Internet Magic in Fairy Tail (Re-upload)

The stillness of a winter morning was broken by a single ray of sunlight streaming through the window.

Nate slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times to adjust. In his arms, Mirajane was curled up in a small ball, her delicate, sleeping face evoking tenderness.

His left hand, true to its usual mischief, couldn't help but grasp something. The soft sensation startled him, but what followed was Mirajane letting out a faint hum in her sleep. Nate resisted the urge to continue and carefully avoided waking her.

His right hand was firmly held in place by her embrace, leaving him unable to get up. He decided to stay in bed a little longer.

Opening the Magic Net, he found a flood of private messages—mostly New Year greetings. There were messages from Ultear, Jenny, Erza, Lucy, Irene, and many others. Using one hand, Nate began typing replies to each of them in turn.

"Typing with one hand really isn't convenient," Nate muttered to himself. "For voice chats, one-on-one is fine, but it gets messy in group conversations. Maybe I should add a voice-to-text feature."

Is there a similar magic already? He made a mental note to work on this feature later.

…

Sigma Male: "Happy New Year. Still working on the investigation?"

Ur: "Not yet. We split into several teams to follow Zeref's magic traces, but we haven't found him yet."

Sigma Male: "Should I just ask him where he is? 😆"

Ur: "🤦‍♀️. We'll be back in a few days."

Ur: "By the way, I feel a bit guilty for not spending the holiday with Ultear. 😮‍💨"

…

Nate smiled at the thought. Ultear had spent New Year's with Meredy, skipping the guild's celebration.

After a brief chat, Nate returned to replying to the others. Once he was done, he glanced to the side. Mirajane was still fast asleep, her soft breaths steady. She rarely slept in, making this a rare sight.

Thinking it over, Nate decided to open Celestial Pokémon, enter the tournament lobby, and queue for a match. After a few seconds:

[Searching for an opponent with similar rankings…]

[Match found!]

The next moment, his consciousness entered the game world.

…

[Pokémon Tournament Arena]

The stadium was enormous, capable of holding tens of thousands of spectators. Cheers erupted from the stands—though the crowd was composed entirely of NPCs, and the applause was a pre-recorded loop.

Nate glanced across the field and spotted his opponent: a blonde-haired girl standing confidently on the opposite side.

[Player ID: Jenny Realight (V)]

[Pokémon Count: 6/6]

[Tournament Points: 3]

"Nate~!" Jenny's eyes lit up when she saw her opponent.

Just moments earlier, they'd exchanged New Year greetings. She hadn't expected to face him in her very first match. Nate, too, was surprised. Fate seemed to be at work.

"You've already got six Pokémon—impressive," he said, smiling as he remembered when the game first launched, and Jenny had challenged him with a Level 5 starter Pokémon.

"This is destiny's guidance!" Jenny declared, placing one hand on her hip while holding six Celestial Cards in the other. "All my Pokémon are max level now. You can't escape this battle!"

"Six max-level Pokémon?" Nate raised an eyebrow, surprised. Most players would consider themselves lucky to max out one Pokémon in a month, and it had only been a month since the official release. Maxing six...

He glanced at Jenny's face and noticed faint dark circles under her eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle. "You've worked hard."

Jenny pouted, cheeks puffed out in frustration, but then her eyes landed on Nate's team—only three Pokémon. An idea sparked in her mind as she raised a finger and grinned mischievously.

"Let's make this interesting! If you lose, you have to join Blue Pegasus!"

"Why haven't you given up on that?" Nate sighed. "No."

"Why not?!" Jenny stomped her foot in exasperation, then tried a different approach. "Alright, how about this—if I win the Pokémon Championship, you join the guild."

Is Master Bob pressuring you? Nate thought, bemused by her determination. He finally responded, "And if you don't win?"

"If I don't win..." Jenny tilted her head, considering, then nodded resolutely. "I'll strip completely and stay naked for a whole day!"

Women can be terrifying when they get like this.

Nate was stunned for a moment. "You don't have to be so hard on yourself..."

"Deal's a deal!" Jenny seized the opportunity, brimming with confidence. "If you back out, you're a puppy!"

Wait—when did I even agree?

But then Nate thought it over. Winning the championship wasn't going to be easy—it would be impressive enough to reach the top 16 in the first tournament. He couldn't help but smirk. "A whole day, completely naked, huh?"

"That's right!" Jenny nodded firmly.

"Can I take photos?"

Jenny's eyes widened in shock. "You want to take photos too?!"

"No photos, no deal."

"...Fine," Jenny relented, biting her lip, her face flushing. "But the photos must never be shared!"

"Deal."

Nate chuckled, amused by her seriousness. At least she was committed, even if her terms were extreme.

"Let's see what you've got, then," Nate said with a grin. "Go, Pikachu!"

He tossed out a Celestial Card, which flew into the arena and released a yellow electric mouse.

This Pikachu was different from ordinary ones—it sported a stylish hat. Once on the field, it stood confidently, its sharp eyes exuding a cool demeanor.

"Wow, what a handsome Pikachu!" Jenny was immediately smitten with its appearance and aura. "But why does your Pikachu have a hat?"

"Just buy one and put it on." Nate rolled his eyes.

"Oh, right." Jenny pouted, then her eyes gleamed as she smirked slyly. "Pikachu evolves at level 22, which means your Pikachu is at most level 21!"

Sneaky Nate!

"This match is mine," Jenny declared, pulling out her own Celestial Card. "Go, Raichu!"

With a flash of white light, a fully evolved Raichu appeared on the field—a max-level one at that.

"Hmph! There's no way a Pikachu under level 22 can defeat my max-level Raichu."

Nate smiled but said nothing, calmly watching her performance.

"Raichu, use Thunder Punch!" Jenny commanded.

Raichu dashed toward Pikachu, its fist crackling with electricity. As it closed in, it leapt into the air, bringing its electrified punch down hard.

"Pikachu, dodge and use Iron Tail," Nate instructed casually.

Pikachu narrowly evaded the punch with a swift sidestep. Its tail glimmered with a metallic sheen as it spun and struck Raichu square in the face.

Thwack!

Raichu was sent flying.

Jenny's jaw dropped in disbelief.

"Impossible! A Pokémon with level 21 stats shouldn't be able to dodge or hit back so effectively."

"Who told you my Pikachu is level 21? It's fully maxed in friendship," Nate said with a laugh. "I gave it an Everstone, so it won't evolve into Raichu."

You can do that? What's an Everstone?

Jenny stood frozen, her face blank with confusion.