Flygon nodded, then instantly turned into a streak of light and flew off, quickly landing on the beach.
After recalling Flygon, Nathan pulled out another Poké Ball and said,
"Mimikyu, come on out."
"Q~"
With a flash of light, Mimikyu appeared before him.
"Mimikyu, hide yourself and stay alert to our surroundings," Nathan instructed.
"Q~"
Mimikyu nodded and began fading into the surroundings, vanishing from sight.
For Ghost-type Pokémon, stealth was practically second nature. That's why they were considered essential partners for fieldwork and among the best for intelligence gathering.
Shouldering his backpack and holding his phone, Nathan glanced at the Kingler basking in the sun along the shore and chuckled softly. Unable to resist, he snapped a few photos of the sunny beach scene before heading toward the distant forest.
The island he was currently on was the easternmost one in the archipelago. His plan was to start from this island and explore his way through the rest.
There were three main objectives in an exploration mission:
Identify the strongest Pokémon level on the island.
Evaluate the environmental conditions.
Observe Pokémon populations.
The key was to determine whether there were any dangerous or aggressive Pokémon that were hostile to humans.
As he stepped into the forest, the lighting immediately grew dimmer compared to the beach.
He had only taken a few steps when suddenly a figure lunged at him at high speed, the ambush quick and startling.
But Nathan reacted swiftly.
"Mimikyu, Shadow Claw!"
Mimikyu, who had been hiding nearby, instantly appeared in front of Nathan, hovering in mid-air as it summoned sharp, dark claws from shadowy energy and slashed forward.
The attacking figure was immediately knocked away, landing in the distance with its tongue flicking as it stared coldly at Nathan.
Its eyes were full of menace.
It was a Seviper— a Poison-type Pokémon.
Much like Arbok, but even more terrifying in real life. Its body was nearly three meters long, resembling a giant snake. Just the sight of it was intimidating.
Poison dripped from its sharp fangs as it suddenly lunged again.
A piercing sound cut through the air.
"Poison Fang?" Nathan noticed the venom on its fangs and frowned. Without hesitation, he issued a command,
"Mimikyu, target its fangs with Shadow Ball and follow up with Shadow Claw!"
"Q~!"
Mimikyu leapt into the air, summoning a Shadow Ball in one hand and Shadow Claw in the other, intercepting the Seviper head-on.
Just as its fangs were about to sink into Mimikyu, the Shadow Ball slammed into its mouth, exploding on impact and blasting it away.
But it didn't stop there—Mimikyu immediately followed up with a sweeping Shadow Claw, slashing deep into Seviper's abdomen.
"Finish it with continuous Shadow Balls," Nathan commanded coldly.
"Q!"
Mimikyu nodded, summoning one Shadow Ball after another. Even though the Seviper had yet to get back up, Mimikyu launched a relentless barrage without hesitation.
This was the moment when his multitasking skills truly shined.
Boom!
The sounds of impact rang out continuously.
When Mimikyu finally stopped, the Seviper lay motionless on the ground, severely wounded—its fate uncertain.
"Even if it's not dead yet, it won't live long. The Zangoose on this island will finish it off," Nathan said coldly.
After all, Zangoose and Seviper were mortal enemies going back generations.
If there were Sevipers here, Zangoose were bound to appear as well.
Understanding the food chain involving different Pokémon species was basic knowledge for any elite trainer.
Though this was Nathan's first exploration mission, he had studied the essentials.
In some areas, where Arbok are present, one can also expect to find Pidgeotto or Spearow, and where those two are found, there are often Magikarp nearby.
Elite trainers often use this kind of logic to estimate the variety and quantity of local Pokémon species. Additionally, one could identify the species based on the types of berries they used.
These were considered minor yet useful tips among elite trainers.
After taking care of the Seviper, Nathan moved on. His first task was to get a general sense of the Pokémon species and their average levels. This could be determined relatively easily—just by observing and checking a few wild Pokémon.
In any given environment, the power level of most wild Pokémon tends to fall within a certain range, with only a rare few breaking past that threshold to become significantly stronger.
