Seeing the many senior officials with their mouths wide open in shock, the old man kept a stern expression as he spoke,
"The situation has now been fully confirmed. Immediately deploy our most elite forces to ensure the safety of everyone around that boy!"
"We must not, under any circumstances, give the Dark Spirit Organization or other nations even the slightest opportunity!!"
Though he was advanced in years, his voice remained full and powerful.
After he issued the order, not a single one of the older officials present dared to raise any objections or question it.
It wasn't until the old man left the room in his wheelchair that someone finally broke the silence, sighing,
"Truly, heroes are born young. The younger generation is remarkable!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man with a balding head and a prominent potbelly — clearly someone holding a high position.
"Tch, if you ask me, we should've just taken control of him directly instead of all this trouble!"
A woman chewing gum rolled her eyes, her tone laced with disdain.
Judging from the wrinkles on her face, she was clearly well into menopause.
"Not satisfied? Then go argue with the old man yourself!"
The balding man shot back with an eye roll, unwilling to back down.
The menopausal woman was a hothead too — she immediately clutched a Pokéball, looking ready to tear the whole headquarters apart.
"Ahem! Calm down, everyone. Old Wang, you know full well Grace was just mouthing off."
"Yeah, yeah, you know what she's like. Sharp-tongued but soft-hearted!"
"Grace, you really should work on that habit — you can say what you want over dinner, but you can't just speak recklessly!"
...
Seeing a Pokéball already in her hand, the people who had been enjoying the show quickly jumped in to play peacemakers.
Meanwhile, as they bantered back and forth, the entire League — like a massive machine — had already begun operating at full speed!
Even just this one department wielded a terrifying level of power that could make countless people tremble in fear.
…
Magic City, Regional Division Arena.
Roger was still completely unaware of how serious the situation had become.
He stared at the newly evolved Mega Metagross with jealousy burning in his eyes.
"Hmph! It's just a Gym-level Pokémon! So what if it evolved again?"
"Listen up, kid! Don't think you can do whatever you want just because of some fancy evolution!"
"Scolipede! Use Agility to quickly close the distance with that Metagross!"
Roger pointed at the Mega Metagross and barked his command.
He was determined to prove to everyone that a mere mega evolution wasn't enough to defeat him!
"Get close to Metagross, then use Double-Edge!"
Roger clenched his right fist tightly as he roared.
At this point, he'd completely abandoned his usual idol image.
If he were crushed by Nathan here, his future would be just as bleak!
Scolipede let out a roar, obediently darting toward the Mega Metagross at high speed!
"Metagross, dodge it!"
Seeing Scolipede charge in, Nathan quickly ordered.
Though Scolipede's deadliest weapon was its venom, Double-Edge still packed serious punch!
And with Metagross only recently evolving from its Gym-level form, taking a direct hit would not be pleasant.
Thanks to their synchronized bond, Nathan didn't even need to give verbal commands — his thoughts alone were enough for Metagross to sense.
With a swift movement, Metagross dodged to the right.
"Now! Punch it!"
Nathan sent another mental command, and Metagross immediately swung its iron fist!
The punch landed squarely on Scolipede's head, causing its eyes to spin like spirals.
It was only then that Roger remembered — Nathan wasn't some ordinary rookie trainer.
His control over the battlefield and his Pokémon's movements could terrify even the most seasoned veterans!
"Damn it! Scolipede, retreat! That Metagross is definitely going to launch a follow-up attack!"
Roger gritted his teeth and gave the order, full of frustration.
After all, Poison-types were naturally disadvantaged against Steel-types.
Most of Scolipede's moves would just waste energy.
Yet as Roger feared, Nathan wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.
"Scolipede is scared! Go for the kill!"
"Metagross, let's use Psychic together to restrain it!"
"Meta—gross!"
With their eyes glowing faintly, Nathan and Mega Metagross unleashed a combined Psychic attack!
Though Scolipede showed no obvious external injuries, it was suddenly locked in place as if trapped in quicksand.
