As expected, Pangoro easily defeated the Throh.
Nathan secured another victory.
Once the referee announced the result, he returned Pangoro to its Pokéball and headed toward the contestant's tunnel.
…
[Name: Pangoro!]
[Ability: Iron Fist (Boosts 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: 35 (31–40: Commander-tier)]
[Moves: Shave, Iron Body, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Crunch, Hammer Arm…]
Originally, Pangoro was already at level 34. After winning the last two battles, its level increased to 35, making Nathan quite satisfied.
At this rate, once the Trial Tournament ends, Pangoro might reach Gym-tier strength.
Back in the contestant lounge, Nathan had just sat down when someone came over and casually plopped down beside him, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
"Yo, Nathan, my man! Got a proposition for you."
"What is it?" Nathan chuckled, glancing at Mark, who clearly had something in mind even before speaking.
"Ahem... bro, would you be willing to sell me one of your secret techniques?" Mark asked with a wink.
By "secret techniques," he was referring to those unique, self-developed moves like Rokushiki (Six Powers).
"You just said it's a secret technique, and now you're asking if I'd sell it?" Nathan smirked.
"Fair enough," Mark replied with a helpless expression. "Still worth a shot. Who knows? Maybe you'd change your mind. I'm really interested in your techniques—they're incredibly effective, especially for Fighting-type Pokémon."
"I think so too. Unfortunately, still not for sale," Nathan shrugged.
Mark shook his head. "Alright then, at least add me as a friend. If you ever change your mind, hit me up. I'm not loaded, but I've got a decent stash of resources. Whether it's money or trades, we can work something out."
"Sure," Nathan nodded and added Mark as a friend on his phone.
After all, the more friends you have, the more people you can show off to, right? Not a bad deal.
After adding each other, Mark grinned. "Alright, I'm off. Gonna grab a bite before the next match."
"Later," Nathan waved as Mark walked off, then pulled out his phone to kill some time.
…
Nathan sat alone in a corner, browsing the system shop. He was planning to buy some TMs for Pangoro to learn next.
First was Sucker Punch, a Dark-type move. Pangoro could learn it naturally, but it required time and luck—Nathan didn't want to leave it to chance, so he decided to buy the TM directly.
Next up were Bullet Punch and Drain Punch. With Pangoro's Iron Fist ability, these would be incredibly powerful.
Lastly, Substitute and Sword Dance—moves Pangoro couldn't learn through normal means and needed TMs for.
Nathan wanted to buy even more, but considering his lack of funds, he held back. After all, he still needed money to buy Pokéblocks.
"I'll have to look into how to make Pokéblocks once I get back," he muttered to himself.
He didn't plan to start a business or anything, but making and selling Pokéblocks could still earn him some decent cash.
Pokéblocks were a type of Pokémon food any serious trainer would recognize. If Nathan figured out how to make them, he could sell them to people he knew—even if not to the general public.
People like Elite Guardian Gray, Vice President Cloud, or even Leo and Helen—none of them came from poor families, even if they weren't super rich.
He could probably make a decent chunk of money selling to them.
"Tch. I should try to friend that Evelyn girl too. She's a rich girl—definitely doesn't lack money." Nathan started scheming.
Truth be told, most of the contestants who had made it this far in the tournament came from somewhat well-off backgrounds.
After thinking about it, Nathan made a decision.
From now on, after every match, he'd try to add his opponent as a friend. These people might all become future "ATMs."
After browsing the system shop for a while, it was time for the main event—the mission rewards.
That's right. Right after his last match, the system notification had popped up, but he hadn't checked it until now.
"System, show me my rewards."
[Ding!]
A notification appeared in Nathan's mind.
[Congratulations on completing Stage Two of the "Trial Tournament" mission. You have received: Special Attack Enhancers (Calcium) ×3, Wishing Star Shard!]
(TN: Decided to not change Special Attack Enhancers to Calcium so that others who don't know won't need to search what it does.)
"Huh?"
Nathan blinked in surprise. His expression turned to one of disbelief.
First, the Special Attack Enhancers—similar to the Special Defense ones he'd gotten before. Very useful, but not for Pangoro. Of his current Pokémon, only Volcarona could benefit from these.
