"It's coming! Run!"
Entei had been about to say something when it suddenly sensed an ominous aura rapidly approaching. Without a moment of hesitation, it stopped talking, grabbed Nathan in its mouth, and dashed straight toward the mystic realm's exit.
Suicune and Raikou also reacted instantly. They quickly picked up the injured Volcarona and followed Entei, rushing out of the mystic realm with all possible speed.
Once they exited, Nathan immediately returned the three legendary beast to their Poké Balls. The World Tournament staff nearby, upon seeing the powerful trio being recalled, couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
As expected of one of Celestia's seeded players, they thought. Even though Volcarona is injured, he still has three such strong Pokémon. Looks like this year's World Champion is practically already decided.
After recalling his Pokémon, Nathan was about to leave. But just as he got on his Flygon, he suddenly remembered that creature inside the mystic realm.
He turned around and spoke with a solemn expression.
"Here's a word of advice: Do not go in there—no matter how strong you are. Unless you have a master level Pokémon protecting you, don't even think about entering."
Although his words were addressed to the tournament staff, the warning was meant for everyone.
Whether they listened or not, however, was another matter entirely.
That said, Nathan's warning did have its effect—it left a deep impression on the staff present. After all, the strongest Pokémon they had seen in their entire lives were Champion-tier Pokémon.
They had never even seen a legendary Pokémon with their own eyes before. Now Nathan was saying that without a master level Pokémon, entering that place meant certain death?
Could it be… there really is a master level Pokémon inside that mystic realm?
But if that were true… just how strong would Nathan have to be to make it out alive?
Nathan left. But the story of what had happened in the mystic realm quickly spread—not just among the World Tournament staff, but also to the participating trainers.
Eventually, the World Tournament's official organizers released a public announcement, revealing the existence of this mystic realm.
And just like that, people around the world became deeply intrigued and curious about it.
Governments across different countries immediately held discussions about this newly discovered realm.
A location as dangerous as this mystic realm had to be sealed off.
However, who would be responsible for its containment became a complicated question.
Everyone agreed it was dangerous—but who would be willing to risk their own people to go and seal it?
Because of the uncertainty and danger brought by the mystic realm, the World Tournament's schedule was also accelerated.
Before the mystic realm's appearance, the tournament was being held on an uninhabited island group. Now, it was essentially taking place next to a ticking time bomb.
Obviously, the faster it concluded, the better.
If they dragged things out and the mystic realm merged with the outside world, it would be a catastrophe.
The Round of 20 swiftly concluded, and the finals were about to begin.
Originally, there were one or two rest days between rounds. But now, those rest days were gone.
None of the contestants from any country objected. In fact, most were eager to finish the tournament and get out of there as soon as possible.
Mystic realms were simply too terrifying.
The final tournament format was straightforward: each trainer would send out three Pokémon at a time. It was a round-robin format, and if all contestants from one country were eliminated, their team would be disqualified.
At the same time, Nathan received an updated system task.
[World Tournament Mission – Phase Three: Win the championship. The fewer legendary Pokémon used, the greater the final reward. The maximum reward is a legendary Pokémon.]
After reading this notification, Nathan felt a bit confused.
The fewer legendary Pokémon I use, the better the reward? Isn't that basically giving me a free legendary Pokémon?
Could there actually be other contestants with legendary Pokémon too?
He doubted it.
Even if there were, it probably wouldn't be more than one.
"System, are you sure this is the correct task content?" Nathan asked in his mind.
But the system remained silent, seemingly confirming it without further elaboration.
Soon, the finals began.
The eight qualifying countries were divided into two groups: Group A and Group B.
In Nathan's group were:
The Liberty Union, represented by Samuel, the nation of Swanntica which he fought before and the kingdom located in the equator, the Kingdom of Gangin
Celestia's first match was scheduled against the Kingdom of Gangin.
Meanwhile, the Liberty Union would be facing off against the nation of Swanntica.
That evening, Nathan received an unexpected invitation. The sender? A contestant from the Kingdom of Gangin —the very country he was set to battle the next day.
After thinking about it for a moment, Nathan decided to attend. He was accompanied by Evelyn and Kelly.
