The voice did not come from Mewtwo's mouth—it was something that directly rang out inside Nathan's mind.
Still, it reminded Nathan of that Shadow Mewtwo.
Now, there were only about ten months left before the Shadow Mewtwo returned to challenge Mewtwo.
Yet Mewtwo's strength had improved very, very little.
Although it now had battle armor, which added a measure of confidence, that only meant it could hold its ground for a while in a fight.
But to truly defeat that Shadow Mewtwo? At least as things stood now, Mewtwo was nowhere near capable of that.
However, once Mewtwo advanced to the Legendary level, things would be different.
Between a Legendary and anything below Legendary lay a vast gulf, a divide that for Pokémon was practically an unbridgeable chasm.
Nathan's Pokémon were almost all raised with extreme, meticulous care. Every attribute and move they possessed was polished to the peak of their tier.
Even so, to defeat a Legendary-level Pokémon required enormous effort, and it was entirely possible to still lose.
Not to mention the challenge of taking down a Shadow Mewtwo.
"It's fine. Once you are strong enough to defeat Xerneas, Shadow Mewtwo will no longer be a problem for you."
…
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and Nathan arrived at Grog's wedding.
When Grog heard that Nathan had come, he personally came to greet him right away.
He had actually been waiting outside the resort since early morning, anxiously watching the road.
The reason was simple: Nathan had once promised him something. Grog was afraid that Nathan might be late—or worse, not show up at all.
"Boss, you finally came!"
The moment Grog saw Nathan arrive, his face lit up with excitement.
Today, he was the groom, and he had spent quite some time dressing up for the occasion.
Nathan looked at the transformed Grog and almost didn't recognize him.
Normally, Grog wore whatever felt the most comfortable.
In summer it was short sleeves, baggy shorts, and flip-flops. In winter he would throw on a big black mink coat.
But today? Today he was in a sharp black suit, and his hair, usually a wild bird's nest, had been neatly combed.
Styled into a clean, simple side-swept cut, it made him look ten years younger.
He even had a touch of light makeup on his face. Aside from the slightly rounded belly that his suit couldn't quite hide, this Grog really looked as if he had turned back the clock a decade.
"Tsk tsk, so this is the power of marriage. You really are different today."
Nathan clicked his tongue as he spoke.
"Don't worry. Since I promised you before, I won't go back on my word. I'll definitely give you a surprise later."
Hearing that, Grog finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was exactly what he had been waiting for Nathan to say.
"Then relax, Boss. Make yourself comfortable—I've got to run. Too much to do today."
After those words, Grog quickly turned away, busying himself once more. As the groom, his duties were endless.
At that moment, a figure in a pale yellow evening gown approached Nathan.
It was Lily.
Her appearance was already flawless on any ordinary day, but now, with her casual wear traded for a formal gown, she truly stunned Nathan—an instant that made his eyes brighten.
The elegant hairstyle she had styled earlier only amplified her beauty. Looking at her, Nathan felt like he had wasted more than a decade of his life.
A woman this beautiful… he really should have made a move much earlier!
"What kind of crooked thoughts are you having?"
Lily said sweetly with a smiling face, looping her arm through Nathan's.
But while she smiled, her delicate hand had already slipped around to his waist.
With a subtle twist of her fingers—half a circle, a full one hundred and eighty degrees—Nathan's face, which had been wearing a grin, instantly contorted in pain.
"Gentle, gentle! I was wrong, okay?!"
In just one instant, he surrendered.
This pain—it was every man's nightmare. And Nathan was no exception.
To him, no broken bone or serious injury could compare to the sting of this little twist.
"Wrong? You're Nathan, the World Champion. How could you possibly be wrong?"
Though her heart secretly rejoiced at hearing his admission, Lily refused to let him off verbally.
After all, as a couple, the two of them should have arrived together.
Yet Nathan, too absorbed in training his Pokémon inside the mystic realm, had left her to come alone.
And worse, she had waited—an hour or two at that.
The wedding was set for noon, and Lily had arrived before ten.
