Even as fellow Ghost-type Pokémon, most won't dare get too close to Litwick. Its ability to absorb souls and life force can affect other Ghost-types too.
Julian felt a bit nervous now. Just moments ago, he thought he was perfectly safe, but it seemed he'd underestimated the situation.
Even an Elite-level Pokémon would experience a gradual drain of its soul and life force when near a Advanced-level Litwick. The process is so slow that it's barely noticeable, yet Litwick could quietly drain its opponent until it's lifeless.
This draining is almost impossible to detect, and the victim wouldn't feel any pain.
Among all Ghost-type Pokémon, Litwick ranks among the top three in terms of danger, and they are relatively rare.
Besides these characteristics, there's no denying its strength. Its final evolution, Chandelure, is a powerful Ghost-type Pokémon, rumored to have the ability to communicate with the spirit world.
However, to control one safely without backlash, a Trainer's own strength must be formidable.
After all, human souls and life force are highly nutritious to Litwick.
The flames atop these two Litwick flickered. If you kept staring at their flame, you'd be unknowingly drawn in, eventually losing your life. At least it wouldn't be a painful end.
Julian had turned off his flashlight. In this Dark Forest, it was like a beacon, constantly alerting the surrounding Ghost-type Pokémon of a fresh human and a delicious soul nearby.
"Metagross, Dragonite, handle them."
With dozens of ghostly eyes fixed on him like he was a meal, Julian felt a chill and kept Lucario close to guard him against any sneak attacks.
'What are you looking at, Gengar?'
Julian thought, catching the mischievous Pokémon's stare.
The wandering ghosts were no match for Metagross and Dragonite. The two Pokémon swiftly cleared them out, though the Ghost-types' elusive movements made them tricky opponents.
Some didn't even have physical bodies, making them immune to physical attacks.
Julian sensed the surrounding temperature dropping rapidly, and an Aura filled with malice radiated from his left.
"Luca!~"
Lucario, his bodyguard, swung a Fire Punch into the empty space beside Julian. With a thud, a Gengar appeared, its face absorbing the Fire Punch.
After dealing with the dozens of Ghost-types, including the two Litwick, Julian quickly moved on with his Pokémon.
They headed east, guided by his Dowsing Machine, where a large red dot appeared on the display, hinting that the treasure might be quite valuable.
Though the Shadowed Forest lies underground, it still has a vast stretch of trees. But unlike those on the surface, these trees have no leaves, only bare branches.
And soft green light glowed from the branches.
It's said that this glow comes from the essence of Ghost-type Pokémon that perished in the Shadowed Forest.
"This kind of wood would be perfect for making beads"
Julian mused as he snapped off a branch. The inside of the branch was a dark yellow, laced with a hint of gold—a prime material for bead-making.
In fact, beads crafted from the trees of Shadowed Forest were sold on the market at premium prices, affordable only to a select few.
Nearby, a Trevenant had camouflaged itself as a large tree, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey—only to be knocked out by Metagross's Bullet Punch.
Julian walked over and gave it a kick, sending the Trevenant flying due to his own impressive strength.
"Can't even play your part right," he muttered.
All the trees here were bare, yet this one had forgotten to blend in and added some green on its head. What kind of dead wood are you trying to pull here?
And the spot where the Trevenant had stood happened to be where the red dot was marked on his Dowsing Machine.
A few minutes later, Metagross flew back, holding a marble-sized bead.
"A Shadow Orb—not bad"
Julian remarked as he took the orb.
The Shadow Orb could be carried as a held item to enhance Ghost-type moves, particularly boosting the power of Shadow Punch by 30%.
It could also be grounded into powder and combined with other ingredients to create potions that strengthen a Ghost-type Pokémon's potential.
Of course, if you were rich enough, you could even wear it as an accessory. It had a natural cooling effect, perfect for summer—like carrying a portable air conditioner around with you.
"Alright, let's move to the next—whoa!"
