Chapter 88 – Lily’s Birthday

Lily blinked eagerly. "Don't go showering just yet—let's have a battle first! I've been wanting to fight you for ages. I'm super strong now!"

Nathan rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's do it in the courtyard."

The courtyard wasn't very big, but as long as the Pokémon weren't too large, it was still just about enough for a battle.

"Hurry, let's go!"

As soon as she heard Nathan agree, Lily couldn't hold back her excitement and dragged him toward the courtyard.

Nathan shook his head helplessly.

She's got the energy of a wild rabbit—he could never understand why she acted so cold and distant around strangers. Still, he kind of liked this side of her.

Once they arrived in the courtyard...

Lily couldn't wait to pull out a Poké Ball, her voice filled with excitement. "Come on out, Jolteon!"

"Ee~!"

A flash of red light burst forth.

A yellow Pokémon appeared before Nathan.

Jolteon—an evolution of Eevee. Its body was primarily yellow, with sharp white and yellow spikes around its neck and body, giving off an electrifying feel—both literally and figuratively—like a living lightning rod.

For Electric-types like this, the League had once tested their power output. A Jolteon's maximum voltage could reach 10,000 volts. With proper training, it could go even higher—potentially reaching 100,000 volts and becoming a true embodiment of the move Thunderbolt.

"You've raised it well."

Nathan looked at the Jolteon in front of him, surprised.

Judging by strength alone, this Jolteon was already nearing the Gym-level threshold, meaning it was at the peak of the Commander tier—quite impressive.

After all, Lily's family wasn't particularly wealthy. They were doing okay in daily life—upper-middle class, perhaps—but when it came to Pokémon resources, they were definitely closer to modest.

Reaching this level was impressive.

She just hadn't encountered any real opportunities yet. If she had, this Jolteon might have already broken into the Gym tier.

"Hehe, of course!" Lily accepted the praise proudly. "Now hurry up and bring out your Pokémon!"

"Alright."

"Come on out, Mimikyu!"

Nathan's lips curled into a smile as he tossed out a Poké Ball. A flicker of light revealed Mimikyu floating silently in midair in front of him.

"A Ghost-type Mimikyu?"

Lily clearly recognized the Pokémon and immediately sensed the pressure emanating from it, growing serious.

This Mimikyu's aura was even stronger than her Jolteon's.

Naturally so.

Mimikyu had already reached the Gym tier.

Most trainers' Pokémon had to overcome various bottlenecks as they leveled up, requiring time and resources to break through each stage.

But Nathan's Pokémon weren't bound by such limitations. As long as they gained experience points, their levels could rise easily.

With the battles it had been through recently, Mimikyu had advanced to the Gym tier effortlessly—and even learned several new moves.

As soon as Mimikyu appeared, the battle began.

There were no type advantages or disadvantages here.

Nathan quickly gave the first command. "Mimikyu, use Baby-Doll Eyes!"

"Jolteon, use Thunder Fang!" Lily shouted right after.

Sparks flashed in Jolteon's mouth as it prepared to bite down on Mimikyu with electrically charged fangs.

But in the next moment, Jolteon froze in place.

A pink glow sparkled in Mimikyu's eyes—it was using Baby-Doll Eyes to exert a mental pressure that nearly paralyzed Jolteon.

Nathan called out again, "Shadow Ball!"

"Q~!"

While Jolteon was still stunned, Mimikyu quickly gathered shadowy energy in its hands and hurled two Shadow Balls directly at Jolteon.

Due to the effect of Baby-Doll Eyes, Jolteon couldn't dodge at all and took the hits head-on.

Jolteon let out a pained cry but managed to stay on its feet.

Lily's expression turned serious. "Jolteon, use Thunder Shock, then close the gap with Quick Attack!"

"Ee~!"

Jolteon roared as electricity burst from its body, launching a Thunder Shock at Mimikyu.

But before Nathan could even give an order, Mimikyu twisted its body and dodged easily.

At that moment, Jolteon used the momentum to dash forward like a lightning bolt, rapidly closing in on Mimikyu.

"Protect."

Nathan's voice was calm, unfazed.

"Q~"

An invisible barrier formed in front of Mimikyu, completely neutralizing Jolteon's incoming strike.

Seeing this, Lily quickly gave another command. "Jolteon, use Discharge!"

Zzzzt—!

A powerful surge of lightning erupted from Jolteon, unleashing a destructive force aimed straight at Mimikyu.

