Looking at the seemingly heavy crates placed before him, Nathan could already more or less guess what was inside.
Mega Stones!
After all, his business of collecting Mega Stones was no secret; quite a lot of people knew about it.
Perhaps an ordinary person wouldn't be able to tell the difference between common rocks and Mega Stones.
But Nathan was certain—if anyone could tell them apart, it was definitely the state.
"I don't know exactly what these stones are used for in your hands, but what I do know is that you care very much about them."
As Anthony spoke, the men who had carried in the crates pried them open, and then quietly left the room.
When Nathan looked inside and saw the hundreds of Mega Stones piled within, he couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath of cold air.
These were all Mega Stones!
Unable to resist, he stepped closer, reached into the crate, and picked up several of them, examining them one by one.
Just as he was about to speak, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of a particular Mega Stone.
That was—!!
Mewtwo's Y Mega Stone!
Ever since Nathan had obtained Mewtwo's X Mega Stone, he had been persistently searching for the Y counterpart.
Yet the world was vast, and there were countless secret realms. To search through such a boundless land for one specific Mega Stone he desired…
It was easier said than done. Which was why, even to this day, he had yet to find it.
But who could have thought that here, of all places, he would actually lay eyes upon Mewtwo's Y Mega Stone?
"It seems there's something inside that my young friend is particularly fond of."
As a man already in his seventies or eighties, Anthony could be said to be a veteran of the human world, shrewd and astute.
He had seen clearly how Nathan's expression had shifted the moment he noticed that specific stone.
Such a change could only happen when someone came face-to-face with something they had deeply longed for.
"You're right. Among these, there is indeed one stone that I want very badly. I suppose what you want in exchange are my self-created moves, isn't that so?"
Nathan didn't bother concealing it and spoke directly.
Hearing this, Anthony was nearly certain—the deal had gone through.
"I wonder if you'd be willing to share your self-created moves? I give you my word, they will never spread beyond our walls."
Anthony's tone was firm and assured.
Truthfully, there was no urgent need to rush this matter. But with the Pokémon Corps' competition about to begin, the situation had changed.
In past years, Celestia's Pokémon Corps had never once made it into the top ten.
But this time, with Nathan's arrival and the appearance of his self-created moves, Anthony saw a glimmer of hope.
If they could master these unique techniques, Anthony was confident his corps could break into the top three—perhaps even seize first place.
In the days before Pokémon appeared, military competitions had been limited to conventional forms of contest.
But after the arrival of Pokémon, such events were gradually phased out and replaced with Pokémon Corps tournaments.
"Very well. These self-created moves are indeed precious, but let this count as my contribution to the nation."
Nathan nodded slightly as he spoke.
The Navy Six Styles—hardly something he felt pained to part with.
"Hahaha! Excellent! I like your temperament. Straightforward, without needless scheming."
Anthony let out a hearty laugh.
Before meeting him, he had worried that Nathan might behave like a shrewd merchant, circling endlessly around every subject.
But in practice, conversing with him was refreshingly direct.
He realized that Nathan was not the type to haggle endlessly—his words and actions were clean, crisp, and to the point.
"In that case, I'll trouble you to have these stones delivered to my estate."
Nathan gestured toward the crates.
There were far too many Mega Stones here for him to carry away himself.
"No problem. But since this is only the beginning, shouldn't you remain here for a few days? Help me oversee the training in these moves?"
Even before Nathan had arrived, Anthony had watched videos of his battles.
He knew well that learning such moves was not easy—after all, even Nathan's own Mewtwo had taken quite some time just to grasp a portion of them.
Not to mention the soldiers under his command—their Pokémon were far from Nathan's Mewtwo in strength.
"That goes without saying. If they want to learn my moves to perfection, then I'll have to personally instruct them."
The words might have sounded arrogant, but they were nothing but the truth.
To learn a new move, and to wield it skillfully in battle, were two completely different matters.
Though the Navy Six Styles contained only six forms, the number of combat applications that could be derived from them was practically endless.
