By Monday morning, Ethan had discovered something terrible.
School still existed.
Apparently, finding a Secret Realm underneath your grandfather’s orchard did not excuse you from attending classes.
Ethan had checked.
“Grandpa.”
“No.”
“I haven’t asked yet.”
“You’re going to school.”
Ethan stared across the breakfast table.
“How did you know?”
Arthur continued eating.
“Because you’re predictable.”
Houndour was lying beneath Ethan’s chair.
Ethan nudged him lightly with his foot.
“No support.” Houndour yawned.
Delcatty was stretched across the windowsill, enjoying the morning sun.
“I could learn more exploring the Realm.”
“You could also fail mathematics.”
“I’m not going to fail mathematics.”
“Then school shouldn’t be a problem.”
“What if something happens while I’m gone?”
Arthur drank his coffee.
“To the portal?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s been there longer than you’ve known about it.
It can survive until four.”
Ethan sighed.
There was no winning this.
He finished breakfast and stood, Houndour immediately following.
They walked together toward Arthur’s truck, and only when they reached it did Ethan take out Houndour’s Poké Ball.
“Return.” Red light pulled Houndour inside.
The Bennett Estate was private property; Grayhaven wasn’t.
Until Ethan was qualified for broader public handling privileges, Houndour had to remain inside his ball during the trip and through most of the school day.
Arthur unlocked the truck.
Ethan climbed inside.
“After school?”
“We’ll see.”
“That’s what you said yesterday.”
“And?”
“We went back.”
Arthur started the engine.
“Coincidence.”
Ethan smiled.
Trainer Foundations was becoming considerably less interesting now that Ethan had an unexplored world underneath his house.
Instructor Reyes apparently didn’t care.
“Houndour, stop.”
Houndour froze.
“Good.”
Ethan waited.
“Come.”
Houndour ran toward him.
“Stop.”
This time, Houndour stopped almost immediately.
Reyes watched from several meters away.
“Better.”
Ethan smiled.
They had spent much of the lesson working on battle interruption — after what had happened against Chloe’s Budew, Reyes had made it clear that Ethan and Houndour needed more work before she allowed them another spar.
Ethan hadn’t argued.
Much.
“Houndour, back.”
Houndour returned to Ethan.
Reyes made a note on her tablet.
“Again.”
Ethan sighed.
Marcus was sitting nearby with a school-owned Bidoof.
“You’re having fun.”
“Don’t.”
Marcus scratched Bidoof’s head.
“I’ve been watching you say stop for twenty minutes.”
“It’s training.”
“Looks thrilling.”
“Bidoof likes you.”
Marcus looked down.
Bidoof stared happily back.
“That’s because Bidoof recognizes greatness.”
“Bidoof ate part of your worksheet.”
“He was hungry.”
Reyes looked toward them.
“Hale.”
Marcus immediately straightened.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Train.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ethan smiled, then looked at Houndour.
“Again.” Houndour’s ears lowered.
“I know.”
They continued.
By the end of class, Houndour had improved noticeably.
He wasn’t perfect, but when Ethan commanded him to stop during a simulated chase, he obeyed quickly enough that Reyes finally nodded.
“Good.”
Ethan rubbed Houndour’s head.
“Does that mean I can battle again?”
“Eventually.”
“Tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Wednesday?”
Reyes stared at him.
Ethan smiled.
“Worth asking.”
Arthur was waiting outside the school that afternoon.
Ethan climbed into the truck.
“Realm?”
“Homework.”
Ethan stared.
Arthur drove away.
“You’re joking.”
“No.”
“Grandpa.”
“Homework first.”
“We have an entire Secret Realm.”
“And somehow your teachers remain unimpressed.”
Ethan looked out the window.
“This is oppression.”
Arthur nodded.
“Your mother used that one too.”
Ethan smiled despite himself.
“Did it work?”
“No.”
“Then why did she keep saying it?”
“Same reason you do.”
“Hope?”
“Stubbornness.”
That was probably also true.
They entered the Realm shortly after five.
Ethan had finished his homework in record time; Arthur had checked it twice, apparently unconvinced that writing answers quickly was enough.
Houndour had followed Ethan around the house while he worked, occasionally putting his head on Ethan’s leg as if personally offended by algebra.
Now the Dark-type stood beside him before the portal.
Arthur checked the environmental readings again.
Normal.
He crossed first with Stoutland, Ethan and Houndour followed, Machoke came out afterward.
Nothing happened to Ethan — no headache, no dizziness, no unconsciousness — but Arthur still made them wait several minutes before they started.
Today, they followed the route they’d mapped previously, moving faster since they already knew the terrain — past the large tree, past the cluster of Oran bushes, past the place they’d encountered Raticate.
The farther they traveled, the more Ethan noticed something.
Houndour was having a very good day.
At first, Ethan didn’t think much of it — Houndour was naturally energetic — but this was different.
His steps were lighter, his head remained raised, and he constantly sniffed the air without getting distracted.
Usually, new smells made him want to chase whatever produced them.
Here, he seemed almost comfortable.
“Houndour.”
The Pokémon looked back.