Of course, what excited him most wasn't the enhancers, but the Wishing Star Shard.
He didn't know much about it—only that it was related to Dynamaxing. It supposedly emitted energy that could cause a Pokémon to grow massively in size and power, though the shard version only gave a chance to do so. Only a full Wishing Star guaranteed Dynamax.
Even so, it was enough to get Nathan hyped.
As if the system anticipated his confusion, another notification chimed in:
[Ding! The Wishing Star Shard is a small fragment containing mysterious energy. At night, it has a chance to release its power, temporarily making a Pokémon stronger (including an increase in size).]
[Ding! Would you like to claim your rewards now?]
"No," Nathan answered without hesitation.
He then began to think, feeling more and more excited.
He'd gotten a ton of great stuff today—Mystic Fruit, the Berry Mixer, the Wishing Star Shard...
"I'll let Volcarona hold onto the shard," he decided. After all, he only had one, so it should go to the most suitable Pokémon.
Volcarona was his ace. The stronger it became, the more places he could go and the more things he could do.
As long as Volcarona was powerful enough, it could carry him until he fully grew into his potential.
And with the system on his side, he wasn't worried about not getting more shards in the future—those could go to his other Pokémon later.
"If Volcarona does Dynamax one day…"
Nathan imagined the scene in his mind and couldn't help but smile in anticipation.
At that point, Volcarona might truly become the Sun.
Time passed.
He had a casual lunch at the tournament venue.
At 1 PM, he had back-to-back matches scheduled.
The first was against a pretty girl from Glorious City. As the saying goes, Glorious City girls are known for their glowing, delicate skin—and this girl was no exception. Pale, smooth skin and a sweet, innocent face.
But once the battle started… well, it was kind of weird.
This adorable-looking girl started shouting all sorts of intense cheer phrases in the local dialect—it was an odd and unexpected contrast.
The second opponent was Leo.
Nathan won the first match easily—and even added the girl as a friend afterward.
As for the second match, Nathan had just stepped onto the field when Leo raised his hand.
"I forfeit."
"Huh?"
Even the referee looked surprised.
Nathan gave Leo a puzzled look.
Leo scratched his nose awkwardly. "I don't want to face you before the semifinals. What if you crush me and I lose my confidence? Either way, I can still make it to the semis."
"…Alright, whatever makes you happy," Nathan said with a sigh.
But hey, it worked out—he could head home and claim his rewards right away.
…
(AN: Some evolution methods and item mechanics from the games and anime may be altered in this story. For example, Dynamaxing typically requires a specific location and has time limits.
Mega Evolution (MG Evolution) also retains time and item restrictions, but Dynamaxing will be modified. Please don't mind the changes.)
….
Back home, Nathan rushed into his room.
"System, claim the rewards."
Suddenly, a small stone fragment and three canned drinks appeared on his bed.
The vitamins, of course, were the Special Attack Enhancers. If all three went to Volcarona—already a powerhouse in Special Attack and fire-type proficiency—it would become even more terrifying.
Even without a level-up, it could battle well above its tier.
The Wishing Star Shard, however, was tiny.
Smaller than a lighter and deep blue in color.
Picking it up, Nathan frowned slightly and asked, "System, will this affect humans in any way?"
[Ding! The system guarantees that all items produced only affect Pokémon, not humans.]
"Good." Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was some unexpected side effect.
He left his room and found a sturdy thread in the living room, turning the Wishing Star Shard into a necklace pendant.
Then he released Volcarona.
"Vol-caa~!"
Volcarona let out a joyful chirp upon seeing him.
"Hold still. I'm attaching this to your Soothe Bell," Nathan said, patting Volcarona's head.
Since the shard wasn't considered a held item, it could be worn alongside the Soothe Bell without affecting its effects.
He placed the shard necklace on Volcarona, who now wore two necklaces—
One with the Wishing Star Shard, and one with the Soothe Bell.
One long, one short.
It even looked kind of stylish.
TN: If you guys found any mistakes or errors please leave a message under it so I can edit it out. Thank you.
TN: Also Please Check out Another Novel I'm Translating One Piece: For Demacia. Its pretty good novel that will make you laugh.