"There's a space crack at a farmhouse in the eastern suburbs of Lake City, and intermediate-level intensive energy is emerging from the rift. It's speculated that a new intermediate-level secret realm will appear in three days."
This was the most talked-about news in Lake City over the past few days. People couldn't stop buzzing about it.
New secret realms appear every day in different regions of various countries, and there were quite a few of them. But most of the new secret realms are elementary and unstable, and they may suddenly disappear one day.
An intermediate-level secret realm, however, was much rarer. And now, after five long years, Lake City was on the brink of getting one.
Intermediate-level secret realms were far more stable, and fewer than 30% of them disappeared within the first three years. That made this discovery a significant event.
On the internet, discussions were already heating up:
"A new intermediate secret realm! I wonder if it'll have any undiscovered Pokémon in it."
"Anyone forming a team to explore this new realm? Sign me up if you are!"
"Secret realm teams? Hah! The fastest way to your death!"
"You can go ahead, I will raise your wife and daughter."
Even though entering as part of a team provided some safety, trust between members was always shaky.
Faced with the allure of treasures and rare Pokémon, bonds between even the closest of partners—husbands, wives, brothers, fathers, and sons—could be broken with a single backstab.
Julian was extremely interested in this new intermediate-level secret realm. He had been to other intermediate-level secret realms before, but they had all been explored thoroughly. The best treasures were always long gone by the time he got there.
Even with his trusty Dowsing Machine, the treasures he could locate in a well-explored secret realm were quite limited.
But this one? A brand-new, untouched realm? There were sure to be plenty of treasures waiting inside, ready to be found.
The so-called "treasures of the secret realm" were the most valuable things within such spaces.
They could range from rare items, evolutionary stones, and even powerful Pokémon. While being the first to enter didn't guarantee finding the best treasure, it certainly increased the odds.
During dinner, Julian seized the opportunity.
"Dad, I want one of the first slots to enter the new intermediate secret realm," he said casually while biting into a fragrant rib.
Jake, who was sipping his wine, raised an eyebrow at his son's request.
Julian had outgrown the elementary secret realms; they no longer served as a challenge or a way to improve his skills. The intermediate secret realm was just right for him now. And with his Dowsing Machine, he had a good chance of discovering the most valuable treasures hidden inside.
"Alright," Jake replied, a little surprised. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't be interested. I was actually about to give your slot away."
When a new secret realm emerged, the most elite families and wealthiest trainers were always given first access.
The Walker family was one of the most respected in Drakoria, but with only a few family members and Jake himself not particularly excited about this specific realm, they had been granted five initial entry slots but only needed two.
Had Julian not asked, Jake had been planning to give away the remaining two slots to friends or allies.
Tina, who was eating quietly beside them, spoke up, her voice laced with concern. "Are you sure about this, Julian? Entering a new secret realm can be dangerous."
Although she knew her son's strength, as a mother, she still worried.
The unknown dangers lurking in a new secret realm were different from those in ones already explored. In established secret realms, trainers knew where the threats were and how to avoid them. In a fresh one, every step could lead to death.
Jake, however, was much more confident in his son.
"Don't worry, Tina. At his level, no one below the Elite tier could even think of threatening him."
Besides, Julian had Alakazam, his trusted bodyguard, with him. As an Elite-tier Pokémon at its peak, Alakazam was capable of defending Julian from nearly any threat. It wasn't Julian who needed to worry. The real danger lay in others who might be eyeing Julian or his Pokémon.
While Tina was a senior Pokémon breeder, she didn't fully grasp just how much stronger her son had become. Jake, on the other hand, trained with Julian frequently and understood the vast potential hidden in him.
As Jake observed Julian munching on ribs, he found it hard to believe his own eyes. This was his son, yet he was already nearing the Elite tier himself.
A pseudo-Elite trainer at such a young age! And his Pokémon? Metagross was one of the most powerful pseudo-Elites he had ever seen. If not for his years of experience, even he might struggle to keep up.
It was even stranger to think that Metagross was split from the very same Metagross his own had come from(John's). So why, then, was Julian's Metagross so much stronger than his own?
"My son's already this strong," Jake muttered, "It won't be long before even I'm no match for him."
Tina, always one to support her son, smiled and added more ribs to Julian's plate. "That's right. My son's number one, and his father's at the bottom."
Faced with his wife's teasing, Jake could only smile and stay silent. Like any father, he wanted his son to surpass him, and with Julian's talents, it wouldn't take long.
For a brief moment, he glanced at Julian with a mix of pride and awe.
"Dad, what's with that look?" Julian asked, feeling uncomfortable under his father's strange gaze.
Jake chuckled. "I'm just admiring my son."
Julian pulled a face of mock disgust. "You're gross."
Finishing his dinner quickly, Julian stood up and made his way to the backyard, where his six Pokémon were waiting. They surrounded him instantly, their eyes gleaming with anticipation and their bowls ready.
"Alright, alright, here you go."
Julian placed top-tier Steel and Dragon type energy cubes into the bowls of Metagross, Lucario, Meltan, and Dragonair.
Since they had grown up eating the finest energy cubes, their palates had become so refined that they barely acknowledged regular cubes anymore. Only the top-quality cubes from Julian's system would do.
For Shellder, who had recently leveled up to 10, Julian gave him high-level Water type energy cube. Since there hadn't been any recent mission rewards for top-level water cubes, this would have to do for now.
Aron, still young, ate a mix of iron ore and energy cubes, the ore providing valuable minerals to help toughen his shell. Julian bought the ore directly from the system, and its price was comparable to high-tier energy cubes.
The energy in the ore was more easily absorbed by Aron. If his aptitude was lower than that of cyan, eating these ore could also improve his aptitude.
When the Pokémon finished their meal, their bowls were so clean they could've been used as mirrors.
Julian smiled as he watched Aron contentedly gnawing on a steel rod, with Meltan eyeing the stainless steel bowl with barely-contained restraint. If not for his better judgment, Meltan might have eaten the bowl by now.
Sighing, Julian glanced at his points. The rate at which his Pokémon ate was quickly depleting his points.
He was lucky that his daily tasks rewarded him with advanced energy cubes occasionally. Although they weren't top-tier, the difference was small—though the taste was what his Pokémon seemed to care about most.
*****
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