She laughed. Truly laughed.
If he really had run off with some woman, then that would only mean the sun must have risen from the west.
Since childhood, she had never once seen Nathan show any overly intimate gestures with any woman.
If there really were any exceptions, then those would only be the female Pokémon at his side.
"Pfft~ Can't you be a little more mindful with your words in front of a maiden who hasn't even married yet?"
Understanding what Lily meant, Evelyn's face flushed red as she spoke.
Even if she and Nathan really had that kind of relationship, there was absolutely no need for him to say something like this out loud.
"All right, all right, next time I catch him, I'll teach him a lesson for you, will that do?"
Lily chuckled, looping her arm through Evelyn's as she said it.
Toward Evelyn, Lily truly felt quite grateful.
After all, without her, Nathan's company might very well have ended up falling onto her shoulders to manage…
Meanwhile, Nathan had already walked over to Grog's side, listening as Grog briefly explained the wedding process to him.
"Don't worry, I know you're eager to get through the wedding smoothly. I'll definitely have all the battles wrapped up within an hour."
Nathan patted his chest confidently as he promised.
His battle with the three challengers would take place right before the ring exchange.
And now, the time was already close to 11:30. The best outcome would be to finish all the battles before 12:30.
Otherwise, if things dragged out too long, it would delay the rest of the wedding schedule.
"As expected, Boss, you really understand me."
Grog grinned cheekily.
The wedding program officially began. The host took the microphone and began speaking, going on for nearly two minutes straight.
He recited one touching, sentimental line after another. Nathan honestly had no idea what this host was thinking.
Unfortunately for him, Nathan was a straight-laced guy—a straight man who already had a girlfriend.
All this sentimental fluff? He was completely immune to it.
"To celebrate Mr. Gelleon's wedding, we have invited none other than the World Champion—Nathan! He will be giving us a few exhibition-style battles!"
(TN: Gelleon is Grog's lastname, never know Grog was supposed to be this important, I thought he was just random thug.)
"Let's give a round of applause for World Champion Nathan Vesper, and also for his challengers!"
With countless eyes on him, the host raised his voice.
The moment he finished speaking, many guests began looking around in surprise.
After all, most of them had absolutely no idea they'd get to see Nathan battle at this wedding.
And to people nowadays, watching a Pokémon battle was far more entertaining than listening to singing or watching some dance performance.
All the more so when the one battling was none other than World Champion Nathan.
They were all incredibly curious—how in the world had this wedding managed to invite him here?
Nathan straightened his clothes, then calmly took out a Poké Ball. With a flick of his wrist, he released Volcarona.
The instant Volcarona appeared, countless gazes were drawn in an instant.
Everyone immediately recognized it. This was Nathan's Volcarona.
And some with sharper eyes even noticed the subtle changes in Volcarona's appearance.
"Did it evolve again? It looks even more stunning now~"
"Wow~ I love it, I love it. Just attending this wedding and getting to see Nathan's battle—our money for the wedding gift was worth every cent."
"I've got to record this. Miss this chance and I might not get to see something like this again for decades."
…
The appearance of Nathan and Volcarona sent waves of excitement through the crowd.
"Thank you all for coming to Grog's wedding. As Grog's closest friend, I promise to show you a wedding unlike any you've ever attended—a grand event that belongs solely to him!"
After saying that, Nathan gave a signal.
Volcarona flapped its wings, summoning a fireball before it.
The fireball rapidly ascended skyward.
When it reached a certain height, it suddenly exploded.
Up in the sky, four blazing characters formed from fire appeared: "A Hundred Years of Harmony".
"This… this is way too beautiful…"
"So romantic! Honey, let's hold a wedding like this too someday."
"The control of that Pokémon is insane! To shape fire into words—that's incredible!"
…
Though it was merely a small display, it left many utterly stunned.
Sure, many Pokémon could release fiery sparks or fireballs.
In fact, nearly any Fire-type could.
But to control those flames with such precision that they formed words in the sky—outside of Volcarona, they had never seen another Pokémon achieve it.
The level of control required was far too high.
Without Champion-level strength or above, it was simply impossible.
At that moment, the three challengers who had yet to face Nathan finally stepped forward as well.
