The middle-aged man turned to face Auron Vale.
Auron regarded him cautiously, eyes narrowed.
The man chuckled at his guarded expression.
"A white-robed initiate? You managed to evolve a Zubat this quickly? And you've raised it well too. Looks like the Church has found itself a fine prospect this time."
Seeing Auron's puzzled stare, the man grew slightly more serious.
"You might not know me, but I'm with the Church too. We don't just let stray dogs and cats bully our people without consequence.
You're still young, but one day you'll surpass him. Stick with the Church—you won't regret it."
Auron stayed wary. He'd never heard of this so-called "Church," but that didn't stop him from being suspicious of strangers, even those who had just helped him.
The man sighed at his continued silence and approached slowly.
Auron instinctively stepped back, keeping a safe distance.
Looking helpless, the man offered him the Pokémon egg he carried.
"Here, hold this for me. I'll show you something, and then you'll understand."
Auron frowned but accepted the egg.
As soon as Auron cradled it, the man pulled a badge from his chest and held it up in front of his face.
"See? I'm truly from the Church. Orange-Robe Leader. You can call me by my code name—Flying Wild Goose."
The badge was orange, shaped much like the Glacier Badge, but gilded with golden threads along the edges. In the center were the two characters for "Flying Wild Goose," traced with silver filigree.
Auron studied it carefully, doubt still gnawing at him, his gaze flicking curiously to the man's silver-gray uniform.
"Orange-Robe Leader?"
Catching Auron's eyes lingering on his clothes, the man smiled and explained:
"Yeah. Above my rank, uniforms aren't strictly regulated. But initiates like you, in white, are required to follow the dress code."
Auron looked down at his white clothes, then at Crobat hovering beside him. The realization clicked.
He's mistaken me for one of them.
He thought quickly, deciding to play along and pry for more information. Just as he was about to press further, a roar split the air.
A searing beam of light surged toward them.
Auron reacted instantly, leaping back several steps.
The man, Flying Wild Goose, was no slower. He whipped out a Poké Ball from his robes and hurled it forward.
"Sigilyph—Light Screen!"
Sigilyph materialized, erecting a shimmering wall in front of its trainer.
CRASH!
The Hyper Beam struck.
The barrier lasted only a heartbeat before shattering into shards of light. The redirected blast tore into the ground between them, detonating in a thunderous explosion.
The shockwave hurled Auron back despite his retreat. Fortunately, the distance he had gained lessened the impact.
But Flying Wild Goose had no such luck. The Hyper Beam struck almost at his feet. He was blasted upward violently—only for Staraptor to swoop in, catching him before he could crash to the ground.
"Tch. Sigilyph—Psychic!"
Purple light blazed around Sigilyph, space rippling as a psychic wave hammered toward the Charizard that had attacked.
The man shouted down to Auron urgently:
"Kid, hide yourself! Keep that egg safe. The secret realm's exit is in the second volcano to the south. I'll draw them off—get out immediately!"
"I'll meet you at the Pigeon Square in Vantora. Bring the egg to me, and I'll grant you two levels."
Perched on Staraptor's back, Flying Wild Goose glared at the Charizards pressing the attack. Two of them, both relentless, eyes locked on him like predators.
He clenched his jaw. They won't leave me alone. Better to let the boy escape first, then figure out how to survive myself.
A stroke of luck, he thought. The Church had many operatives here today, and he had just stumbled upon what he believed to be a fellow initiate. If he could draw the Charizards away, the rest would be manageable—the other Pokémon in this secret realm weren't nearly so aggressive.
And once outside, Church allies were waiting. Even if the boy had thoughts of fleeing with the egg, he wouldn't get far.
Auron didn't know exactly what was happening, but free gain was free gain. A Pokémon egg dropped into his arms—how could that be bad?
"Okay!" he agreed quickly, then turned and bolted.
One of the Charizards saw him fleeing with the egg and roared, lunging after him.
Flying Wild Goose caught the motion and smirked coldly. Tossing out two more Poké Balls, he barked,
"Honchkrow! Crobat! Go!"
In moments, five Pokémon clashed midair with the two Charizards.
Though Flying Wild Goose now had the numbers advantage, it was clear he was only barely holding them back. He could restrain the dragons, but not overpower them.
Auron didn't care. He sprinted without looking back, fleeing the battlefield as fast as his legs could carry him.
Flying Wild Goose's expression tightened as he watched the fight spiral.
He had known the Charizards were strong—but this strong? Even with three of his Pokémon and Staraptor harassing from the flanks, he was only delaying the inevitable.
If they adapt, they'll crush us.
"Staraptor, retreat!"
He recalled his battered Sigilyph, then guided Staraptor into evasive flight. Honchkrow and Crobat disengaged, retreating alongside him.
Once they'd pulled back far enough, he recalled them both as well.
The twin Charizards bellowed their frustration, then resumed pursuit with murderous intent.
Elsewhere, Dax Jonas lay sprawled across Corviknight's back, looking worn out and disheartened.
"Sigh… where is the secret realm's ruler? I've checked half the volcanoes already. My luck today is abysmal."
Corviknight continued tirelessly, wings beating as it bore him toward the next smoking peak.
Meanwhile, Jace Rowan had reached the depths of his chosen cavern.
The moment he entered, his eyes lit up—the nest at the center cradled a Pokémon egg.
He rushed forward, face glowing with excitement.
"Finally, some profit!"
He stroked the egg fondly before carefully slotting it into a protective capsule.
When he and Auron had purchased supplies, the shopkeeper had recommended these egg protectors. They'd each bought two, storing them in their spacious travel packs.
After tucking the egg safely away, Jace's eyes gleamed as he turned to search for more spoils.
It didn't take long. A stash of berries lay piled to the side.
He swept them all into his bag without hesitation.
Then it was on to other crevices, overturning stones and prying loose caches with all the fervor of a bandit raiding a village.
"So many held items? Jackpot!"
From behind a slab, he unearthed a heap of trinkets and gear.
"Charcoal! Perfect!"
He set three chunks aside for special care, then shoved the rest—Fire Stones, held items, and assorted gear—straight into his backpack.
Next, he pried up another stone slab. Sure enough, another trove.
His delight soured when he saw the glitter.
"What the—just a bunch of shiny stones? Collectibles?"
Sparkling Mega Stones, no fewer than a dozen, glittered in the pile.
"Tch. I don't want these. Why's everyone obsessed with sparkly junk? Not me. Even if you gave them to me, I wouldn't want 'em."
He clicked his tongue in disdain, pouting like a sulky child. In his mind, even berries were more useful.
End of Chapter