"Offspring of the Guardian Mienshao?" (TN: Descendant of the Master Itachi)
Upon hearing this, Nathan nodded in realization.
As a Fighting-type Pokémon, Mienshao was indeed quite excellent. Unfortunately, he already had a Fighting-type on his team. Although in terms of base stats, Mienshao was slightly stronger than Pangoro, having one Fighting-type was already sufficient at this stage. Training another would consume too much of his energy. Otherwise, he would've considered vying for that Mienshao's descendant.
"You're here for training, right?" Elite Guardian Gray asked.
"Yeah," Nathan nodded.
"I can tell—your Pangoro is well-trained." Elite Guardian Gray's gaze fell on Pangoro. Compared to ordinary Pangoros, this one was noticeably larger, yet lacked the bloated appearance. Instead, it looked more agile, with a smooth, well-groomed coat that showed no signs of neglect.
"If you're here to train, you might consider seeking out that Mienshao. It's quite accomplished in Fighting techniques. Even I frequently seek it out, and it often trains its descendants as well. It's very experienced and might be of great help to you."
"I've been considering that, but I doubt it would agree to help me so easily," Nathan replied, stroking his chin in thought.
He had indeed thought about it. Mienshao was known for its speed and mastery in martial arts. Coupled with its strength, it could potentially help Pangoro quickly grasp Shave (Soru).
"Hah, actually it's not that hard," Elite Guardian Gray grinned and winked. "Don't let the fact that these Elite-tier Pokémon live in the secret realm fool you. They keep in touch with the outside world through the League. You shouldn't even consider them just Pokémon at this level. They're practically human—some even enjoy human culture. That Mienshao's one of them."
"If that old guy were human, he'd be a grumpy old man—loves his descendants, but strict with them. Oh, and he loves tea. Though in this environment, it's rare he gets to enjoy any. If you want his help, you'll have to think along those lines."
Clearly, Logan had plenty of experience and didn't hesitate to share it with Nathan.
Nathan's eyes lit up as he listened—an idea forming in his mind. After pondering for a moment, he smiled and said, "Thank you, Elite Guardian Gray. Also, I just thought of something—if you're interested in the training methods, I used for those two Fighting moves, I might be open to sharing them."
"Oh?" Logan asked with a laugh. "What would you want in exchange? Resources?"
"Simple," Nathan replied. "Help me find a special kind of stone. One million PokéCoins. And, promise me one favor in the future when I ask."
He then described the shapes of Z-Crystals and Mega Evolution Stones.
While the request seemed simple, Nathan's true intention was to form a relationship with an officially recognized Elite Guardian member. Such a person had power, connections, and strength—and could provide access to hidden intel that regular trainers wouldn't know.
Giving up two technique training methods was no big deal.
Besides, there were six techniques in the Rokushiki (Six Powers) set—he was only giving away two. He wondered how Elite Guardian Gray would react once he discovered there were four more.
Logan couldn't have known that, but he seemed to sense Nathan's long-term vision. His eyes flashed with a bit of surprise. "Are you sure? I could offer some top-tier resources instead."
"No need," Nathan shook his head with a smile.
"Alright then," Logan didn't press further. He genuinely liked the kid. To be able to train a Pokémon to Elite level at such a young age was already beyond what he had achieved back then. Building a connection wouldn't hurt.
"I'll try to find those rare stones when I return. As for the money, I'll transfer it to your account once I leave the secret realm. And the favor? No problem—just contact me when you need me."
He pulled out his phone and waved it. "Let's exchange contact info. I'm about to leave the realm anyway."
"I thought you were here to catch Mienshao's descendant?" Nathan asked, surprised.
"No rush. Doesn't look like it'll work out this time, but maybe next time that old guy won't say no," Logan replied with a grin.
"Fair enough."
After exchanging contacts, Nathan took out his notebook and showed Logan the pages with the training methods. Logan snapped photos of them.
Once everything was sorted, Logan said, "Alright, I'm heading out. I'll transfer the money once I'm out. Those stones might take a while to track down."
"No worries, I'm in no rush," Nathan replied. Z-Crystals and Mega Stones were rare and not something you could just find quickly.
After saying goodbye, Elite Guardian Gray left.
About half an hour later, Nathan's location tracker received a notification: "Elite Guardian has left the secret realm."
"Whew."
"Alright, Pangoro, let's go find that Mienshao," Nathan said after returning to his cave and packing up.
He now had a plan for persuading Mienshao.
Since it cared deeply about its offspring, it likely wouldn't refuse his offer.
Thinking about what he was about to present, Nathan couldn't help but smile with confidence.
"Grawwr!"