Nathan didn't show up until nearly half past eleven.
Put this situation in front of any woman, and how many would be happy?
"Next time I'll definitely come early. But you know I only did it so I'd be more prepared to face the challenges later."
Nathan muttered in a low voice.
This time, at Grog's wedding, he had prepared to accept challenges, turning them into a form of entertainment for the celebration.
For this unusual battle, he had invested considerable effort in training within the mystic realm.
After all, as Grog's boss, he couldn't allow himself to lose to his opponents on his subordinate's wedding day.
With Mewtwo and his other Pokémon, Nathan had been pouring in training tirelessly.
Today, three challengers awaited him. He would have to fight three battles.
For three Legendary level Pokémon—Mewtwo was secure.
Frosmoth would be difficult.
As for the last battle, Nathan intended to send out Zeraora.
But Zeraora's current strength was still far from Legendary tier.
Thus, these past two days, most of Nathan's energy had gone into training Zeraora.
"Hmph! Fine, I'll accept that you have a legitimate excuse this time. But if you ever dare make me wait alone again, don't expect me to let you off easy!"
Lily shook her tiny fist in mock anger.
As Nathan's girlfriend, she naturally understood what it would mean if he lost here.
Her words had only been an outlet for her frustration.
Now that she had vented, she would let it go.
"Hehe, I knew you were the best. Come on, let's find a place to sit until the ceremony starts."
Nathan grinned and pulled her along to a quiet corner.
Yet no matter where he went, plenty of eyes followed him.
Among them was Evelyn.
"Nathan, this time I finally caught you!"
The moment she spotted him at the wedding, Evelyn stormed over, her face full of anger.
If it had been someone else's girlfriend watching another woman approach their man in a fury, she might have misunderstood.
But Lily didn't. She knew perfectly well why Evelyn was so mad.
In fact, Evelyn had even sought her out before, asking where Nathan was.
Her reason for chasing Nathan was simple: irresponsibility.
Not in the sense of a man shirking responsibility after intimacy, but in terms of business.
She and Nathan were business partners, jointly running their company that produced and sold Pokéblocks and other items.
As a senior executive, Nathan was supposed to handle some of the responsibilities.
Yet he had never managed any of them.
Evelyn had gone looking for him many times, but unless it was a tournament, she could hardly find him.
And this time, after returning to the country, he had tossed her a secret recipe and then vanished.
Leaving her, already busy, to carry an even heavier burden.
Tell Nathan's story to anyone, and who wouldn't be angry?
"Ahem… President Mist, you came too, I see."
Nathan coughed awkwardly, his embarrassment written all over his face.
It wasn't that he didn't know she had been looking for him—he simply didn't want to deal with those things.
Why manage paperwork when he could train Pokémon?
"Don't call me President Mist. I'm warning you—if you don't return and handle company affairs soon…"
Evelyn's voice dripped with anger, ready to threaten him further.
But before she could finish, Nathan noticed Grog in the distance, waving at him.
Without hesitation, he cut her off.
"Grog's calling me. Probably something important. I'll go over first—we'll talk later!"
With that, he bolted like a man fleeing for his life.
As if Evelyn weren't a beautiful woman at all, but a curse-bringer instead.
"Arghhh!"
Seeing him escape again, Evelyn stamped her foot furiously.
Then she turned to Lily, who was still standing calmly, her eyes blazing with resentment.
"Don't look at me. I can't keep him here either."
Lily shrugged.
She too wanted to hold him by her side, but she knew—doing that would only become an obstacle.
And obstacles could only hinder Nathan's growth.
Yes, he was already the World Champion, but his journey was still far from over.
"I curse Nathan to never be able to get it up again, and to run off with other women forever!"
Evelyn spat in frustration.
If Lily wouldn't take her side and instead stood with Nathan, then she too would bear her resentment.
"As for that first part, I can personally assure you it's definitely not true. But as for him running off with other women…"
Lily answered openly, her eyes following the direction in which Nathan had disappeared.
(End of Chapter)