"Do you have paper and pen? I'll write down the essentials of the moves."
Nathan asked Anthony.
Since he had already decided to hand over the Navy Six Styles, there was no need for hesitation.
Anthony quickly had someone bring paper and pen.
The sound of brushstrokes filled the room as Nathan began to write, while Anthony watched expectantly, his gaze unwavering.
Before long, Nathan had finished writing down the key points of the Navy Six Styles.
He handed the papers over casually.
Anthony leaned forward, examining every word carefully, afraid he might miss the slightest detail.
After several long minutes, he finally finished reading through all three sheets.
"Genius. You are truly a genius!"
Anthony could not hold back his exclamation.
Each of the Navy Six Styles was remarkably refined and professional.
If he hadn't known that Nathan was only twenty years old, he would have thought that the creator of these techniques must have been some fifty-year-old grandmaster.
Without vast experience and a deep well of insight, there was no way anyone could have devised such formidable moves.
"You flatter me. Truly, you do."
Nathan replied modestly.
With the Navy Six Styles in hand, the two men's conversation flowed even more pleasantly.
"All right, it's quite late already. I'll have someone prepare a room for you. Stay here for the night."
Anthony glanced at the darkened sky outside and suggested.
Nathan nodded in agreement.
That night passed without incident. At seven o'clock the following morning—
Before Nathan had even woken up on his own, a knock sounded at the door.
"Instructor Nathan, when will you be getting up?"
Awakening to the voice outside, Nathan immediately recalled that he was now inside the military camp.
After a quick wash, he stepped outside.
Following someone's lead, he had a simple breakfast, and thus began his life as an instructor.
Until now, Nathan had always been training and nurturing only his own Pokémon.
But now, he would be training the Pokémon of others.
When he arrived at the training grounds and saw the company of one hundred soldiers arrayed before him, he immediately felt a headache coming on.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nathan Vesper. For the next few days, I'll be guiding your Pokémon in learning new moves."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the soldiers below burst into a neat round of applause.
The reaction left Nathan feeling rather uncomfortable.
"Who among you is the squad captain?"
If he was going to train these people's Pokémon, he needed to know them first.
And the fastest way to do that was to start with the captain.
Compared to him being parachuted in, the captain of this hundred-man unit would certainly know them best.
"Report, Instructor! I am Crane Watson, captain of the Pokémon Squad!"
One man standing to the side of the formation spoke out.
Nathan beckoned him forward.
When Crane approached and saw that the young man before him was several years younger than himself, he could not help but feel conflicted.
Truth be told, before Nathan arrived, he had been full of dissatisfaction in his heart.
But since it was Elder Anthony's order that made Nathan their instructor, no matter how unhappy he was, he could only swallow it down.
"Do you have the files for their Pokémon? Bring me a copy."
Nathan pointed to the company below.
"Yes, sir!"
Crane answered and hurried off. Before long, he returned with a printed dossier in hand.
Taking the file, Nathan dismissed the company to move freely.
He then walked off to one side, flipping through the pages with a pen in hand, jotting down notes here and there.
"Captain, do you think this kid is really up to the task?"
Elliot sidled up beside Crane and whispered.
The two of them came from the same village and had always been close.
When the orders had been handed down from above, Elliot had been just as indignant on his friend's behalf.
Within the Pokémon Squad, Crane had always been something of a role model, the one who truly kept things in order.
Normally, any change regarding the squad would be discussed with him.
But this time, without a word, someone else had simply been assigned as their instructor.
They acknowledged Nathan's strength—this, everyone knew well.
But serving as an instructor was not simply about raw power.
The crucial part was whether he could actually teach them anything.
"I don't know. We'll just do as he says. As long as we learn seriously, that's enough."
Crane replied, his expression not looking too pleasant.
As for stirring up trouble for Nathan, no one dared do such a thing.
Maybe such defiance might appear elsewhere.
But here, it was absolutely forbidden.
Anyone caught trying to play the rebel could easily face severe punishment.
(End of Chapter)