The No. 25 Advanced Secret Realm was a vast and diverse territory, spanning 100,000 square kilometers—nearly half the size of the Silver Province. This extensive area hosted Pokémon of all 18 types, creating a rich, varied ecosystem for Trainers seeking powerful and rare Pokémon.
Among the dozens of advanced secret realms in Drakoria, No. 25 ranks moderately in size; the largest spans over a million square kilometers.
However, like all advanced secret realms, it holds formidable challenges. Elite-level Pokémon resided in these areas, and No. 25 was known to contain three confirmed Elite-level Pokémon, each fiercely guarding their domain.
The No. 25 advanced-Level Secret Realm had existed for fifty years, yet its 'core Treasure of the Secret Realm' remained officially undiscovered.
Most speculated that the treasure might have already been found and quietly taken, with the discoverer choosing to keep it a secret.
Julian understood this secrecy firsthand—when he found the treasure in the newly opened intermediate-level secret realm, he only told his parents about it.
Treasures like these hold incredible value, even those from a primary secret realm. So an advanced-level secret realm treasure would be invaluable.
Once such a treasure surfaced, forget about Elite-level trainers, even champions would be moved by its allure.
So, if anyone had truly found the treasure of the No. 25 advanced secret realm, they would have kept it quiet, proceeding in secrecy and caution.
Everyone knew that without a strong background and power to defend oneself, revealing such a find was a risk not worth taking.
The world had too many who would risk everything for a treasure and those who lived constantly on the edge, willing to take lives just for a chance at that power.
"Julian, are you really planning to enter advanced secret realm No. 25?"
After nearly an hour of silence, Hannah couldn't hold back anymore. Inwardly, she cursed Julian's single-mindedness—a beautiful woman was sitting right across from him, yet he seemed far more interested in his book.
'What's so fascinating about that book anyway?'
"Um"
Julian had nearly finished reading and gave a light nod.
"I really envy your special recruit class, getting the chance to enter an advanced secret realm" Hannah said with a sigh.
Every student in the special class had the opportunity to explore one of the two advanced secret realms managed by Imperial University.
As for students in the regular class, they either had to save up 50,000 credits to secure a ticket into the secret realm or earn a prestigious honor for Imperial University to gain access.
For most regular-class students, even by senior year, only a handful had managed to set foot in the No. 25 advanced secret realm.
In these secret realms, danger and opportunity coexisted—one step could bring a trainer closer to greatness, while another might lead to disaster.
Each year, over a thousand pseudo-Elite trainers lost their lives in high-level secret realms. Sometimes, even an Elite-level trainer faced fatal misfortune within these dangerous zones.
As Julian once again fell silent, Hannah felt a surge of irritation. It was as though this man existed solely to frustrate someone like her.
"Hannah, you really are here!"
Just as Hannah was about to find another topic, a cheerful voice interrupted.
"Why did you come here, Zed?"
She asked, her tone edged with mild irritation as she glanced over.
Clearly, his presence wasn't entirely welcome.
Zed stood tall, nearly 1.9 meters, with a bottle of water in hand. His face was rather good, he could be called a handsome guy.
"I asked your roommates, and they said you were here"
Zed said, oblivious to Hannah's irritation as he casually took a seat beside her.
"Here, I brought you water. You must be thirsty"
"Thank you, but I'm not thirsty"
Hannah replied, shaking her head politely.
"Then I'll keep it here for you. Just let me know when you need it"
"Zed, I came here to read. If you don't mind, could you give me some space?"
"It's fine. You read your book; I'll just read you," he replied with a wink.
"Pfft"
At this, Julian, who had been trying to focus on his book despite Zed's arrival, couldn't hold back any longer and laughed aloud.
"You guys continue"
Julian said with a small smile, catching Zed's annoyed glance but choosing to ignore it. He picked up his book, ready to move to another table where he could focus on the more important sections.
