He had only one year.
Just one year—to raise his Pokémon to a level where they could defeat Shadow Mewtwo.
What Nathan had to do next was embark on a journey to the Frostline region marked on his map.
The map itself had been pieced together from rewards he had gradually accumulated by completing system missions. And he was sure—absolutely certain—that the Frostline region held something that could help his Pokémon grow stronger.
Or perhaps, even grant him a powerful new Pokémon.
Although the system often seemed unreliable, every time he followed its path, it ended up helping him significantly. This time, he left without telling anyone the details. He simply told his family that he was heading out on a trip.
Even Kelly only knew that Nathan was going out—he had no idea where he was going or why.
Nathan didn't want others worrying about him. After all, he was heading to the Frostline region —an area regarded as a forbidden zone ever since Pokémon had appeared on the planet.
Before Pokémon had emerged on this world, the far north had once traces of human activity. But after the arrival of Pokémon, that region had long since become a wasteland where no humans lived.
This was because Frostline region was the first place to have merged with a mystic realm. Once the far north fused with that realm, its already freezing temperatures dropped even further—beyond what any ordinary person could withstand.
And with the increasing presence of Pokémon in that area, it had become completely inhospitable to humans.
Research? Impossible.
After crossing national borders, Nathan followed the direction set by a special compass purchased from the system store. All the way north he went.
Flygon became his primary mode of transportation to reach the far north.
Flying across the boundless ocean, Nathan felt a profound sense of monotony.
Day after day, he sat on Flygon's back. Whenever Flygon got tired, Nathan would feed it recovery items to help it regain strength. When Flygon truly couldn't keep going, Nathan would put on his ice skates and have Frosmoth create a path of ice while pulling him forward.
To ensure his mobility in the freezing northern region wouldn't be hindered, Nathan had fully prepared before departure. Ice skates, snowboards—anything he might need, he brought with him.
Yet, despite all his preparation, trouble arrived at the very beginning of his journey north.
A storm was coming!
And at this moment, he was still gliding across the ocean's surface.
Watching the storm draw nearer and nearer, Nathan had no choice but to climb back onto Flygon. After all, compared to skating, Flygon's speed was still faster—and more importantly, there was nowhere to land.
Running into a storm at sea wasn't the worst thing that could happen.
But he was alone. No ship. No island.
He couldn't possibly endure a storm by sheer willpower alone, right?
"Damn it! Just my luck… Is this fate trying to force me back?"
Feeling the wind whip harder around him, Nathan cursed under his breath.
But the worse the situation, the more determined he became.
To Nathan, challenges existed to be conquered—not avoided.
Pushing against the wind, he pressed forward. Before long, Nathan found himself in the heart of the storm.
The surrounding wind speeds had already exceeded level eight!
Sitting on Flygon's back, all Nathan could hear was the roar of wind in his ears—accompanied by the crashing of waves below.
He dared not open his mouth, for if he did, the violent winds would force seawater into his throat.
From the moment he entered the storm, his visibility had plummeted.
What he could once clearly see from ten nautical miles away, now appeared as a hazy blur even a few hundred meters out.
At first, Nathan managed to endure the wind pressure, but as the minutes passed, his muscles began to ache all over.
Strapped tightly to Flygon, Nathan's human body was subjected to overwhelming pressure.
Then, through his goggles, Nathan suddenly spotted something ahead—an island!
"Quick, let's head to that island!"
He shouted, pointing toward it.
After flying through the storm for more than an hour with Flygon, this tiny landmass felt like salvation.
But once they landed, Nathan nearly cried—this so-called island was barely even that.
It was about the size of a basketball court—if not smaller.
Left with no choice, Nathan summoned Metagross.
"Quick, use Rock Tomb—seal off the island!"
As soon as Metagross appeared, Nathan gave his order.
Metagross immediately deployed Rock Tomb, summoning a wall of stones around the island's perimeter. The rocks quickly encircled the entire landmass, forming a rudimentary barrier.
A small, relatively safe space formed in the center—just enough to shield him from the worst of the elements.
After Metagross completed the move, Nathan returned it to its Poké Ball.
There simply wasn't enough space for a Pokémon of Metagross's size to remain outside.
However, the Rock Tomb wasn't quite enough.
Watching rainwater continue to pour in through the cracks between the rocks, Nathan still felt the chill deep in his bones.
"Frosmoth, come on out!"
Nathan released Frosmoth next.
He instructed it to freeze a thick layer of ice outside the ring of stones, sealing the structure more tightly.
Once the outer wall was coated in thick ice, Nathan finally began to feel warm again.
"System, sell me some firewood, would you?"
He muttered while peeling off his soaking clothes.
[System Prompt: This system is not a general service store!]
What a joke—was the system really so shameless it wouldn't even sell firewood? What kind of "system" was it, anyway?
"Two thousand!"
Already familiar with the system's temper, Nathan named his price.
The moment he did, a stack of firewood appeared in front of him.
Ah, sweet compromise.
He quickly started a fire, letting warmth spread through the small enclosed space.
Outside, the wind howled and the rain poured—but inside, Nathan quietly ate some food before falling into a deep, exhausted sleep.
When he woke up, the skies had already cleared.
But staring out over the endless sea, Nathan couldn't help but feel like he should really invest in a proper mode of transportation.
Yesterday's storm had been survivable only because of that tiny speck of an island.
Without it, he didn't want to imagine what kind of torture he'd have suffered.
"System, I'm giving you a money-making opportunity here. Sell me a fast vehicle—something that can withstand storms."
Nathan said casually, chewing on some food as he spoke.
[System Prompt: Do not test the system's limits!]
Yesterday's firewood? That wasn't about earning your pocket change, okay?
"Two hundred thousand!"
Nathan raised the stakes.
With a splash, a jet ski appeared before him.
"Seriously? System, from now on I'm calling you the money system. So, fitting for you."
He muttered as he looked at the sleek machine in front of him.
But this wasn't your standard jet ski—it had a torpedo shaped hull. Sleek. Hydrodynamic.
Nathan climbed inside and picked up the manual lying on the seat.
The vehicle's maximum speed reached sixty knots—that's roughly sixty nautical miles per hour.
Compared to land vehicles like cars, this wasn't fast. Only about 110 kilometers per hour.
But for sea travel, that was excellent.
After all, the sea isn't like land—most boats only manage around forty knots.
But then, reading the last line of the manual, Nathan had the sudden urge to punch the system.
["Fuel is auto-refilled by the system. Charges deducted automatically."]
Seeing the system prompt, Nathan cursed the system for its greediness.
Still, with the jet ski in hand, Nathan's travel speed improved dramatically.
This vehicle could also submerge two to three meters below the ocean surface, making it safer even in rough weather.
Over a week passed in the blink of an eye. Nathan had no idea how far he had traveled—only that the surrounding temperature had dropped significantly.
Back home, it was still summer—hot, bright, sweltering.
But here, he was already wearing thick thermal gear: innerwear and outer layers alike.
The Frostline region was nearby.
While cutting across the ocean, Nathan suddenly spotted a massive iceberg in the distance.
His heart surged with excitement.
Icebergs! That meant the Frostline region was close.
The size of this iceberg alone told him that it couldn't be far. If he were still far from the mainland, such a large iceberg wouldn't be drifting out here.
Just seeing the ice gave Nathan a jolt of energy.
Days and days of monotonous travel had drained his spirit. He'd been staring at nothing but ocean.
Aside from the occasional island for rest, he had spent nearly all his time on the jet ski.
(End of Chapter)