“Hound!”
“You like it here?”
Houndour barked.
Arthur glanced back.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
They continued.
Eventually, they reached the turnoff toward the Lansat tree, and Houndour suddenly moved ahead.
“Stop.”
He stopped.
Ethan caught up — Houndour was sniffing toward the clearing.
Arthur released a quiet whistle, and Stoutland moved forward.
They approached carefully.
The Arbok was still there, coiled around one of the lower branches.
Its head rose when they entered.
Ethan focused.
Same information.
Species: Arbok Type: Poison Grade: Advanced Potential: Blue Ability: Intimidate
“Same?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
“Are we catching it?”
“Not today.”
“I thought you wanted to sell it.”
“I want to know what’s around the area before I start a fight.” Arthur pointed toward the Lansat tree.
“An Arbok doesn’t necessarily live alone.”
Ethan hadn’t thought about that.
“There could be Ekans.
Another Arbok.
A stronger Pokémon?”
“Exactly.” Arthur studied the tree.
“Also, we don’t have a buyer.
I’m not spending money, medicine and possibly injuries capturing an Advanced Pokémon just to feed it at the orchard while I figure out what to do with it.”
Ethan nodded slowly.
That made sense.
“How much does an Arbok eat?”
“Enough.”
They backed away.
Arbok watched them leave.
No battle — not because Arthur cared about disturbing it, but because there was currently no reason to fight.
Ethan was beginning to understand the difference.
They continued beyond the route they’d mapped before, Arthur marking new territory.
The forest slowly changed.
Not dramatically — there was no line where one ecosystem ended and another began — but the ordinary Pokémon became less common.
Ethan noticed the first Murkrow about twenty minutes later, perched high in a tree.
Black feathers, yellow beak, red eyes.
“Murkrow.”
Arthur looked up.
Ethan Appraised it.
Species: Murkrow Type: Dark / Flying Grade: Normal Potential: Green Ability: Super Luck Moves: Peck, Astonish, Pursuit, Haze, Wing Attack
“First Dark-type besides Houndour.”
Arthur marked something in his notebook.
“Normal Grade?”
“Yeah.
Green.”
The Murkrow watched them, then flew away.
Five minutes later, they saw another.
Then three more.
A little farther in, Ethan spotted a Poochyena drinking from a stream — Beginner Grade, Green Potential.
Then another, White.
Then a third, Blue.
“That one’s Blue.”
Arthur followed his gaze.
The young Poochyena was wrestling with another member of its group.
“Want it?”
Ethan considered it.
Poochyena eventually became Mightyena, a Dark-type — good for a Dark specialist, except Ethan wasn’t one, at least not by decision.
Houndour was Dark/Fire because Mom had helped choose him.
That was different.
“Not really.”
Arthur nodded.
“Then remember the location.”
“For selling?”
“Potentially.”
They moved on.
An hour into the expedition, Ethan finally realized what had been bothering him.
“Houndour.”
“Hound?”
Ethan crouched, and Houndour came to him immediately.
Ethan ran his hand over the Pokémon’s back — his coat felt warm, normal, his breathing wasn’t heavy.
Actually, Ethan frowned.
Houndour had been walking and exploring for over an hour.
Normally, by now, Ethan would expect some sign of fatigue.
Not exhaustion, but something.
Instead Houndour looked like he could keep going all evening.
Arthur noticed Ethan had stopped.
“What?”
“He’s not tired.”
“He’s been walking.”
“Exactly.”
“Walking isn’t difficult.”
“For him it can be, after training all day.”
Arthur crouched beside Ethan and checked Houndour’s breathing, then his eyes.
“Houndour.”
“Hound.”
Arthur stood.
“Looks healthy.”
“That’s what I mean.
He’s looked better since we came in.”
“Better how?”
Ethan struggled to explain it.
“Just…
better.
At school today, we trained for almost the entire class.
He should at least be a little tired.”
Arthur looked at Houndour again.
The Pokémon had already returned to sniffing around the nearby trees.
“Maybe he’s excited.”
“Maybe.” Ethan wasn’t convinced.
They continued.
Ten minutes later, Houndour ran ahead after Arthur gave permission to investigate a scent, then returned almost immediately, tail raised, eyes bright.
“He really likes this place.”
Arthur didn’t answer, but Ethan noticed Grandpa watching Houndour more carefully now.
They found another berry grove — nothing as valuable as the Lansat tree, but Arthur identified several useful varieties.
Then they found something else.
Tracks.
Arthur crouched.
“Pokémon.”
“Very helpful.”
“Several.” Arthur followed the impressions, barely distinguishable in the dirt, toward a rocky area where the forest floor rose slightly.
Houndour suddenly ran forward.
“Houndour.”
The Pokémon stopped, but instead of returning, he sniffed intensely, tail beginning to move.
Ethan approached.
“What?” Houndour scratched at the ground.
Arthur came closer.
There were black fragments mixed into the soil — stone, maybe.
Ethan picked one up.
Nothing appeared.
Of course.
Appraisal didn’t work on items.
Arthur examined it.
“Don’t know.”
“Useful?”
“Maybe.”