Julian's words were cut off as his Dowsing Machine suddenly displayed a red dot covering nearly a third of the screen.
For context, even the Fire Crystal, the ultimate treasure of the realm he'd found in the intermediate-level secret realm, only took up a quarter of the display.
This new dot's size suggested something even more valuable than the Fire Crystal.
"Strange"
Julian recalled checking the Dowsing Machine earlier, and this red dot hadn't been there. It was as if the treasure had just appeared out of nowhere.
"What the—it's gone!"
Just as he prepared to set out, the large red dot vanished.
Metagross watched his Trainer's surprised reactions, sighing slightly. When would he be able to keep his cool in the face of anything, like Metagross could?
"Dragonite, head this way!"
Julian wasted no time, hopping onto Dragonite.
"Metagross, stop dawdling and follow!"
As Metagross snapped out of its daze, Julian and Dragonite had already taken off.
On Dragonite's back, Julian wore a look of contemplation. The sudden appearance and disappearance of the red dot couldn't mean his Dowsing Machine was malfunctioning.
Most likely, the treasure had already been claimed by a Pokémon.
So this red dot would move along with the Pokémon carrying it.
For something that takes up a third of the Dowsing Machine's screen, even if it wasn't the Ultimate treasure of this Advanced-level secret realm, it must be an extraordinary treasure of some type.
Since it appeared in the Shadowed Forest, it was highly likely to be a Ghost-type treasure.
Fortunately, Julian had memorized its direction before it disappeared. A few minutes into Dragonite's flight, he noticed the red dot reappear on his Dowsing Machine, confirming the treasure was indeed moving, though not too quickly.
At Dragonite's speed, they'd be able to catch up in a few minutes.
"It stopped"
Julian's expression shifted slightly as he realized the red dot had halted in the territory of the Elite-level Gengar.
Could the treasure actually be with that Elite-level Gengar?
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Sure enough, that Gyarados was dirt poor, just look at the contrast—that Gyarados barely had anything better than a top-grade Water Stone. But here's a Gengar, potentially holding something as valuable as a realm's Ultimate treasure.
How could there be such a big difference between two Elite-level Pokémon?
Julian didn't dwell on why the treasure hadn't been snatched by other Trainers who had previously explored the forest.
There were several possible reasons: Gengar was a Ghost-type, and if it really wanted to hide, only a skilled Trainer would have any chance of finding it.
Or perhaps Gengar had only recently acquired the treasure, and Julian just happened to stumble upon it at the perfect time.
Arriving at the location marked by the red dot, Julian looked at his Dowsing Machine, then scanned the area, his usually calm expression turning a bit bewildered.
What was going on?
The Dowsing Machine indicated the treasure was just ten centimeters away and hovering, meaning it was supposedly right in front of him.
But…
He looked at the empty space before him and then back at the Dowsing Machine. The massive red dot hadn't budged.
Julian shook the Dowsing Machine and even tapped it a few times.
"Is this thing broken?" he muttered.
System: Not broken
"You're popping up again"
He grumbled, rolling his eyes.
The system rarely spoke, only issuing missions. It only seemed to "appear" when he was complaining about it.
Julian trusted the system. If the Dowsing Machine wasn't broken, then the treasure must indeed be right in front of him. But why couldn't he see it?
"A Gengar can go invisible…"
Given that the treasure had been moving, Julian had suspected it might be carried by a Pokémon.
Now, standing at its location without seeing anything just ten centimeters away, the most likely scenario was that an invisible Pokémon—probably a Gengar—was carrying it, making the treasure invisible too.
"However..."
Glancing over at Lucario and Metagross beside him, who were shaking their heads, Julian dismissed his speculation.
Even if a Pokémon could turn invisible, it couldn't hide its Aura. Lucario hadn't sensed any Aura in the area, and Metagross had scanned several times with its psychic powers, finding nothing.