But before he could stand, Hannah's eyes brightened as if struck by an idea. She picked up the water bottle Zed had set down.
"Julian, you must be thirsty too. Here, have some water," she offered with a smile.
Julian glanced at the bottle. To be honest, he was a bit thirsty.
So he picked up the bottle of water and took a few sips.
"Hey, I bought this for my Hannah!" Zed's tone was sharp with anger, his voice a little too loud for the quiet library.
Heads turned in their direction. Realizing the attention he'd drawn, Zed clenched his jaw, glaring fiercely at Julian.
"Don't call me 'my', Zed," Hannah replied, her voice tinged with irritation. "We're not that close."
"Here, take it back"
Unbothered, Julian simply tossed the bottle back to Zed. It was just a casual throw, but the speed was much faster than expected.
"Bang!"
Zed, being just an ordinary person, failed to react in time to catch the bottle, which struck him squarely in the chest. The impact felt as if he had been hit by a stone, leaving him momentarily stunned and dizzy.
With a thud, he ended up sitting on the ground, his face flushed with embarrassment.
If Julian hadn't withheld his strength, the impact of the bottle could have easily knocked the wind out of him, perhaps even causing him to vomit blood.
Julian glanced at Zed, who was lying on the ground, temporarily unable to get up, and he was no longer in the mood to stay in the library.
Before leaving, he glanced at Hannah.
"Be careful not to use someone like this again"
The warning tone made Hannah's pretty face pale slightly.
As Julian started to leave, he suddenly heard Zed's voice call out from behind him.
"Stop!"
Julian turned to face Zed, who was glaring at him with fury.
"Dare to fight with me?" Zed challenged.
"Why should I fight you?"
Julian replied, his expression growing cold.
"Why?, Is the famous "King Julian" a coward?"
Zed sneered, his words filled with mockery.
"Ding"
"Temporary Task Created"
"Task Objective: Teach the other party how to behave"
"Task reward: Teleport TM (Metagross), 500 points"
Julian was momentarily stunned, not expecting the system to join in the fun at such a moment. The quest reward was undeniably exciting to him.
Although Metagross had the Psychic-typing, it couldn't learn Teleport through level-ups or standard Move discs/Tms.
If Metagross didn't reproduce through splitting, perhaps he could have tried breeding it with a Pokémon who knew teleport and produce a Beldum that inherited Teleport from its parent.
Even though Teleport was a highly practical move, many Psychic-type Pokémon could not learn it, including the pseudo-legendary Metagross.
By mastering Teleport, Metagross's future fighting style would become unpredictable and faster.
With the system tasks now presented, Julian had no reason to refuse the challenge ahead.
"Yes, let's add one more condition: the loser will pay 10 million."
Noticing Zed's hesitation, Julian couldn't help but sneer. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you lack the guts, coward?"
Hannah pulled Zed, her voice filled with urgency. "Zed, don't be impulsive."
Her concern seemed to unintentionally reinforce Zed's insecurities, making him feel that she believed he wasn't a match for Julian.
In reality, Hannah actually did.
Julian and Zed had a conflict in the library that escalated to a Pokémon battle. The cause of their rivalry was Hannah, one of the top ten school beauties.
A child from an aristocratic family, a student from an ordinary background, and a school beauty—these three combined together, prompted some imaginative minds to fantasize about a million-word novel.
There was a battlefield behind the library.
News of the impending fight between the two spread quickly as other students in the library shared updates on their mobile phones.
A few minutes later, crowds gathered at the battlefield, with students coming from the dormitory, study rooms, and playground.
The allure of gossip was simply too strong to resist.
"I heard that Julian stole Zed's girl! Zed is going to fight him!"
"Wow, that sounds exciting!"
"Don't just spread rumors. It's clear that Julian and Zed like each other. This battle is just a way to determine who attacks and who defends in the future."
"F**k bro, your gossip skill is even better"
"Aristocrat vs. Civilian!"
