use Mist combined with Blizzard!" Nathan's eyes sharpened.
Mewtwo spread its arms to the sides—thick white mist appeared and quickly enveloped both itself and Nathan.
Snowflakes began to fall gently from the sky.
"Heh... This is the so-called national champion? Using these childish tricks in a life-or-death battle?"
Mist and Blizzard—one obstructs vision, the other changes weather.
This combo did mess with the enemy's field of view, and could be tricky for certain Pokémon—but for most, it had little real effect.
"Salamence, use Flamethrower! Blow all this mist away!"
Joe barked the order.
Salamence's mouth heated rapidly, and a burst of orange flame shot out.
The thick mist met the flames and was instantly dispersed.
The falling snowflakes melted into water—some even evaporated completely.
In less than fifty seconds, all the mist was gone.
Nathan and Mewtwo were once again in plain sight.
"A national champion? Is that really how you won your title?" Joe mocked, looking at Nathan with disdain.
(End of Chapter)