Julian waved his hand in front of him at the spot ten centimeters away. His hand passed right through—nothing there.
He was truly baffled.
"It moved again!!"
The red dot on his Dowsing Machine shifted once more, only this time, it wasn't moving away but getting closer—now only about a centimeter from his face.
Julian instinctively took a step back, his face darkening.
'What the heck? Sure, I know I'm handsome, but if this thing thinks it can take advantage of me, see if I don't kill it'
"Come out already!"
He shouted, swatting at the air in front of him, channeling a bit of Aura into his hand in his frustration.
Then—smack.
To his surprise, he actually hit something solid.
And suddenly, a white figure materialized in front of him.
Julian jolted at the sudden appearance, and Lucario instantly stepped protectively in front of him.
Metagross and Dragonite took flanking positions, glaring at the white figure.
Gastly, the now-visible culprit, looked pitifully at them. It had no ill intentions; it was simply curious why this human could detect it, and now it had been slapped!
His three Pokémon were even staring it down fiercely, and it was on the verge of tears.
"A white Gastly?"
Julian's mouth opened slightly as he stared at the odd-looking Pokémon, then back at his Dowsing Machine.
The red dot was indeed marking Gastly.
Then a realization dawned on him, Julian activated his Probing Eyes to inspect the Gastly.
Pokémon: Gastly (Ghost/Poison)
Level: 22
Potential: Purple
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: None
Gender: Male
Moves: Confuse Ray, Lick, Hypnosis, Mean Look, Imprison, Payback, Curse,
TMs: None
Genetic Moves: Skill Swap, Dark Pulse, Disable, Perish Song, Poltergeist, Will-O-Wisp
---
A purple-tier Gastly, bearing the qualifications to be a future champion—and it was white!
"So it was you all along"
Julian finally understood. The red dot taking up a third of the Dowsing Machine's screen wasn't marking a treasure—it was marking this Gastly.
For the first time, Julian realized that his Dowsing Machine could also detect high-quality Pokémon. He'd encountered Cyan-tier Pokémon in other secret realms before, yet the Dowsing Machine hadn't registered them.
Now it seemed clear: the device didn't ignore them; rather, Cyan-tier Pokémon simply didn't meet its standard.
Dowsing Machine: My standards are quite high when it comes to living things, thank you very much. Proud.jpg
It seemed likely that only Blue or Purple-tier Pokémon were worthy of appearing on its radar.
"You're mine now"
Julian said, looking at the white Gastly with an intense, possessive expression. This guy was absolutely the Ultimate treasure of this advanced secret realm—if not officially, then certainly on par with one.
Gastly, sensing Julian's intense gaze, felt a jolt of fear. Something was definitely wrong with this human, and it needed to get away.
Although Julian couldn't detect Gastly's Aura before, once Gastly revealed itself, he could feel its presence clearly. Noticing something unusual about its Aura, Julian immediately called out;
"Metagross, Scary Face!"
Just as Gastly was about to slip back into invisibility, a huge, intimidating face appeared before it. Even though it was a Ghost-type, Gastly was startled so badly that it forgot to hide. The passive invisibility it relied on was instantly disrupted.
"Use Confusion."
Metagross, knowing that it was about to gain a new companion, applied just the right amount of force with Confusion, enough to knock Gastly out without harm.
Julian tossed a Poké Ball. After a few shakes, the white Gastly was captured without any resistance.
Using psychic power, he lifted the Poké Ball in front of him, grinning. He'd been in this realm for less than ten days, and he'd already captured a purple-tier Pokémon.
Such Pokémon were almost unheard of in advanced-level secret realms; they usually only appeared in the highest Top-tier realms.
After all, advanced-level secret realms maxed out at Elite-level Pokémon, which was Cyan-tier potential. It's rare enough to encounter a Blue-tier Pokémon, so how could a Purple-tier one possibly appear?
