Chapter 238: The Secret Realm Hunt
After defeating the examiner, Basalt bowed to him and the judges, then walked off the field amidst a wave of applause and admiration.
When he returned to the group of candidates, he seemed to carry an aura of dominance. The other candidates instinctively parted, clearing a path for him.
Although he was stunned and shocked to have been defeated, Examiner Jensen's professionalism was high. He didn't feel embarrassed or awkward.
And so, the assessment continued.
Perhaps because Basalt's performance was so inspiring, the next few candidates all performed remarkably well, passing one after another.
This included Ronan, who was the fifth to pass.
But the good luck didn't last. The sixth candidate's skills were even worse than the first's, and he was unsurprisingly eliminated.
Then came the seventh, who squeaked by with a 3 "Pass" and 2 "Fail" vote.
In the end, of the seven candidates in Basalt's group, four passed and three failed, for a pass rate of about 57.14%—well within the normal range.
After seven consecutive battles, one might expect him to be tired, but there was no sign of fatigue on Jensen's face. On the contrary, he looked energized.
After the three failed candidates had left, Jensen announced loudly, "That concludes today's assessment for now. Tomorrow is the third and final stage: the Secret Realm Hunt. If you pass, you will be Advanced-rank Trainers. If you fail, you'll have to go back and train some more, then start all over again from the first stage."
To pass the Advanced-rank certification, all three stages had to be completed consecutively in one go. If you failed at any stage, you had to start over from the beginning the next time you applied. Basalt was already aware of this.
"Next, I will explain the schedule and rules for the third stage."
His stern gaze swept across the group. "The Secret Realm Hunt will begin tomorrow morning. You will gather at the entrance of the certification center at 9 AM sharp. I will personally lead you into the secret realm."
"Once inside, you will have two main objectives. First, to survive in the secret realm for two days. Second, to hunt Pokémon. I don't need to explain the survival part, do I? Let me focus on the hunting."
"Hunting Pokémon?" Basalt raised an eyebrow.
Although he already knew the contents of the exam, now that it was upon him, he still felt a little uneasy. As a transmigrator, he had seen over a thousand episodes of the anime and had ten years of gaming experience. But neither the anime nor the games ever involved hunting Pokémon. Everything in those worlds was so idyllic.
Unfortunately, this was the real world.
From the beginning, Basalt had understood a certain truth about this parallel world. In civilized human society, people and Pokémon could generally coexist peacefully. If a bad person infringed on a Pokémon's rights, they would be punished accordingly.
But just as there were good and bad people, the same was true for Pokémon. You couldn't generalize across different species and personalities.
Some Pokémon simply enjoyed attacking humans and killing trainers without reason. This included both wild Pokémon and those that had been trained. Stories of vicious Pokémon attacking trainers were common, no longer even newsworthy.
And for these criminal Pokémon, the League's attitude was clear: recycle them.
When needed, they would be placed in secret realms or other specific zones to serve as whetstones for trainers and their Pokémon.
These Pokémon were already guilty of heinous crimes; killing them was no loss.
And this third stage, the Secret Realm Hunt, was, to put it bluntly, a trial by slaughter, designed to test whether a trainer had the guts to see blood.
If you could, it proved your mental fortitude was strong enough. Combined with the skills demonstrated in the first two stages, you were ready. If you were sent to a real battlefield in the future, you would be fine.
If you couldn't, then that was that. You could live out your life in human society. The dangerous wilds were not for you.
In a way, the League's methods were a form of tough love.
"To pass, each of you must hunt at least three Pokémon and take a token from their bodies as proof. However, I must remind you, hunting three Pokémon is only the bare minimum. If you can, I hope you will hunt more."
A hint of a smirk appeared on Jensen's face. "This is because even if every candidate in the secret realm successfully hunts three Pokémon, there will still be a 20% elimination rate. The standard for elimination is the number of Pokémon hunted. The 20% of candidates with the lowest count will be unconditionally failed!"
As he said the last sentence, his expression turned fierce. The crowd was intimidated by his aura, standing in silence.
However, the rules were more or less the same everywhere, so the candidates had already known what to expect and weren't too surprised.
After explaining all the details, the examiner and the judges left.
Seeing Ronan looking like he was about to approach him again to make friends, Basalt oiled the soles of his feet and made a quick getaway.
...
The next morning at 9 AM, after a night of rest, Basalt arrived back at the certification center.
Of the 22 candidates who had passed the second stage, only 14 remained.
"Since everyone's here, let's get on the bus," Jensen said, appearing right on time and gesturing towards a large bus.
