Chapter 0843: The Files Reveal—Turns Out the Divine Beast Man Is Me!（Three-in-One）

It was the height of summer. The waters of Kala'e Bay were a blazing blue, Lapras drifting leisurely through the surf.

Natsume reclined on the villa’s second-floor wicker chair, dragging his gaze away from the ocean to glance down at the tablet in his hands.

Chat interface.

[President Masaru: I heard you’re about to battle Alola’s new Champion?]

[Natsume: Yeah, he’s my student. This’ll show me how far he’s really come.]

Ash was the Lumiose Conference Champion, and now, Alola’s new League Champion. His position as League Champion ranks way higher than any simple tournament champion.

Still, when the Alola League Tournament was announced, lots of trainers questioned how legit this year’s tournament really was—and doubted this new Champion’s actual level.

The upcoming exhibition match would be livestreamed to the whole world; they needed to invite qualified guest commentators and put on a real battle to set the record straight for Ash.

That was also why Professor Kukui had invited Natsume-sensei to be a guest commentator for the match.

[President Masaru: What I mean is—be judicious with your team choices.]

Getting totally swept in an exhibition isn’t a good look for any League Champion.

Given Natsume’s fondness for “stomping the Baby Cup”—well, let’s just say anything’s possible.

[Natsume: Don’t worry; I believe in Ash’s progress.]

Ash during the Alola arc? That’s basically his Ultimate Form.

A single slip-up and you just might get “KO’d by wild punches from the rookie.” Not that Natsume didn’t know Ash’s real tricks—Charizard, Infernape, both heavy Fire-types.

“Guess I’ll leave Blastoise behind this time,” Natsume mused. “Better bring Gengar—it’s time to show off my acting chops!”

[President Masaru: Also, pay attention to this afternoon’s press conference.]

Natsume blinked, then quickly replied: “Are you really going public with it?”

President Masaru laughed: “Of course—one, to hype you up for the World Tournament; two, it’s great promo for the League.”

“I get it,” Natsume replied with a hint of resignation.

He wanted to keep his head down, but that ship had sailed.

Fine then—the Divine Beast Man is me! (Not kidding… or am I?)

He glanced at the time—just eight o’clock. Time to make breakfast and wait for Cynthia! to wake up.

Setting the tablet aside, Natsume looked out over Kala’e Bay once more when a fluffy Pokémon burrowed into his arms.

He looked down to see Sylveon curled against his chest, sleep still clouding its face: “Sylveon…(′ω｀)”

Just woken and not cranky, the little one was surprisingly clingy.

Natsume rubbed Sylveon's back, channeling a bit of “Aura of Ripple” for a morning massage.

Sylveon shook her head and ribbons, gave a big yawn, then bounced away, feeling fully refreshed: “Sylveon! o(′^｀)o”

Natsume watched her go, then spotted Cynthia’s Gastrodon oozing onto the balcony.

“Morning, little slug.” Natsume grinned.

Gastrodon, all purple goo and armored shell, gave him a sideways glance, dead-eyed, then drifted off again at its own slow pace.

Weird trainer, but a good guy. Also—the food he makes? Insanely good.

……

Afternoon.

The Touran League called a press conference.

This conference finally declassified a series of files, beginning with Alamos Town and spanning all the way to the end at Hammerlocke.

Documents that, until now, had stayed locked away for various reasons—now formally revealed.

[File 1: Alamos Town.]

The sky splits—fragments of spacetime raining down, revealing shapes like black bruises as two metallic-bodied Legendary Pokémon roar atop the Space-Time Tower.

One is a four-legged dinosaur made of blue diamonds; the other, a bipedal beast in shimmering pearl white.

Without question, it’s the Temporal Dragon, Dialga, and the Spatial Dragon, Palkia!

Above them, the Nightmare Pokémon Darkrai stands alone, blocking the two legendary Pokémon.

Cameras flash, and the press erupts.

This Darkrai—way too strong!

And then the shot pans to Natsume-sensei commanding Darkrai—shock melts into understanding.

Suddenly, everything makes sense.

Turns out, even way back during the Alamos Town era, Natsume-sensei commanded his Darkrai against the temporal and spatial titans!

