However, the sequence of the photos was reversed!
The correct sequence was that he took the check from the Ganginian contestant and put it into his own pocket. But in this set of photos, everything was shown completely opposite.
In the eyes of the referee, the photos clearly depicted Nathan pulling the check from his pocket and handing it over to the Ganginian contestant.
"This match is hereby declared null and void. Group B's match will proceed as scheduled. We will conduct a full investigation before the final match concludes," the referee announced in a loud, clear voice after reviewing the photos, giving Nathan a sharp glance.
"If the allegations are proven true, Celestia will be disqualified from the competition and permanently banned from participating in future world tournaments."
The referee could only express his regret toward Nathan's actions. He was a young, talented, and powerful contestant—virtually a guaranteed champion. But at such a critical moment, he had made such a foolish mistake.
What a pity. Truly, what a pity.
With that, the referee escorted Nathan, Evelyn, and Samuel off the field. A new referee came in to oversee the ongoing Group B match.
As expected, Nathan and Evelyn couldn't avoid being questioned.
"I've said it countless times already—we did have a transaction, yes, but we were discussing dealership rights for the Dynamax Candy!" Evelyn snapped, visibly irritated as she answered yet another round of questions from the World Tournament staff.
She had been questioned multiple times already, and her patience was wearing thin.
Meanwhile, in another room, Nathan remained unusually calm.
He understood very well that this was a setup—a conspiracy, one clearly targeting both him and Celestia.
But the issue now was this: their enemies had already presented "evidence" while he had none to offer in his defense.
Claiming the money was just a down payment for a dealership contract? Come on—there wasn't even a signed contract! Who would believe that?
Even if the roles were reversed, Nathan knew he wouldn't believe such an explanation.
"Contestant Nathan, it's not that we don't want to help you. We'll give you two days to investigate and provide evidence."
"If you can prove your innocence within two days, both the Liberty Union and Gangin will be disqualified."
"But if you fail to produce proof… then don't blame us for being harsh."
The tournament staff tried to sound fair.
Honestly, they were already doing Nathan a favor—also a favor for Celestia as a nation. If this were any other country or contestant, the decision would've been handed down immediately.
After all, Celestia was clearly the winner already and also a global power. To outright disqualify them from all future competitions without due diligence would be an extreme embarrassment.
"I understand. Give me two days. I'll produce the evidence myself," Nathan responded firmly before leaving the room.
Outside, Evelyn, who had just finished being questioned herself, couldn't hold back anymore and began ranting about the injustice.
But Nathan wasn't listening. Complaining wouldn't solve the issue. What he needed now was proof.
But where could he even begin to look?
He couldn't just take the fake photos submitted by Samuel, rearrange them, and try to explain the situation. Who would believe that kind of defense?
Back at the island camp, Kelly was sitting silently on the beach, clearly in a bad mood. When he saw Nathan and Evelyn return, he didn't say anything.
During dinner, everyone was noticeably downcast.
They had all been preparing to celebrate, confident that Nathan would crush his way to victory and bring honor to Celestia. But now this scandal had blown everything up.
The most infuriating part was that Gangin and the Liberty Union had clearly joined forces, shamelessly accusing Nathan of bribery.
"That Ganginian team is just despicable! We were kind enough to talk business with them, and now they turn around and accuse us?"
"They even took sneak photos to fabricate evidence. If they've got the guts, why not show the full video instead?"
"I swear, I can't take this anymore…"
Evelyn, venting her frustrations during dinner like any upset friend might, couldn't stop ranting about the betrayal.
But while she was in the middle of complaining, Nathan suddenly smiled.
Because they already had the evidence they needed to prove their innocence. In fact, proving it would be incredibly easy.
During the negotiation with the Ganginian team, Nathan had sensed something fishy. After all, only a fool would hand over money without a signed contract.
So, to protect himself, he had the system record a video of the entire transaction.
But now, he didn't just want to clear his name—he wanted to drag Liberty Union team down with them.