This Gastly was practically a one-in-a-billion miracle, an instance of a potential leap in quality—and to top it off, it was a shiny.
Julian released Gastly from its Poké Ball.
The newly captured Gastly appeared, looking a bit downcast. It understood that it had been caught by this human, and so, even if it wasn't thrilled, it didn't try to leave.
Of course, if it had tried, Julian wouldn't have just let it go.
Letting a purple-tier Pokémon walk away? Not a chance—he wasn't that foolish.
"Here, take this"
Julian said, offering Gastly a Toxic Orb he had obtained previously.
Gastly was startled once again. This human was giving it something valuable right from the start.
It wasn't exactly sure what the strange, ominous orb was, but it could feel a deep, instinctual pull toward it.
Well…how could it refuse?
Shyly, Gastly took the Toxic Orb, giving it a little lick. Its face lit up in bliss.
"Here, have some Energy Cubes too"
Julian said, offering top-grade Ghost-type energy cubes.
Gastly's mind told it to refuse, but its body was already reaching out and taking a cube.
As soon as the cube touched its tongue, Gastly's eyes lit up.
Gastly: A ghost never submits…unless there's free food and lodging.
In just a few minutes of feasting and taking gifts, Gastly was completely won over. With a Trainer this generous, of course he wanted to stick around.
If the system could show numbers, Gastly would probably have "Friendship +10 +15 +37" floating above its head right now.
Julian, though, kept a bit of distance. With Gastly being ninety-five percent gas, getting too close could cause gas poisoning.
The remaining five percent, as rumors say, might even be composed of souls from people poisoned by its gas.
Since Gastly was a gas Pokémon, a strong enough wind could blow it away.
"Gastly, use Invisibility," Julian suddenly said.
Gastly hesitated, unsure why Julian wanted it to go invisible, but it obeyed anyway.
Julian wasn't concerned; it was perfectly normal for a freshly caught Pokémon, one not yet used to following commands, to hesitate.
As Gastly turned invisible, Julian noticed its Aura had disappeared entirely.
He glanced over at Metagross, who shook its head—just as before, Gastly was completely untraceable in its invisible state.
Now that Gastly had been caught, even the Dowsing Machine couldn't detect it.
If he hadn't known Gastly was standing right in front of him, Julian would've thought it had left the area entirely.
"Alright, stop being invisible," Julian said.
In the next moment, Gastly reappeared, making a silly face, hoping to startle Julian, but Julian's expression didn't change. Internally, though, he almost lost his composure.
Julian: That was a close one
Taking a deep breath, Julian asked, "Gastly, is your invisibility a bit different from other Gastly's?"
Gastly looked at him, puzzled by the question.
What did he mean? All Gastlys' invisibility worked the same, didn't it?
For ghost-types like Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar, invisibility was a passive skill, shared by many other ghost-types too. This made ghost-type Pokémon a common pick for assassins around the world.
But there were limitations to invisibility.
Many methods could reveal a hidden Pokémon;
Lucario's Aura, Metagross's Psychic power, and Growlithe's sense of smell, etc.. among others.
Yet this Gastly's invisibility was different—neither Aura nor psychic power could detect it. Julian guessed even Growlithe's scent-tracking wouldn't work on it.
Looking at this shiny, white Gastly, Julian thought, 'Maybe this is a unique trait due it being shiny'.
Shiny Pokémon were often rejected by their own species because of their different coloring, but they usually possessed talents that surpassed others of their kind.
Take Julian's Metagross, for instance—its defensive stats were double those of a typical Metagross. That was the advantage of being a shiny.
The unique trait of this shiny, white Gastly appeared to be "absolute invisibility."
Julian came up with the term "absolute invisibility" on the spot; it fit Gastly's ability perfectly.
Once invisible, unless someone knew there was a Gastly around, even if a psychic Pokémon or a Lucario was nearby, they wouldn't be able to detect it.
A Gastly with absolute invisibility and a purple-grade potential—this Mf***er was a natural-born assassin.
