The temperature had already dropped to the very limits of what Frosmoth could endure.
Malamar was suffering badly as well. Its body was covered in a thick layer of snow.
Even though it kept shaking itself, trying to rid its body of the buildup, the endless snowfall from above continued to bury it again and again.
But the snow itself wasn't the worst part.
What really tormented Malamar was the roaring wind and the bone-piercing cold.
That extreme chill, coupled with the howling blizzard, inflicted far more damage than the falling snowflakes ever could.
"Frosmoth—use Hail!"
Seizing the moment while Malamar writhed in pain under the blizzard, Nathan gave another command.
Frosmoth summoned the Hail. Chunks of ice, each the size of an egg, came crashing down from the sky.
Every impact carved small craters into the snow-covered ground, scattering ice shards everywhere.
Already tortured by the subzero cold, Malamar now found itself pelted by relentless hailstones.
It was misery upon misery—no, more like blizzard upon hailstorm.
Nathan's eyes remained fixed on the battlefield. Then suddenly, he noticed something odd.
Through the storm of snow and hail, there was a narrow blank strip cutting through the air, moving rapidly toward Frosmoth.
A sense of dread surged in his chest.
It was as though some invisible force was closing in on his partner.
"Frosmoth, dodge quickly!"
Nathan shouted urgently.
Hearing his voice, Frosmoth twisted aside immediately.
But it was still a moment too late. Though its body managed to slip past the attack, one of its wings failed to escape.
A razor-sharp Psycho Cut slashed across it, leaving a deep crack in the delicate wing.
The wound threw Frosmoth off balance. Its movements faltered, and it fluttered unsteadily, on the verge of falling from the sky.
"Frosmoth—use Ice Beam again!"
Nathan's heart ached as he saw his partner injured, but he knew there was no time for hesitation. What mattered most now was finishing Malamar.
Malamar's body temperature had already dropped to a dangerous level. For it to unleash attacks just now was already an immense strain.
The freezing beam struck true. For Malamar, this was the final straw that broke the camel's back.
A thick layer of ice began spreading over its body, encasing it bit by bit.
And this time, the freezing wasn't working from the outside inward.
Instead, ice was forming from within its body outward.
In other words, Malamar's very insides had already begun freezing solid.
Only when the familiar system notification sound chimed in Nathan's mind did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
The system's prompt meant only one thing: Malamar had been completely defeated by Frosmoth.
"Frosmoth, finish it with an Icicle Spear."
To prevent any unexpected reversals, Nathan gave the finishing order.
Frosmoth conjured a massive icicle and hurled it directly at Malamar.
The already frozen body of the squid-like Pokémon shattered on impact.
With a resounding crack, Malamar broke apart into countless icy fragments, crashing to the ground and spilling waves of white mist.
At last, the battle was truly over.
"Xerneas, go bring Volcarona and Mewtwo back."
Nathan turned and spoke calmly to Xerneas.
The legendary deer nodded and immediately departed.
Before long, Volcarona and Mewtwo both returned, though their conditions were miserable—completely exhausted.
After all, each of them had been tasked with halting an entire horde of Pokémon single-handedly. The energy consumption was beyond enormous.
"You can go look for your treasures now."
With his Pokémon safely back, Evelyn also returned. The moment she rejoined, Nathan allowed her to begin searching for resources.
Those so-called "good things" scattered throughout this mystic realm didn't matter to him.
He didn't lack resources. There was nothing in this place that he truly needed.
Now that Malamar had been dealt with, there was nothing left in the mystic realm worthy of his attention.
So, Nathan left it behind without hesitation.
Back at his manor, he didn't rush anywhere else. Instead, he stayed at home, keeping Lily company and resting for two full days.
Lily, by now, was slowly transitioning from a lively maiden into more of a homely wife.
She spent most of her time at the manor, either training her Pokémon or heading out for shopping strolls.
Her life was pleasant, even joyful, but there was a faint loneliness to it as well.
Nathan couldn't help feeling guilty toward her. That was why, every time he returned to the manor, he always made sure to spend a few days by her side.
After enjoying his well-earned rest at home, Nathan once again set out into his personal mystic realm.
Ever since he had begun training his specialized Pokémon team, he had been constantly busy. Between overseeing their progress and handling affairs, he had rarely had any time for himself.
Now, finally, he had some breathing room.
Naturally, he wanted to use this time for his own pursuits.