But Darkrai falters, and the next footage is even wilder.

As Dialga and Palkia rage in the sky, a black-haired young man floats with an ancient triangle totem over his head; crimson chains forged from red crystals shoot forth, binding the gods of space and time tight!

These ancient, mysterious Legendary Pokémon—shuddering under the weight of the Red Chain.

The young man’s calm face on camera leaves every reporter breathless.

“Damn, Natsume-sensei’s the real final boss here!”

“He didn’t even need Pokémon—just straight-up mortals muscle! Dude’s on par with a literal god!”

[File 2: Snowpoint Temple.]

The infamous Pokémon Hunter J—every trainer’s worst nightmare, a criminal behind countless illegal poaching cases.

Natsume joins forces with Lucian of Sinnoh’s Elite Four to bring down Hunter J. When Regigigas awoke in a rampage, it was Natsume whose courage changed everything.

Footage shows Natsume-sensei shouting:

“Ash, pin Regigigas down!”

“Got it!”

With zero hesitation, an unremarkable cap-wearing young man clambers up Regigigas’s head and puts the squeeze on its crystal crown—freezing the mighty titan in place!

Media everywhere were shook.

“Are we sure those are even humans?”

“I know that guy—he’s the new Alola League Champion!”

“Turns out, Ash’s REAL skill isn’t standard battling—it’s straight-up wild wrestling!”

[File 3: Gracidea Sea.]

Platinum-helmeted, towering Giratina—lord of the Reverse World, embodiment of chaos and savagery, banished by Arceus himself.

And yet, this furious Legendary Pokémon allows a human to ride on its head. Camera zooms in—yep, Natsume-sensei again!

[File 4: Michina Town.]

Michina Town Temple lies in ruins. Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina—all previously seen—are battered and broken.

Beneath a roaring sky, Arceus’s crimson gaze sweeps the heavens. A single hoof, a crack of light—spacetime ruptures, swallowing both Arceus and Natsume together.

Long after, Natsume emerges once more, golden light raining from the heavens.

What happened inside that time portal?

No one knows. But one thing is certain: Natsume-sensei faced Arceus head-on—and came away with some kind of bond.

[File 5: Opelucid City.]

The Plasma Frigate crashes from the sky, the city teetering on the brink of disaster.

Darkrai claws open black holes, rushing to intercept the exploding battleship.

Media: “Isn’t that the same Darkrai from Alamos Town?”

“There’s only one truth: Natsume-sensei was there. Again!”

[File 6: Hoenn Waters.]

This one's no secret—across Hoenn, Natsume is celebrated as the league’s savior.

He and Steven Stone stood together to halt the awakened Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon.

The images show: magma flows, a crimson beast, indigo waves, the beast of the sea.

Even through the screen, you could feel the sheer dread.

But Champions stepped up, slamming the brakes on calamity.

“Steven Stone, really is the picture-perfect Champion!”

“And Touran’s former Champion—apart from stomping Baby Cups and having bad luck with lottery balls, he’s spotless!”

[File 7: Sky Pillar—riding Rayquaza, smashing a massive meteorite...]

[File 8: Altar of the Sunne—going toe-to-toe with the Ultra Beast Necrozma from outer space...]

[File 9: Hammerlocke—with Champion Leon, taking down Eternamax Eternatus...]

One file after another.

Some were just video clips, some messy scraps of footage.

Even so, the pressure of the Legendary Pokémon and the Champions’ courage bled through the screen.

These aren’t just Natsume-sensei’s personal records.

Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, Hoenn Champion Steven Stone, Galar Champion Leon…

They too, in these battles against the legends, forged their own “Champion Moments.”

Even the most hard-boiled reporters held their breath, hearts pounding with the raw, unfiltered impact of the revelations.

And, finally, the last dossier slammed into their souls.

[File 10: City of Wastes.]

In the distance, a shadow-blanketing Hoopa leads its army of Different Dimension and other Legendaries straight at a transoceanic bridge.

Behind, stands a lone, isolated city.

At its gates: a Champion, riding black-gold Rayquaza, one person standing between the city and certain doom.

That—Natsume’s truest, most legendary moment.

With all files announced…

The press hall fell utterly silent.

