It didn't take long before the police arrived and took away the scammers, while the kidnapped children were safely returned home.
As for Nathan—the hero who saved the day—his name began to spread throughout the country of Dunmar.
"Sigh~ As expected, handsome people are always the center of attention no matter where they go."
Nathan said with a self-satisfied sigh.
Lily, walking beside the narcissistic Nathan, couldn't help but giggle.
If it had been the past, she might've teased or snapped back at him for such a self-absorbed remark. But this time, she didn't.
Because this time, she truly felt that Nathan was incredibly handsome—undeniably and overwhelmingly so.
Only a boyfriend like this… could truly capture her heart.
For the next two days, the two of them wandered around Dunmar's capital, shopping leisurely.
And during those two days alone, they spent nearly two million PokéCoins.
It was also the first time in Nathan's life that he had ever spent so lavishly in the real world.
Before long, Nathan was contacted by the World Tournament's official organization.
He brought Lily, and Mickey along to meet the representatives.
Under the guidance of the World Tournament's staff, they prepared to meet with the rest of the participants.
"Everyone, someone will now guide you to the entrance of the mystic realm.
But before that, there are a few important things that must be clarified," the tournament staff member said, once everyone had gathered.
Hearing this, the group drew in closer to listen attentively.
"Once you enter the mystic realm, you will not be able to release your Pokémon.
In fact, you can't release them at all.
But don't worry—inside, the wild Pokémon are all under level 10.
Also, you'll only have three days to explore, so keep track of your time carefully."
-----
The staff member went on for quite a while, but the thing that truly caught Nathan's attention was the shocking restriction: no Pokémon can be released inside the mystic realm.
In other words, once inside, they'd have to travel purely on foot.
Well, that was true for most people—but not for someone like Nathan.
Others couldn't bring in external tools or items…
But he had the system.
Once inside, his system would still function—and with the system, there was nothing he couldn't buy.
Need a vehicle? No problem.
Need a tank or fighter jet? The stingy, money-grubbing system could probably cough up one too—if you had the coins.
Before long, the entire group traveled on Pokémon to a beautiful valley.
It was currently summer in the country of Dunmar, and this valley was in full bloom.
Thousands of flowers danced in the wind—it was like stepping into a fairy tale.
"Wow~ This valley is so beautiful! I can't believe the entrance to the mystic realm is located in such a place!"
Lily gasped in amazement the moment she saw the view.
Even though she was already an adult, she had never seen such a breathtaking valley before.
But seeing the abundance of flowers also reminded her of the Pokémon egg Nathan had gifted her.
Ever since receiving the Flabébé egg from Nathan, Lily had been researching online.
To hatch a Flabébé, one needed the presence of a specific flower.
She had already tried nearly 200 different flower species—yet none of them had worked.
Not one could trigger the egg's hatching.
Now, standing in a valley overflowing with wildflowers, she felt a surge of hope.
Perhaps somewhere among these blossoms lay the one flower her Flabébé needed.
"If you like it so much, then after we finish exploring the mystic realm, we'll stay a few days and enjoy this place together."
Nathan said warmly, spoiling her as always.
After all, what was the point of having a girlfriend if not to make her happy?
"Really?"
Lily asked with sparkling eyes.
Nathan nodded seriously.
Yes—girlfriends were made to be spoiled.
The staff member guiding them let out a chuckle.
He'd seen this scene more times than he could count.
Every year, he brought people to this mystic realm, and every year, some young female Trainers would fall in love with the valley and want to linger.
But after actually entering the mystic realm?
They'd always change their minds.
"Actually, once you come out, you probably won't want to stay in this valley any longer," the guide said.
"Why is that?"
Lily asked curiously.
But the guide just smiled and said nothing, quietly waiting for the mystic realm to open.
The eleven participants didn't have to wait long.
After just thirty minutes, the entrance to the mystic realm opened right on schedule.
Everyone except the guide was stunned.
Because most mystic realm entrances appeared as glowing white portals—like some kind of magical door.
But this one… was colorful.
A dazzling swirl of colors—it looked like something out of a dream.
It was Nathan's first time seeing such a fantastical mystic realm entrance.
Together, Nathan, Lily, Mickey, and the other seven participants stepped through the portal.
