"The Pokémon that Nathan just sent out... I-It's a Volcarona!"
"My god, this is shocking—absolutely shocking! Dear viewers, that's a Volcarona! A real Volcarona!"
"Some of you might not be familiar with Volcarona, so let me explain. If we were in ancient times, Volcarona would be considered a legendary Pokémon. Back then, it was seen by humans as a symbol of the sun—worshipped and etched into totems."
"According to legend, Volcarona is born from a cocoon engulfed in roaring flames. When volcanic ash darkens the skies, its fire replaces the sun itself, making it revered as the incarnation of the sun."
One of the commentators was visibly shaken, speaking excitedly.
"Even now, Volcarona's strength is undeniable. If raised properly, it can battle legendary Pokémon on equal footing."
"And most importantly, the power of this Volcarona… if I'm not mistaken, it's Elite-level!"
"Heavens! I don't even know what to say anymore. Nathan, a rookie trainer, actually has a Elite-tier Volcarona?! Maybe now we understand why he never used his first Pokémon before—perhaps no opponent had ever been worthy of Volcarona's appearance!"
The commentators and audience erupted in stunned exclamations.
Shockwaves rippled across all six arenas.
Nearly every trainer had their eyes locked on the screens in the player's lounge, staring at the Pokémon whose very presence had changed the weather.
Among them, a girl with a ponytail looked on enviously.
"Ugh, that's a Volcarona… I want it so bad. Even my grandpa doesn't have one!"
Poplar City
Pokémon League Regional Branch – Headquarters
Inside an office, Shane Cloud was watching the live broadcast of the tournament.
The moment Volcarona appeared...
Thud.
Shane Cloud, who had been sitting in his chair, slid off and fell right onto the floor. But he didn't care at all about the fall—instead, he stared dead-on at the screen, twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"Holy sh*t! So that's why this kid dared to challenge a Elite-level Pidgeot!"
"A rookie trainer raising a Elite-level Pokémon?! That's just—insane!"
"But still..."
"Hahahahaha! With this kid on our side, Poplar City is about to make it big!"
"If those geezers at HQ don't start sending more resources next year, I'll go there myself and rip into them—HAHAHA!"
In the office, Shane couldn't help but laugh with uncontained excitement.
Battlefield
The temperature had become scorching.
Under the blazing sun, many in the audience were starting to sweat.
Nathan stared calmly at his opponent, Helen.
"This battle… is over."
"Banette, Phantom Force!" Helen commanded sharply, her expression tense after hearing Nathan's declaration.
Banette vanished from the spot, seemingly turning invisible.
"It's no use."
Nathan remained calm.
"That move is useless against Volcarona. Volcarona—Heat Wave!"
Bzzzt.
"Vol-caaa!"
Volcarona let out a cry and beat its wings.
Calling it a "heat wave" didn't do it justice—it was more like a scorching hurricane.
As Volcarona flapped its wings, a powerful gust, like a shockwave, exploded outward in every direction, sweeping across the entire battlefield.
Even the ground beneath began to sizzle from the heat...
…
Boom.
The Heat Wave swept across the field.
Banette, who had vanished moments ago, suddenly reappeared—interrupted by the intense heat. It was blasted away and crashed to the ground, covered in burn marks.
"Banette!"
Helen cried out in concern as she saw her Pokémon's condition.
Despite taking a direct hit from Volcarona, Banette had been well-trained—though seriously injured, it still managed to stagger back onto its feet.
But Nathan had no intention of continuing the battle.
From the moment Volcarona appeared, the match was already over.
"Volcarona, finish it. Fire Spin."
"Vool-caa!"
Volcarona let out a screech as all six of its wings stirred violently. A surge of flames erupted outward.
Though it was called Fire Spin, what emerged from Volcarona's power was more like a flaming tornado—a massive inferno spiraling out like a fire dragon, surging toward Banette.
It looked like a terrifying beast made of fire—huge and fearsome.
The sheer power of this move left everyone stunned.
Volcarona's mastery over its Fire-type abilities had reached an astonishing level.
Helen's expression turned grave. As the flaming vortex closed in to engulf Banette, she raised her hand without hesitation.
"I surrender!"
