Chapter 180: Alex Arrives

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.

*****

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