Chapter 49 - Final Night in the Mystic Realm

Once again taking a direct hit, the Onix crashed to the ground.

"Your Pokémon Vibrava has won the battle and gained 125 experience points. Current level: 26!"

"Nice work." Nathan smiled slightly and praised it. After several battles, Larvesta had clearly adapted to its new body and was becoming more and more proficient with Dragon Breath.

Unfortunately, the Sandstorm move was ineffective against Rock-types. Otherwise, Nathan would've had Vibrava practice it more during battle. After all, Sandstorm could be extremely useful in certain scenarios.

Vibrava fluttered around Nathan joyfully, its eyes filled with excitement.

Seeing this, Nathan couldn't help but recall when Volcarona had just evolved—how it, too, had flown in circles around him, expressing its happiness.

With a soft chuckle, Nathan began healing the Onix.

Afterward, he found a cave to rest in, prepared some food, and helped the Pokémon replenish their stamina. As they ate, he said, "Vibrava, Metang, we're leaving the Mystic Realm tonight. Before that, give it your all—I'll be counting on you both for the upcoming Gym battles."

Hearing this, both Pokémon nodded enthusiastically.

After helping them recover their strength, Nathan let them rest for a bit before heading out again, continuing to search for Pokémon to battle. The aim was to become more familiar with combat and earn more experience.

Time flew by without notice.

Dusk settled in.

Night deepened.

The night sky in the Mystic Realm looked like a breathtaking painting—decorated with countless stars, mysterious and filled with a unique charm that made one marvel in awe.

"It's time to go," Nathan murmured, looking up at the sky.

Both Vibrava and Metang showed signs of exhaustion on their faces.

Walking over, Nathan gently patted the two Pokémon, feeling their different textures. With a smile, he said, "Come on back, Vibrava, Metang. It's time to head out."

At this point, both Pokémon had reached level 29—a result of nonstop battles throughout the afternoon.

However, as their levels increased, the experience they gained from each battle decreased significantly, becoming less effective.

Leaving the Mystic Realm, Nathan took the subway back to his hotel.

After dinner, he freshened up in his suite. Since the hotel had a room specially designed for Pokémon to rest in, he let them out to relax. Then, exhausted, he collapsed into bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Volcarona lifted its head, fluttered over to Nathan's bedside, and snuggled close, falling asleep beside him.

Its golden wings faintly emitted a sacred aura.

In the outer pocket of Nathan's backpack—where he usually kept his umbrella and water bottle—a flute flickered briefly in response to that sacred aura, then fell still once more.

As if nothing had happened.

…

The next morning.

When Nathan woke up, the first thing he saw was Volcarona sleeping soundly beside him. The bed was already soaked with sweat.

Cough cough.

Of course, this wasn't because he had wet the bed.

It was purely from the heat.

After all, with Volcarona sleeping next to him, it was hard not to overheat.

"Sticky and sweaty… Don't sneak into my bed again in the middle of the night—unless it's winter," Nathan muttered, rubbing Volcarona's head.

"Vol~"

Volcarona let out a groggy little cry, clearly not fully awake.

With a laugh, Nathan got up to shower and freshen up. He ordered breakfast and began planning his day.

He had scheduled his Gym Challenge for the afternoon.

The morning, however, was reserved for training.

Yesterday in the Mystic Realm, Metang hadn't fully mastered any Electric-type moves. It was still in the learning phase and needed more time.

But after yesterday's efforts, training through the morning today should at least allow Metang to grasp a few basic Electric-type techniques.

Ding dong.

Just as he was thinking, his phone chimed.

It was a message from Wendy.

Wendy: [I saw your post on Weibo—so you're out of the Mystic Realm now?]

Nathan: [Yup.]

Unless he had no signal, Nathan would post once a day on his Weibo feed. Not because he wanted to—but because his mom insisted. Since he rarely called home, she demanded at least a daily post, just so she wouldn't worry.

He had posted a photo yesterday as soon as he exited the Mystic Realm.

Wendy: [Planning to challenge the Gym today, "Champion"?]

Nathan: [This afternoon. Gonna train the Pokémon a bit more in the morning. What about you? You're a local in Glorious City. With your strength, the Gym Challenge should've been easy. Already got your badge?]

Wendy: [Nope. I'm not planning on entering the National Tournament. I only joined the previous Trial Competition to experience the vibe.]

Nathan: [Huh?]

Nathan blinked, clearly surprised.

Wendy: [I want to become a Breeder, not a Trainer.]

Reading that message, realization dawned on Nathan.