"Shocking! The secret between Julian and Zed had been revealed!"
Even among the special class, many people caught wind of the news.
Luis, who was usually in the Ice-type training class, saw Hugo's message and hurriedly left the room, right in front of the teacher.
There were already quite a few people gathered around the battlefield, most of them looking for some gossip.
Everyone has a bit of a gossip streak, and no one, man or woman, could resist it.
Hannah, the cause of this mess, walked up to Julian.
"Julian, maybe you could call off this match. Zed didn't mean it."
Julian glanced at her.
"Don't you actually hope I defeat Zed thoroughly?"
The more beautiful a woman was, the more deceitful she was. His mother was right, but it's a pity that, when he grew up, he seemed to forget every f*****g word. Now, Hannah in front of him was exactly that kind of person.
"Julian, what are you talking about? How could I have such an idea?"
Hannah gave a charming smile and lightly patted Julian's arm. To those watching, it looked like she was wishing him luck.
"It's over, it's over. Another one of my goddess is gone."
"Brother, how many goddesses do you have?"
"Including her, there are currently over 300."
"Hannah's already in 3rd-year, Going after Julian? That's an old cow eating tender grass—shameless!"
Luis finally arrived just before the battle began, joining Hugo and looking toward Julian and Zed, who were already positioned on opposite sides of the battlefield.
"I'm afraid this guy has a hole in his head. Does he really think of himself as the protagonist of a novel?"
"With Julian's background, he would definitely be the villainous male lead in a story," Hugo added.
Don't be fooled by Hugo's cold demeanor; once you get to know him, you'll realize this guy's actually quite humorous.
"Go Jolteon"
Zed sent out his Pokémon first.
Pokémon: Jolteon (Electric)
Level: 30
Qualification: Green
Ability: Volt Absorb
Held Item: Magnet
Gender: Male
Moves: Thunder Shock, Tackle, Swift, Thunderbolt, Quick Attack, Double Edge, Thunder Fang, Pin Missile
Disc Moves: Protect, Thunder, Electro Ball, Iron Tail
Genetic Moves: Thunder Wave, Double Kick
--
Having a level 30 Jolteon, but with only four TMs learned, this was the situation of most people. The cheapest TMs/Move Discs in the outside world costs around 100,000.
However, the lower the price, the harder it was for a Pokémon to learn the Move successfully. Additionally, a Pokémon's own qualifications played a significant role in its ability to learn from TMs.
Most Trainers had limited funds, so they focused on teaching their Pokémon only a few essential Moves.
However, children from aristocratic families like Julian and Luis faced no such restrictions, allowing them to let their Pokémon learn a wide range of Moves.
Useful Moves were practiced more, while less useful ones were practiced sparingly or not at all.
Anyway once a Move was learned, it meant the basics were in place; even with minimal practice afterward, it could still show decent power.
"You can send out Metagross, it doesn't matter," Zed said indifferently.
'Little tricks'
Julian sneered, seeing through Zed's tactics. He knew Zed was aware that his strongest Pokémon was Metagross, and that none of his Pokémon would stand a chance against it.
So in order to prevent Julian from sending out Metagross, he sent a level 30 Jolteon first.
Sending in Metagross, or even Dragonite or Lucario, would make winning feel like overkill and disgraceful.
"This trick seems a bit familiar"
Luis muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Brother Walker, teach this ignorant guy a lesson!"
A loud voice sounded, directly overshadowing the noisy discussions around.
"Why is this guy Dalton here?"
Luis looked at the tall figure not far from him, showing a dignified expression.
'This guy will be the enemy of my life.'
It was infuriating. 'He' had recognized Brother Walker as his boss first, so who did this shameless fool think he was, trying to take his place?
'All because Brother Walker's kind enough to not mind him'
Bah, scumbag.
Luis grumbled internally, casting a sidelong glance at Julian with a flicker of resentment.
"Go and play"
Julian said calmly, tossing a Poké Ball.
