Chen You’s favorite Pokémon were probably Ghost-types. It was unclear when it started, but Chen You had developed a fascination for all sorts of strange and eerie supernatural events, to the point where Su Wen once felt that Chen You had become somewhat... unnerving.

  Su Wen had left Yun City in the morning, completed his trainer registration in Huofeng City in the afternoon, and returned home by midnight. Wang Xuan, who had received the news early, had prepared a meal at home for Su Chuan and Su Wen.

  Watching Su Wen wolf down his food, Wang Xuan couldn’t help but ugh. “Why didn’t you have dinner in Huofeng City before coming back?”

  Su Chuan looked at Su Wen helplessly. “Having dinner there would’ve meant staying overnight. Su Wen wanted to come back early to bond with his Charmander.”

  Wang Xuan gnced at the Charmander, leisurely enjoying the special meal Su Wen had prepared for it, and couldn’t resist reaching out to pat its head.

  “Look at how happily its tail is wagging,” Wang Xuan said, watching the Charmander practically lick the pte clean. She didn’t mind at all—after all, who could resist something so adorable?

  The breeder from the Zhu family had provided top-tier Pokémon food for the Charmander, perfectly banced in both energy and nutrition. However, to maintain this bance, the taste of the food was inevitably compromised.

  To quickly improve his bond with the Charmander, Su Wen had consulted the materials Zhu Tianxing had given him and made some adjustments. He sacrificed some ingredients that would enhance the Charmander’s energy growth in favor of creating a meal that was, for the Charmander, an unprecedented culinary delight.

  Under the temptation of such delicious food, the Charmander had even shaken off the slight mencholy of leaving Charizard Valley, now thoroughly enjoying its new life.

  With the abundance of resources at his disposal, Su Wen wasn’t worried that the change in diet would hinder the Charmander’s growth.

  As the family enjoyed their peaceful evening, Su Chuan’s phone suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing sound.

  “Special dispatch: Su Chuan, gym-level trainer of Yun City, report to the Yun City Pokémon Center immediately! Repeat: Su Chuan, gym-level trainer of Yun City, report to the Yun City Pokémon League Center immediately!”

  The faces of Su Wen, Su Chuan, and Wang Xuan all turned pale. It was a special dispatch order!

  A special dispatch order was a unique requirement for all trainers in Xia Country. Once issued, the targeted trainer had to comply unconditionally and immediately. Failure to do so without a valid reason would result in severe consequences.

  In Su Wen’s memory, Su Chuan had only received two special dispatch orders. The first was when Su Wen was five years old, and the Sakura Country, under the influence of the White Eagle Federation, had crossed the border and provoked Xia Country’s territorial sovereignty. At that time, all master-level trainers and above in the eastern region had been summoned, and they had annihited the Sakura Country trainers who had crossed the maritime border.

  The second time was when Su Wen was nine. A wild Champion-level Samence had suddenly appeared and showed signs of heading toward Yun City. Su Chuan had been dispatched to intercept it.

  Both incidents had been major events that threatened the entire city, if not the nation. In all these years, there had only been these two special dispatches.

  So, what could this one be about?

  Without a second thought, Su Chuan rushed to the backyard, gathering his Pokémon, including his Sking, into their Poké Balls. Wang Xuan quickly grabbed his coat and waited at the door.

  “Dad, be careful,” Su Wen called out as Su Chuan hurried out.

  Su Chuan didn’t look back, simply waving as he mounted his Pidgeot and flew toward the Yun City Pokémon Center.

  After watching Su Chuan leave, Wang Xuan immediately turned on the TV to check for any news updates, while Su Wen opened a forum to look for any reports of unusual activity near Yun City.

  “A suspected portal to a secret realm has been discovered 13 miles south of Yun City.”

  “Some trainers and a few civilians have already been pulled in.”

  “My grandfather lives there. If anyone has the test information, please DM me. Thank you!”

  ...

  The forum, which should have been quiet at this hour, was flooded with messages. Su Wen quickly realized the reason for the special dispatch.

  “Mom, it’s a secret realm!” Su Wen said, feeling a bit relieved. If it was just a secret realm, his dad should be fine.

  Wang Xuan, still waiting for news on the TV, took Su Wen’s phone and skimmed through the forum. Her expression didn’t lighten. “Your Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen died because of a secret realm. Your dad will definitely be on the front lines. I just hope this secret realm doesn’t have any dangerous Pokémon.”

  Yun City didn’t have any Champion-level trainers—after all, there were fewer than 200 in all of Xia Country. Su Chuan was already at the top of the hierarchy in Yun City. As the strongest, he would undoubtedly be at the forefront of any mission.

