Oliver had no idea how long he had been walking. By the time he realized it, night had already fallen within the secret realm.
He couldn't help but find it strange. Logically speaking, a secret realm was a self-contained space—there shouldn't be a day–night cycle at all. And yet, aside from the complete absence of human traces, this place was almost indistinguishable from the outside world.
Along the way, Oliver had fought dozens of Pokémon. Whenever Kirlia grew tired, he would switch to Milotic, alternating between the two. If either of them was injured, he would use Evergreen Power to heal them, keeping both Pokémon in good condition despite the nonstop battles.
He had also encountered other humans—some desperately fighting Pokémon corrupted by malice, some hiding in relatively safe spots, and some who had already become lifeless corpses…
If he could help, Oliver did. Just as he had said before, in a dangerous secret realm like this, humans could only survive by helping one another.
Besides, these people weren't treasure hunters who had entered the realm willingly. They were ordinary civilians, dragged in by the sudden appearance of the secret realm. Victims, just like him.
Oliver gradually noticed something else as well.
The closer he got to the direction indicated by the mark on his hand, the weaker the corruption seemed to be. He had even seen a Seismitoad that had already defeated a trainer's Pokémon—its eyes flickering with red light—yet in the end, it simply turned around and left on its own.
After so many battles, Kirlia's level had risen to Mid Rank, Mid Stage. And perhaps because this was a forest secret realm, Grass-type Pokémon appeared far more frequently.
After repeated encounters with them, Kirlia somehow learned a new move on her own.
Magical Leaf.
Its power wasn't especially high, but it had one key feature—
It never missed.
"Kirlia, Magical Leaf!"
The Mankey they were fighting dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding the direct attack. The ferocity in its eyes only intensified, as if it could already see Kirlia torn apart in its imagination.
Mankey was naturally short-tempered and aggressive. After being corrupted by malice, it had become even more bloodthirsty. Many Pokémon it encountered were brutally killed by it.
The Mankey lunged forward again, its speed suddenly increasing—Quick Attack!
Kirlia instantly Teleported out of the way. No matter how fast it was, nothing was faster than teleportation.
The Mankey struck nothing but air. It spun around, roaring in rage—
Only to be struck by three pale-green leaves that appeared out of nowhere.
Thud.
The Mankey collapsed to the ground, completely knocked out.
Oliver touched the back of his hand. The mark there told him that Celebi was very close now.
He moved forward another few dozen meters.
Whether it was just his imagination or not, the oppressive feeling in the air had noticeably weakened. The surrounding trees looked the same as before, yet now they carried a sense of vitality—like they were truly alive.
"Looks like I'm almost there…"
Oliver unconsciously quickened his pace—then stopped abruptly.
Standing in front of him were two enormous Pokémon.
One bore a massive flower on its back.
The other carried a towering tree.
Venusaur.
Torterra.
Both looked exhausted, their bodies covered in battle scars. Yet their eyes remained sharp, filled with warning.
If Oliver took even one more step forward, they would attack.
"Venu!"
"Tor!"
Oliver understood them clearly.
Retreat.
Despite their hostility, Oliver noticed something crucial—
There was no red glow in their eyes.
They were not corrupted.
This was the first time he had seen Pokémon in a completely normal state within this secret realm.
He used the system to inspect them.
Pokémon: Venusaur
Level: Veteran Rank, High Stage
Potential: Gym Leader Level
…
Pokémon: Torterra
Level: Veteran Rank, High Stage
Potential: Gym Leader Level
Both were Veteran-rank Pokémon.
Even though they had clearly been through countless battles and had expended much of their stamina, forcing his way through them by combat was practically impossible.
"Venusaur, Torterra—we're not enemies," Oliver called out. "Please don't be on guard."
Their vigilance did not lessen in the slightest.
Most Pokémon in this secret realm had been corrupted by malice, turning violently aggressive. Yet the closer one came to this area, the more restrained the Pokémon became.
Now there were even two Pokémon completely unaffected by the corruption.
A realization dawned on Oliver.
This place was likely Celebi's territory.
Celebi had probably isolated this region, blocking the influence of the malice. And these two Pokémon were likely its guardians, preventing corrupted Pokémon from entering.
The wounds covering their bodies were proof of that.
"Look!" Oliver shouted, pulling off the glove that covered the mark on his hand. "I was sent by Celebi. Let me through—I can help you!"
The moment they saw the glowing leaf-shaped mark, both Pokémon widened their eyes.
Venusaur slowly stepped forward and lowered its head, sniffing the mark that radiated green light.
Warm breath brushed over Oliver's skin, making it itch slightly.
This scent—
It was Celebi's.
Even though Venusaur had never met the Celebi from the Azurewood Secret Realm, it could clearly recognize the aura of Celebi's kin.
Venusaur's gaze immediately softened. It turned toward Torterra and let out a low "Venu."
Torterra's eyes also relaxed. The massive Pokémon shifted its huge body aside, opening a path for Oliver.
But Oliver didn't move forward right away.
Instead, he reached out and placed a hand on Venusaur's head.
A soft green glow spread from his palm. Venusaur felt a warm current flow through its body, mending its wounds.
In mere moments, all of its injuries were completely healed.
Oliver then used Evergreen Power on Torterra as well.
Afterward, he withdrew his hand, his face noticeably pale. Treating Veteran-rank Pokémon was still a strain—after healing both of them, his Evergreen Power was nearly depleted.
The two Pokémon looked at him with clear affection now.
Just as Oliver was about to continue forward, they stopped him.
Then, each of them carefully removed an item—one from the flower on Venusaur's back, the other from the tree on Torterra's shell—and handed them to him.
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