Originally, they had been planning to leave.
After all, who would have the mind to fight Nathan during someone else's wedding, in front of so many people?
Winning would be fine, but if they lost, it would be a humiliating spectacle in front of everyone.
But this was precisely where the power of money came into play.
Nathan had announced directly: as long as they stayed and battled him at the wedding, win or lose, each would receive two million worth of Pokémon resources.
Instantly, the three could only grin bitterly—how could they refuse?
Yes, they each owned Legendary-level Pokémon.
But that did not mean they were wealthy.
On the contrary, they were practically destitute.
After all, raising Pokémon required a massive amount of resources, far more than their income could keep up with.
For them, two million worth of resources meant at least a full month's supply at minimum.
Compared to that, what did a little pride matter?
After exchanging brief greetings with the audience, Nathan mounted Volcarona and soared out over the sea.
This resort was built on the water, so naturally the battles would take place over the sea as well.
To ensure no one else would be harmed, Grog had already arranged for all nearby boats to clear out early.
For today, this stretch of ocean belonged solely to Nathan's battlefield.
"Come then. Which one of you will go first?"
Seated atop Volcarona, Nathan looked at the three, who were each astride their own flying Pokémon.
One of them spoke up at once. "I'll go first!"
They had already planned out the order beforehand.
The one whose Pokémon type was least countered by Nathan's would step up first.
This would help pave the way for the others, hopefully securing at least one or two victories.
But before his opponent could even release a Pokémon, Nathan had already thrown out a Poké Ball of his own.
The first Pokémon he sent out was none other than Mewtwo—now clad in its brand-new battle armor.
With Mewtwo's power, combined with the new armor, Nathan was absolutely certain—
No matter what Pokémon his opponent chose, Mewtwo could handle it with ease.
Seeing Nathan bring out Mewtwo right from the start, the three challengers immediately let out a heavy breath.
The moment Mewtwo emerged, the guests at the wedding collectively froze, their breaths catching.
So, this was Nathan's Mewtwo…!
When people thought of Nathan, the first image that came to mind was, of course, his overwhelmingly powerful Volcarona.
The second was always Mewtwo.
Yes, Nathan's second Pokémon was Pangoro.
But compared with Mewtwo, Pangoro left far less of an impression.
It couldn't be helped—Mewtwo's strength was overwhelming, and coupled with its striking, elegant form, it left an unforgettable mark.
"Go on, release your Pokémon."
Nathan smiled faintly as he spoke.
Though these three had been persuaded by money to stay, he had to admit—this money was well spent.
"Come out, Spectrier!"
At his opponent's command, a jet-black Pokémon materialized before them.
This horse's entire body was pitch-black, not reflecting even the slightest glint of light.
Under the sun, it seemed almost like a lump of shadowy matter absorbing the sunlight.
Its four hooves appeared almost ghostly, their color shifting between pale white and mostly blue, blending subtly against the sea below.
Spectrier's tail was a soft bluish hue, slightly curled, and strikingly beautiful.
Different from its body, its mane was a deep, dark blue, with a single snowy-white fringe falling over its forehead.
This was Nathan's first time seeing a Spectrier in person, and he had to admit—it was truly an exceptional mount.
Even setting aside strength, the sheer appearance alone was enough to win countless fans.
Handsome beyond question.
According to the Pokédex records, Spectrier's greatest strength lay not in sight, but in its other five senses.
Its perception was extraordinary. From great distances away, it could detect the presence of other living beings.
In battle, this heightened awareness allowed it to seize the advantage against opponents with ease.
"I'm really curious," Nathan asked with some puzzlement, "just how exactly did you get a Spectrier to fight alongside you?"
There was no doubt of its power—as a Legendary Pokémon, it stood among the most formidable of its kind.
But its nature was unusual. Spectrier was a Pokémon that favored solitude and silence.
In its own territory, it was rare to see any other creatures at all.
If another lifeform entered, it was almost always driven out.
And yet here was someone who could bring a Spectrier to fight at his side.
That truly surprised Nathan.
"It's nothing so mysterious," the man replied without hesitation. "I planted an entire field of shaderoot carrots for Spectrier."
(End of Chapter)