After a twenty-minute drive, they arrived at a pier, where a twenty-meter-long speedboat was waiting.
"Is the secret realm on an island this time?" the candidates whispered among themselves, their eyes full of curiosity.
It was no exaggeration to say that for most ordinary people, the Advanced Trainer exam was the first time they would ever encounter a secret realm. Only a genius-level trainer like Basalt would have the opportunity to experience one beforehand.
After boarding the speedboat and heading out to sea, someone in the cabin suddenly cried out, "Look! What is that?!"
Everyone rushed to the windows. Just below the surface, a massive shadow was swimming rapidly, no less than ten meters long.
"It's probably a Gyarados," Basalt said, blinking. That length, that shape... it had to be.
Encountering a Gyarados at sea was not a good omen.
But fortunately, the security measures for the exam were top-notch. Before the Gyarados could even cause trouble, it was driven away.
The speedboat continued on. During the journey, all of their communication devices and extra items were collected. The candidates were only allowed to bring one Potion, one Full Heal, and their three registered Pokémon.
Half an hour later, the speedboat stopped at an unnamed island.
Led by the staff, the candidates disembarked one by one.
On the shore, a group of people in uniform was already waiting.
"Old Wang, long time no see!"
"Old Zhang, I didn't expect you to be leading the team this time!"
Jensen and the leader of the uniformed group, Captain Wang, shared a bear hug. They seemed to be good friends.
After chatting for a bit, they led the candidates to a cave entrance.
"Alright, this is the entrance to the secret realm. In a moment, Captain Wang of the Secret Realm Guardian Team will open the spatial passage. You should release your Pokémon beforehand and then enter one by one."
Jensen scanned the group and warned, "Remember, the moment you pass through that gate, you will be in the true wilderness. Don't get sentimental."
"Sir, yes, sir!" the candidates responded in unison.
Although Jensen seemed strict, after two days, they all knew his bark was worse than his bite. They respected him greatly.
"Come on out, everyone!"
The candidates all released their Pokémon, ready for action.
"In that case, I'll open the gate," Captain Wang said with a nod, tossing a Pokéball.
A flash of red light, and a Pokémon that looked very similar to a Nosepass appeared, but it was at least twice as large. It was the Rock/Steel-type Pokémon, Probopass.
"Probo-pass~"
At Captain Wang's command, Probopass's red nose began to spin, and a strange magnetic field began to spread out from it.
Before long, the magnetic field at the cave entrance began to warp, and a translucent, rapidly rotating spatial gate slowly appeared.
"Broonz~"
Just as Basalt was getting ready, his Bronzong suddenly chimed, its tone one of surprise.
"Bronzong, what's wrong?" Basalt raised an eyebrow, confused.
"It's nothing," Bronzong shook its "head" and replied via telepathy. "I'm just curious. It seems that Probopass just changed the magnetic field here to open the gate. Could it be that a specific magnetic field configuration is the key to opening these gates?"
"This..." Basalt scratched his head. That was a question he couldn't answer.
But thinking back, the secret realm in the Savanna Province had also been opened by a Magnezone. And both Magnezone and Probopass were Pokémon that could alter magnetic fields.
"Hm? Wait a minute!"
Suddenly, Basalt's eyes went wide. "Bronzong can change the magnetic field too, right? Does that mean Bronzong could also open these spatial gates?"
At this thought, Basalt couldn't help but get excited.
Exploring unknown secret realms was always an extremely profitable venture. Of course, that was assuming you could survive inside them.
"I remember that secret realms are also graded. Different grades have different levels of elemental energy and have a ceiling on the rank of Pokémon they can support. As long as I'm not reckless enough to explore a realm beyond my own capabilities, the risk isn't actually that high."
Basalt rubbed his chin, making a mental note of this. After the exam, he would definitely contact Agent Zhou about it.
As Probopass continued to exert its power, the spatial gate finally stabilized, and the candidates began to enter one after another, disappearing from sight.
"Basalt, what are you waiting for?"
Everyone else had gone in. Basalt was the last one, and Jensen was getting impatient.
"Right, right, going in now." Basalt gave a sheepish laugh and patted Bronzong's body. The latter reluctantly opened its eyes.
"This magnetic field configuration doesn't seem that complex," it said via telepathy. "If I could watch a few more times, I might be able to learn it. What a pity, what a pity."
As a martial arts prodigy with immense psychic power, Bronzong could often see the big picture from small details and extrapolate. It learned everything quickly. And the method for opening the gate didn't seem that complex; it would be no problem for it to learn.