With a flash, a spirited Growlithe emerged onto the battlefield.
Pokémon: Growlithe (Fire)
Level: 26
Qualification: Blue
Ability: Flash Fire
Prop: Hard Charcoal
Gender: Male
Moves: Leer, Ember, Howl, Bite, Flame Wheel, Helping Hand, Agility
Disc Moves: None
Genetic Moves: Flare Blitz, Overheat, Double-Edge, Outrage
--
Julian's Growlithe was still in training, so he hadn't focused on teaching it TMs/disc Moves yet. Even so, its current Move set was more than enough to handle Zed's Jolteon.
Surprisingly, Julian chose to send out Growlithe rather than his Steel-type Pokémon, which drew several intrigued looks.
Growlithe was a rare sight, and everyone knew that its evolution, Arcanine, was revered as a legendary Pokémon in Drakoria—essentially the "Rolls-Royce" of land-based mounts.
"Why does Julian's Growlithe look a bit different? It seems... more reddish," someone observed.
"Yeah, it could be a shiny Growlithe," another replied with a hint of envy.
Typically, Growlithe's coat is orange-yellow with cream-colored fur on its belly, tail, and mane, along with black stripes on its back and limbs.
But Julian's Growlithe had a deeper, orange-red base, signaling something unique.
The change wasn't due to it being a shiny variant. Rather, this color shift was because of its absorption of the fire crystal, causing intense fire energy to alter its fur's color. Gradually, its coat was becoming darker, though it was uncertain if it would ever revert.
Upon closer inspection, faint sparkles could be seen nestled within Growlithe's fur—mostly hidden in daylight, but at night, it gleamed faintly, resembling Tail Glow.
This fiery nature had come with some side effects; certain furniture in Julian's house had ended up scorched.
"Grow! Grow!"
Growlithe looked at his Rival, full of fighting spirit, showing his sharp teeth.
This was Growlithe's first public appearance, known previously only to students in the special class.
"Jolteon, Pin Missile!" called Zed.
Although Julian had sent out one of his non-main team Pokémon just like he wanted, but one look at Growlithe's appearnce told him this little fire type wasn't one to take lightly.
Countless beams of light turned into sharp arrows, launching from Jolteon, covering the distance of more than 100 meters in a flash.
"Flare Blitz," Julian said calmly.
"Grow!"
With a loud bark, Growlithe's body was engulfed in scorching flames as it charged forward, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.
Jolteon's Pin Missile collided with Flare Blitz but didn't slow Growlithe down.
In an instant, the searing heat from Growlithe was upon Jolteon.
"Protect!" Zed shouted, hoping the green barrier could stop Growlithe's assault after the Pin Missile had weakened it.
But the next moment, cracks appeared on the barrier, shattering almost instantly.
Growlithe, now a blazing fireball, slammed into Jolteon, sending it flying out of the battle area.
The battlefield lacked protective barriers or fences, with students watching close by. Jolteon hurtled toward the crowd, causing panicked gasps.
Zed's expression flickered with a smirk; if this turned into an accident, Julian, the cause of it all, would be in trouble.
Among the onlookers, Jane and her friend turned pale. Neither was a trainer, and with Jolteon barreling toward them, Jane could only close her eyes and scream, frozen in place.
Julian was momentarily speechless. He'd always thought those horror movie scenes where women just screamed and closed their eyes were exaggerated. But now, seeing it firsthand, he realized there might be some truth in it.
"Grow!"
Growlithe barked, dashing forward to catch Jolteon mid-air, absorbing the impact and landing gracefully.
Once Jolteon was safely on the ground, unconscious, Jane and the others noticed that they hadn't been hit. They opened their eyes to see Growlithe standing protectively in front of them.
Growlithe's fluffy coat and strong build were a sight to behold, and now, the hero of the moment, the crowd was smitten.
Jane and her friends couldn't help but pet Growlithe in admiration.
