"Alright, that's all you need to keep in mind. The Secret Realm will open in a little while. Line up in an orderly fashion and enter one by one—don't cause chaos."
A sight like this—tens of thousands of Trainers queuing up to enter a Secret Realm—was something unique to the Dragon Nation.
In other countries?
Take the so-called "Land of the Free." The very concept of queuing didn't exist.
As for the Russian Bears, one loud "Ura!" and they would charge in en masse. Even if a neat line had somehow been formed beforehand, it would be obliterated the moment the roar went up.
After finishing his announcement, Dax Jonas stood calmly upon the platform.
Behind him, Auron was on the phone, telling Jace Rowan to come meet him at the platform. If he went down into that crowd himself, finding Jace again would be a nightmare.
After a long struggle, Jace finally appeared, dripping with sweat.
Auron couldn't help but laugh.
"What's this? Take a break to go for a swim?"
Jace rolled his eyes.
"Cut the sarcasm. Do you have any idea how hard it is to squeeze through that sea of people?"
"Haha, fair enough. Wait here a bit—I'll be right back."
Still grinning, Auron stepped behind the platform and called softly, "Uncle Dax, Uncle Dax, could you come here for a moment?"
Dax, curious, walked over.
"What is it?"
"Well, Uncle Dax, this is our first time entering a Secret Realm. Could you tell us what we need to watch out for?"
"Of course. Bring your little friend over—I'll explain to both of you."
"Got it."
Auron waved Jace over, and when Jace arrived, Dax began.
"The first danger of entering a Secret Realm is at the entry itself.
"The entrances come in three main types. The first is fixed-location. Everyone who goes in appears at the same predetermined spot. That's relatively safe—but you have to be careful not to get slammed by the people who enter after you. So, if you appear and see others behind, move out of the way quickly.
"The second is random-location. Just as it sounds—each person gets teleported to a different spot. If you're in a team, as long as you're touching your teammates physically, you'll all be sent to the same place. But here's the risk: you might materialize somewhere dangerous. That's why the very first thing you should do after entering is release your Pokémon for protection.
"The third kind is the nasty one: random-person. Not only is your location randomized, but even if you're holding onto someone, you'll still be separated once you enter. Got it?"
Auron nodded seriously.
"Got it. And once we're inside?"
"Not much else, really. Just stay away from the center. That's where the Realm Guardian is most likely to reside. Of course, there are exceptions, but the bottom line is—don't provoke the Guardian.
"Beyond that, it's all about the dangers unique to that Realm. Some Pokémon inside are highly aggressive. Others? Practically tourist attractions, docile as can be. It's up to you to gauge the risk."
"Mm. I understand. Thanks, Uncle Dax."
Dax smiled proudly.
"No problem. The three of us—if we keep physical contact when entering, then as long as it isn't the random-person type, I'll keep you both safe."
He thumped his chest with confidence. Jace looked at him with wide, shining eyes.
Time passed. The crowd grew restless.
Then—whoomph.
The white vortex shimmered with a muffled boom. In the rotating milky glow, a gateway slowly unfolded.
The sea of people below surged with excitement. They were waiting only for the Elite Four's command to charge inside.
Within the frenzy, two men stood out, clearly uneasy.
"You came too, huh?"
"Of course. You didn't feel comfortable either, did you?"
It was Ashen Vale and Jace's father.
Both wore slightly embarrassed expressions. They had already provided their sons with guardian Pokémon, but still couldn't resist following in person.
Jace's father sighed.
"Our boys are grown, but mine still trails after your son. And when your son speaks, my kid listens more than he listens to me."
As he spoke, his voice rose, tinged with annoyance.
Ashen scratched his head awkwardly.
"Hey, it's no big deal. What's the difference who he follows? The Realm's about to open—come on, let's get inside."
Jace's father shot him a look but said nothing more.
Together, they melted into the crowd, slowly advancing toward the entrance.
Auron, Jace, and Dax were among the very first wave to step through.
But luck wasn't on their side. This particular Secret Realm was the dreaded random-person type.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the grip on Auron's wrist vanished. When his vision cleared, both Jace and Dax were gone.
Auron found himself standing alone in a clearing deep within a forest.
Nearby, a family of Butterfree fluttered about, watching him with wide eyes. Surprised, but not hostile.
Caterpie wriggled along tree branches, chewing steadily at leaves, while Metapod hung silently from trunks, enduring and preparing for evolution.
Jace, meanwhile, had landed in far rougher circumstances—straight into a pond. He plunged into the water the instant he arrived.
Fortunately, he managed to release his Noivern in time, which swooped down and hauled him out, dripping wet.
"Unbelievable. Auron had to go and jinx it—mention swimming, and here I am actually swimming!"
He stripped off his soaked clothes, grumbling as he dug out his spares.
"Thank goodness I packed extras. Otherwise I'd be streaking through this Realm."
He shivered at the thought. There had been a case before—a poor kid who'd landed in a lake during entry. Unlike Jace, he hadn't been so lucky.
That lake had been filled with Carvanha. The fish had no taste for human flesh, but they found his brightly colored clothes fascinating. In moments, he was stripped bare. With no Water- or Flying-type Pokémon to save him, he only managed to crawl ashore thanks to his Lopunny's help. And without spare clothes, he was forced to streak through the Realm in search of an exit.
Compared to that, Jace considered himself fortunate indeed.
As for Dax, his experience showed. The instant he sensed he was suspended in midair, he released Corviknight. With effortless grace, he landed safely.
Auron, regaining his composure, looked around with growing excitement.
"So this is the Secret Realm? It doesn't feel much different from the wild… but the Pokémon here aren't afraid of people."
He crouched, playfully teasing a Butterfree, then tossed a few Pokéblocks as a gift before moving on.
"Dad always said—the first thing you do in a Realm is find the exit. Always secure a retreat."
Releasing Golbat, he instructed, "Take me up."
Golbat clutched his arm and hauled him above the treeline.
From the air, the Realm's vastness spread before him. An endless expanse of forest stretched in every direction. Tiny dark specks in the sky revealed other Trainers who'd had the same idea—scouting from above with Flying-types.
Within the forest lay several volcanoes. From here, Auron couldn't tell whether they were dormant or active. If they were live, any eruption could pose catastrophic danger.
As he scanned, he accidentally locked eyes with another airborne Trainer. Both looked away quickly, embarrassed. Auron steadied himself and continued to search.
"Dad said the exit would be obvious—similar to the entrance. But I don't see it anywhere…"
He swept his gaze across the horizon again and again, but still found nothing. At last, his eyes settled on the volcanoes. A bold suspicion rose in his mind.
"Don't tell me… the exit is inside one of those volcanoes?"
(End of Chapter)