This was already considering that Tina was interested in Nathan.
Otherwise, getting someone like Tina to make a move would have cost billions.
"Hehe, Boss Nathan, don't worry. I'm not someone who doesn't know how to appreciate favors,"
Tina said with an awkward smile, hastily making her assurances.
She truly didn't dare to test Nathan's limits.
No matter how much one had experienced or how long one had survived in the underworld,
the fear of death was something no one could resist.
The stronger and higher their status, the more they feared death—
of course, that wasn't an absolute rule.
There were always a few born simply to burn themselves bright,
but Tina was certainly not among them.
"Mm, how you join Chiyou is your own business. Just don't disturb me without a good reason,"
Nathan said, no longer making things difficult for the woman, and left the place that could only be described as a garbage heap.
Watching Nathan's completely unguarded back, Tina hesitated for a long time but ultimately didn't dare to make a move.
If Nathan had brought out a Champion-level Volcarona,
Tina might still have been shocked into submission, but she wouldn't have been without the courage to fight.
After all, no matter how powerful a Volcarona was, it was still difficult for two fists to defeat four hands.
However, the gap between a Champion and a Master was not something numbers could easily bridge.
Unlike certain fantasy novels where anything below the Master was mere ants,
even if it wasn't that extreme, you'd still need dozens, if not hundreds, of elite- or Champion-level Pokémon
to stand a real chance against a Grandmaster.
Once out of the garbage heap, Nathan also breathed a sigh of relief.
It was the first time he had put on such a big show—and he even managed to recruit a Elite-level as a mole!
Luckily, he had managed to bluff her.
Back at the hotel, Nathan stood in front of the mirror, staring at his right eye.
His originally ordinary black-brown iris had turned blood-red.
Strangely enough, despite its bloody hue,
under the dark, it gleamed like a gemstone, appearing strangely enchanting.
Most importantly, after this "red-eye" transformation,
Nathan felt that his vision had evolved dramatically!
Not only could he see minute particles floating in the air,
but he could also predict the flying trajectory of mosquitoes dozens of meters away through a window!
"This... doesn't seem to fall under the category of Dragon Force enhancements..."
Nathan frowned slightly at the red-eyed reflection in the mirror.
Psychic power worked entirely through the mind to influence the external world.
The Viridian Power acted primarily on Pokémon, with little effect on the user.
Dragon Force improved one's physical abilities—running faster, jumping higher, that sort of thing.
Only this eye—after his Dragon Force awakened—not only dramatically enhanced his vision,
but Nathan also felt an unprecedented improvement in his control over his own body.
Simply put, Nathan could now pick up a pair of chopsticks and precisely catch a fly without any training!
His ability to easily subdue Tina earlier owed significantly to this enhancement.
One power boosted his ability as a Trainer.
The other elevated his own personal capabilities.
[This power... is your own... A talent... The power of the Contract... has strengthened it...]
Receiving the telepathic message from Kroxus, Nathan suddenly understood many things—
for example, ever since being bound to Kroxus, his abilities as a Trainer had been growing explosively.
The most obvious sign was during the Magic City Division Tournament,
where, except against the Top Eight or Top Four,
he could almost perfectly predict every move of his opponents!
Initially, Nathan thought it was because the opponents were too weak.
But now, he realized it wasn't that simple.
…
After understanding the abnormal changes in his body, Nathan finally relaxed completely.
First, he enjoyed a good night's sleep.
Then, after spending a full day shopping with Lily, Nathan and Lily bid each other farewell.
Lily needed to return home to prepare for the new semester.
Meanwhile, Evelyn and Zoe also had their own matters to attend to,
and they too parted ways with Nathan.
In a blink, the once "harem king" Nathan became a lonely soul—
tragic indeed.
Cough, though to be fair, Nathan himself didn't really care about such things.
Currently, he was challenging various gyms in Magic City.
With a population nearing 40 million, the number of gyms here was naturally overwhelming, each with its own specialties.
For example, the Blue Show Gym nearby was purely performance-based.
Not only did it host daily Pokémon performances, but it also functioned almost like a Pokémon zoo.
Rare but combat-incompetent Pokémon lived here in peace—
of course, with their consent.
Since they were too weak to survive in the wild,
even in groups, they were easily bullied and ostracized.
However, Nathan's target wasn't the Blue Show Gym,
but the nearby Electric-type Gym.
"Eh? Isn't that our Magic City Division Champion?"
"Even at this time, you're still challenging gyms?"
The gym leader, Ethan Bale, was an extremely sociable guy.
Seeing Nathan, he quickly came over and started chatting like an old buddy—
despite being almost thirty years old himself.
"Uh... because my time is limited, I can't head into a mystic realm,
so I'm just challenging gyms to improve a bit,"
Nathan explained awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
Truthfully, he was basically gym-crashing at this point.
"No worries, no worries! Nathan, you're welcome to challenge however you like,"
Ethan waved it off, though he scratched his head awkwardly too.
"But say, about those Pokéblocks... could you maybe cut me some slack?
I just can't get any from Emerald City over here in Magic City!"
Having already tasted the benefits of Pokéblocks,
not just his Pokémon but even Ethan himself was hooked.
Especially when cultivating new Pokémon—the sheer joy and satisfaction of watching them grow was even more addictive than smoking or drinking!
"Of course, no problem. I'll personally send some to you, Gym Leader"
Nathan said straightforwardly, patting his chest.
Ethan had a good reputation online as an honest man, and despite being hounded by tabloids back then, he had no major scandals.
Moreover, he had personally nurtured two Elite-level Pokémon Trainers—
which, though not as impressive as the top elite families,
still made him a rising star predicted to become a new Electric-type Elite Guardian before turning forty.
Naturally, Nathan didn't mind building good relations with such a talent.
Ethan thought the same.
A genius freak like Nathan—if you didn't build a relationship now, when would you?
The two quickly grew close.
If Ethan wasn't already married, the gym disciples might have thought their gym leader had been seduced by Nathan.
Despite the friendly atmosphere, Nathan didn't forget why he had come here.
Soon enough, both men stood solemnly in the gym's battle arena.
"Come out, Zeraora!"
Nathan decisively chose his Zeraora.
He had come to learn from Ethan's expertise in Electric-types and techniques.
Unlike Nathan's freakish progress—pushing his Volcarona into Champion-level just with a single mystic realm—
Ethan had instead developed original combination moves despite his three strongest Pokémon barely reaching level 56 Elite level.
Even if just in embryonic form,
Ethan's combinations were on a completely different level than things like Winston's basic "Thunder-Fire" moves!
"Zeraora, huh? Then I won't hold back either!"
"Come out, Electivire!"
With a bright gleam in his eyes, Ethan summoned his Pokémon.
A powerful Electivire appeared on the field, radiating a strong, ferocious aura around level 49!
"That Electivire has been raised really well!"
Nathan couldn't help but admire the Pokémon's size and sheen.
While it couldn't compare to his own Pokémon—who treated Pokéblocks like candy—
it was definitely among the best of the best.
Before meeting Zeraora,
Nathan had actually been planning to choose between Electivire, Ampharos, or Magnezone for his Electric-type partner.
"Hahaha, still can't compare to your Zeraora,"
Ethan said modestly.
But then his entire demeanor shifted, becoming serious and solemn:
"Electivire, use Thunder Punch!"
Seeing Ethan's stance,
all the gym disciples realized—
their gym leader was completely serious now,
and they stared wide-eyed at the battle about to unfold.