Chapter 158

After the match ended, Nathan returned to the lounge.

Actually, there were not only restaurants and bubble tea shops nearby, but also quite a few entertainment facilities.

However, after revealing both bond evolution and mega evolution, Nathan instinctively felt a bit reluctant to visit those places.

Wouldn't it be much better to research new types of Pokéblocks instead?

At least, Volcarona thought it was a fantastic idea!

But things never seem to go the way people want.

Just as mealtime arrived, the lounge door was violently flung open by Zoe.

"Idol, idol! You're blowing up online!"

She was waving her phone wildly with both hands and shouting excitedly.

Judging by how thrilled she looked, one might think it was her who had gone viral!

In contrast, Nathan calmly continued grinding some berries into powder, then adding a bit of solution.

"Idol! Did you hear me? You're famous! The internet's talking about you everywhere!"

Seeing Nathan's composed appearance, Zoe couldn't help but repeat herself.

Yet Nathan remained calm, carefully researching new Pokéblock recipes, a thoughtful look flickering in his eyes.

Actually, the way the system shop sealed off the core recipes of Pokéblocks was quite simple.

To produce regular Pokéblocks, you just needed to follow specific steps with some berries and materials, and you could easily mass-produce them.

But if you wanted to develop different types with unique effects?

You had to master extensive berry knowledge and conduct countless experiments using methods that ordinary people couldn't even imagine.

To put it simply:

Making Pokéblocks was like cooking — or even just making instant noodles.

Researching and developing new Pokéblocks, however, was like tasting a hundred herbs, having to concoct complex traditional medicine recipes from scratch.

But after absorbing the master-level insights from another world, Nathan could now handle this effortlessly.

He could even study the compatibility between two berries while casually saying, "Famous? Wasn't I already famous?"

Not to mention the Trial Tournament — even just when he teamed up with the Mist family to mock themselves —

that wave of popularity had been on par with certain viral celebrities from his previous life.

Now, with a reversal and two kinds of super evolutions, it was no surprise he was making headlines again.

"Emmm, is this the difference between a true expert and us ordinary folks?"

Seeing Nathan's calmness compared to her own anxiousness, Zoe couldn't help muttering.

Younger than her, yet so mature — no wonder he was her idol!

"By the way, idol, aren't you bored staying here all the time? Let's go out and eat something, okay?"

Her big eyes sparkled mischievously as Zoe smiled brightly.

Even if she couldn't capture a shocked expression from her idol, having a meal together was good enough!

And if she could snap a photo for her social media, that would be even better!

"Uh, is that really necessary?"

Glancing around the lounge, Nathan hesitated a little.

Though the name sounded a bit cheesy, as the exclusive lounge for the regional division of the National Tournament,

the security was top-notch.

And the amenities were essentially on par with a five-star presidential suite — just without a bed.

The most important part was that it was quiet, and a rooftop was just a short walk upstairs —

perfect for feeding Steelix.

"Of course it's necessary! You're acting like an old scholar already — if you keep this up, you'll never find a girlfriend!"

Raising a finger, Zoe said seriously.

Before Nathan could politely decline, she grabbed his arm and dragged him along.

"Come on! Hurry! If Evelyn sees us, you won't even get a taste of bubble tea or fried chicken!"

And so...

Before Nathan could even react, Zoe had dragged him into a bustling shopping district.

Though it was technically still part of the competition area, it was pretty much a full-on commercial plaza.

Games, food, clothing, gadgets…

Especially anything related to Pokémon — it was dazzling to the point of overwhelming.

Of course, that was for ordinary people.

"All a bunch of overpriced junk,"

Nathan muttered, rolling his eyes as he watched a plush Zeraora doll being sold for 30 PokéCoins.

Not to mention that the actual production cost was probably less than 1 PokéCoin.

And 30 PokéCoins? That could easily cover a regular person's food expenses for a day!

"Hehe, it's all about the atmosphere!"

"Come on, don't look so dead inside. There's a stand selling stinky tofu up ahead!"

Zoe happily bought the overpriced doll, her face full of pure joy.

Nathan didn't comment — after all, it was their money, their choice.

Whether it was worth it or not had nothing to do with him.

Not his money, after all.

After that, Nathan just followed Zoe around, walking and snacking.

Although he didn't buy anything, it was still an eye-opening experience.

Even though he'd seen plenty of lively scenes in his previous life,

the difference between a world with Pokémon and one without was enormous.

There were also many performances by Pokémon and trainers — a Squirtle even sprayed a water gun shaped like a dragon,

drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.

Seeing that no one was paying him any attention, Nathan decided to let loose and enjoy himself.

Until he spotted a street vendor.

"Boss, are these Pokémon eggs real?"

Rubbing his chin, Nathan asked while eyeing the eggs laid out on the stall.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but he thought he heard a heartbeat.

"Of course they're not real! It's illegal to sell Pokémon! I wouldn't dare!"

Hearing Nathan's question, the elderly vendor quickly waved his hands in denial,

terrified of being misunderstood.

Nathan understood.

Whenever the concepts of "law-breaking" and "Pokémon" mixed together,

the consequences were dire.

At best, you'd end up sipping thin porridge at the League's local office for a few days;

at worst, you'd disappear entirely.

The world simply couldn't tolerate dark organizations.

The hatred people had for them made the mafia and crime syndicates of the past look tame in comparison.

"But... this egg..."

Nathan said, staring at a shabby-looking egg in the corner of the stand.

Compared to the lifelike decorative eggs displayed prominently, this one looked outright fake.

It had sat there all morning and no one had even glanced at it.

After all, if you were going to spend money on a decoration, you'd want it to at least look good.

No one would waste money on an obviously low-quality item.

Yet Nathan could distinctly hear a faint heartbeat coming from inside it —

and it was getting clearer by the second.

"Boss, how much for this one?"

After observing it for a while, Nathan finally asked.

Next to him, the usually hyperactive Zoe crouched down and watched quietly,

behaving adorably polite.

Despite her outgoing nature, she knew how to act properly —

being the daughter of a prestigious family and all.

"One price: 600 PokéCoins!"

"Deal!"

Without even trying to haggle, Nathan agreed immediately.

…

"Idol, is there something special about this egg?"

Zoe asked curiously, watching Nathan holding the grimy, somewhat shabby egg.

From any angle, it just looked like a low-quality decorative egg.

And he had paid 600 PokéCoins for it!

"I'm not entirely sure. But my gut tells me this egg isn't ordinary,"

Nathan said, his expression serious as he stared at the egg in his hands.

Almost every Pokémon egg that circulated in human society was under strict supervision.

The level of regulation was even stricter than that for firearms.

Because if too many unsupervised Pokémon eggs flowed into society,

it wouldn't necessarily mean more trainers —

it would mean more dangerous lunatics willing to kill for power.

Back during the darkest era after Pokémon first appeared,

robbery had practically become a legitimate profession!

So, for this egg to appear — unless it came from a black-market Pokémon organization,

Nathan couldn't think of a second possibility.

And why would such an organization disguise a real Pokémon egg as a fake?

With these thoughts weighing on him, Nathan returned to the lounge

and began rinsing the egg with clean water.

As the water washed over it, the egg's surface coating quickly eroded and fell away.

What was left in Nathan's hands was a beautifully patterned, mysterious-looking Pokémon egg.

"As I thought... the heartbeat I heard was real..."

Nathan murmured, a little lost in thought as he gazed at the egg.