It could sneak up behind you and take your heart, lungs, or kidneys before you even knew what happened.
Thinking about it, Julian felt a rush of relief. If this Gastly had any malicious intent before, it could've easily attacked him, turned his brain into dessert, and he wouldn't have even noticed.
Thanks to this absolute invisibility, Gastly had survived so well in the Shadowed Forest without being bullied by other Pokémon or caught by humans.
Wild shiny Pokémon were often cast out of their groups, which greatly raised their chances of dying. Very few actually survived alone.
Though this Gastly seemed to live well, it had surely been through many hardships.
"From now on, we're partners," Thinking of this, Julian said with a smile.
Gastly blinked in surprise. Pokémon were sensitive to emotions, especially ghost-types.
Feeling the sincerity in Julian's words, Gastly remembered its own lonely life, cast out by its kind and relying on its invisibility to survive one dangerous day after another.
To have a "partner" was something it had always dreamed of, and now...
Gastly pulled a playful face, and this time Julian reacted with a scared expression. Laughing, Gastly floated over and gave him a lick.
Julian thought it was just a friendly lick, but a moment later, a wave of paralysis crept over him.
Bas**d, it turned out to be—Lick.
The move Lick only had about 20 % chance of paralysis, but for someone with Julian's luck, it was practically guaranteed.
With shaky hands, he managed to retrieve a Cheri Berry from his system space, forcing it down to finally shake off the paralysis.
Seeing Julian in such a embarrassed state, Gastly laughed even harder, tears welling up from laughing so much.
Julian: So much for that Mega Pallet Town Physique, It can't even resist a little paralysis, What a rubbish Physique.
Mega Pallet Town physique: (〝▼皿▼)
After capturing such an excellent Pokémon, Julian couldn't be happier—this trip to the advanced-level secret realm was definitely worth it.
He didn't return Gastly to its Poké Ball, letting it float beside him instead, so they could start building trust.
The Shadowed Forest had only just begun to reveal its secrets. There was no way this exploration would end so soon.
The Dowsing Machine showed several red dots up ahead, and having Gastly, who knew the forest inside-out, was like having the best guide around.
Some treasures were guarded by Pokémon, but instead of using Gastly's "absolute invisibility" to steal them, Julian sent out Growlithe and Lairon to continue leveling up.
Of course, Gastly joined the leveling-up team too.
Currently, Gastly was at level 22. It would evolve into Haunter at level 25, and afterward, with a trade or a linking cord, Haunter could be evolved into the versatile powerhouse, Gengar.
This evolution path didn't have any level restrictions.
Julian also found a top-grade Dusk Stone, one of the rarest evolution stones and that too of top-grade.
Without hesitation, he tossed it over to Gastly.
The energy within the Dusk Stone could be absorbed by Gastly to boost its ghost-type affinity, just as the Toxic Orb strengthened its poison-type affinity.
In official matches, a Pokémon could only hold one item. But outside of matches, Gastly could hold a hundred items if it wanted—no limit on benefits here.
After spending about three days in the Shadowed Forest, Julian finally decided to head out.
The dark, gloomy environment was hardly fit for humans, nor was it suitable for Pokémon like Metagross or Dragonite. Only darkness-loving Pokémon thrived there.
Any longer, and Julian feared he'd end up with a case of depression.
In the secret realm's grassland area, as evening fell, Julian was lying on the grass, a gentle breeze was blowing across the grassland. Some Hoppip floated gracefully through the sky, carried by the wind.
The scent of fresh grass, mingled with a hint of gas from the nearby Gastly, made Julian feel a bit lightheaded.
Steelix stood upright, its mouth wide open facing northwest; apparently, Julian had told it this might help it feel fuller.
(T/N: and that's why you stay away from weed everyone)
Slowking stood on Steelix's head with arms folded, exuding a regal aura. Its wise gaze wasn't pondering the mysteries of the universe, but rather what it should cook for Julian tonight.
