Lucas had already found the perfect campsite.
It was located beside a small stream, though not close enough to risk flooding.
Nearby was a rocky cliff with a natural cave about five or six meters above the ground.
It was practically a ready-made campsite.
He spread a layer of lime and insect repellent around the cave entrance.
The lime had been made earlier while he had some free time.
The process was simple enough—heat limestone until it became brittle to produce quicklime, then add water to create slaked lime.
Together with the insect repellent, it would keep venomous snakes and poisonous insects from entering the cave.
He also covered the entrance with several large leaves to conceal it from view.
Some beasts with exceptionally keen senses might still discover them, but Lucas wasn’t worried.
He had three Pokémon with him.
Their senses far surpassed those of ordinary humans.
Anyone harboring ill intentions would never be able to approach unnoticed.
After finishing their shelter, Lucas looked at Claire Reed, who was still standing outside blankly.
“What are you standing there for?
Come in.” “Ah?
O-Okay…” She instinctively obeyed and stepped inside.
Only after entering did she suddenly realize the problem.
Wait…
Did this mean she was going to spend the night under the same roof as a boy?
Her face instantly turned scarlet.
Although Lucas had behaved like a complete gentleman so far, and she didn’t think he was that kind of person…
What if…
What if he suddenly had bad intentions tonight?
She wouldn’t even have anywhere to run.
“Um…
Lucas …” She lowered her head shyly.
“You…
aren’t going to do anything weird tonight…
right?” “…” Lucas wisely chose to pretend he hadn’t heard anything.
Only after asking did Claire Reed realize just how embarrassing those words sounded.
Covering her burning face, her thoughts became increasingly chaotic until, before she knew it…
She had fallen asleep.
In her dreams…
She returned to the days when her parents were still by her side.
“Mom…” She hugged her mother’s arm tightly.
It was the most peaceful sleep she had enjoyed in years.
…
The next morning.
The moment she woke up…
Her mind went completely blank.
She discovered both of her arms tightly wrapped around Lucas .
Her entire body was pressed against him.
For the completely inexperienced fifteen-year-old girl…
It felt as though her entire world had collapsed.
Panicking, she immediately looked up.
Fortunately…
Lucas ‘s eyes remained shut.
He still seemed to be asleep.
She quietly let out a sigh of relief, carefully withdrew her arms, and slowly moved away.
Just as she thought she had escaped unnoticed— Lucas stretched lazily and sat up.
Claire Reed: “…” “Um…” She lowered her head in embarrassment.
“Lucas …
were you pretending to be asleep just now?” Lucas smiled cheerfully.
“What are you talking about?” “I only know that one of my arms was used as a pillow all night, so it’s completely numb.” “Oh, and someone spent the entire night talking about her parents in her sleep, so I didn’t get much rest.” Claire Reed wished she could disappear on the spot.
It was, without question…
The most embarrassing moment of her fifteen years of life.
She desperately wanted to tame a Diglett…
Dig a hole…
And bury herself inside it forever.
After leaving the cave, the two had barely taken a few steps when the ground suddenly began shaking violently.
In the distance…
The earth split apart.
A towering mountain rose straight out of the ground.
Above its peak shimmered multicolored rays of light.
Brilliant rainbow-colored springs flowed down from the summit.
The entire scene was breathtakingly beautiful…
Yet at the same time…
Deeply unsettling.
As the rainbow springs spread through the forest, the low-level One-Star and Two-Star ferocious beasts suddenly became frenzied, roaring wildly as though they had been injected with stimulants.
“What…
is happening?” The two looked at each other.
Driven by curiosity, they remained where they stood instead of fleeing immediately.
At that moment, someone suddenly screamed in the distance.
“Run!” “It’s a Secret Realm!” “A Secret Realm has appeared!” “Secret Realm?” The unfamiliar term immediately surfaced in both their minds.
According to legend, when countless ferocious beasts first descended upon Earth…
They had emerged from Secret Realms.
Secret Realms existed everywhere.
They could appear anywhere.
Even within humanity’s countless established bases, a Secret Realm could suddenly manifest without warning.
They were disasters beyond prediction.
Whenever a Secret Realm appeared, it was accompanied by strange phenomena.
Sometimes floods.
Sometimes violent storms.
Sometimes tsunamis.
Sometimes mountains collapsing.
Secret Realms were generally classified from Level 1 to Level 6.
The more terrifying the accompanying phenomenon…
The more powerful the Secret Realm.
The magnificent vision before them—a mountain rising from nowhere with rainbow springs cascading from its peak—was far too spectacular.
There was no way it was merely a Level 1 or Level 2 Secret Realm.
Realizing this, Claire Reed’s face turned pale.
She instinctively grabbed Lucas ‘s sleeve.
“Lucas …
let’s run!” “Alright.” His own expression became serious as well.
Without hesitation, he summoned Rhyhorn.
Understanding the urgency of the situation, Rhyhorn didn’t complain despite carrying two people.
Its powerful legs exploded with speed as it sprinted away at full force.
At first, Lucas assumed only the surrounding area would be affected by the Secret Realm.
He was terribly mistaken.
The mountain itself…
Actually moved.
It advanced across the land as though it had grown legs.
Its speed was astonishing.
It was more than twice as fast as Rhyhorn, even after Rhyhorn had reached the Two-Star rank.
The rainbow springs continued flowing outward.
Anything touched by the shimmering waters— Plants.
Animals.
Ferocious beasts.
Even the trainers participating in the trial.
The instant they came into contact with the rainbow spring…
They vanished.
As though they had been swallowed whole.
Watching the rainbow waters rapidly catching up, Lucas could only smile bitterly.
His luck really was terrible.
He had only come to participate in a simple trial…
Yet he had somehow encountered the manifestation of a Secret Realm.
As the rainbow spring engulfed them, Lucas felt as though he had fallen into deep water.
His body became completely uncontrollable.
It was as if he were slowly sinking into a bottomless abyss.
“Palkia!” Just before his consciousness slipped away completely, Lucas shouted at the top of his lungs.
In the endless darkness…
Palkia appeared before him.
It reached out with its tiny claws and grabbed hold of Lucas .
The next instant…
All of them disappeared without a trace.