Chapter 20: The Flame Secret Realm

In recent days, online media outlets have been heavily promoting the heroic deeds of the Xia family. They have cast Xia Luo, the youngest quasi-Elite trainer in West Shu Province, as an exemplary hero, calling on the public to emulate him while simultaneously increasing the bounty on Xu Xiu.

Starlight City has gradually returned to normal, though the streets are now filled with many out-of-town license plates. These newcomers have clearly set their sights on the newly discovered secret realm, hoping to get a piece of the action. Whether through real estate speculation or securing development projects, the construction surrounding the secret realm is bound to stimulate a wide range of industries. Real estate prices in Starlight City, for instance, have been rising daily.

At this moment, the Xia family’s preemptive right to purchase a 20 percent share of the secret realm is highly coveted. The value of the realm is beyond imagination; beyond the massive initial investment, the long-term profitability is extraordinary—it is essentially a guaranteed win. Under normal circumstances, gym leaders in the district where a secret realm is located only hold a 10 percent preemptive purchase right, but due to the heroic actions of the two Xia family gym leaders, this was specially increased to 20 percent.

This secret realm is particularly unique as the only dual-type Grass and Bug secret realm in the entire West Shu Province, and its exclusivity has made everyone aware of the immense profits to be made.

As of today, three groups have already approached the Xia family, expressing their willingness to purchase the family's preemptive rights. They have offered extremely high prices, and more importantly, the figures behind these groups are powerful and well-connected. The weakest among them has at least two quasi-Elite trainers backing them, while the other two are supported by Elite-level trainers—though these are "unofficial" Elites, possessing the strength of Elite trainers without the formal title.

Across the entire Southwest region, there are only four officially recognized and titled Elite trainers, commonly known as the "Four Heavenly Kings." While someone like Li Yunyao is a titled Elite trainer, someone like the pre-defection Xu Xiu would be considered an untitled one. The gap between the two is immense; after all, possessing a single Pokémon with Elite-level strength qualifies one as an Elite trainer, whereas titled Elites like Li Yunyao generally have teams composed entirely of Elite-level Pokémon and possess at least one pseudo-legendary Pokémon. In a real battle, Xu Xiu would be no match for Li Yunyao, which is why he timed his departure so carefully.

Because of this issue regarding the preemptive purchase rights, Xia Yong has been deeply troubled lately. He is unwilling to hand over the shares, yet he fears the Xia family lacks the resources to absorb such a large stake, a worry that has turned his hair white.

Xia Yu, meanwhile, is unable to participate in the purchase of the shares; he lacks both the qualifications and the strength. However, he has been kept busy training his two Pokémon. The Treecko, a diligent trainer in its own right, requires little supervision from Xia Yu and is progressing rapidly, having already learned the move Detect. The Noibat is growing a bit more slowly, still in its infancy, but its development is within the normal range.

"Xiao Yu," Xia Luo’s voice echoed from outside the door.

"Coming, brother." Xia Yu opened the door to find Xia Luo standing there. After a few days of rest and the engagement preparations, he looked quite spirited, having clearly emerged from the shadows of the past few days.

Xia Luo held the box containing the Thunder Stone and handed it to Xia Yu solemnly: "Xiao Yu, you should keep this Thunder Stone. I’ve been thinking—I’m not actually well-suited for raising Electric-type Pokémon, and I prefer Fire-types anyway. I have no use for this, so you take it."

"Brother, I gave this to you; you should keep it," Xia Yu refused. The Thunder Stone is of little use to him, as his mission requires him to catch Dragon-type Pokémon. Unless he catches a Dracozolt or an Ampharos, the stone is useless to him.

"Xiao Yu!" Xia Luo said sternly. "Listen to me. Your brother is at least a quasi-Elite trainer; I have some savings. This Thunder Stone would only distract me from my path toward becoming a Fire-type Elite. If you don't take it, I won't take you with me to pick out a Pokémon today."

"Brother."

...

In the end, for the sake of helping his brother select a Pokémon with good potential, Xia Yu compromised and took back the S-rank Thunder Stone. After going full circle, the stone returned to his possession.

The two set off on their Flying-type Pokémon toward the Flame Secret Realm in West Shu Province. This is the province’s signature secret realm and its largest, home to a vast number of rare Fire-type Pokémon. It houses almost every Fire-type starter Pokémon found within the borders of China.

The Flame Secret Realm is located in the provincial capital, Tian-du. As they approached, they were immediately intercepted by trainers on Flying-type Pokémon, signaling that they had entered the no-fly zone and must land immediately.

"We're here." This was not Xia Luo’s first time, and he navigated with ease. Xia Yu had been here once before, but he had not been qualified to enter the core area. "This is your second time here, right?"

"Yes," Xia Yu nodded. The last time he came was when he was ten, brought by his father to select an initial Pokémon.

The Flame Secret Realm covers a vast area. Its entrance is grand and luxurious, imposing from a distance, with a long line of vehicles and people waiting to enter. This time, however, they did not need to wait; they used the VIP passage and only needed to pass a security check to enter.

"Xia Luo, Xia Yu. You may proceed."

The two walked along a glass corridor. Through the transparent, heat-insulated glass, they could see a large number of Fire-type Pokémon within the realm.

"This is just the outer area; the potential of the Fire-type Pokémon here is limited," Xia Luo explained to Xia Yu. "The true core areas are the Volcano Region, the Sunlight Valley, the Inferno Jungle, and the Fierce Flame Plains. The outer area is essentially an exhibition hall for Pokémon with slightly lower potential."

Of course, the term "lower potential" is relative, as these Pokémon are still far stronger than the vast majority of wild ones.

"The Volcano Region is home to heat-resistant Pokémon like Camerupt, Magcargo, and Magmortar. It’s said that the authorities of the Flame Secret Realm have plans to introduce Salazzle and Turtonator."

"Sunlight Valley is home to Charizard, Typhlosion, Darmanitan, and Volcarona."

"The Inferno Jungle is inhabited by Blaziken, Infernape, Talonflame, and Pyroar."

"The Fierce Flame Plains are home to Houndoom, Arcanine, and Rapidash. They just introduced a population of Cinderace from Europe the year before last, and this year they’ve already bred Cinderace eggs."

As a Fire-type gym leader, Xia Luo naturally keeps a close watch on the dynamics of the Flame Secret Realm. He knows the distribution of the Pokémon like the back of his hand, serving as a guide for Xia Yu.

"Let’s go see the Fierce Flame Plains first." Compared to older Pokémon, Xia Luo is more interested in the newly introduced Cinderace. He chatted with Xia Yu as they walked: "Actually, I really like Charcadet, an exclusive Fire-type Pokémon from Europe. Both of its evolutions are excellent. Whether it’s Armarouge or Ceruledge, they are both very strong. It’s a pity we don’t have them here."

"I still prefer Charizard and Blaziken, and Houndoom is pretty good too," Xia Yu said deliberately. He knew that Charizard, Blaziken, and Houndoom are all Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution. Once Mega Evolution is announced, the value of these three will skyrocket, especially Charizard and Blaziken.

"We'll see," Xia Luo sighed. He had lost a Blaziken in battle, and raising another one would only remind him of all the memories they had shared. "Let’s go look at the Cinderace eggs first."