Yes, some Huaiyang cuisine would be nice.
(T/N: Huaiyang cuisine: The cuisine tends to have a slightly sweet side to it and is almost never spicy.)
Growlithe was gleefully racing around the grassland, herding a group of Mareep like a true sheepdog.
Lucario was lifting weights—Lairon, who was fast asleep and didn't want to wake up.
It was enjoying the gentle up-and-down motion.
Melmetal, imitating Slowking's stance, thought it looked quite cool and was doing its best to appear more dignified.
Gastly floated in and out of the nut-shaped spaces within Melmetal, as the breeze carried away some of its gas.
The plump Dragonite was picking the few flowers dotting the grassland, sniffing them and thinking about making a flower crown for boss-Metagross. Surely, Metagross would be pleased.
Meanwhile, Metagross, Dragonite's esteemed "boss," was lying next to Julian, half-squinting as it also inhaled the faintly intoxicating gas.
Many Grass-type Pokémon inhabited this grassland, most of them gentle by nature. Since Julian hadn't disturbed them, they left him in peace as well.
Some mischievous Sunkern even treated Steelix's body like a slide, gliding down from its head and floating back up, only to slide down again.
It had been almost 20 days since he entered the secret realm, Julian took advantage of the pleasant grassland environment to let all his Pokémon out to relax.
With a blade of foxtail grass in his mouth, he sighed in relief as Gastly finally drifted away, taking the heady gas with it.
Then, a sudden gust picked up. Steelix's eyes lit up, sensing it could "eat" even more, and opened its mouth a bit wider.
A Hoppip was blown off course by the stronger wind, tumbling down from the sky and aiming straight for Julian's face.
Panicking, the falling Hoppip chirped, as if pleading with the friendly-looking human below to catch it.
Seeing this, Julian quickly stood up, locking his eyes on the falling Hoppip, and then leaped to meet it. Hoppip's face lit up in delight, preparing to land safely in his arms.
But Julian spun in mid-air and kicked, sending Hoppip flying like a ball, right into the center nut of Melmetal's body.
Hoppip: (⊙_⊙)
"Meta!~"
Julian landed stylishly, and his loyal Metagross was the first to clap in praise.
"With a kick like that, even the national soccer team would think this is sci-fi."
Melmetal felt something lodged in its stomach. It reached in, pulled out the dizzy Hoppip, and quickly flung it away, accidentally hitting other Hoppip floating in the air.
Hoppip: These Bas***ds—human or Pokémon—are all dogs.
Growlithe: Well, I am a dog.
That evening, a campfire crackled as Julian enjoyed the Huaiyang dishes Slowking had prepared for him—three dishes and a soup. For someone like Julian, finishing it all was no challenge.
The Pokémon were munching on Pokéblocks and other treats.
Steelix noticed its appetite had grown; even after eating all that "wind," it still wasn't full, so it went for some more Pokéblocks.
Metagross, with a flower crown on its head, quietly ate its dinner.
Dragonite looked pleased with the crown it had made, even making a grass circlet for Julian, which Julian promptly placed on Melmetal's head instead.
Julian: This green wreath suits Melmetal perfectly.
Gastly, wearing a happy grin, devoured its Pokéblocks, savoring their deliciousness. It also had a group of new friends around, something it hadn't experienced before—a meal with companions.
In this pristine, unpolluted secret realm, the night sky was filled with stars and a bright moon, much more vivid than the outside world.
Julian leaned against Melmetal, whose liquid-metal body made for a surprisingly comfortable rest. Every so often, Julian pointed out stars with his finger.
Melmetal looked at him, curious.
"See, if you connect those stars together, doesn't it look like someone?"
Julian continued tracing patterns with his finger.
"Mel!~"
After a moment of contemplation, Melmetal seemed to recognize the shape and happily let out a cheer.
"Right, that's Steelix."
