Oliver had no idea how far he had traveled.
Along the way, he encountered four more Pokémon. Without exception, their eyes were bloodshot, brimming with hostility—clearly corrupted by that same mysterious malice.
One was a Raticate at mid Beginner rank.
Another, an Arbok at high Beginner rank.
A Beedrill at mid Intermediate rank.
All three were taken care of by Kirlia.
There was also a Venusaur at high Advanced rank—one that forced Milotic to step in personally.
It seemed that after being affected by the malevolent influence, Pokémon would attack anything they saw—Pokémon or human alike. Because of this, Pokémon density in the forest was abnormally low. Oliver often had to travel a long distance before encountering even one.
A troubling thought crossed his mind.
Has Celebi already met with an accident?
Otherwise, how could something like this be happening in the forest it was supposed to protect?
"Kirli~"
Kirlia suddenly spoke up again.
Oliver immediately looked ahead. According to Kirlia, there were signs of combat up front.
Are corrupted Pokémon fighting each other now?
Oliver pushed the thought aside. This secret realm was far too vast. Unless absolutely necessary, detouring would only waste precious time.
As he drew closer, the sounds of battle grew loud enough that even Oliver could hear them clearly.
Pushing aside the bushes, he saw the scene unfold—
A Pinsir was locked in fierce combat with a Graveler.
The Pinsir's body clearly showed signs of corruption, while behind the Graveler stood a human trainer, issuing commands.
"So… someone else got pulled in as well," Oliver muttered.
According to the system:
Pinsir — Intermediate, high stage
Graveler — Intermediate, mid stage
Under normal circumstances, even if Graveler was slightly weaker, a trainer's command would keep it from being in real danger.
But this Pinsir was different.
Driven by malice, it fought with reckless abandon, constantly trading injuries for damage. This was not a style most trainers were prepared to deal with.
In fact, in this situation, the trainer's careful commands were becoming a hindrance.
Graveler was already covered in wounds. Cracks spiderwebbed across its rocky body.
Thankfully, Graveler specialized in defense—otherwise, it would never have lasted this long.
Oliver whispered,
"Kirlia, when I say go, teleport in front of Pinsir and put it to sleep."
"Kirli!"
Kirlia nodded obediently.
On the battlefield—
Pinsir let out a furious roar. Its massive pincers glowed white as it lunged forward.
The trainer's expression changed instantly.
"Harden!"
Graveler had survived this long by relying on Harden. Every time Pinsir launched a brutal attack, it barely managed to endure.
Clang!
The pincers slammed shut against Graveler's hardened body, carving two deep dents into its rocky frame.
"Rollout!"
The trainer shouted again, hoping Graveler could escape through rapid movement.
But Pinsir's madness far exceeded his expectations.
Pinsir wrapped its arms around Graveler and leaped into the air—
Seismic Toss!
A devastating move that slammed both attacker and target into the ground. Though it damaged the user as well, it was a Fighting-type move—quadruple effective against Graveler.
If this hit cleanly, Graveler could be killed outright.
"Not good!"
At the instant Pinsir rose into the air—
A sharp shout rang out.
"Now!"
Kirlia flashed into existence directly in front of Pinsir. Rings of hypnotic light burst forth, striking true.
Within seconds, Pinsir's eyes spun into spirals as it lost consciousness.
Both Pokémon fell from the air, but without the skill's momentum, the impact alone wasn't enough to seriously harm Graveler.
The trainer stared in disbelief.
From behind the bushes emerged a handsome young man in red-and-white clothing, fair-skinned and neat, looking more like he belonged on a bustling city street than in a deadly secret realm.
Compared to his own filthy clothes and dust-covered face, the contrast was striking.
"Uh… hello. Thank you so much for that," the Graveler trainer said respectfully.
Oliver smiled lightly.
"No problem. We were all dragged into this place unwillingly. Helping each other is only right."
"Still, thank you. You're… leaving?"
The trainer hesitated, then added,
"The Pokémon in this secret realm are all acting strangely. Wouldn't it be safer to stay put and wait for Alliance rescue?"
Oliver continued walking, waving without turning back.
"This secret realm doesn't charge an entry fee very often," he said calmly.
"I plan to explore a bit. The Pokémon here attack anything they see, so staying here is actually safe. Just wait—rescue teams will come."
"But—"
The trainer reached out as if to stop him, but Oliver had already disappeared into the forest.
Left behind, the man sighed helplessly.
"The danger level here is still unknown… Even someone strong could get into trouble wandering around like that. Are young people really this reckless nowadays?"
He quickly returned to Graveler's side and pulled out healing spray.
"Looks like we need more training when we get back," he said with a grin.
"What do you think, Graveler?"
"Grava!"
"You're saying you'll work hard? Haha, good!"
Occasional irritated grumbles from Graveler mixed with the man's laughter.
Then, suddenly, the trainer froze.
Wait…
If that young man had simply stayed put like everyone else, how could he have saved me just now?
So maybe exploring wasn't his real goal at all.
Maybe—
He was searching for other humans who had been dragged into the secret realm.
Realizing this, the trainer straightened up, his respect deepening instantly.
That departing figure, casually waving as he walked away, now seemed taller—almost radiant.
This wasn't recklessness.
It was righteousness—choosing to risk himself to save others.
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