Listening to Kelly's response, Nathan couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Everything Kelly had said was something he had already considered himself. But somehow, he knew that the true meaning behind the "leaf" mark wasn't that simple.
"Should I go ask Entei and the others?"
Nathan thought to himself.
After all, those three legendary Pokémon had existed in the world for a long, long time—their insights and perspectives were bound to be very different from humans.
Creaaak—
Just as Nathan was deep in thought, contemplating the meaning of the mysterious mark, the vehicle came to a stop.
"The plane's ready," Kelly said, turning his head after steadying the car. "I won't be going with you this time. But once you arrive in Valar, someone will be there to pick you up."
Nathan stretched lazily, grabbed his backpack, and got out of the car.
"Alright then, head back. I'll contact you once I land."
With that, he turned and walked toward the airport.
"Chiyou, huh?"
Nathan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Here I come.
He boarded the flight bound for Valar, fully prepared to burn the Chiyou to the ground. This time, he would ensure they became nothing more than a memory—
A past no one would ever want to remember again.
---------------------------
At that moment, in the Chiyou's headquarters, Samuel was grinning from ear to ear as he looked at the Pokéball in his hand.
Ever since Samuel had arrived in Valar, he quickly gained the appreciation and trust of the Chiyou's boss.
As a reward for joining, Samuel had been granted an extremely powerful Pokémon.
"Nathan… Don't let me see you again. If I do—
You'd better start saying your goodbyes."
He muttered coldly to himself, unaware that at that very moment, Nathan was already on his way to the organization's base.
Once off the plane, Nathan was immediately led toward the organization's compound by fellow countrymen stationed locally.
However, this time, his identity was very different from his previous visit to Valar.
Back then, he had arrived as a tournament contestant.
But now, he had been given a new identity: an international police officer.
Of course, he hadn't actually joined the police. This identity was arranged by his superiors, solely to provide legal grounds for him to take action while in Valar.
"Agent 697, Nathan Vesper—this is the Chiyou's headquarters."
The man leading him pointed at the sprawling estate ahead.
Looking at the massive manor in front of him, Nathan sneered.
As expected of a criminal organization that had done countless evil deeds—
They were rolling in money.
Even in a country where land was scarce and expensive, they had managed to purchase such a vast estate.
Too bad… starting tomorrow, this luxurious place would no longer exist.
"I understand. Are all preparations in place?" Nathan asked.
"Everything's ready," the man nodded firmly. "We'll do our best to stop any Chiyou members from escaping."
Since preparations were complete, Nathan no longer held back.
He began releasing his Pokémon one by one.
Volcarona, who had fully recovered from her injuries.
Frosmoth, whom he had captured during his last trip to Valar.
Zeraora, Pangoro…
One by one, all of Nathan's Pokémon whose strength reach or exceeded Elite-level were released.
"Volcarona," Nathan said coldly as he stared at the manor, "Let's send an old friend a little greeting."
Volcarona soared into the sky, flames wrapping around her entire body.
Inside the estate, several people noticed the glowing figure in the sky and stared in confusion—
What was going on?
But before they could figure it out, Volcarona flapped her blazing wings—
High-temperature winds surged down into the manor.
Moments later, large portions of the estate caught fire.
"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! INTRUDER ALERT!"
"Fire! There's a fire in the south wing! Get the fire extinguishers!"
"The garden is on fire too! Someone, hurry!"
With flames rising across the estate, the once peaceful manor descended into chaos.
Members of the Chiyou scrambled, some reaching for extinguishers, others summoning Water-type Pokémon to put out the blaze.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out from the main gate—
"Nathan!? You actually dared to come here!"
It was Black Dew.
Although she had been released after her identity was exposed by Nathan during the tournament, she never truly believed he would dare to come to a foreign land and attack the Chiyou's stronghold.
Yet here he was—
Not only had he come, but he didn't even bother with formalities. He attacked immediately.
"I said I'd come, didn't I?" Nathan replied with a bright smile, as if he were truly a guest paying a visit.
Only, the raging flames behind him made it painfully obvious that this visit was anything but friendly.
Black Dew's expression darkened.
The organization's base had been located, and their worst nightmare had arrived at their doorstep.
This was pure humiliation.
Sure, they had suffered losses at Nathan's hands before, but that didn't mean the Chiyou was weak.
Just then, Samuel arrived, having rushed to the gate after hearing the commotion.
When he saw who was causing the disturbance, his eyes widened.
"You! Nathan!"
He had been planning to go Celestia one day to take revenge.
But he never expected that Nathan would come knocking on his own.
"Well, well… if it isn't Samuel, the one who tried to frame others and ran away when it failed.
Looks like you've teamed up with the rats now, huh?"
Nathan chuckled mockingly.
He honestly hadn't expected to run into Samuel here.
When the World Tournament Committee handed down its verdict on Liberty Union's team, Samuel had been notably absent.
Nathan assumed he'd fled back to his homeland, but here he was—
Hiding in Valar, now working with the Chiyou.
A perfect example of rats and snakes finding each other.
"Hah! Even the heavens are helping me!" Samuel shouted, his voice rising with madness.
"I may not have been your match in the past—but now, everything's changed!"
With that, he pulled out a Pokéball.
He tossed it, and with a flash of white light, a Pokémon appeared.
But the moment Nathan laid eyes on it, a murderous aura surged in his chest.
This Pokémon looked remarkably like Mewtwo.
Clearly created using the template of Mewtwo—
Only this was no cloned specimen.
It was a patchwork monstrosity—stitched together from the parts of various Pokémon.
The tail, the body—everywhere were visible stitching marks.
In some places, the skin tones and textures didn't even match.
"This… this is your masterpiece?"
Nathan said coldly, his voice trembling with rage.
"How… excellent."
He emphasized the last word with biting sarcasm.
As a genetically engineered Pokémon, Mewtwo's talent and power were understandable.
It was born from scientific experimentation—
But this?
The Chiyou had taken it too far.
They had butchered other Pokémon—
Stitching their parts together to forcibly create a creature mimicking Mewtwo.
Unacceptable.
Unforgivable.
"Hahaha! Surprised, Nathan?" Samuel cackled.
"I've got my own Mewtwo now! And it's stronger than yours in every way!"
At first, even Samuel had trouble believing it.
But after witnessing its strength, he felt like a god.
Who was Nathan now? Just trash.
Sure, this Mewtwo lookalike was ugly—
But it was the strongest he had ever seen.
"It doesn't deserve the name Mewtwo."
Nathan said solemnly.
Mewtwo—Mew Too.
A Pokémon that transcended dreams.
This grotesque imitation?
Not worthy of the name.
"Mewtwo," Nathan turned to the real one, now hovering beside him, "Looks like you'll need to prove what it really means to carry that name."
Both Nathan and the true Mewtwo were now brimming with fighting spirit.
They would prove—
That not every monster could call itself Mewtwo.
Yes, the world could have more than one Mewtwo—
But not this thing.
Not this Frankenstein creation.
-------------
"How dare you say that about my Mewtwo!?" Samuel screamed.
"You think you deserve the title of World Champion, Nathan?!"
His dreams of becoming champion had been shattered by Nathan—
Now, even after obtaining a Mewtwo of his own, Nathan still mocked him.
Hatred consumed Samuel entirely.
"You know what, Samuel?"
Nathan said calmly, in stark contrast to Samuel's hysterical yelling.
"Right now, you look like a clown.
A mad, desperate clown."
Nathan's victory in the World Tournament wasn't luck—
He had fought for it.
Step by step.
One match at a time.
(End of Chapter)