"Hello, everyone. I'm Nate."
Nate greeted the camera warmly while silently opening his system panel.
[Magic Power: 9★]
Just like his breakthrough to 8★, there had been no warning—everything had flowed naturally, as effortlessly as eating or drinking.
Nine-star magic power placed him among the best, even within the ranks of the Ten Wizard Saints. Only God Serena, ranked first, could rival him.
Honestly, Nate had thought it would take much longer to achieve this level. But it had only been two months since he'd reached 8★.
Could he continue? The next step would be 10★, a level that surpassed human limits.
That was the realm of dragons!
Take the Jade Dragon, Zirconis, for example. In life, it had wielded magic power at the 10★ level. Yet even then, Nate—an 8★ mage at the time—had been able to defeat it.
Dragons were powerful because of their innate abilities: born with magic prowess and a natural immunity to specific elemental magic. Moreover, like Dragon Slayer Mages, dragons could absorb magic of their own element, granting them a form of pseudo-infinite magic power.
For instance, if Igneel ran out of magic during a battle, consuming some fire would instantly replenish him.
However, this pseudo-infinite magic power wasn't particularly unique anymore. Thanks to the Magic Net, anyone could deposit magic power into the Magic Net Bank, effectively granting themselves pseudo-infinite reserves.
But magic power alone wasn't the sole determinant of a mage's combat strength. More critical factors included the magics one mastered, their proficiency in using them, their control over magic power, and their mental fortitude in battle.
For example, Erza's magic power was nearing 6★, while Ultear's magic exceeded 7★. Yet in a fight, Erza would likely emerge victorious due to her superior skills and tactics.
As these thoughts passed through Nate's mind, he continued addressing the audience through the live broadcast:
"I'm honored to be a guest for today's finals. From the initial decision to host this tournament to today's championship, I hope this journey has been a source of joy and cherished memories for all Pokémon enthusiasts.
"Winning is not everything. Pokémon will always be by your side."
With a gentle smile that could melt hearts, Nate added:
"As the creator of Celestial Pokémon, I have a question for everyone watching today. Do you love Pokémon?"
Tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium shouted in unison, their voices drowning out any other noise:
"YES!"
"Thank you."
Nate bowed slightly toward the camera, expressing his gratitude, then calmly took his seat.
Sitting nearby, Future Lucy was once again stunned, her face frozen in disbelief. It wasn't until the commentator, Jabadiro, spoke up again that she snapped out of her daze:
"Our final guest today is the Celestial Spirit Mage from Fairy Tail, Lucy-san!"
Future Lucy stiffened at the unexpected introduction but quickly stood up to greet the audience.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Lucy. It's an honor to be a guest for today's event."
The stadium fell awkwardly silent. A few scattered claps broke the stillness, but the response was lackluster.
Where's the applause?! Future Lucy thought to herself, sitting down dejectedly.
Jabadiro quickly shifted the focus back to the finalists, preventing the mood from cooling further.
Meanwhile, Nate used his Telepathy Magic to console her:
"Look at it this way: at least you don't have to worry about being swarmed by fans in public."
"How is that supposed to be comforting?!" Future Lucy wanted to shout back.
"It's definitely comforting."
"Please stop 'comforting' me…"
…
Nate and Lucy chatted telepathically as they waited for the match to start. With his deep understanding of Lucy's personality, Nate found teasing Future Lucy almost too easy.
Meanwhile, commentator Jabadiro skillfully maintained the audience's excitement, ensuring the lively atmosphere persisted.
"Now, let's welcome our two finalists!"
Two women emerged from opposite ends of the arena's contestant tunnels: Seilah and Minerva Orland. They strode confidently to their positions on opposite sides of the Pokémon battlefield.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The battlefield rose steadily, stopping several dozen meters above the arena floor.
Minerva, one hand on her hip and exuding elegance, spoke with a mischievous smile:
"Apologies, Seilah-san. For the glory of Sabertooth, I absolutely must claim this championship."
Seilah's expression remained stoic as she replied with a line straight out of an over-the-top drama:
"My bond with my Pokémon is unbeatable."
The referee reiterated the rules—unchanged from the previous rounds—and then announced loudly:
"Let the match begin!"
At those words, both trainers released their first Pokémon.
"Go, Alakazam!"
"It's your turn, Hypno!"
Two Pokémon appeared simultaneously.
"Hypno? What a rare Pokémon!" Jabadiro exclaimed. "To be honest, I've played a hundred ranked matches and haven't encountered it once."
Princess Hisui nodded. "Even in the earlier stages of the tournament, this is the first time this Pokémon has made an appearance."
Future Lucy, however, was completely lost—she had no clue what these creatures were. After all, she'd only watched a single episode of the Pokémon anime last night.
Jabadiro turned to Nate. "Nate, what's your take on this Pokémon?"
Activating his Six Eyes, Nate quickly analyzed Hypno. "This Hypno is max level with max friendship, evolved from Drowzee at level 26."
"And which side do you think will win?"
What am I, a psychic? Nate grumbled internally. At this stage, both trainers had evenly matched teams. Victory would come down to team composition. If a Pokémon with a type advantage appeared, the tide could turn in an instant, leaving little room for comebacks.
"I personally support Seilah-san," Nate said with a smile.
Why? There was only one reason—Seilah's chest was… larger.
Hisui chuckled. "In that case, I'll cheer for Minerva-san of Sabertooth. Lucy, what about you?"
"Uh…?" Future Lucy was caught off guard, stammering, "I… I just hope they both have fun~."
Classic Lucy.
Nate couldn't help but smile at her response.
For the next hour, Seilah and Minerva delivered an exhilarating Pokémon battle. The fight was intense.
Minerva's Hypno defeated Seilah's Alakazam but was then taken down by Seilah's Marowak. Minerva followed up with Scyther, which swiftly eliminated Marowak. And so, they alternated their Pokémon, trading victories back and forth.
Finally, it all came down to a clash between their Dragonites. In a nail-biting conclusion, Seilah's Dragonite emerged victorious, crowning her as the champion of the Pokémon tournament.
At the moment of victory, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause and cheers.
Amid the celebration, Nate heard a familiar sound in his mind:
[Quest Complete: Host a Grand Pokémon Tournament.]
[Reward: Dragon Mastery.]
[Processing: Adapting reward to this world…]
[Dragon Mastery → Magic: Dragon Taming.]
While the audience reveled in the crowning of a champion, Nate was immersed in the influx of magical knowledge surging through his mind. He quickly grasped the essence of Dragon Taming Magic, a powerful new art that allowed him to control dragons.
"Control dragons?" Nate murmured to himself, his thoughts immediately drifting to Future Lucy's world. In her timeline, over ten thousand dragons were wreaking havoc. This magic felt tailor-made for that situation.
"Still… how am I supposed to control over ten thousand dragons? Even locating them all would take forever."
Dragons weren't mindless—they'd flee or hide if they sensed danger.
Furrowing his brows, Nate pondered for a moment before coming up with an idea:
The Fourth Wall?
If he turned Future Lucy's parallel world into a game, he could enlist hordes of fearless players to do the work for him. The plan would be both efficient and entertaining.
~~~
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