Inside the secret realm.
Boom!
A battle had erupted in a certain area.
Facing an Arbok in front of him, Nathan remained calm and gave his command, "Pancham, Use Work Up!"
"Panchaa!"
Pancham responded loudly, clenching its little fists, just like it did back in the tournament arena. This time, its opponent was one from the championship finals.
In its mind, it could already see the battle against a massive Pangoro.
But in Pancham's hands, that opponent didn't even last a round.
Pancham knocked it out with a single punch.
The surrounding audience erupted in cheers and applause, chanting for the little guy.
"I'm the strongest!"
"I'm the champion!"
"I'm powerful!"
"I'm invincible!"
"Yes! I'm invincible!!"
In a very short time, Pancham had completed its self-motivation (self-hypnosis).
Work Up — a status move. Through self-encouragement or hypnosis, the user's Attack and Special Attack are slightly increased.
"Arrbokk~"
The Arbok stared cautiously at Pancham, flicking its tongue. Without hesitation, it launched its attack.
Venomous, corrosive liquid spewed from its mouth, aimed directly at Pancham. The acid could erode flesh and carried strong toxins.
"Dodge it!" Nathan ordered sternly.
Pancham didn't respond. It simply stepped forward gracefully, dodging the acid spray with ease.
"Use Shave! Get close!"
A sonic boom echoed as Pancham's speed exploded, leaving behind a phantom image. In the blink of an eye, it closed in on Arbok.
Nathan smirked and gave his final command. "Fire Punch! End the battle!"
[Your Pokémon Pancham has won the battle! Gained ___ experience points. Level increased to 27!]
[Name: Pancham]
[Ability: Iron Fist (Boosts punching moves)]
[Type: Fighting]
[Description: Hot-tempered and impulsive, it won't tolerate bullying the weak. Uses a leaf to read opponents' movements and charges forward even when hurt, using enough strength to snap a power pole.]]
[Level: 27 (Advance Tier: Level 20–30)]
[Moves: Shave, Iron Body, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch...]
Pokémon in the secret realm were undoubtedly stronger than those in the wilds of Poplar City. After a week of rigorous training and battling tough opponents, Pancham's progress was tremendous.
Though still classified as Advance, it could now even go toe-to-toe with Commander-level Pokémon.
After all, in the past week, Nathan had spent nearly all of his one million Pokécoins.
In addition to the skill learning machines purchased initially, he also spent a lot to buy the highest-quality Pokéblocks available in the system shop — Rainbow Pokéblocks.
They were a downgraded version of the Rainbow Pokéblock Deluxe.
While the effects were slightly less than the premium version, they still improved the user's overall stats over time. And they weren't cheap.
Each block cost 10,000 Pokécoins.
Pancham consumed at least five to six of them daily — sometimes even seven or eight if its energy expenditure was high.
To build a solid foundation, Nathan also bought several Chancey Eggs.
These eggs were rich in nutrients. Eating one before bed each day significantly improved Pancham's physique — and they were tasty, too.
But expensive — each egg cost 50,000 Pokécoins.
On top of that, Nathan had to buy medicines to heal internal injuries from all the training and battles. After a few days, his million Pokécoins had dwindled to just over 200,000.
But because of this, Nathan was confident — even though Pancham was only Advance-level, it could face off against most Commander-level opponents, as long as they weren't at the absolute peak.
As the battle ended, Nathan called out, "Alright, little one. Take off your weighted ankle bands. It's time for us to head back."
Tomorrow marked the start of the Trial Tournament, and they needed to prepare.
"Panchaaa!"
Pancham nodded and removed its ankle weights.
Though it was already used to the weights, the moment they came off, it felt incredibly light.
And then, a soft, glowing white light began to radiate from Pancham's body.
"This is… evolution?!"
Seeing the glow, Nathan's eyes widened.
Previously, it was mentioned that the system's level metric was merely a reference for a Pokémon's power. Unlike the original games, evolution wasn't strictly tied to level.
In this real world, evolution was based on things like crisis moments, strong willpower, and meeting certain strength thresholds — not just level.
And now, clearly, Pancham had met the conditions.
Without hesitation, Nathan opened his backpack and pulled out a Dusk Stone, tossing it to Pancham. "Take this. Feel its power. You'll become even stronger after evolving."
Pancham caught the Dusk Stone.
Immediately, the light of evolution enveloped its entire body.
Nathan was thrilled — he hadn't expected this to happen just as they were about to leave.
The difference between pre- and post-evolution strength was enormous.
Even if the level didn't increase, the power surely would.
Buzz…
The evolution light grew brighter and brighter.
Pancham's small form began to grow larger. If it had been petite before, it now turned burly and strong.
It likely surpassed two meters in height, approaching nearly three meters.
This showed not only Pancham's potential but also the importance of building a solid foundation.
You see, the average height of a Pangoro is a bit over two meters. A nearly three-meter Pangoro was considered huge, even among its kind.
"Roar~!"
With a mighty roar, the evolution light dispersed.
Standing before Nathan now was a massive Pangoro.
Compared to Pancham, Pangoro looked bigger and more intimidating. True to its name, it had a bamboo leaf in its mouth, giving off rogue vibes.
But like Pancham, Pangoro had a chivalrous nature — it wouldn't stand for others bullying the weak.
[Name: Pangoro]
[Ability: Iron Fist (Increases the power of punching moves)]
[Type: Fighting + Dark]
[Description: Pangoro, the Dauntless Pokémon. Evolution of Pancham. Hot-tempered and always looking for a fight. The bamboo leaf in its mouth acts as a sensory organ, detecting nearby movements.]
[Level: 27 (Advance Tier)]
[Moves: Shave, Iron Body, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Crunch, Hammer Arm...]
"Hahaha, not bad at all,"
Nathan grinned, clearly pleased.
Although Pangoro's level hadn't changed, it had learned two powerful new moves: Crunch, a Dark-type attack, and Hammer Arm, a Fighting-type move with 100 base power in game terms.
Both were very strong.
"Welcome, Pangoro." Nathan smiled and extended his right hand.
"Roar~!"
Pangoro growled softly, no hostility in its eyes — only joy. It extended its own hand.
Trainer and Pokémon gripped each other's hands tightly.
After leaving the secret realm and registering his departure at the entrance, Nathan took the subway home.
His parents weren't there — likely busy working at the shop.
Back home, it was still early. He dropped his backpack, took a cold shower, dried his hair, and relaxed on the bed.
He picked up his phone.
Ding! A message popped up.
Someone had messaged him privately — it was Li Cheng.
Lily: [Back home?]
Nathan: [Yeah, just arrived.]
Lily: [I was gonna remind you not to forget the Trial Tournament.]
Nathan: [Don't worry. I won't forget. I am going to win, after all.]
Lily: [Haha, teacher was just talking about you in the class group chat. He's got high hopes for you.]
Nathan: [Well, I do give off that "hidden master" vibe. It's only natural they're rooting for me.]
Lily: [Pfft, shameless!]
With a smile, Nathan ended the chat with Lily and checked the class group chat.
Just like Lily said, the upcoming tournament had sparked a discussion about him.
Even teacher William chimed in.
A few girls in the class said if they had time, they'd definitely form a cheer squad to support him at the venue.
Seeing that, Nathan, like any guy would, showed a slight, smug smile.
"If girls really do show up to cheer for me… feels like it might attract some jealousy."
"…But I like it."
Grinning, he shook his head, then got up to make himself dinner.
After a week of training in the secret realm — with poor sleep every night — Nathan turned in early that evening.