"Wow, this fur is so soft and smooth!"
"Growlithe, do you use a special shampoo?"
"Grow!"
Growlithe gave a confirming nod, causing Jane to blink in surprise, realizing she and Growlithe shared the same shampoo brand.
Growlithe looked at Jane and felt that the smell of this woman was exactly the same as his own. Could it be that she was also a dog.
"I never thought I'd be jealous of a dog"
Luis sighed, watching as the group of students, including one girl with a slender waist, doted on Growlithe.
"Growlithe, come back!"
Julian called out, seeing Growlithe basking in the attention and reluctant to leave.
At Julian's voice, Growlithe abandoned the students instantly, trotting back with a wagging tail, eyes sparkling expectantly.
"Well done"
Julian praised, scratching Growlithe behind the ears. Although Growlithe was at level 20 when Julian first got it, it had only been born half a year ago and was still a puppy at heart.
That Jolteon had barely been able to test Growlithe's true strength.
Julian walked over to the defeated Zed.
"So, when should I expect that ten million?"
Zed, who thought Julian had come to mock him, was taken aback by the blunt demand.
He came from a modest background, achieving what he had with hard work and some luck. He had the money, but paying it would make things tight.
"I'll cover it," said a voice as someone stepped up next to Zed.
"President?"
Zed looked at the newcomer in surprise.
"And who might you be?" Julian asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Alex"
The mention of the name gave Julian pause. "Ah, Alex," he muttered, recognizing one of those common protagonist names in fantasy novels. In this world, though, those tropes were nonexistent thanks to the popularity of Pokémon instead.
(T/N: it was one of those cultivation genre protagonist names)
"Brother Walker!"
Luis and Dalton approached, meeting each other's gaze with a fierce intensity that sparked between them.
"Transfer it"
Julian said, taking out his mobile phone and pulling up his payment code.
Without hesitation, Alex also took out his phone, scanning Julian's payment code to complete the transfer before turning to leave with Zed.
"Julian, consider our club, the Civilian Society, officially at odds with you," he said with a final, parting look.
"Such a show-off," Dalton sneered as they left.
"Civilian Society? What's that."
Julian asked Luis, knowing he was the most well-informed about school gossip.
"It's a club of talented trainers with humble backgrounds. Alex is the president," Luis explained.
"And their strength?"
"He's around the pseudo-Elite peak level."
"Trash"
Julian remarked indifferently.
'By junior year, all of my Pokémon will be at the peak of Elite level.'
Luis wanted to say something but stayed quiet.
Reaching pseudo-Elite peak as a junior was impressive, surpassing even some aristocratic family trainers.
After the pseudo-Elite level, experience required increased exponentially, slowing down progress significantly.
After reaching Elite-level even advancing one level per year would feel like a rapid ascent.
"Brother Walker," Luis asked with a grin, "did you really fight Zed over a girl?"
Just then, Hannah, who had been standing nearby, approached them. The grin on Luis's face became even wider.
"I'm sorry for causing trouble, Julian. I didn't expect Zed to react this way. He kept pursuing me even after I refused."
Hannah said giving Julian an apologetic look.
"Maybe I can make it up to you with a meal sometime?" Hannah offered.
Luis gave her a subtle thumbs-up, looking at her emotional intelligence and she clearly had a way with people.
"Why don't we exchange contacts?"
She added, taking out her phone, which had a silver-white Metagross as her screen saver.
Seeing Julian remain unresponsive, she added softly, "Are you upset? I really didn't mean for any of this to happen…"
Her soft, apologetic tone was endearing. Luis was almost tempted to accept on Julian's behalf.
But Julian, wanting to end this quickly, took out his phone and scanned hers, exchanging their contacts.
Back at the villa, Julian released Metagross and gently pressed the Teleport TM/Disc, rewarded from the system against its head.
With a flash of white light, the disc vanished, signaling it had been successfully absorbed.