The moment the words left her lips—
The firestorm vanished instantly, dispersing without a trace.
The referee raised his flag and shouted,
"This match goes to Nathan!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Return, Banette." Helen recalled her Pokémon, then looked at Nathan with a complicated expression. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke.
"Nathan, your Pokémon really took me by surprise. If I get the chance in the future, I'll challenge you again and defeat you. I hope you won't decline."
Helen was a true Pokémon trainer.
And every true trainer had a fierce drive to win.
Losing this battle didn't mean she would lose next time.
Nathan gave a slight nod.
"We'll see when the time comes. But just know—even as you grow stronger, I won't be standing still."
"Return, Volcarona."
With a flash of red light, Volcarona was recalled into its Poké Ball.
Without saying another word, Nathan turned and walked into the player's tunnel.
Today's match was over, and this victory officially placed him in the Top 16. All he had to do now was wait for next week's match.
Though Nathan and Helen had left the field...
The crowd and commentators were still buzzing with excitement.
After all, a Elite-tier Pokémon was something most people only ever saw on TV or online. Witnessing such overwhelming power live? Totally worth the price of admission.
"Too strong. Seriously, too strong. It's just jaw-dropping. No wonder it's Volcarona."
"Exactly. And we can't ignore Nathan's incredible training ability either. Volcarona already has insane potential, but to raise it to Elite-level as a rookie? That's no small feat. Just look at what he's done with Pangoro."
"If Pangoro showed complete control over two new Fighting-type moves, this Volcarona shows absolute mastery over Fire-type power. Fire Spin is already a solid move, but in Volcarona's hands, it might as well be as strong as Flare Blitz!"
(Flare Blitz is a high-powered Fire-type move with base power 120.)
That just goes to show how terrifyingly deep Volcarona's mastery of fire really is.
The match concluded.
And, unsurprisingly, Nathan shot up to #1 on the trending search topics—a wave of discussion and hype surrounding him.
When Nathan walked out of the player tunnel and into the lounge, he could instantly feel the complicated stares from the other competitors.
Yep… really complicated.
I mean—this was supposed to be just a rookie trial tournament, right? A place to test teamwork and coordination with your Pokémon?
Commander-levels, Gym-levels… okay, fine.
But a Elite-level Pokémon?!
How is anyone supposed to fight that?
That's what most trainers were thinking.
In a corner of the player's lounge, Leo Ford —also from Arena 2—was slumped in a chair, staring hopelessly at the ceiling. His face was full of despair. He rubbed his forehead, visibly frustrated.
His ace Pokémon was a Venusaur.
And with the way that Volcarona wielded its firepower? Venusaur probably couldn't even take one hit.
Just the thought made Leo feel miserable.
Helen approached, patted his shoulder, and laughed.
"What's with that defeated look?"
It seemed the two of them knew each other.
Leo glanced sideways at her and muttered,
"I want to forfeit. How do I even fight that?"
Hearing this, Helen instantly understood and couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth as she laughed, completely ignoring the fact that Leo's face was growing darker by the second.
As for Nathan?
He had no clue.
Once the match ended, he didn't plan to linger. After giving Pangoro and Volcarona a quick recovery at the temporary center, he unlocked a shared bike and headed home.
The Top 16 match was still a week away.
Nathan planned to begin training again tomorrow.
He already had the location picked out.
It would be one of the D-rank beginner secret zones around Poplar City—specifically, a D- secret zone.
Like the previous one he visited, this D- zone also had a wild Champion-tier Pokémon guarding it.
This one? A Mienshao.
The secret realm was located in a mountainous region.
…..
Nathan returned home, turned on his phone, and opened Weibo.
Sure enough, he was already trending.
[So damn fierce—this is absolutely insane!]
[Unstoppable! A true dark horse. Looks like the other contestants in this year's Trial Tournament are in trouble.]
[Forget just the Trial Tournament—he's a dark horse even for the national competition! Though winning the championship might be tough, since the nationals aren't limited to rookie trainers.]
[No doubt about it—Natsume is a badass! Go, Poplar City!]
[He's got the strength and the looks. I'm in love with this kind of trainer.]
[Pfft, shameless. In love? You just want that Volcarona of his.]