Although Julian was John's grandson—and a deeply cherished one at that—he was not Metagross' grandson. In Metagross' eyes, Julian's life or death had little to do with it.
Even if John temporarily entrusted Metagross to Julian, he would first need Metagross' consent. If Metagross refused, then even as its trainer, John couldn't force it to comply.
Every Pokémon was loyal only to its own trainer. While some Pokémon might choose to remain loyal to their trainer's descendants after the trainer's death, such cases were exceedingly rare.
Just being willing to protect the Trainer's family was already considered commendable.
"I'll have someone send you all the information on the Hara Desert to your phone in a moment," John said.
"Mm."
"Then, Grandpa, I'm heading out now."
There was no time to waste—now, he was racing against death itself. Even though Celebi had extended his grandmother's life by half a month, it was still far too short.
If the Hara Desert didn't have the Glossy Ganoderma, that would be the worst-case scenario.
From the hospital room's window, John watched as Julian mounted his Dragonite and flew away before shifting his gaze back to Evelyn lying on the hospital bed.
His rough hand gently brushed her cheek. "Our good grandson has gone to find the Glossy Ganoderma for you. You'll be fine."
---
For nations, the existence of forbidden zones was rather awkward—simply because the treasures found there were relatively scarce, comparable only to ordinary Advanced-level secret realms.
But for many civilian Trainers, forbidden zones were the key to their rise.
Access to Beginner- and Intermediate-level secret realms only required purchasing an entry ticket, but even the cheapest Beginner-level secret realm costs at least over a hundred thousand. For civilian trainers, this was no small expense.
If luck wasn't on their side, they might not even recoup the ticket cost after a trip inside.
Forbidden zones, however, were different. They were located in ungoverned areas—as long as you had the ability, you could enter freely.
No ticket needed—that alone saved a lot of money. Of course, the danger level was also much higher, far beyond any Beginner- or Intermediate-level secret realm.
Another difference was that forbidden zones didn't have time limits. Secret realms only allowed set periods for entry. But forbidden zones? Stay for two or three years if you dare—no one would stop you.
That said, if you maliciously destroyed the environment or harmed the Pokémon inside and got caught by the rangers, well, you'd better get ready for prison.
In summary, forbidden zones were a boon for civilian trainers but were largely irrelevant for those from elite families.
And for Trainers at the Elite-level or above, the core areas of forbidden zones were some of the best places for real training and combat experience.
You could think of the outer layer of a forbidden zone as equivalent to a Beginner-level secret realm, the middle layer as an Intermediate-level secret realm, the inner layer as an Advanced-level secret realm—where Elite-level Pokémon resided—and the core area as a Top-tier secret realm, home to Champion-level Pokémon.
Of course, this comparison only applied in terms of power levels. When it came to resources, forbidden zones were undoubtedly not as abundant as secret realms.
Dragonite surged forward at its top speed, racing westward. Even though Julian said nothing, it understood perfectly well just how anxious its trainer was.
A psychic barrier shielded Julian from the fierce winds generated by Dragonite's flight as he scrolled through the information about the Hara Desert on his phone.
The data covered the entire region of the Hara Desert, including the distribution and strength levels of wild Pokémon populations—most importantly, it marked the territories of the three Champion-level Pokémon.
All three Champion-level Pokémon resided in the core area of the Hara Desert. Among them, the territory of the late-stage Champion Tyranitar was by far the largest.
The three territories were spaced at least a hundred miles apart, ensuring no interference between them.
Each of Drakoria's nine forbidden zones housed Champion-level Pokémon. Some might wonder why trainers like Duke or John didn't simply capture them—given their abilities, subduing these wild Champions shouldn't be difficult.
And they'd be right. If Drakoria's six Champions truly wanted to capture these wild Champion-level Pokémon, it wouldn't pose much of a challenge.
So why leave them be?
The answer was simple: Ecological balance.
Not only in forbidden zones but also in Advanced-level and Top-tier secret realms, wild Elite and Champion-level Pokémon could not be captured without official approval from the government.
Once the ecological balance was disrupted, restoring it became an immense challenge.
---
Three days later, Julian arrived in Hara City—a city constantly ravaged by sandstorms and also the westernmost city in Drakoria.
Its outskirts bordered the Hara Desert, which was also the origin of the city's name.
Given its harsh environment and remote location, one might expect Hara City to be desolate, with anyone capable of moving away choosing to settle elsewhere.
Yet the opposite was true. While Hara City couldn't rival metropolises like the Imperial Capital or Orient City, its prosperity was on par with that of a standard first-tier city.
The population was split evenly between locals and outsiders.
The outsiders came for one reason: the Hara Desert forbidden zone. Every day, Ground-type, Rock-type, and Steel-type Trainers from across the nation flocked here.
Moreover, many of the Beginner- and Intermediate-level secret realms around Hara City were rich in these three types, further attracting a steady stream of visiting trainers.
The locals, in turn, built their livelihoods around serving these Trainers.
Though the Hara Desert had made the city's environment incredibly hostile, it had also, paradoxically, turned Hara City into the brightest jewel in Drakoria's western frontier.
Moreover, the city was home to a National-level Ground-type Gym, which naturally meant it also had access to a Special Advanced-level secret realm: the Endless Desert.
If not for the urgency of the matter, Julian would have definitely challenged the Gym while he was here. After all, making an extra trip just for that seemed like too much of a hassle.
Due to the constant sandstorms, Hara City had no direct flights. Ordinary travelers had to take a high-speed train or bus from a neighboring city. Trainers, however, could simply fly in on their Pokémon.
Upon arriving in Hara City, Julian didn't immediately head into the desert. Instead, he checked into a hotel to rest for the night. After all, he had spent nearly three straight days on Dragonite's back, and even he was exhausted.
Dragonite wasn't faring much better—after flying at top speed for three days, it complained loudly about being worn out, even claiming its belly had shrunk. And honestly, it had. The poor thing hadn't eaten or rested properly the entire time.
Julian sent a quick message to his grandfather and parents, letting them know he'd arrived in Hara City and would enter the desert first thing in the morning.
Jake and Tina had rushed to Orient City from Lake City about three hours after Julian left the hospital, so they'd missed him.
At first, they thought he hadn't arrived yet—until John informed them that their son had gone to the Hara Desert to search for the Glossy Ganoderma to save Evelyn.
While Jake managed to keep his composure, Tina nearly broke down in tears. The forbidden zone housed Champion-level Pokémon—what if something happened to their son?
Thankfully, John reassured her that Julian had his Metagross with him, which at least guaranteed some level of safety. Only then did Tina calm down slightly.
*****
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