“Valuable?”
“Maybe.”
“You’re really good at this.”
Arthur put the fragment into a sample container.
“That’s why we test things.”
Houndour sniffed the ground again, then rolled onto his back.
“Houndour.”
The Pokémon wriggled against the soil.
“Hound!”
“What are you doing?”
Arthur started laughing.
Ethan looked at him — Grandpa rarely laughed loudly, which made it worse.
“He’s going to smell terrible.”
“Probably.”
“Houndour!”
Houndour rolled again.
Ethan grabbed him.
“Stop.” Houndour stood, tail still wagging.
Ethan brushed dirt from his coat.
“You idiot.”
“Hound.”
Ethan looked at the black fragments, then around the area.
Murkrow called somewhere overhead; farther away, a group of Poochyena moved between the trees.
Houndour inhaled deeply, his entire posture relaxed.
“Grandpa.”
“I see it.”
“What?”
“Him.” Arthur nodded toward Houndour.
Arthur looked around.
“We’ve seen more Dark-types since we moved farther in.”
Ethan realized he was right — Murkrow, Poochyena, and Houndour seemed increasingly comfortable.
“Think that means something?”
“Everything means something.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one I have.” Arthur looked toward the forest.
“Don’t decide what this place is based on one afternoon.”
Ethan nodded, but he looked down at Houndour again.
Something was different.
He was sure of it.
They turned back before sunset.
Arthur refused to push farther, and this time Ethan didn’t argue much — they had already expanded their map significantly.
On the return trip, they stopped near the stream.
Houndour drank.
Then Ethan decided to test something.
“Ember.”
“What are you doing?”
“Testing.” Houndour fired at a bare patch of stone near the water.
Flames burst from his mouth.
“Again.”
Houndour fired.
The second Ember looked slightly stronger.
Maybe.
Ethan wasn’t sure.
“Again.”
Arthur immediately stopped him.
“No.”
“I’m checking something.”
“And you’re repeating your first training mistake.”
Ethan remembered.
Moves weren’t free.
“Right.”
Arthur pointed at Houndour.
“If you want to compare performance, do it properly tomorrow.
Same exercise outside.
Same exercise inside.
Measure it.”
“Scientific equipment?”
“Yes.”
“Should I get Houndour the lab coat?”
Arthur walked away.
“I’m leaving you here.”
Ethan laughed.
“Houndour, come.”
They followed.
They reached the portal as daylight inside the Realm was beginning to fade — that alone gave Arthur another thing to record.
Apparently the Realm had its own day-night cycle.
Whether it matched the outside world remained unknown.
Ethan crossed with Houndour.
The moment they entered the cave, Houndour stopped.
Ethan nearly walked into him.
“What?” Houndour looked back toward the portal, ears lowering slightly.
Then he walked forward.
Slower.
Arthur noticed.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Ethan crouched.
“Houndour?”
“Hound.”
He looked fine — no pain, no illness — but some of the energy he’d carried inside the Realm seemed to have disappeared.
Ethan looked through the portal, then back at Houndour.
“Grandpa.”
Arthur had already noticed.
“He felt the difference.”
“You think?”
“Maybe.” Arthur wasn’t willing to say more.
Not yet.
They headed through the cave, Houndour remaining beside Ethan.
By the time they reached the orchard, he was behaving normally again.
But Ethan couldn’t stop thinking about it.
That night, Houndour fell asleep almost immediately.
Ethan sat at his desk with a notebook open — not because Grandpa had convinced him paper was superior, absolutely not, his phone was just charging.
At the top of the page, Ethan had written: SECRET REALM.
Underneath: Things We Know.
He started listing them.
Portal stable so far.
Forest environment.
Normal oxygen.
Own day-night cycle.
Wild Pokémon.
Rare berries.
Unknown materials.
Appraisal activated after first entry.
Appraisal works only on Pokémon.
Then he added: More Dark-types farther inside.
He stared at the words, then wrote: Houndour feels better inside?
Question mark.
He wasn’t ready to remove it.
Not yet.
But he thought about the way Houndour had moved — the energy, the comfort, the strange black soil, the Murkrow, the Poochyena, and the way he’d stopped after crossing back into the cave.
Ethan looked toward the rug.
Houndour was asleep.
Delcatty had taken the bed — apparently ownership had changed while Ethan wasn’t paying attention.
He looked back at the notebook.
If the Realm really was somehow good for Houndour, that could matter.
A lot.
Training environments mattered to serious Trainers — specialized facilities cost money, and some Gyms and corporations built entire ecological zones for particular Pokémon.
And Secret Realms—
Ethan stopped.
He was getting ahead of himself again.
Grandpa would say that.
So Ethan closed the notebook.
Tomorrow he had school.
Houndour needed rest.
They had time.
The Secret Realm wasn’t going anywhere.
As Ethan climbed into bed, one thought stuck with him.
They’d been treating the Realm like a vault — Pokémon in one column, berries and soil samples in another.
But Houndour was curled up asleep on the rug, looking more at peace than he had any right to after a two-hour hike, and for the first time all night, that felt like the more interesting discovery.