Julian let out a relieved sigh, having worried Metagross might fail to absorb it, and the reward would have been in vain.
But he realized he was overthinking; after all, the system tailored it specifically for Metagross, so there was no chance of failure.
"Metagross, Teleport" Julian said.
In an instant, Metagross disappeared and reappeared in the courtyard pool, then back in front of Julian.
"Perfect!"
Julian said, patting Metagross's head.
Metagross relaxed, giving a satisfied look as Julian massaged it with his Aura-infused hands.
Just then, Growlithe trotted over, nudging Julian's hand for attention.
"Meta~"
Metagross turned to look at Growlithe:
'What's up, little guy? You want in on the massage too?'
Growlithe barked back, "Grow, Grow, Grow!"
After a good fifteen minutes, Julian had given Metagross a full massage.
Looking around, he noticed Growlithe and a lineup of Steelix, Dragonite, Lucario, Meltan, Slowking, and Aron, all waiting patiently.
Julian held his head, chuckling. "Alright, one at a time. Slowking, could you grab me a bottle of ice-cold soda?"
Settling in for a long afternoon, Julian began his Aura massage with Growlithe, who was already sprawled out, all four legs up, gazing at him expectantly.
His Aura-imbued hands moved gently over Growlithe's limbs and torso, easing out the tension in its small, furry frame. The Aura followed his hands and slowly penetrated into Growlithe's body.
Compared to Metagross, Growlithe was much softer and more pliable. Metagross had the density of iron, much like Steelix and Aron.
Within minutes, Growlithe was dozing off comfortably.
Using his Psychic ability, Julian floated his soda bottle over, took a refreshing sip, and curiously tugged on Growlithe's little tongue, which had flopped out.
The pup stayed asleep.
"Is it really that relaxing?"
Julian smiled.
After over two hours, Julian had massaged all eight Pokémon.
Thankfully, his superhuman physique and power of advanced Aura made it manageable to care for them all.
"Slowking, let's have a barbecue tonight. Could you pick up some ingredients?" he called.
"Slow!"
Slowking nodded, setting out with a basket, ever mindful of the environment, avoiding single-use plastic bags.
"Lucario, can you grab the grill?"
"Metagross, the charcoal's also by the grill—mind bringing it over?"
"Not you, Meltan. You'd just make a mess."
He quickly caught Meltan, who tried to help.
"Steelix, could you cover up the holes you dug? We need a flat space to set up."
Surveying the backyard, Julian noticed Steelix's resting pit, which would need to be filled for their cookout.
"Dragonite, come here."
Dragonite waddled over with a silly expression. Julian retrieved a custom-fitted Flying saddle from the system space and secured it onto Dragonite's back.
This would make Dragonite his designated Flying mount. Though Metagross was powerful, Dragonite had the advantage in both speed and comfort.
Julian climbed onto Dragonite's back, sat in the saddle, and fastened his seatbelt. Immediately, he felt a sense of security.
"Alright, Dragonite, let's give it a test flight."
The Flying saddle was custom-designed to fit Dragonite's unique body shape, so while it might feel a bit off at first, Dragonite would soon get used to it with regular flights.
"Swish~"
In less than 0.01 seconds, Dragonite went 0 to 100.
Julian's neck nearly snapped from the sudden acceleration.
Dazed, Julian heard a soft, apologetic rumble from Dragonite.
It seemed to have momentarily forgotten Julian was on its back and had taken off at full speed.
"If you want a new Trainer, just say it" Julian patted Dragonite's head gently, he really felt like he almost died when Dragonite accelerated just now.
"Let's start slow. I'll tell you when it's time to speed up," he said.
Although cities typically restricted Flying Pokémon without relevant permits.
However, colleges and universities were more relaxed about it, and in the skies above Imperial University he often saw other Trainers flying.
Some rushing to class, while others practicing their moves just like Julian.
The added weight and presence of a rider naturally affected a Pokémon's balance and movement, so frequent practice was essential to build their coordination and comfort.