"Forget it. After the exam, when that Probopass opens the gate again, you can study it carefully then."
Basalt patted Bronzong to comfort it, then led his three Pokémon through the spatial gate.
The world spun. When Basalt's vision cleared, his surroundings had completely changed.
He was in a small mountain range that stretched for dozens of miles. The mountains were covered in lush vegetation, with all sorts of trees and bamboo, dotted with colorful flowers. It looked like a botanical garden, and the air was fresh and clean.
But Basalt knew that beneath the beautiful scenery lay immense danger. He couldn't let his guard down.
"Bronzong, psychic scan. Excadrill, scout ahead. Lileep, stay close to me."
Taking a deep breath, Basalt immediately got into a state of high alert, issuing a series of commands.
"Broonz~"
Psychic energy swept out. Any movement on the ground or in the air within a hundred-meter radius would not escape Bronzong's senses. As for the underground, that was Excadrill's responsibility.
"Dro-lisk~"
Excadrill also called out, signaling that the underground was clear.
"Alright, let's move out."
Basalt nodded and began to move.
Whether they were hunting Pokémon or looking for a place to shelter for the night, they had to keep moving. Prey wouldn't just come to them if they stood still.
"Nee-nee~"
In this strange new environment, the inexperienced Lileep was a little excited.
I have to perform well today!
"Dro-lisk!"
After walking a few hundred meters, Excadrill, who was about thirty meters ahead of Basalt, suddenly stopped. It raised its steel claws, its face serious.
"We've got company."
Basalt crouched down slightly and scanned the surroundings. But besides the dense trees and weeds, he couldn't see anything.
Seeing that Bronzong hadn't detected anything, Basalt suspected the enemy was underground.
But he quickly realized he was wrong.
It was a canine Pokémon, mostly gray, with black fur on its tail, back, and limbs. It had red pupils and yellow sclera.
"It's a Mightyena."
Basalt's eyes narrowed. No wonder Bronzong hadn't detected anything. It was a Dark-type Mightyena. Because this type was, to some extent, immune to Psychic-type energy, it was a major blind spot for psychic scans.
"Grr-yena!"
The Mightyena had been hiding in a bush about fifty meters away, intending to lie in wait and ambush Basalt and his team when they got closer. But unfortunately, a slight vibration from its footsteps had been detected by Excadrill.
Its cover blown, the Mightyena's red eyes stared at Basalt from a distance, then shot a fierce glare at Excadrill.
"Dro-lisk~"
Excadrill's expression changed slightly. The opponent's Ability was clearly Intimidate.
But unexpectedly, the Mightyena didn't choose to attack. Taking advantage of the moment Excadrill was affected by its ability, it leaped away and fled without hesitation.
As a smart hunter, and all alone, the Mightyena would never choose to fight at a numerical disadvantage. It was an unwise choice.
"You're lucky you're fast," Basalt cursed under his breath. If he had been more familiar with the environment, he wouldn't have minded sending Excadrill after it to get his first kill.
After that small interlude, Basalt and his team continued forward.
After walking another few hundred meters, Bronzong's senses finally paid off. It detected hidden Pokémon from over a hundred meters away.
They were two purple, moth-like Pokémon with yellow compound eyes. They had green wings with red, ring-like patterns. They were two Dustox. They had been quietly munching on leaves on a branch, but when they heard Basalt's footsteps, they quickly flapped their wings and hid behind the tree trunk, their intentions clearly malicious.
Fortunately, they couldn't escape Bronzong's senses and were discovered ahead of time.
"Everyone, don't move. We'll continue forward. When we get closer, we'll launch a surprise attack. We'll try to take them both down."
Basalt's eyes narrowed.
The enemy was planning to ambush you, but you had already discovered them and were planning to turn the tables with a counter-ambush. The feeling was wonderful.
Of course, that was assuming the counter-ambush was successful, and the opponent didn't turn the tables on your counter-ambush.
Slowly, Basalt came within fifty meters of the Dustox.
Bronzong, who was scouting ahead, was now within twenty meters, and both sides were within attack range.
"Dokk~"
In Bronzong's perception, it saw the Dustox fix their gazes on Basalt. They gently flapped their wings, and the powder on them slowly fell off, mixing with the breeze.
Everything was happening silently.
"Now!"
Basalt gave the command to Bronzong, who then used telepathy to relay the order to Excadrill, dozens of meters away. Everything was still silent.
On the surface, everything looked normal.
But in reality, life and death were decided in an instant.