  “Don’t worry, Mom. With Sking’s strength, even if they can’t win, they’ll be able to retreat safely,” Su Wen reassured her.

  Secret realms were like water droplets clinging to a piece of paper, connected to the main world but not entirely part of it.

  The most famous secret realm in Xia Country was the Spirit World, a sanctuary for Ghost-type Pokémon. It was said that every Ghost-type Pokémon could be found there, and trainers who could communicate with the Spirit World were considered favorites of Ghost-type Pokémon.

  Even now, Su Wen’s knowledge of the Spirit World was limited to fragments of information online. One reliable theory was that Xia Country had encountered Pokémon too powerful to handle during the development of the Spirit World and had ultimately abandoned the project.

  Su Wen didn’t believe there were any Pokémon that could withstand the full force of Xia Country. It was more likely that the cost of developing the Spirit World simply outweighed the benefits.

  As one of the few top-tier secret realms, the only beings that could deter Xia Country from developing it were likely the legendary “gods.”

  Giratina, the Renegade Pokémon? Marshadow, the Gloomdweller Pokémon? Spectrier, the Swift Steed Pokémon? Or perhaps even Calyrex, the King of Bountiful Harvests?

  Which one—or which ones—resided in the Spirit World?

  There were no records of these legendary Pokémon in existing documents, but Su Wen didn’t believe they didn’t exist. In some ancient texts, he could vaguely trace their presence.

  As for the secret realm near Yun City, Su Wen guessed it couldn’t be more than a mid-level secret realm. If it were a rge one, the League Center would have sealed off the information, not allowed it to be discussed openly on forums.

  Shaking off his thoughts, Su Wen comforted Wang Xuan before taking the Charmander, which was happily chasing its own tail, into his room.

  Whether it was secret realms or legendary Pokémon, these things were far beyond the reach of a rookie trainer like him. All he could do now was familiarize himself with the Charmander’s abilities and pn its training carefully.

  “Charmander, be careful with your tail. Don’t burn the furniture,” Su Wen reminded the Pokémon as he patted its head.

  The fme at the end of the Charmander’s tail symbolized its vitality. If the fme went out, it meant the Charmander’s life was nearing its end. Conversely, the brighter and more intense the fme, the better the Charmander’s condition.

  The Charmander could control the temperature of its tail fme, as it was more like a life fme than an ordinary fire.

  Hearing Su Wen’s reminder, the Charmander proudly held up its tail, showing off the fme that had turned from red to a radiant white. Su Wen reached out and felt the fme—it was comfortably warm, around 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.

  After feeding the Charmander an energy cube, Su Wen sat cross-legged on the carpet, pcing his right hand on the Charmander’s head and extending his Aura.

  Ever since successfully bonding with the Charmander, Su Wen had felt something different—a sensation he had never experienced in his 15 years of life. It was as if a key had finally found its lock.

  That was why he had been so eager to return home, to quietly study his Aura in peace.

  Sure enough, when his Aura touched the Charmander’s, it no longer merely hovered on the surface, as it had with other Pokémon. Instead, Su Wen’s Aura began to merge with the Charmander’s, albeit clumsily, like sugar slowly dissolving in water.

  Even this small amount of fusion opened up a whole new world in Su Wen’s mind.

  It felt as if Su Wen and the Charmander had become one. Su Wen could sense not only his own body but also the Charmander’s.

  As the fusion deepened, Su Wen even vaguely felt the flow of energy within the Charmander’s body, as if he could use the Charmander’s six moves. His Aura seemed capable of guiding this energy.

  It was as if he had always known these moves but couldn’t use them smoothly for some reason.

  However, Su Wen quickly realized this was just an illusion. What he was feeling and understanding were the Charmander’s abilities, not his own.

  “Roar!” The Charmander let out a soft cry, abruptly breaking the connection. Su Wen felt a strong repulsion, and his Aura could no longer merge with the Charmander’s.

  “Too unfamiliar?” Su Wen mused, watching the Charmander nuzzle his hand. He could sense that the Charmander had grown even more attached to him.

  As he pyed with the Charmander, Su Wen pondered the changes in his Aura.

  First, this change in Aura likely only worked with his own Pokémon. After all, his father’s Pokémon were also close to him, but they cked this kind of connection.

  Second, if he could use his Aura to guide the Charmander’s energy, did that mean he could help the Charmander grow in a different way?

  Of course, these were just specutions. But over the next week, Su Wen was confident he would figure out whether these ideas were valid.

  Meanwhile, Su Chuan had already arrived at the Yun City Pokémon Center.