Pangoro nodded, and the pair headed off into the distance…
…
The only consistently produced resource in this secret realm was a rhizome called "Big Root." It grew deep underground and significantly boosted stamina recovery when consumed.
Though not particularly rare, it was very practical—especially in dangerous secret realms or the wild. The higher the realm's level, the broader the area and the greater the stamina demands. In such cases, Big Root could be even more useful than certain healing potions.
Nathan and Pangoro soon arrived at the area where Mienshao resided.
It was a sloped plain on a mountainside, filled with natural boulders placed seemingly at random. Yet, they formed a strange formation—like a deliberately arranged array.
Looking closely, he saw a small figure darting between the boulders. Every movement risked a collision, but it dodged each one effortlessly. Even at full speed in that chaotic terrain, it didn't slow down at all.
It was a Mienfoo—Mienshao's pre-evolution.
Once it evolved, it would become a true Mienshao.
As Nathan watched, a figure suddenly appeared beside him and lightly tapped his shoulder.
"Whoa?!" Nathan jumped back in surprise, gasping. "Guardian Mienshao?"
The Pokémon gave a slight nod, looking at Nathan with a curious expression.
Nathan quickly stood up, smiled, and said, "Nice to meet you, Guardian Mienshao. I came here to ask for your help."
The Guardian Mienshao shook its head. Though it resembled an elderly man, warm and kind toward humans, it generally avoided much contact.
So, without even asking what Nathan wanted, it directly refused.
As it was about to leave, Nathan quickly called out. "Wait! Don't refuse just yet. I have something that can help strengthen your descendant."
Hearing that, The Guardian Mienshao paused and looked at him curiously.
Smiling, Nathan took off his backpack and pulled something out. "This—it's a Power Bracer."
"?" The Guardian Mienshao tilted its head in confusion.
"This is a Power Bracer," Nathan explained. "It can be worn by Mienfoo. While wearing it, speed decreases, but strength growth improves. It's great for training. Once it's no longer needed, it can be removed and speed returns to normal."
He had received this item as a system reward during Volcarona's first battle. Originally, he intended to use it in the upcoming tournament—but now it was a useful bargaining chip.
It was a good item, but it could still be bought from the system shop for 500,000 PokéCoins, so he wasn't too attached to it.
After hearing the explanation, The Guardian Mienshao gave a short grunt.
"You want to try it?" Nathan asked.
The Guardian Mienshao nodded.
Nathan handed over the bracer.
The Guardian Mienshao examined it curiously, then slipped it on. After a few punches, sharp whooshing sounds filled the air.
Satisfied, it nodded after some thought and gave another cry.
Nathan understood—it agreed to help.
But it wanted to know what it needed to do.
Delighted, Nathan explained.
With The Guardian Mienshao's help, and the tournament still a while away, he believed Pangoro could at least grasp the basics of Shave.
Once he finished explaining, The Guardian Mienshao nodded and gave a low cry—it was willing to assist.
"Thank you in advance, Guardian Mienshao," Nathan said with a smile.
..
Time passed slowly.
Unknowingly, a week had gone by.
During this time, Pangoro trained daily under The Guardian Mienshao's guidance, practicing the Shave technique.
The Guardian Mienshao would spar with Pangoro, purposely using air resistance generated by its strikes to help Pangoro detect changes in airflow and react accordingly.
From simple movements to more complex maneuvers.
The Guardian Mienshao was clearly very experienced.
It started with easy dodges, then gradually increased the difficulty. Pangoro took quite a beating—but showed significant improvement.
Sometimes, The Guardian Mienshao even communicated with Pangoro in Pokémon language, sharing its training insights.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
In the secret realm, Pangoro was having one final sparring session before leaving.
The Guardian Mienshao attacked with seemingly random punches—casual in appearance, yet each packed a punch.
Pangoro didn't strike back. It only dodged.
It could now detect the air currents created by The Guardian Mienshao's fists and predict the direction of attack to evade.
Still, Pangoro wasn't fully fluent in Shave yet—and The Guardian Mienshao's strength was overwhelming. One palm strike sent Pangoro flying.
"Well done, Pangoro," Nathan praised despite the loss.
At least Pangoro had successfully learned the basics of Shave.
After healing Pangoro's injuries, he returned it to its Pokéball and turned to the Guardian Mienshao. "We'll be leaving today. Thank you for everything, Guardian Mienshao."
The Guardian Mienshao waved its hand, indicating it was no trouble.
Nathan nodded with a smile and began packing up.
When Nathan returned home, it was still only mid-afternoon.
The tournament would begin the very next day.
However, unlike before—where each round was a week apart—this stage would be one round per day.
Next up: the Top Eight qualifiers.
Then, the semifinals.
......................
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