After an hour of flight practice, they returned to the yard.
Julian unlatched the Flying saddle, appreciating its quick-release mechanism.
By now, Slowking was back with the barbecue supplies.
The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the villa's courtyard.
The barbecue ingredients were all processed, and there was no need to clean anything.
Julian took out some fresh fruit from the system space, choosing each one based on his Pokémon's preferences, and passed them to Slowking, his unofficial chef.
"Make some non-alcoholic piña coladas for them, and I'll just take a Coke," Julian said.
As Julian began grilling, he called to Growlithe. "Start the fire, but go easy."
Julian warned, for fear that Growlithe would directly burn Charcoal to ashes.
Growlithe spit out a small flame, carefully igniting the charcoal.
As the food started to sizzle, its aroma filled the air.
The lights in the courtyard flickered on as dusk settled, and Lucario turned on the Bluetooth speaker, filling the evening with music.
Julian grinned at his Pokémon surrounded him.
"Hang tight, it's almost ready!" he reassured them.
Every now and then, Julian treated his team to human food, but tonight's menu was tailored just for them—roasted berries, energy cubes, and even grilled treats.
Slowking returned with drinks, serving Julian a bottle of MooMoo Milk instead of the Coke he'd asked for.
Julian raised a brow. "I wanted Coke…"
"Slow~"
Slowking shook its head; 'You can only drink one can of Coke a day, and you've already had it.'
Julian: (?`w'?)
"Fine, then how about a beer?"
Barbecue and beer, it was a perfect match.
"Slow~"
'You can't drink beer at your age,' Slowking replied, reminding him.
Julian: \(¯ ¯)/
Shrugging, Julian settled in, content with the milk as he grilled.
This time, Julian didn't invite anyone. Compared to others, he preferred to spend time with his Pokémon.
The full moon hung high above, stars twinkling in the night sky.
Under its glow, Julian and his Pokémon enjoyed their own private barbecue party.
"Metagross, let's go."
Standing at the villa door, Julian recalled all his Pokémon into their Poké Balls, then released his Metagross outside.
Today, he was heading to Advanced Secret Realm No. 25, for which he had already secured a month-long leave from his head teacher, Frank.
The time spent in an advanced secret realm varied, but typically, trainers would stay for about a month. In some cases, larger secret realms required even more time.
Julian's primary aim in Secret Realm No. 25 wasn't to catch more Pokémon; he already had a solid team of eight.
But neither Growlithe nor Slowking were high in levels.
Instead, he planned to train his Pokémon and search for hidden treasures. Though, if he happened upon a particularly exceptional Pokémon, he'd certainly make the capture.
"Ding~"
Just as he was preparing to set out, his phone chimed.
Julian's expression shifted as he read the message.
"A riot has broken out in Intermediate Secret Realm No. 36 near Yuan County, Imperial City. Numerous Pokémon have breached the secret realm's gates. All senior and junior students from Imperial City University are to provide immediate support, while support from younger students is optional."
A secret realm riot was a serious event. When a riot occurred, the first casualties were usually the secret realm guards, followed by anyone in the nearby town.
Typically, intermediate secret realms were managed by large corporations, schools, powerful families, or the local Trainer Association.
These entities were responsible not only for managing the realm but also for containing any potential Pokémon outbreaks.
Most Pokémon from secret realms preferred to stay within them, as the outside environment was entirely different.
However, there were annual instances all over the world, where Pokémon burst out of these realms, sometimes causing significant destruction.
Many factors could trigger such events, like changes in the secret realm's environment, hostile interference by evil forces, or powerful Pokémon expanding their territories and driving out the former occupants.
"Dragonite!"
Julian called as he returned Metagross to its Poké Ball and summoned his Dragonite.
He quickly attached a swift-flight saddle onto Dragonite's back and pulled up his map, pinpointing the location of Secret Realm No. 36.
"Dragonite, head northwest!"