Simply proving his innocence? That wasn't Nathan's style.
At the very least, he needed evidence that the Liberty Union was the mastermind behind the setup.
"Hey, hey, hey, Nathan, we're about to get disqualified and you're over here smiling?" Evelyn exclaimed, furious at Nathan's apparent nonchalance.
"Shouldn't you be focusing on how to get us out of this mess?"
Nathan didn't bother responding with words. Instead, he pulled out his phone and played the recorded video for Evelyn and Kelly.
When they saw the full footage of the transaction with the Ganginian team, Evelyn became even more enraged.
"Nathan! You had this video the whole time? Why didn't you just use it to clear our names earlier?!"
"If you'd shown it right away, we wouldn't have had to go through all this humiliation! You could've even shut Samuel up and gotten Gangin disqualified!"
"If I show the video now, do you think the Liberty Union will be banned too?" Nathan asked coldly.
He didn't just want justice. He wanted revenge—justice with interest.
"To use their own trick against them, that's the real victory," Nathan added calmly.
"Don't worry. Leave the rest to me. I'll make sure they pay for this."
He saw that Evelyn was still fuming, but offered her a light-hearted smile to reassure her.
Honestly, this whole bribery scandal had actually made things easier. Now they'd get to skip a match. As far as Nathan was concerned, the more accusations, the better.
After finishing dinner, Nathan immediately set off, riding on his Flygon toward the Ganginian team's island.
This was not something that could wait. The longer he delayed, the more likely it was that the Liberty Union would hand over whatever Gangin wanted, and the evidence would disappear for good.
And once that happened, no amount of crying would bring it back.
He flew quickly and quietly, and soon landed at a dark, remote spot near the island.
Then, he released Suicune.
After briefly explaining his plan, Suicune agreed without hesitation.
The legendary Pokémon had the ability to sense and probe the thoughts of living beings, though it usually never used that power.
But now was the perfect time to put it to use.
Together, man and Pokémon stealthily approached the Ganginian team's camp.
When they arrived, the Ganginians were in the middle of celebrating.
"Still in the mood to party? Hah. You're celebrating way too early," Nathan muttered coldly, watching the joyful camp from the shadows.
A few minutes later, Suicune had already gleaned the critical information from their minds.
"Nathan, one of them already took the video and is heading to the southern sea to make the exchange," Suicune informed him.
Without wasting a moment, Nathan and Suicune took off toward the south.
To remain hidden, they traveled beneath the water's surface.
Suicune formed a large bubble to surround Nathan, and then swam at high speed through the sea, dragging the bubble with him.
After about ten minutes of searching, they found the Ganginian and Liberty Union representatives conducting the transaction in the middle of the ocean.
"I brought the video. Where's the money? You promised us one billion Pokécoins!" the Ganginian contestant said excitedly.
Coming from a country who didn't support them enough, one billion was an astronomical sum to them. Even if they split it, each of them would live comfortably for years—maybe even have enough to start businesses.
"I want to see the footage first. Once I confirm it's legit, the money will be transferred instantly," the Liberty Union representative replied cautiously.
Handing over the money first would be stupid. What if the video turned out to be fake? Then they'd be blackmailed forever.
"It'll be a clean trade—one hand gives, the other receives. I guarantee it's the only copy. This is exactly what you're looking for!" the Ganginian assured him.
But at this point, trust was the real currency.
Listening to this shady deal unfold underwater, Nathan sneered.
They'd already colluded to commit this crime, yet still didn't trust each other.
"Suicune, can you restrain both of them?" Nathan turned to his companion.
He needed that evidence. Exposing the scheme without securing the proof would be useless.
"I can, but not for long. You'll need to move fast," Suicune replied.
That was all Nathan needed to hear.
"Let's go. Time to surface."
Rising up from beneath the waves, Nathan narrowed his eyes and smirked.
"One hand gives, one hand receives? Why not give the footage to me? I'll gladly give you the money myself."
(End of Chapter)