"Now! Pegasus Comet Fist!!"
"Don't give it a single chance!"
Seizing this critical moment, Nathan ordered without hesitation.
Mega Metagross swung its four iron fists, moving so fast that afterimages were left in the air!
…
"Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable! Nathan's Metagross can mega evolve too!"
"And after evolving, it's overpowering Roger's Elite-level Scolipede! This is insane!"
The commentator's excited voice echoed throughout the stadium.
Even though it wasn't a one-hit KO, every punch from Metagross landed cleanly and decisively, sending the audience into a frenzy!
"I'm a fan now! Totally converted!"
"A Gym-level Pokémon beating down an Elite-level? Is this the future star of the League? I'm obsessed!"
"Starting today, I'm officially a Nathan fangirl! Long live this handsome boy!"
...
Naturally, only the victor could bask in the cheers and adoration.
Hearing the deafening support from the stands, Roger's face turned an ugly shade.
Why had he come all the way from his homeland to this Celestial Star League?
For money and resources, of course!
But now, crushed by Nathan, Roger could already imagine his fans abandoning him in droves.
In this world of Trainers and Pokémon, the competition was far crueler than the esports world Nathan remembered from his previous life.
What? Rely on looks to survive?
Too bad — Nathan wasn't bad-looking either, and he was even younger.
In a world like this, looks alone were never enough to overcome true skill.
"No! Scolipede, bite through that Metagross! Don't give up!"
"You're a Elite-level Pokémon! That thing is just a Gym-level!"
Roger's expression twisted in desperation as he screamed.
If he fell here, all his years of hard work would crumble to dust.
Worse yet, online trolls already hated him for being a foreigner — constantly picking on newbies, changing girlfriends like socks...
They were waiting to see him fall.
"Scool!"
Responding to Roger's command, Scolipede somehow summoned a final burst of strength.
It burst free from Metagross's relentless barrage!
Its massive, poison-coated jaws opened wide, aiming straight for one of Metagross's arms!
"Hmph. How naive."
Wiping his nose, Nathan's eyes flashed with disdain.
"Metagross, use Psychic! Then finish it!"
"Comet Punch!"
His voice rang simultaneously in the air and within Metagross's mind.
The instant the psychic blast hit, Scolipede was stunned — the super-effective blow left it dizzy and severely weakened!
To make it worse, Metagross's fire-powered punches, boosted by Psychic, rained down like flaming meteors.
Crashing under the assault, the Elite-level Scolipede lost all fighting ability.
…
"M-My God! What just happened?!"
"Roger's Scolipede was about to make a comeback, but in the blink of an eye, Nathan's Metagross crushed it!"
"No wonder they call him the Battle Terminator — he ends battles as fast as a rocket launch!"
Although the commentators were hyping him up, Nathan couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Taking three seconds to calm himself down, he withdrew Metagross from the field.
Looking Roger in the eye, Nathan spoke sincerely,
"Don't worry — I don't have any other Pokémon that can mega evolve."
"You must still have another Elite-level Pokémon, right?
Shall we continue the friendly match?"
Although Nathan looked innocent and harmless, Roger only saw it as open provocation!
It was like Nathan was fanning money in his face, sneering,
"Sorry, but yes, mega evolution can do whatever it wants."
And Roger had no way to argue back.
When a Pangoro appeared on Nathan's side of the field, Roger said nothing and turned to leave.
It was only then that Nathan realized with a laugh —
Turns out the guy didn't even have a second Elite-level Pokémon!
Honestly, it wasn't surprising.
Outside of the final tournaments, it was rare to see anyone with multiple Elite-class Pokémon.
Besides, even Nathan only had Volcarona, Steelix, and Pangoro at that level.
Forget Roger being a few years older — even if he were much older, it wouldn't be guaranteed he could field two or three Elite-class Pokémon.
Not to mention, just acquiring the necessary berries and resources was an enormous hurdle!