Nathan smiled faintly. "Mimikyu, take it, then use Dazzling Gleam!"

"Q!"

Mimikyu nodded and faced the incoming electric blast without flinching. It then exploded with a brilliant light, unleashing the full power of Dazzling Gleam.

The flash of light swallowed up Jolteon, who cried out in pain.

At the same time, the electric surge hit Mimikyu... but—

Zzzzt—!

Powerful lightning struck Mimikyu, but it didn't seem to hurt it at all.

"Huh?! How is that possible?" Lily's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in shock.

"That's the power of a Pokémon," Nathan said with a calm smile.

As the glow of Dazzling Gleam faded, Jolteon could be seen collapsed on the ground, no longer able to fight.

"Jolteon, are you okay?!"

Lily rushed over, clearly worried, and quickly pulled out potion to treat Jolteon's injuries.

Nathan gently patted Mimikyu's head before returning it to its Poké Ball.

Not long after, Lily had finished treating Jolteon and returned it to its Poké Ball too. Then she asked curiously, "What just happened? Why didn't your Mimikyu take any damage?"

Nathan didn't hide anything from her and explained, "You know how some Pokémon have traits that set them apart from others of the same species? Like how certain ones have unusual abilities that others don't."

"Mhm!" Lily nodded enthusiastically.

"I know! There's a Charizard in the Royal Griffin Kingdom (UK) that's immune to water, a Gyarados in the Liberty Union (US) that can use Electric-type moves, and… and—"

She rattled off a list of rare and bizarre examples before looking at Nathan with wide eyes. "So you're saying your Mimikyu is one of those special ones too?"

"Exactly."

Nathan sat down on the couch, smiling as he explained,

"Pokémon are mysterious creatures. They have all kinds of hidden powers inside them, but without the right guidance, they might never be awakened. My Mimikyu, for example, can always take one hit from any move without suffering any damage at all."

"Whoa, that's amazing~!" Lily's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Then she asked curiously, "So do you know how to awaken those hidden abilities?"

Nathan rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment.

If he remembered correctly, Jolteon's normal ability was Volt Absorb, which meant Electric-type moves would heal it instead of causing damage.

Its Hidden Ability was Quick Feet, which boosted speed when affected by a status condition.

After pondering for a bit, Nathan said,

"You could try letting your Jolteon get hit by electric moves more often… or maybe put it into different status conditions and see what happens."

"…Huh?" Lily stared at him, clearly doubtful.

"Ahem." Nathan let out an awkward laugh and shrugged.

"You can try it if you want. I can't guarantee anything—it all depends on your own observations. Every Pokémon has different hidden traits. As a Trainer, it's up to you to notice them and nurture them. I can only offer a bit of advice."

"Hmm, fair enough. I'll give it a close look when I get home," Lily said thoughtfully. Then she sighed, "You've gotten so strong now."

"Just lucky, I guess. I've had some good opportunities," Nathan replied with a smile.

"So, what Pokémon do you have now?"

"I've got six already—Volcarona, Mimikyu, Flygon…"

The two of them chatted away.

Before they knew it, evening had fallen.

Knowing Lily would be joining them for dinner, Nathan's mom came home early, carrying a bunch of groceries—and a birthday cake.

"You brat! It's Lily's birthday today—did you even get her a gift?" she demanded as soon as she got home, glaring at Nathan.

Nathan raised his hands. "Of course I did. She's wearing it right now."

"Huh?"

Mom glanced at the watch on Lily's wrist and nodded in approval. "Hmph, at least you've got some taste."

"Hehe, Auntie, sorry for the trouble tonight," Lily said sweetly, linking arms with Nathan's mom.

"What trouble? I wish you'd come over more often."

Nathan's mom clearly adored Lily, treating her like her own daughter.

As soon as she got home, she showered Lily with attention—completely forgetting about her actual son.

Nathan just shrugged and headed back to his room, where he began reviewing for the college entrance exams the next day.

The entrance exam lasted four days:

Day 1: Standard academic subjects like Language and Math.

Day 2: Pokémon knowledge.

Day 3: Practical battle assessment.

Day 4: A simple interschool exhibition match.

Usually, students from various schools within the city would gather to compete in a friendly tournament.

Elite Trainers would judge their tactics and strategies.

These exhibition matches were often observed by university scouts, looking to recruit talented students. If they saw potential, they'd come knocking after the event.