"And if you connect these stars, that's Metagross."
"And over here, this cluster is like a ball—yep, that's Gastly."
"And this hexagon here? That's your nut."
Seeing itself represented made Melmetal even happier, and it nudged Julian to find stars for the rest of their friends.
Slowking and Lucario were busy tidying up. Cleaning the dishes was easy; one Water Gun from Slowking, and they were spotless.
That night, Julian didn't pitch a tent. Instead, he had Steelix curl into a circle; with its size, the circle was large enough to fit four or five Julians comfortably.
But Julian still felt a bit cramped. Dragonite sprawled out on his left, taking up most of the space with its fat frame, and Growlithe snuggled up on his right.
Originally, Growlithe had wanted to sleep right on top of Julian, but he'd firmly said no. So with a slightly hurt expression, it settled on his right side instead.
As a result, Julian had difficulty even turning over.
Looking at Dragonite and Growlithe who were already asleep, Julian smiled helplessly.
Being with his Pokémon was a comforting feeling; even the stars above seemed to shine a little brighter tonight.
Gastly drifted through the air above them. As a Ghost-type, it didn't really need sleep; just a bit of rest could keep it energized for a whole day. In fact, it was even more active at night.
The idea of a 9-9-7 work schedule wouldn't just be a dream with Gastly's stamina.
Julian watched as Gastly floated out of his sight but he wasn't worried. With its absolute invisibility, if there was any trouble, Gastly could easily avoid it.
It had survived the far more dangerous Shadowed Forest, starting life on hard mode. This beginner-level grassland was no challenge at all.
A sudden noise caught his attention.
"Squeak, squeak.."
Steelix was having a restless sleep, grinding its teeth.
Julian chuckled, wondering if Steelix even realized it had hardly any teeth left to grind.
Julian carefully stowed away a dozen Dragon Heart grass, a rare plant that could heal or strengthen a Dragon-type Pokémon's essence. These herbs were so precious they were usually sold by the leaf.
Each Dragon Heart grass had about eight to ten leaves, and a single leaf could go for around 30 to 40 million. Finding these in a regular market was nearly impossible—they were usually only seen in top auction houses.
Julian hadn't expected to find a small patch of Dragon Heart grass here. The plants were hidden exceptionally well; without the Dowsing Machine, who would've thought an unremarkable mountain ravine would hide them—and in such quantity, too.
While Dragon Heart grass' primary use was to restore missing Dragon essence, it could also help boost a Dragon-type's affinity. However, this effect was relatively minor.
For Julian's Dragonite, with its exceptionally strong Dragon essence, these would be little more than snacks unless it was an extraordinary Dragon-type treasure.
"It's probably time to leave the secret realm"
Counting today, Julian had been in this advanced-level secret realm for 28 days. The limit for staying in such a place was 30 days. Exceeding this time would result in penalties proportional to the extra time spent inside.
Of course, if you didn't exit on time, either you were already dead, or you had chosen to live in the secret realm permanently.
The first case didn't need discussing.
For the second case, unless you could hide exceptionally well, you'd eventually be discovered by the periodic patrol teams sent by the realm's administrators.
Every year, quite a few people tired of society would choose to live in secret realms.
But these people usually stayed in low- or intermediate-level realms, where the risks weren't too high.
Only prominent or talented trainers could enter high-level realms, so why would anyone give up a good life just to hide away here?
If you needed to stay long-term in a realm to push your limits, the Trainer Association could understand that.
You'd just need to apply for permission to live in a high-level realm and could stay there indefinitely, if they approved.
Julian's current position was about half a day's journey from the realm's exit. After leaving, he planned to take a day off and then head back to school.
"Meta!!"
"Dra!!"
Just as Julian was planning his next steps, Metagross and Dragonite suddenly let out warning roars and instantly positioned themselves between him and the perceived threat.
Following their gaze, Julian saw a Fearow swiftly approaching. About thirty meters away, it stopped, and a figure leaped down from its back.
