Yet everyone was captivated by the synchronized evolution state between Nathan and Zeraora.
Not a single person noticed that, in the middle of the battle, a small figure had quietly slipped in.
"Lightning Release Mode — Thunder Beast Battle Form!"
With Nathan's low shout, a tangible blue-white lightning enveloped Zeraora's body.
"Yes! This is how a battle should be! Electivire, give it everything you've got!"
"Zeraora, let's go all out too— Thunderbolt Flash!"
Lightning versus thunder, speed against power—it didn't take long to decide the outcome.
In just a blink of an eye—
The victor was decided!
The only one still standing on the field was Zeraora, crackling with electricity and twirling its Thunder Blade!
"So cool! No wonder they say it's the most stylish Pokémon in the league!"
"No way, now I want a Zeraora too! I'm so jealous!"
"You're kidding, right? Do you even know how rare Zeraora is? You probably didn't even know what it was before today!"
…
Unbothered by the awe-struck or envious voices of the apprentices, Nathan took out a Pokéball, preparing to return Zeraora.
Just then—
A tiny figure suddenly hugged his leg.
"Master... Master... Bella's got lost..."
A cute little girl with chubby cheeks and a baby voice clung to Nathan's leg, nuzzling her small face into it.
Looking at the girl's overwhelmingly adorable appearance and Nathan's utterly confused expression—
"She's so cute! Is her name Bella? Why is she calling Nathan 'Master' though?"
"Don't tell me Nathan's a runaway dad?"
"No way—is this really happening?"
…
Nathan, who had been unfazed by the chatter earlier, now felt a vein on his forehead twitching uncontrollably.
He swore he had never seen this little girl before in his life!
"Little one, where are your parents? And why are you calling me Master?"
Trying to force a smile, Nathan spoke as gently as possible, afraid of scaring the girl.
"Master is Master! But Mama got lost, so Bella came to find Master first~"
Still hugging Nathan's leg like a pendant, the little girl explained in a now much clearer voice.
Her words, however, left Nathan speechless.
"Bell... Bell, where are you?"
Before Nathan could ask anything else, an anxious woman's voice rang out in the distance.
"Over here, ma'am! She's here!"
Realizing that must be Bella's mother, Nathan immediately waved and called out.
A young woman, visibly emotional, rushed over in tears. She scooped up Bella and held her tightly, laughing and crying at the same time.
From her explanation, Nathan learned that her name was Camilia Valentine, and the little girl was named Bella Valentine.
However, Camilia wasn't Bella's biological mother—she was her aunt.
A few years back, Bella's parents had both died during a Pokémon riot.
Since then, Camilia had been raising Bella alone.
"I see... a Pokémon riot..."
Nathan gently patted the little girl's silky hair and nodded in understanding.
It all made sense now.
As mentioned earlier, powerful Pokémon could go berserk when, say, their offspring were kidnapped by Pokémon traffickers—
These outbursts could lead to devastating rampages in cities.
The most severe case was in the West, where an entire city was reduced to ruins.
Countless families were torn apart due to a few people's selfish desires.
On Valar Islands, Pokémon riots occurred far more frequently.
This was because the ruling class there had shady ties to a Dark Organization.
Even the League's local branch had trouble managing the situation.
As a result—
Pokémon riots became common, and many Valar citizens fled their homeland,
Immigrating to more stable and powerful countries like Celestial Star Nation.
According to incomplete statistics, only about one-third of the original Valar population still remained on the island.
This made Nathan feel a bit melancholy.
After all, Valar Islands was where Pokémon and the Mystic Realms first originated.
But their ruling elite, closely linked to a Dark Organization used extreme and inhumane methods.
This led to a backlash and revolt from the Pokémon.
Eventually, Pokémon and Mystic Realms began appearing outside of Valar—
Especially in Celestial Star Nation, where the number of Mystic Realms gradually increased.
It could only be said—those who sow evil shall reap evil.
That tragedy also gave rise to the modern Pokémon League.
But back to the present—
Bella and Camilia were likely just two more victims of the Valar chaos.
Forced to leave their homeland and seek refuge here.
That would also explain Bella's silver hair.
Everyone in Valar, people have naturally colorful hair and heterochromatic eyes.
Some believe it's a curse.
Others think it's the result of illegal experiments.
"Thank you so much, and I'm very sorry. Bella must have caused you some trouble."
Camilia bowed deeply to Nathan, her beautiful face filled with gratitude and apology.
Nathan briefly wondered if she might be some kind of undercover agent.
But no matter how hard he probed with the viridian power.
He couldn't sense the slightest malice from either Camilia or Bella.
With his doubts cleared, Nathan smiled and said,
"No worries. Bella is very cute. If I had a little daughter like her, I'd probably be pretty happy."
It was just a polite remark—
But Nathan genuinely found Ling to be an adorable and charming little girl.
After all, emotionally, he was no longer young.
He couldn't help but yearn for a sweet, caring little companion to ease the loneliness in his heart.
But the little girl took it seriously.
She clung to Nathan's sleeve tightly and refused to let go.
"Master admitted Bella is her disciple! Bella wants to stay with Master and be a trainer~"
It took a long while for both Nathan and Camilia to finally calm her down and explain—
She had to attend school first before becoming a Pokémon Trainer.
These days, even a Trainer needs at least a middle school education.
"Sorry, I think I embarrassed myself in front of you," Nathan said awkwardly after seeing Camilia and Ling off.
"It's fine. Honestly, I kind of want a disciple that cute too."
Ethan shook his head with a warm smile, unfazed by being sidelined.
Nathan didn't leave immediately.
Instead, he accepted Ethan's invitation to stay for a couple of days.
On one hand, he could continue challenging Ethan to help Zeraora gain more experience.
On the other, Ethan's training facilities were top-notch.
Nathan could finally begin training Treecko properly.
Compared to a hotel, the gym's atmosphere felt far better.
No wonder many wealthy families would spare no expense to send their children here as apprentices.
It wasn't just about building a foundation.
It also gave them a head start, helping them pull ahead of their peers right from the beginning.
Nathan had no complaints—
That's just how the world works.
…
"Don't push! I want to see too! Nathan's still training?!"
"He really is a training machine, huh? Always either training or battling Gym Leader Ethan!"
"Exactly! And it's not just any battle—he's challenging an Elite-level trainer! Isn't that crazy
…
Outside the training room, a group of teenage apprentices stared at Nathan as if he were a monster.
They simply couldn't understand why he trained so hard.
Didn't he know how to rest?
It was just like in his previous life, where most kids couldn't comprehend the lives of academic prodigies.
But the truth was—
If a little effort led to clearly visible results,
They wouldn't be so dismissive.
Thanks to the system,
Nathan could feel his and his Pokémon's growth every day—
Base stats rising, experience bars filling,
And his own evolving insights into Pokémon training.
Just like how Ethan was obsessed with Pokéblocks because he could see how they helped his Pokémon improve—
Nathan experienced an even stronger sense of satisfaction and achievement.
"Treecko, don't give up! Your Leaf Blade can be even faster, even sharper!"
Locking eyes with Treecko, Nathan trained and motivated it with unwavering focus.
(End of Chapter)