Jace Rowan cast one last cold glance at the glittering Mega Stones, then turned away.
But after only a couple of steps, he froze.
Wait a second… if I remember right, Serena Elm can't resist shiny little trinkets like these, can she?
He slapped his palm with a fist, grinning.
"Perfect. I'll haul these out, hand them off to Auron, and then he can give them to Serena. That's flawless!"
The thought alone made him hum a cheerful tune as he turned back. He scooped the sparkling stones into his bag one by one, whistling.
"Heh, if they end up having kids, guess I'll get a little credit for it."
Satisfied that nothing had been left behind, Jace slung his pack onto his shoulders and strode off.
When he reached the secret realm's exit, he paused and glanced back at the strange landscape.
"Sigh… so that's my very first secret realm adventure? What a letdown."
Clicking his tongue in irritation, he stepped firmly into the exit.
"Auron's advice is right—take what you can and leave. Better not push my luck. If I get reckless and he refuses to bring me next time, that'd be a disaster."
Meanwhile, Dax Jonas was still combing the realm in search of both the guardian and Auron Vale…
Elsewhere, Ashen Vale and Jace's father crossed paths.
"You see the kids yet?" Jace's father asked.
Ashen spread his hands helplessly. "Nope."
"Fine," Jace's father sighed. "Then keep looking."
At that moment, Auron himself was racing toward the secret exit Flying Wild Goose had told him about.
His principle was simple: know when to stop. He'd already profited, and the egg was his now. If he ran into that man again, the guy might try to reclaim it. That would be annoying.
But before he could cover much distance, a shadow blocked his way.
"Hold it, brat. Why're you running?"
A burly muscle-bound man shoved through the bushes, planting himself directly in Auron's path.
The man's greedy eyes flicked from Auron's bulging backpack to the Crobat hovering protectively at his side.
"Looks like you've got a nice haul in there. Come on, open it up for me."
Auron said nothing. He stepped back two paces, Crobat spreading its wings to shield him.
The brute chuckled, unimpressed. He flung out a Poké Ball.
A Hitmonchan emerged, fists crackling with menace.
"I said, open the bag."
This thug was nothing new. Every year around exam season, freshly bonded students entered the secret realms to gain experience. Bandits like him made a business out of bullying rookies.
If the kid was timid, he'd hand things over when scared. If bold, then a beating would loosen his grip. The thug had done it many times before.
Pokémon: Hitmonchan
Gender: Female
Type: Fighting
Ability: Iron Fist (boosts punching moves)
Aptitude: Blue-grade
Known Moves: Drain Punch, Bullet Punch, Fake Out, Mach Punch, Power-Up Punch, Detect, Payback, Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Fire Punch, Mega Punch, Agility, Close Combat, Counter, Focus Punch, Brick Break, Low Kick…
Egg Moves: High Jump Kick, Rapid Spin, Mind Reader
Auron smirked faintly.
"Gengar, time to work."
"Jieh!"
From the thug's shadow, Gengar rose with a wicked grin. In an instant, Hypnosis flared, sending the burly man collapsing into slumber.
Hitmonchan barely had time to turn before a barrage struck—first Psychic, then Shadow Ball. She was hurled backward, struggling to rise again.
Gengar only laughed wider, pushing its stubby hands forward. Another crushing Psychic pinned her flat, eyes swirling in defeat.
Hitmonchan fainted. Gengar dusted off its tiny palms, smirked with disdain, and melted back into Auron's shadow.
"Nice work, Gengar."
From the moment the thug appeared, Auron's hand had already been on Lucario's Poké Ball. He'd been ready to release Lucario if things turned bad. At the same time, Gengar had slipped silently into the man's shadow, ensuring a counterstrike.
He strode up to the unconscious brute and rifled through his bag.
After some rummaging, he came up with only a few berries and some potions.
"Cheapskate," he muttered. Then he blinked.
Wait… why do I feel so practiced at this?
He frowned. Must be picking up Jace's bad habits.
At that very moment, just outside the realm, Jace sneezed.
"Ugh. Figures. The air in here must be messing with me." He rubbed his nose.
Back inside, Auron tossed the thug's bag aside and ran on toward the exit, scanning the wild Pokémon along the way.
If he spotted any with Pickup, he wouldn't mind doing a little trading.
But after clearing the next volcano, he'd yet to find any. Maybe he'd already burned through his luck with the Zigzagoon family and the Ambipom earlier.
His aura sense prickled. Someone was lying in ambush in the brush ahead.
Auron signaled to Gengar with a subtle gesture.
Gengar grinned knowingly, slipping unseen into the stranger's shadow.
By the time Auron jogged past, the would-be robber was already sprawled on the ground, snoring peacefully.
Hypnosis still worked like a charm.
Auron crouched, popped open the man's pack, and rifled through.
"Well, better than the last guy. A Fire Stone? Not bad."
Pocketing the loot, he set off again.
Thanks to his physical training, the pace didn't tire him much. Relying on his half-formed aura sense and Gengar's uncanny shadow ambushes, he'd already subdued several more opportunistic thieves.
One had even fielded a Gengar of his own. When Auron's Gengar slipped into the man's shadow, the two ghosts locked eyes in the gloom.
Quick as thought, Auron's Gengar acted first—Hypnosis on the trainer, then dragging the rival Gengar into the open for a beating before slinking away satisfied.
By the time he reached the second volcano—the one Flying Wild Goose had described—Auron's haul included:
Two Fire Stones
One Leaf Stone
A Mental Herb
A Cursed Amulet (spoils from that defeated Gengar)
Several berries and potions
With Crobat's help, he soared into the volcano.
It didn't take long to spot it—the glowing gateway of the secret realm's exit.
He hesitated.
Should I… check inside first? This looks like some Pokémon's nest.
Eyes lighting with curiosity, he pressed deeper.
Soon, he stumbled into the very cavern Jace had ransacked earlier.
Empty. Stones overturned, treasures stripped clean.
Auron clenched his fists, slamming one into his palm in frustration.
"Damn it! Someone beat me to it."
Scowling, he turned back toward the exit.
The more he thought, the angrier he became.
"It must've been that Flying Wild Goose. Bastard. He better hope I never see him again."
Then, a thought struck him.
Wait… I'm the one in the wrong here. I already decided I'm keeping this egg for myself. He did give it to me. Better not run into him again at all.
He chuckled slyly, like a fox that had stolen a hen.
"Speaking of which, I haven't even checked what kind of egg this is. Please, let it be a Ralts. Ralts is the ultimate waifu-mon."
"Ralts, Ralts, Ralts!"
He shook his head quickly.
"No, no—jinx it if I keep saying that. Still… Ralts, please…"
Praying under his breath, Auron stepped into the glowing portal of the exit.
If not… well, I'll rub Serena's head later and borrow some of her luck.
End of Chapter
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