Vmmm!
A terrifying magnetic field suddenly descended. The two Dustox hiding behind the tree trunk felt as if a mountain had been dropped on them. Even though they were flapping their wings with all their might, they couldn't stop themselves from plummeting.
And at the same instant, Excadrill moved with the agility of a storm, dashing behind the tree and firing off several large rock projectiles.
Thud! Thud!
The rocks hit their mark. The two Dustox were sent flying. They couldn't get up, their eyes filled with despair and confusion.
"Psybeam!"
At Basalt's command, Bronzong's psychic energy swept out and successfully finished them off.
This was the advantage of an ambush. Caught off guard, the opponent had no time to react. So, in less than ten seconds, a battle between Advanced-rank Pokémon was over. It was clean and efficient.
"Nee-nee~"
Escorting Basalt forward, Lileep wobbled its head as it looked at the two Dustox, whose eyes were spinning. It seemed to have an idea.
Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!
From beneath the ground, several thick roots shot out and firmly bound the two Dustox.
"Lileep, what are you doing?" Basalt was taken aback.
"Nee-nee~" Lileep tilted its head.
"Lileep says, since we have to kill them anyway, why not let it just absorb them?"
When Bronzong translated, the pupils of Basalt, Bronzong, and Excadrill all constricted.
Their faces were filled with utter shock, as if they were seeing Lileep for the first time.
"This..."
After coming to his senses, Basalt suddenly didn't know what to say.
As a predator from millions of years ago, Lileep was clearly a carnivore.
It was just that after spending so much time in the human world, where almost all Pokémon ate Pokéblocks, such a bloody scene was rarely seen.
But at this moment, Basalt understood.
The world was still a cruel place. It was only because of the protection of the League that ordinary people thought it was a beautiful world.
But from now on, Basalt knew he had to slowly learn to accept it.
"Then... go ahead."
After getting Basalt's permission, Lileep's eyes curved into crescents, looking extremely cute.
But when it channeled its internal energy and activated Giga Drain through its roots, everything became sinister and cruel.
Basalt watched as the two Dustox's plump bodies quickly shriveled up. Their blood and energy were sucked through the roots and into Lileep's body.
Lileep was using its Storm Drain Ability to treat the blood as if it were water.
Before long, all that was left of the Dustox were two empty husks and two pairs of beautiful, mysterious wings.
"Nee-nee~"
After finishing its meal, Lileep had a look of satisfaction on its face, which sent a chill down the spines of Excadrill and Bronzong.
But when the roots retracted, Lileep was still Lileep, as cute and adorable as ever.
"There's no need to be surprised. You'll each have to hunt Pokémon as well. This is a necessary part of our journey of growth."
Basalt's face was firm.
Since I've chosen this path, I'll walk it to the end.
"Dro-lisk~"
"Broonz~"
Hearing this, Excadrill and Bronzong also nodded seriously.
The outside world was wonderful, but it was also dangerous. The wild was a place where people ate people, and Pokémon ate Pokémon.
"Two at once. That's a good start."
Basalt suppressed the queasiness in his stomach, put on a pair of gloves, and took the tokens that had fallen from the two Dustox. They were like playing cards, but very light.
"Let's go. We'll keep moving."
Placing the tokens in his dimensional backpack, Basalt prepared to set out again.
If his luck was good, he should be able to get five tokens today. In previous years, that was usually enough to pass.
But just then, a purple light suddenly began to glow on Lileep's body, and its expression turned pained.
"Nee-nee~"
Lileep's body curled up, and it looked like its stomach was very upset.
"Hm? Lileep is poisoned again?"
Basalt raised an eyebrow. "Could it be the toxins from the Dustox?"
He remembered that Dustox was a Poison-type Pokémon, with well-developed poison glands and sacs that produced its powerful powders.
Lileep had acted like a glutton, devouring the Dustox completely. Sure enough, there were consequences.
"Lileep, hang in there. I'll cure you right now."
Basalt took out his Antidote spray and was about to use it, but was surprisingly stopped by Lileep.
"Nee-nee~"
Lileep forced a smile, looking almost manic.
"Lileep says, you don't need to help. It can handle it itself," Bronzong relayed.
"You don't want the Antidote? Why would you handle it yourself?" Basalt was baffled, not understanding Lileep's thinking.
"Nee-nee~"
Bronzong's expression was strange, but it still translated. "Lileep says not to worry about it. It can resist this level of poison completely. And if it absorbs enough toxins, not only will its poison resistance get stronger, but there's a chance it can... make the poison its own."
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