When the three arrived at Gangin's designated island, they noticed that only the The Kingdom of Ganginn team remained. The other contestants had already been eliminated and vacated the area.
"Before the match tomorrow, is there something you needed to discuss with me?" Nathan asked, a bit puzzled by the warm welcome he was receiving.
"Well, with the tournament nearing its end, we heard your Dynamax Candy is looking for global distributors," the Ganginian contestant said enthusiastically. "We wanted to talk business."
Business? That caught Nathan by surprise.
But with business coming right to his doorstep, there was no reason to turn it down.
After all, when Dynamax Candy entered the global market, he would definitely need many resellers.
Who he chose didn't really matter—as long as they made money for him.
And so, a lively and mutually beneficial business meeting began.
Halfway through the discussion, the Ganginian contestants even prepared a traditional dish for Nathan.
Unfortunately… the dish looked utterly unappetizing.
A strange yellow mush.
Despite their enthusiasm, Nathan made a firm decision not to eat it.
Not even a bite.
"I'm really sorry," he said, polite but resolute. "I never eat before a battle. Since we have a match tomorrow, I'm fasting tonight."
Evelyn quickly followed his lead. "I'm on a diet, so I don't eat in the evenings either."
Kelly: "…"
With all the good excuses already taken, poor Kelly had no choice but to dig in.
After the meal, the business talk concluded as well. The Ganginian contestant, being very straightforward, even pulled out a check.
"We haven't even signed a contract yet. You can wait to pay after it's signed," Nathan said with a smile, politely refusing.
It was rare for someone to offer money before even seeing a contract. Most people would delay payment as long as possible.
"No worries! Just consider it a reservation. Securing a distribution license for Dynamax Candy isn't easy," the Ganginian contestant replied, smiling as he once again held out the check.
After some hesitation, Nathan accepted it.
After all, with this level of enthusiasm, refusing would just be rude.
--------------------------
By the time Nathan, Evelyn, and Kelly returned to their island, night had already fallen.
The next morning, Nathan and Evelyn headed to the main island for their match.
As expected, the battle against Gangin went off without a hitch.
It was a typical Pokémon battle—fight, win, and move on.
But just as Nathan and Evelyn were celebrating their victory, something unexpected happened.
"Referee! I accuse Celestia of bribing the Kingdom of Gangin team to win!" Samuel suddenly shouted as the referee announced Celestia as the winner.
The moment his words echoed through the arena, gasps of shock erupted among the other contestants.
At the current pace, it was clear Celestia was going to win the championship.
But if they were found guilty of bribery, they wouldn't just lose the championship—they'd be disqualified entirely.
"Samuel, do you have any evidence to support your accusation?"
"Because if you do, this is a legitimate claim. But if you don't, what you're saying amounts to slander," the referee replied sternly.
Nathan and Evelyn exchanged uneasy glances.
Because, truth be told—they had made a deal with a Ganginian the day before.
And they had accepted money.
If the Gangin team now claimed that Celestia bribed them to throw the match, Celestia wouldn't be able to escape that label—regardless of the truth.
Since the tournament was still ongoing, everything Samuel had just said was being broadcast live.
Viewers back in Celestia were already up in arms.
Bribing opponents? Seriously?
With Nathan's strength, would he even need to do that?!
"He's lying! Nathan would never do that! Even if he lost to The Kingdom of Gangin, I'd never believe he'd stoop so low!"
"This guy's just mad he can't beat Nathan on his own!"
"And this is supposed to be the Libery Union's top seed? More like their most shameless one!"
The live chat exploded with supportive messages from Celestia and other countries viewers, defending Nathan's integrity.
But the truth is, proving someone's guilty is easy—you just need one bad action. Proving someone is innocent, however, is much harder.
And right now, Nathan found himself stuck in exactly that situation.
Because Samuel… really did bring out evidence.
He handed the referee a thick stack of photographs.
And in those photos? A very clear image of Nathan handing a check to the Ganginian contestant.
Standing beside the referee, Nathan saw the photos and instantly recognized the scene—it was the very moment from yesterday, during his business deal with the Ganginian contestant.
(End of Chapter)