As he walked, Nathan had his phone hanging from his neck and a notebook in one hand, recording his observations: species, strength levels, and other findings from the island.
The sky gradually darkened.
Throughout the day, he had encountered many battles. The weaker ones were dealt with by Mimikyu, while stronger opponents were handled by Pangoro.
Thanks to this, Mimikyu had leveled up to 24—now at the advanced tier.
"It's getting late. I need to find a place to rest," Nathan muttered as he looked at the darkening sky. He was just about to have Mimikyu scout the area for a lake or suitable shelter when—
Tap, tap.
Footsteps.
...Someone was approaching!
Nathan immediately turned around and saw a figure slowly emerge into view.
It was a human—a middle-aged man with stubble, wearing a hat and camouflage clothing. He didn't look like a soldier, but rather a trainer who frequently survived in the wild.
"Who are you?" Nathan frowned, a bit wary.
"You must be an elite trainer, right? Here on an exploration mission?" the man asked with a crooked grin.
"Yeah." Nathan nodded.
But the next moment, his expression changed sharply.
Without hesitation, he shouted,
"Pangoro—Iron Body!"
"Raaahh!!"
With a roar, Pangoro emerged from its Poké Ball, landing behind Nathan, its body hardening like steel.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
It sounded like a sharp weapon had just slammed into Pangoro's body.
"Q~!"
Mimikyu also let out an angry cry and launched two Shadow Balls at the attacker behind Nathan.
But the figure quickly dodged, landing beside the middle-aged man.
Now Nathan got a clear look—it was a Scizor.
Just as he had been about to answer the man's question, he had sensed a dangerous air slicing toward him. That's why he had shouted for Pangoro.
This Scizor was powerful—likely commander level—and terrifying when ambushing from the shadows. Mimikyu wouldn't have stood a chance.
Luckily, Pangoro had reacted fast. If not, Nathan might've been cut down on the spot by Scizor's blades.
"You're a hunter?" Nathan said coldly, his eyes now icy and filled with rage.
He had a deep disdain for people like this.
Hunters existed among elite trainers. These people would frequently take on exploration missions—not to complete them, but to scout out promising ambush locations. Once they found a good spot, they would abandon the mission and remain hidden there, lying in wait.
They would ambush other elite trainers arriving to carry out their tasks, killing them and stealing their Pokémon and supplies.
Such people were known as hunters.
Some of them would squat in an area for months, waiting for prey. Judging by the man's ragged appearance, he'd likely been here for quite some time—who knows how many had died by his hand.
Nathan had heard of such people before, but he hadn't expected to encounter one on his very first mission.
"Didn't expect you to react so fast," the man sneered with a twisted grin. "But it won't help you. I've had my eyes on you all day. Your strongest Pokémon is probably only Gym-tier, right? I suggest you hand over your Poké Balls and I'll make sure you don't suffer too much."
Nathan smirked coldly. "You seem pretty confident for someone who hasn't even started fighting."
"Shouldn't I be?" the man chuckled.
Then he clapped his hands. One by one, red beams of light flashed around him.
Including the Scizor, six Pokémon appeared before Nathan.
Gengar.
Crobat.
Mightyena.
Victreebel.
Clawitzer.
And the Scizor.
Six in total. Other than Scizor, all were Gym-level—an undeniably formidable lineup.
Moreover, each one was especially well-suited for ambushes in the wild.
"Hope you're carrying something good, my prey," the man sneered, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Hunters like him viewed each victim as a treasure chest waiting to be opened—always eager to see what surprises might lie inside.
"Prey?"
Nathan shook his head and smiled. "You're awfully optimistic. But who's the hunter and who's the prey here... might not be so easy to tell."
"Come out, little ones."
As Nathan's voice fell, the middle-aged man's face changed. An ominous feeling gripped his chest. Without any hesitation, he shouted,
"Kill him!"
At his command, Scizor instantly rushed toward Nathan at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.
But—
Buzz.
A shimmering barrier of light appeared, instantly enveloping Nathan.
Metagross's eyes glowed as it activated its psychic power, materializing just in time to shield its trainer.