Spending three hundred million on a sparring session—this might just be the most expensive sparring match in the world.
"I'm sure. I can afford the three hundred million. After all, I have my own ways of making money," Nathan said with a forced smile.
At that moment, Lily ran over as well. When she heard that Nathan needed to spend three hundred million to rebuild the training hall, she was stunned.
That's an astronomical amount—could Nathan really afford it?
Sure, she knew he could earn money. Back in Valar, he'd just received one hundred million PokéCoins from Hana.
But this was three hundred million!
"Nathan, how about I give you my money? It's not much, but…"
Lily tugged gently on the hem of Nathan's shirt, speaking carefully.
Nathan paused, turned around to look at her, and then gently pulled her into his arms.
With a girlfriend like this, what more could a man ask for? Truly a wonderful woman—
cough cough, that didn't sound quite right.
"If you think I can't even come up with three hundred million, you're really underestimating me."
Nathan whispered softly in Lily's ear.
Still, he couldn't deny that her gesture touched him deeply. Very few people would offer something like that so sincerely.
…
Just then, Mayor John arrived.
He had just finished a meeting and was planning to head home for a relaxing dinner with his wife and daughter.
But no sooner had he stepped out of his office than he heard the explosion.
When he found out it had come from the Pokémon University, he didn't hesitate for a second and drove straight there.
As he approached, he saw the massive flames shooting into the sky.
At first, he thought it was a terrorist attack or some other assault.
But once he got closer and saw Nathan talking with the school president, he walked directly over.
"What happened here? Nathan, why are you here?" Mayor John asked.
"Student Nathan's Pokémon were sparring… and they blew up the training hall," the president said plainly.
Mayor John was left speechless.
"Nathan, really... from now on, you might have to let your Pokémon spar only in the wild or in mystic realms. This is the second one now."
Mayor John shook his head with a helpless smile.
First it was the Murakami arena, and now it's the Grace City University's training facility. Who knew what place would be next?
Suddenly, Mayor John thought of the upcoming World Tournament.
He wondered: Is Nathan going to destroy the whole island too?
As soon as that thought popped into his head, he forced himself to forget it.
Sure, Nathan's Pokémon were strong, but destroying an island? That was too much.
"I'll definitely be more careful next time. I'm already planning to pay to rebuild the place," Nathan said awkwardly.
Honestly, at this point, Nathan was considering just buying his own island.
Every time he trained his Pokémon, he had to worry about causing property damage. There was just no private space anymore.
Maybe…
A new idea popped into Nathan's mind and refused to leave.
If he actually got his own island, then he could let his Pokémon spar freely anytime, anywhere.
"You're going to pay to rebuild it? Don't bother. Keep your money and use it to train your Pokémon. I'll take care of the reconstruction," Mayor John said, immediately taking responsibility.
Truth be told, Mayor John had been wanting to thank Nathan for a long time.
The atmosphere in Grace City had always been problematic, and there never seemed to be a solution.
But ever since Nathan came along, things had started to change for the better.
As the city mayor, Mayor John conducted an investigation and discovered that all these changes really did originate from Nathan.
It turned out that Grog had been working to clean up Grace City's environment under Nathan's instructions.
After realizing this, Mayor John was genuinely grateful.
Fixing Grace City's societal problems would be an enormous boost to the city's future.
It meant more investment opportunities, city expansion, and potentially a rise to first-tier status.
'If it weren't for those issues, Grace City might already be a top-tier city by now' Mayor John thought.
"But I was the one who caused the damage. Why should you be the one to pay for it?" Nathan asked, puzzled.
"Because I know exactly what Grog has been doing," Mayor John replied with a grin.
Both the president and Lily looked completely baffled.
Someone wanted to take on the three-hundred-million expense?
And it wasn't to earn three hundred million—it was to spend it!
"Well then, I won't hold back~"
Nathan didn't act modest and readily accepted Mayor John's offer.
At that moment, both the president and Lily could tell there was more going on beneath the surface between Nathan and Mayor John.
But the good news was: the training hall problem was resolved.
Now that the city was handling it, there'd be no need to worry.
With someone else footing the bill, Nathan and Lily headed out.
There was no need for him to stick around any longer.
"Nathan, can you tell me why the mayor is willing to pay for the damage you caused?"
As they walked, Lily couldn't contain her curiosity.
"You want to know? I'll take you to meet someone, then you'll understand," Nathan said with a smile, without directly answering her question.
Lily guessed that this probably had something to do with Grog.
Before long, Nathan brought her to a restaurant.
Inside, he told the staff that he was looking for Grog.
Soon, a server led them to a private room.
Inside the private room, Grog and Mira were already waiting.
"Boss, you're finally here! You can start bringing out the dishes now!"
Grog stood up to greet him, then invited Nathan to sit at the head of the table, while he and Mira sat on either side.
"This is my girlfriend, Lily. And this is Grog, the one I mentioned to Mayor John. As for her, she's his girlfriend."
After they were seated, Nathan briefly introduced everyone.
"Nice to meet you, sister-in-law!"
Grog stood up respectfully and greeted her.
Lily felt a little awkward.
Grog looked to be in his late 30s, nearly 40.
She wasn't even 20 yet—being called "sister-in-law" by a man that age felt… strange.
The food came quickly. While waiting, Nathan told them what had happened at the university.
"Oh, that's what it was! I was wondering who dared to act so recklessly in Grace City. Turns out it was you, Boss,"
Grog said with a laugh.
He'd been working hard to clean up the city's culture.
So when he heard that explosion, his first reaction had been to hunt down whoever caused it.
Explosions of that scale were rare in Grace City—most of the factories were in the outskirts, far from the city center.
It had to be close by.
But since he was waiting for Nathan, he held himself back.
"From the way you talk, you make it sound like I'm some kind of mob boss,"
Nathan said, exasperated.
To be fair, his current position in Grace City was a bit like a crime lord—but that wasn't the point!
"I'll be more careful next time, I promise," Grog chuckled.
After their meal, the four of them left the restaurant.
At the dinner table, Lily finally understood why Mayor John was willing to cover Nathan's damages.
Anyone who could clean up the atmosphere of an entire city deserved that kind of support.
Since Nathan had given Grog his dorm to use for building his relationship with Mira, he currently had nowhere to stay.
Just as he was about to find a hotel, Grog spoke up.
"Boss, let me take you to see the place I prepared for you,"
Grog said with a mischievous smile—he had a surprise waiting.
…
Originally, Grog had prepared this surprise just for Nathan.
But now it seemed he'd have to share it with the "sister-in-law" too.
Before long, Grog led Nathan to a somewhat remote forested area.
"Grog, don't tell me you set up a tent for me in this forest,"
Nathan said with a dark expression.
He'd expected at least an apartment if not a full-on villa.
But now? They were in the middle of nowhere.
What was this—was he going to get stabbed in the back and buried in the woods?
"Aw, Boss, you wound me! That really hurts~"
Grog said with exaggerated sorrow.
(End of Chapter)