Reporters sat dazed, unable to suppress the pride and excitement welling up for Touran League’s Champion.

Not long after, the group chat erupted.

Gold forwarded the link, shouting:

“I made it on TV!”

Lance snarked: “Only because you snuck into Natsume-sensei’s frame.”

Gold wiped his nose. “Still—shows I’ve got the stuff to keep up with the best!”

“Natsume-sensei is just too strong,” said Iris. “I’m nowhere near a real Champion…”

Blue Oak’s eyes flickered.

Proud as he was, he had to admit:

After two years of Natsume in the limelight, his own fame—and even “Strongest Champion” Leon’s—was being outshone.

Even Red, who’d gone underground for years, couldn’t help but take notice.

But strength… between Natsume and Red, who would really win?

Red had gained the approval of Deoxys, Mewtwo, and other Legendaries. His whole team—Battle Legends.

Blue Oak shoved a hand in his pocket, shaking his head.

One step at a time: win the World Tournament Champion title first.

“I watched the whole press conference,” Red commented. “Even after hearing Ash tell these stories, seeing them all together is still shocking.”

He had to admit—Natsume-sensei was incredibly strong.

But battling Legendary Pokémon and battling trainers—those are different beasts.

Red tipped his cap, lips curling in a faint smile.

He looked forward to a full battle with Natsume-sensei—something they’d planned together from the start, two years back. Now, at last, it’s happening.

Saffron City’s “Miltank” Whitney snickered,

“Hey, Natsume-sensei, Steven gets more screen time than Miss Cynthia, doesn’t he~?”

Ruby stroked his chin, nodding. “Now that you mention it, he really does.”

Over half the files involve Steven—certain fans’ imaginations were running wild.

Natsume replied calmly: “Because the missions were so dangerous. Just like how you adventure with Courtney, Ruby—never bringing Sapphire along.”

Ruby froze, sweating.

Oh crap!

How’d he know about the Courtney thing? I only ever told Master!

He turned just in time to see Sapphire’s dangerous glare.

A split second later, Sapphire hurled her phone, leaping behind Ruby and locking her arms around his neck:

“Spill it—I dare you to explain what’s really going on with you and Courtney!”

“It’s nothing, really! I just teach her a few contest moves!”

“Then tonight you can go sleep with Walo!”

Walo—Sapphire’s Wailord, living at the bottom of the sea.

Ash spun his cap, eyes alight with resolve.

He was there for all of it—an active witness and participant.

And now, before he’d even realized it, he’d grown so much.

Every time I challenged Natsume-sensei, I never won, not even once.

But I’ll never give up!

Alola is Ash’s favorite region.

Here are his friends, his teacher, father-figure Professor Kukui.

Ash’s eyes gleamed.

This is the league I love most.

Pikachu and I will battle for Alola—going head-to-head with Natsume-sensei!

Ash turned, grinning:

“We’re gonna win for sure, Pikachu!”

Honestly, Pikachu was pretty fond of Natsume-sensei, mostly because he always smelled like delicious berries.

And he liked Gengar, too—since the two cosplayed Pokémon together a lot.

“Pikachu—pi!” Pikachu’s eyes sparkled, cheek pouches sparking.

Let’s see whose acting is better—me or Gengar!

……

The word spread like wildfire.

Alola Champion Ash would face Battle Legend Natsume in an exhibition match.

Online forums overflowed with hype—nobody was trash-talking either side.

“I saw the press conference. Natsume-sensei is the real deal—a bona fide Battle Legend!”

“Baby Cup Champion? That’s not just some meme title!”

“He’s the Hero of Truth chosen by Reshiram. When he plays in the Baby Cup, it’s just—peak truth lol!”

“Is that really Ash? Pinning down Regigigas? Even Bruno would have to call him Boss Ash!”

After all the buzz around the League Tournament’s low quality,

This exhibition match became the perfect shot at restoring Alola’s rep.

To that end, Ash had summoned ace teammates from every region, as witnesses to his journey.

His Kanto partner Pikachu, the Charizard who crushed the Hoenn Frontier, his mighty Unova Krookodile, Sinnoh’s Infernape, Kalos’s Greninja, plus Alola’s Dusk Lycanroc.

