The soldiers arrived to coordinate, but the Pokémon—led by Volcarona—completely ignored them.
"What should we do? We saw Trainer Nathan passed out when we got here. If something were to happen…"
One soldier said anxiously.
"Why don't we try having the Pokémon heal Nathan?"
A medic suggested.
"But how? We can't even get close,"
Another soldier asked, clearly troubled.
This was Nathan, after all. When the Pokémon riot happened in Grace City, they all witnessed Nathan in action. He played the biggest role in suppressing the riot, and they obviously wanted to help him now.
"Chansey, use Heal Bell on them."
A paramedic released a Chansey and instructed it to use a healing move toward the group of Pokémon surrounding Volcarona.
A gentle, melodious chime echoed down the devastated street, bringing a sense of post-battle beauty to the ruined area.
This action inspired the others as well.
Another trainer released their Pokémon—an Aromatisse.
As soon as it came out, the trainer instructed it to use Aromatherapy.
A thick, fragrant aroma wafted from Aromatisse's body.
With its healing nature, Aromatisse was highly effective at treating injuries.
Unlike Chansey's Heal Bell, which cured abnormal statuses, Aromatherapy helped more broadly with physical conditions.
The two moves complemented each other well.
At the very least, they could see the wounds on Volcarona and the other Pokémon beginning to heal.
But Nathan, lying in the middle and protected by the Pokémon, still showed no signs of waking up.
"Could it be that Nathan is more seriously hurt than we thought?"
A paramedic said with a frown.
"Should we try another move?"
In terms of combat, the soldiers were brave and relentless, but when it came to healing, they were clearly lacking.
"Chansey, use Wish!"
To be honest, the medic usually avoided using Wish unless necessary.
The energy cost of the move was always unpredictable.
Sometimes it only used a little, but other times it drained a massive amount of strength. In special cases, it could consume even more.
But considering that Nathan was a key figure in Grace City, the medic didn't hesitate any longer.
Chansey clasped its hands to its chest and began chanting softly in Pokémon language.
Golden sparkles slowly rose from Chansey's body and floated upward before drifting down onto Nathan, lying in the center of the gathered Pokémon.
As the sparkles touched him, Nathan's psychic energy began to recover rapidly.
Chansey, having finished casting the move, immediately looked drained and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Seeing their Pokémon faint, the trainer quickly returned Chansey to its Poké Ball—where it could recover more effectively.
Meanwhile, in his unconscious state, Nathan heard the gentle chimes and caught the soothing scent in the air.
A warm sensation washed over him, as if he were soaking in a hot spring…
After receiving treatment, Nathan quickly regained consciousness.
Though awake, he still felt a throbbing pain in his head.
Seeing all his Pokémon surrounding and protecting him filled his heart with emotion.
This… this is the loyalty of Pokémon.
He gently comforted them, then recalled them back into their Poké Balls.
With the Pokémon out of the way, the soldiers finally dared to approach.
"Nathan, are you okay?"
"Are you hurt anywhere? We'll take you to the hospital right away!"
Even before reaching him, their voices of concern rang out.
"I'm fine. Have the members of the Dark Organization been captured?"
Nathan asked, fully aware of his own condition. The current symptoms were entirely due to overexertion during his synchronization with his Pokémon. A couple of days of rest, and he'd be back to normal.
"Don't worry, they've all been apprehended."
Just then, Mayor John finally arrived.
He had been in his office when he received the urgent report and rushed over immediately.
Of course, he couldn't beat the military or medics in speed.
On the way, he'd already learned that the target of the ambush was Nathan.
That news sent his heart racing with panic.
Nathan was now a national treasure—he was the reigning national champion and one of the top contenders for the upcoming World Championships.
If something happened to him in Grace City, Mayor John's position as mayor could very well be taken by someone else.
He had his driver speed through the city, running countless red lights just to get there faster.
It wasn't that he didn't want to ride a Pokémon—he simply didn't have one…
When he finally saw Nathan alive and well, Mayor John let out a massive sigh of relief.
Had anything happened, he would've become a national disgrace.
"Phew~ Nathan, thank goodness you're okay,"
Mayor John said, scanning him from head to toe.
"You even called the mayor over?"
Nathan chuckled.
The battle was over, the enemy captured—he could finally relax.
Mayor John rolled his eyes at Nathan.
How could I not come? Don't you know your own status?
"Let's not talk about that. You'd better start preparing. The Pacific Regional Tournament is right around the corner. Can you even compete in your current condition?"
Nathan blinked. The tournament was already that soon? Wasn't there still half a month?
"But… isn't there still two weeks? Isn't that enough time?"
Mayor John sighed inwardly.
Just as he expected—Nathan hadn't been paying attention at all.
But he didn't blame him.
Lately, Nathan hadn't had a moment to rest—constantly exploring secret realms or fighting battles.
Even the little time he did have was consumed on the way to more fights.
"There is still half a month, but didn't you check the announcement? The Pacific Tournament is being held in the Valar island nation, and their officials have already sent invitations."
Mayor John sounded exasperated.
Nathan pulled out his phone and opened the World Championship announcement page.
Sure enough, as Mayor John had said, the Pacific tournament would be held in the island nation.
Moreover, the local government had extended invitations for participating trainers to arrive early and enjoy the local scenery.
But the announcement had only been posted today.
When it was posted, Nathan had probably been eating…
Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't have looked at it anyway.
Because he was lazy.
Training his Pokémon already consumed most of his time. Who had the spare energy to read announcements? As long as he remembered the match date, that was good enough.
"Alright then, half a month is enough for me to recover. But about going early… can't we discuss that?"
To be honest, Nathan wasn't eager to head over early.
In the country, everything was convenient—plus, he still hadn't visited Entei.
There were plenty of things left unfinished. Rushing off for a few days of sightseeing felt like a huge waste of time.
"You're not the only one in the tournament, you know. What, you want to be the grand finale?"
There was no way Nathan would be the only one competing in the World Championships.
If he started acting like a special case now, it would give people the impression that he wasn't a team player.
And that wouldn't be good.
"Besides, it's a free vacation, and you still don't want to go?"
Nathan sighed.
Do I look like someone who needs free travel?
His studio made so much money every year—if he really wanted to travel, he could've toured the world already.
"Alright, we'll see,"
Nathan said helplessly.
Dragging his exhausted body and pounding head, he returned to the dorm.
He didn't do anything—just collapsed onto his bed and immediately fell asleep.
When Nathan woke up again, it was already the next evening.
His phone had over a dozen unread messages.
Aside from messages from Lily and his parents, there were also a few from Kelly.
He replied to his parents and Lily first, then checked the ones from Kelly.
Kelly's messages were short.
Mainly, he asked when Nathan planned to head to the island nation.
He also conveyed a message from higher-ups: urging Nathan to hurry up and locate a Legendary Pokémon.
"Sigh… such a hard life. Was I a slacker in my past life or something? Why is this life so exhausting?"
Nathan sighed deeply.
After quickly eating dinner, he found himself still wide awake from having just gotten up.
With nothing better to do, he wandered the streets of Grace City.
(End of Chapter)