When Julian saw who it was, his eyes narrowed slightly.
This person wasn't here with good intentions.
"Such a vast realm, yet you managed to find me. Don't tell me it's a coincidence—Alex."
The visitor was none other than Alex, whom Julian had previously defeated, stripping him of his spot on the team.
Judging by the expression on Alex's face, it was clear he'd come for him, though Julian couldn't understand how he'd found him.
Advanced-level secret realms covered vast areas, often as large as an entire province, and with few people entering, it seemed improbable for Alex to find him purely by chance.
Julian was certain he'd used some method to track him down.
Alex's seemingly calm gaze betrayed a deep resentment.
Though he came from an average background, Alex had been exceptionally lucky, receiving guidance from skilled individuals along the way. This had allowed him, despite his humble origins, to become the freshman representative during his first year and maintain that status through his third year.
In both his freshman and sophomore years, he had made the school team, though he hadn't qualified to compete. By his third year, however, his skills had soared, and he became the second-strongest on the team, earning a spot to compete.
Winning the university league for Imperial University would have granted him rewards that could push his abilities to new heights, perhaps even to the level of an Elite trainer.
Yet, Julian had taken this spot from him—a defeat made all the worse by the fact that Julian had won it fair and square, demonstrating absolute strength.
'The freshman representative had beaten the third year representative.'
'A noble family's prodigy had bested a hardworking talent from humble beginnings.'
During that time, he'd become a "celebrity" on campus.
Even the members of the "Civilian Society," a group he had founded, had lost faith in him despite their claims of support. Alex knew they no longer believed in him.
The Walker family was one of Drakoria's top families and was nearly untouchable. But that didn't mean no other family bore grudges against them.
The larger the family, the more resources they controlled, which naturally meant fewer resources for everyone else.
For years, the Walker family had controlled more than half of Drakoria's Steel-type resources, while other Steel-type clans split the remaining half based on their influence.
This monopolistic hold had long stirred resentment among other Steel-type families, though none dared openly challenge the Walker family's power.
Some families had thought they could wait until John, Julian's grandfather, passed away. At that point, the Walker family's top-level power would be limited to Julian's father, Jake, who would be unable to guard such a vast amount of resources alone.
But then came Julian—a rising star with an incredible gift for training Pokémon, undefeated since his debut. His Metagross had proven itself a true powerhouse.
As Julian's grandfather often said, "My grandson has the potential of a champion."
Julian's Metagross had defeated an Articuno, single-handedly quelled a Pokémon Riot in a intermediate-level secret realm, and crushed Alex, the former top third-year, in battle.
Each of these feats confirmed to the Steel-type families that Julian indeed had the potential of a champion and was growing rapidly. This filled them with dread.
At his pace, they feared they wouldn't even have the chance to wait for John to pass on; Julian might soon become the next John—or even surpass him.
Thus, a plan began to take shape among certain Steel-type families.
However, any mistake in this plan would undoubtedly provoke John's crazy retaliation. Therefore, they couldn't directly involve any of their own people in carrying it out.
And then Alex caught their attention.
A common-born prodigy, a peak pseudo-Elite level trainer, skilled in multiple types—and, most importantly, someone who already bore a grudge against Julian. He had reason to take drastic action, and if he failed, they had contingency plans to handle the fallout.
After some discreet contact, they reached out to Alex, promising him a range of enticing rewards. He agreed to their proposal.
The intricate web of connections between noble families meant that when Julian entered the secret realm, someone had already made subtle arrangements that would allow Alex to track him. This was how Alex managed to locate Julian within such an enormous secret realm.
He had also waited until the final days of the exploration window, calculating that after over twenty days in the realm, Julian's Pokémon would have experienced numerous battles.
Even with the use of healing items, their overall physical state would be somewhat worn down from their peak condition.
It was a plan crafted with meticulous precision.