The moment the dizzying teleportation sensation faded, Nathan opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.
And instantly—he understood what the guide had meant earlier.
Compared to the valley outside, this mystic realm was the true paradise.
The air was filled with a rich, floral aroma, subtly blended with the scent of fresh earth and grass.
As far as the eye could see, thick grass—reaching up to their calves—carpeted the landscape.
Scattered among the grass were countless types of wildflowers in full bloom.
Here and there, a few tiny Pokémon flitted between flowers, adding life to the dreamlike landscape.
"Oh my god…"
Lily was speechless in awe.
She immediately pulled her Flabébé egg from her backpack.
With so many diverse flowers in one place—surely one of them could help hatch her Pokémon.
The other participants didn't waste time.
They quickly spread out, each one looking for Pokémon to catch.
The scenery was indeed stunning—but when rare Pokémon were on the line, beauty took a back seat.
There were said to be many rare baby Pokémon hidden in this mystic realm.
And when profit outweighed aesthetics, even a dreamland could become mundane.
Nathan had initially thought about using the system to buy some kind of vehicle—maybe a car to get around faster.
But seeing this beautiful, untouched landscape… he really didn't want to ruin it.
"Ahhh~ Nathan, look!"
Lily suddenly screamed in delight, gently scooping up a small Caterpie near her feet.
…
Seriously? It's just a Caterpie. Was that really worth screaming over?
"Isn't it adorable?"
"…Yeah."
Nathan replied, half-smiling.
The trio—Nathan, Lily, and Mickey—continued walking through the mystic realm.
From what they could tell, flowers were the dominant theme here.
The temperature inside was also incredibly pleasant—so much so that Nathan began to wonder whether this was even a Mystic realm at all…
It felt more like a gigantic incubator.
Everywhere they turned, Pokémon of all kinds roamed freely.
And surprisingly, none of them showed any hostility toward the humans.
In fact, many of the Pokémon curiously approached them, as if trying to figure out who these newcomers were.
But as they walked, Nathan suffered endlessly from Lily's squeals of excitement.
Because wherever there were cute Pokémon… there were also shrieks.
But what could he do?
He had a woman with him, after all.
Unlike Lily—who cared mostly about cuteness—Nathan had a clear objective.
Sure, all these little Pokémon were adorable… but they'd already been walking for three hours, and they hadn't seen a single rare Pokémon.
All they'd encountered were the most common species.
Nice to look at, sure, but definitely not worth catching.
"Hey Nathan, it's already been three hours…
Why haven't we found even one rare Pokémon yet?"
Lily asked, rubbing her aching legs.
It's true—seeing cute things is always exciting at first.
But people get tired of anything if they see it long enough—even cuteness has limits.
"Don't worry—we've got three days, remember?"
Nathan replied calmly.
After the earlier scolding, Mickey didn't dare to complain anymore.
He just quietly followed along like an obedient puppy.
Just as they were about to sit and rest, a flash of movement zipped past them.
A Pokémon had just flown by—so fast that Nathan barely caught a glimpse of it before it vanished into the distance.
"Quick! After it!"
Nathan shouted, dashing forward.
All three of them began chasing after the Pokémon.
But compared to its speed, the three of them might as well have been crawling.
Even though no Pokémon in this mystic realm exceeded level 10, it was still difficult to match their natural agility.
"Ugh… I can't… I can't run anymore…"
Lily gasped, clutching her stomach after nearly twenty minutes of chasing.
Mickey, who was trailing behind, collapsed completely.
If even Lily—an adult—was this exhausted, how could a little kid like him keep up?
Seeing the two of them drop, Nathan had no choice but to sit down and rest with them.
Even though he hadn't seen the Pokémon clearly, from its size, speed, and ability to fly…
There was a very high chance that it had been a rare one.
What a shame. They just couldn't keep up—and he couldn't release his own Pokémon to help.
"Damn it…
Liars!
They said this place would be crawling with rare Pokémon!
And I've only seen one so far—and it ran off before I even got a good look!"
Nathan cursed under his breath.
Before entering, all the information he'd gathered said this place was overflowing with rare Pokémon.
So why did it feel like they were nowhere to be found?
(End of Chapter)