Julian directed, climbing onto the saddle.
Dragonite nodded and took off swiftly in the indicated direction.
At the same time, numerous students from Imperial College were also on their way to Secret Realm No. 36 by various means. The sky was filled with more Pokémon than usual, all heading in the same direction.
Imperial University had called on only the seniors and third-year students, as they were mostly pseudo-Elite level and best suited to handle the situation. Their battle skills and self-defense capabilities made them a reliable force for dealing with mid-level secret realm riots.
Meanwhile, first and second-year students, were still at the Advanced level.
An advanced-level trainer wasn't enough to handle Pokémon riots in a mid-level secret realm.
So whether to participate or not was up to them.
However, if you went and faced danger, the school won't be held responsible if something happened. Even if third- and fourth-year students lost their lives in such incidents, Imperial University wouldn't bear liability.
Trainers enjoyed a high social standing and strong benefits, but they also faced much higher risks.
Before becoming a Trainer, everyone signed an agreement.
The essence of the agreement was clear: 'if you meet your end, don't blame others—acknowledge that you simply weren't strong enough.'
"Hugo, let's contact Brother Walker right away!"
Luis called out, looking at the text message on his phone.
"Julian just flew off on his Dragonite, heading straight for the secret realm," Hugo pointed skyward.
"Then we're going too!"
Luis ran toward the university's rental office to secure a Flying Pokémon, but the area was already crowded—clearly, many students had the same idea.
News of the incident at Intermediate Secret Realm No. 36 in Yuan County quickly spread online, prompting numerous Trainers in the area to rush to the scene.
Though the local residents had been advised to evacuate when the riot first broke through, Yuan County was a densely populated county-level city with nearly two million residents.
Fifty trainers stationed to guard the secret realm lasted only half an hour before the defensive line was overrun by the rioting Pokémon. All fifty perished in the battle.
Evacuating such a large number of people in under half an hour was practically impossible.
The only thing that could be done now was to support Yuan County as soon as possible, and at the same time make the greatest efforts to evacuate the people.
--
A Pidgeot with a camera strapped to its neck hovered high above Secret Realm No. 36, broadcasting the scene live.
Down below, an unending stream of Pokémon poured from the realm's gates. Small Pokémon like Rattata, Caterpie, and Venonat were even crushed under the stampede of larger ones, including Onix, Golem, and Nidoking.
Over ten thousand Pokémon had already broken free, and their numbers continued to rise, all heading in the direction of the County.
In the live broadcast chat, desperate messages appeared:
"How did this riot start? Has anyone figured out the reason?"
"My parents are still in Yuan County…"
"Where are the Trainers? When are they going to show up?!"
"Pray for…"
The Pidgeot belonged to a small media company that had been filming a short feature in Yuan County when the riot occurred.
While most people had fled, the company's two founders stayed behind.
One was a pseudo-Elite Trainer, while the other was just an ordinary person. The Trainer saw an opportunity in the chaos and sent the Pidgeot to capture the live scene.
The viewership in the live stream had surged to over five million. Despite the grim situation, the pseudo-Elite Trainer couldn't help but feel that this daring move was worthwhile.
"Our account has gone viral, so I'm leaving it to you," said the pseudo-Elite to his partner.
"Yeah it sure-wait, What? where are you going with this?," his partner replied, feeling a surge of excitement—until his expression shifted in realization.
"Going to stop this, As a middle-aged man, I never thought I'd still have that fire in me."
"Are you crazy? You haven't fought in ages! Didn't you see all those Trainers fleeing earlier?" His partner looked at him in disbelief.
When disaster strikes, some step forward while others flee.
"That's exactly why I'm going. Don't worry, I'm not about to run or die. I still have a family to care for back home," the prospective Elite Trainer said, laughing.
"If you die, I'll take care of your wife and kid," his partner said seriously.
The prospective Elite Trainer: 'Damn, do I have to take you out first before I go?'