For example—testing out what Mewtwo would look like after undergoing its Mega Evolution into the Y form.
Or, another example—finally making use of the Mega Stone synthesizer he had bought from the system long ago.
That device had been gathering dust in a corner ever since he purchased it.
But now that he had at last collected both the X and Y Mega Stones, it was time to put it to proper use.
"Mewtwo, come out!"
Nathan released Mewtwo, watching as the psychic warrior appeared clad in its armored form.
The sight made him sigh in admiration once again.
This was Mewtwo—the Pokémon hailed by humans as the very definition of perfection. Truly, it was unrivaled in its beauty and strength.
"I've already acquired your new Mega Stone. Today, let me see what you look like after evolving into your Y form."
He spoke with anticipation, and Mewtwo's eyes lit up with interest as well.
It had long been aware that it possessed not one, but two Mega Stones—each unlocking a different Mega Evolution form.
Finally, after so long, it was about to try the second path.
Nathan produced the Y Mega Stone, gleaming faintly in his palm.
"Mewtwo—Mega Evolve!"
The Mega Stone shone with blinding white light, resonating with Mewtwo.
Wrapped in brilliance, Mewtwo's body began to change.
Nathan's gaze was locked on the transformation, filled with expectation.
Before long, the light dimmed and finally faded away.
What stood before him was no longer the armored Mewtwo he knew, but a newly evolved Mega Mewtwo Y.
Its body had become smaller, more delicate—like a child compared to its usual imposing form.
Compared with the X form, which focused on raw physical might, the Y form had drastically reduced strength in terms of muscle and endurance.
But that weakness in flesh was repaid with a surge in psychic power.
Though it no longer carried overwhelming brute force, its mental energy had soared to incredible new heights.
This form was particularly suited to battling against other Psychic-type Pokémon—its spiritual dominance was unmatched.
Both forms had their strengths. The opponents each countered were entirely different.
"How do you feel, Mewtwo?"
Nathan asked.
Compared to what his own eyes could observe, Mewtwo's personal experience would be far clearer.
Mewtwo clenched its fists lightly, feeling the weakening of its physical body.
At the same time, it marveled at the astonishing amplification of its psychic energy.
It was as though a world-class athlete had suddenly transformed into an unparalleled genius scholar.
A completely different type of strength—but still perfectly under its control.
"I feel that in this state, if I had to face a Pokémon horde again, I could maintain Time Freeze for a much longer period."
Mewtwo considered aloud.
It couldn't say exactly how much longer.
But at the very least, it was confident it could extend the duration by fifty percent.
"That makes sense. This form strengthens your mind, and Time Freeze relies entirely on mental power."
Nathan nodded.
But curiosity flickered in his thoughts.
After all, the X and Y forms were drastically different. Their strengths were even somewhat opposing.
So, what would happen if he used the Mega Stone synthesizer to fuse both stones into one?
Would Mewtwo gain enhanced physical strength while also greatly boosting its psychic energy?
Or would it be a balanced fusion, neither side dominant, but both maximized equally?
At first glance, the difference might seem minor. But in truth, the implications were immense.
Which aspect was prioritized would determine Mewtwo's entire future combat style and the enemies it was best suited to face.
And there was also the possibility—however slim—that the combined stone would simply strengthen both equally, without division.
Excited by the thought, Nathan ended Mewtwo's Mega Evolution and retrieved the Mega Stone synthesizer.
His heart beat faster, filled with both eagerness and nervousness.
It felt exactly like waiting for a lottery result.
He knew there was definitely a reward—but what form that reward would take remained unknown.
With careful hands, he brushed the dust from the machine, then placed Mewtwo's two stones inside.
The device began to hum.
One minute passed. Then two.
Nathan stared at it intently. Five minutes. Ten minutes. Half an hour. An entire hour slipped away.
And still, the synthesizer only hummed, showing no signs of finishing.
"Are you kidding me? Hey, system—get out here! Did you sell me a broken machine? Don't tell me you gave me a fake synthesizer?!"
Finally losing patience, Nathan called out furiously in his mind.
[System Notice: Fusion of Mega Stones requires twenty-four hours. Please wait patiently.]
The calm voice of the system echoed in his consciousness.
Nathan froze.
So, it really was going to take a full day?
Realizing this, he instantly lost the desire to sit and watch any longer.
(End of Chapter)