Maybe it’s not Ash’s outright strongest squad—

But it definitely includes every region’s ace.

What else could you call it but Ash’s own “Mew Team”?

Natsume was fired up—eager to face his own student for a final test-match before the World Tournament Elimination rounds kicked off.

The next day.

The exhibition was about to begin.

Natsume, however, was distracted by a group chat link.

Gold: “Check out this MAD! It’s freakin’ awesome!”

Natsume opened it, a little curious—the title read:

“Three Seconds to Blow Your Mind—Relive Natsume-sensei’s Champion Moments!”

The video was a highlight reel from the press conference, cut to epic music for a total visual feast.

It began with Gengar, grinning while sucking in a deadpan Natsume.

As the music kicked in, shots flashed by—red chains shooting from the triangle totem, DNA Splicers breaking Black Kyurem’s fusion, Natsume astride Black Rayquaza staring down Hoopa, and a fiery return atop Desert Spire.

The chat scrolled full of ohhhhh’s and My goodness!’s.

“Natsume-sensei is the best!”

“I’m pumped up!!”

“Now THIS is a Legendary Trainer.”

“Here, just take my money already!”

“That’s true love—yesterday’s press conference, today’s highlight reel.”

“Subscribed—can’t wait for them to edit together the World Tournament and Mt. Silver final!”

“I will ALWAYS love Gengar!!”

The impact of the press conference only grew as these fan edits went viral.

Champions staring down legendary Pokémon, and unforgettable battles—utterly electrifying for the entire world.

And for Natsume, whose legend only grew with each tale, there is simply no better way to sum it up than—

“Natsume-sensei, you’re the one and only!”

This Touran League Champion, Battle Legend, Messenger of Transcendence…

A Trainer with more titles than anyone can count.

Now, at last, ready to appear before the cameras—standing on the stage of the exhibition, facing down Alola Champion Ash!

At that moment, over ten million fans piled into Alola’s official livestream.

Most of them were Natsume-sensei’s diehard fans, though plenty showed up for Ash, too.

For a guy who could “chokehold a Regigigas,” a standard tournament match almost seems beneath him.

Still, every viewer was hyped to see the master-apprentice showdown: Natsume-sensei vs Ash, the battle everyone wanted to see.

After this, it might be a whole month before Natsume shows up again at the World Tournament stage.

Manalo Stadium.

Every seat was packed, the crowd absolutely losing it, Team Rocket hawking snacks in the aisles.

Professor Kukui, alongside Lillie, Lana, and the rest of the students, sat in the stands.

“Let’s hope Ash doesn’t get stage fright.” Kukui mused.

“No way!” Kiawe shot back. “This is Ash, after all.”

Sophocles grinned, “Yeah—no matter how many times he loses, he always jumps back up for more!”

Contestant Lounge.

Ash looked over his gathered partners.

Charizard snorted black smoke, a sly smirk on its lips.

Infernape crouched low, the flames on its crown roaring hot.

Krookodile adjusted his sunglasses, Dusk Lycanroc’s eyes flashed, Greninja crossed his arms, deep in concentration.

“Pikachu!” Pikachu folded his arms too, feet planted, nodding with swagger.

Everybody was fired up!

“All right—” Ash twisted his cap, grinned wide:

“Everybody, just give me everything you’ve got!”

Instantly, the whole room erupted in fighting spirit.

On the other side—

Natsume adjusted the trainer’s belt beneath his shirt.

No Dive Ball attached—even he knew Blastoise was way too much for Ash’s Blaze-heavy team.

Just like with Diantha or Alder.

Exhibition matches aren’t about crushing the opponent—they’re about style, and sportsmanship!

Still, Natsume was dying to see what Ash’s “Mew Team” could really do.

After all, when he played the Baby Cup at Lily of the Valley Conference, Ash hadn’t even met Greninja yet.

Over a year had passed—time for one final exam.

“Let’s go, Gengar.”

Natsume stepped toward the contestant tunnel, grinning: “Time to experience Ash’s Main Team in action!”

“Pikachu—Gengar!ㄟ(≧◇≦)ㄏ”

“Quit trying to copy Pikachu, would ya!”