If she wanted to become a Breeder, then it all made sense. In fact, Breeders often earned more than Trainers. Compared to Trainers, Breeders didn't require as many resources, and even a basic certification allowed them to work for big corporations. It was a very in-demand profession.

Ding dong.

Another message from Wendy popped up.

It was a photo.

Looking closely, it was an Beginner-level Breeder's License.

Now that surprised Nathan.

Getting a Breeder's license was tough—but not impossible. It was hard for newcomers, but for college seniors, not so much.

But Wendy was the same age as Nathan—still in high school. And yet she already had a beginner's license? That showed some serious talent in the field.

Nathan couldn't help but feel a little tempted—not because of her looks, but because of her potential.

In professions related to Pokémon, there's little room for behind-the-scenes manipulation. So if Wendy could get the license, it meant she had real skills.

Breeders handled a wide range of responsibilities—including Pokémon food.

Nathan himself knew how to make Pokéblocks, but he couldn't always do it himself. Eventually, he'd need to either:

Start a company, or open a Breeding Center

Between the two, a Breeding Center was better—it could become a recognizable brand.

Pokéblock-making techniques could bring in massive profits. But Nathan would eventually need to entrust someone else to manage it. Right now, Wendy seemed like a good candidate.

Of course, more observation was needed.

They weren't exactly close, after all.

But Wendy was clearly a talented Breeder. Plus, you needed a certified Breeder to register a Breeding Center. If possible, Nathan definitely wanted to bring her into his future team—his own research lab.

That way, when he eventually unveiled his Pokéblock tech, or published academic papers and research, he'd have a proper setup and explanation, without raising suspicion.

It would also make it easier to apply for patents later.

After pondering for a moment, Nathan smiled and sent a reply:

Nathan: [You're amazing, missy. Keep working hard and become an Advanced Breeder. Once you start your own center, you'll be the next top-tier Breeding Master.]

Wendy: [(eye-roll emoji) It's not that easy. Becoming an Advanced Breeder could take over ten years. Plus, I'm broke. I've got no money or place to start a Breeding Center.]

Typically, Advanced Breeders were in their 40s or 50s.

But this girl sounded full of confidence—saying she'd reach that level in a decade or so.

That honestly impressed Nathan. With a smile tugging at his lips, he sent another message:

Nathan: [No worries—I'll fund you. But you'll owe me something in return~ 😏]

Wendy: [Hmph, dream on!]

And with that, their chat ended.

Nathan didn't mind.

It was just small talk for now.

When the time felt right, he'd definitely reach out to her. Even if it meant offering some benefits.

After all, he wasn't going to be making Pokéblocks forever. As a Trainer, he'd eventually be traveling the world. He wouldn't have time to manage all that himself.

Shaking his head, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

His breakfast had arrived.

After opening the door and bringing the meal inside, he fed the Pokémon as well.

Then it was time for training.

…

After finishing breakfast and feeding his Pokémon, Nathan began training both Vibrava and Metang.

Time passed quickly.

Before he knew it, it was already noon.

Inside the hotel's training room, Nathan stood with arms crossed, watching Metang.

He raised his hand and called out, "Metang, one more time—Thunder Shock!"

Bzzzt!

A burst of blue electricity crackled from Metang's body, blasting into a training dummy a short distance away. The powerful surge lit up the entire dummy.

"Next—Thunder Wave! Then go in with Thunder Punch!"

Metang hovered in midair. A wave of weak electric current flowed out, paralyzing the dummy. Then, with a burst of speed, Metang charged forward. Its metal claws clenched tightly as sparks of lightning danced around them—Thunder Punch slammed into the dummy with a boom, sending tremors through the floor despite the dummy being firmly bolted down.

"Not bad."

Nathan nodded with satisfaction. All three moves were now being executed smoothly.

The morning's efforts had definitely paid off. And of course, some credit went to Metang's own hard work from the previous day. Nathan had originally expected it to only manage Thunder Shock and Thunder Wave. But unexpectedly, it had also mastered Thunder Punch.

And the reason for that?

It was thanks to Pangoro, the "delinquent panda." That big guy had passed on some of its own combat experience to Metang, helping it quickly grasp the essence of the move.

Metang floated over with a happy hum, its arms bobbing in the air as if to show off its excitement.

"Alright, alright, calm down. Take a break—we'll eat, then head out for the Gym challenge."

Nathan smiled as he spoke.

Metang nodded, its eyes filled with anticipation and fighting spirit.

…

Glorious City Gym.

The Gym Leader was Jade Lu, a stunning woman with long, light blue hair and a captivating presence.