Led by He Yongsēn, the rescue team swiftly made its way toward the Pokémon summer camp deep in the mountains.
Not long after entering the fire zone, they saw countless wild Pokémon fleeing in panic.
Suddenly—
A large tree, engulfed in roaring flames, could no longer hold its weight and toppled forward.
Directly beneath its falling path, several terrified Oddish cowered helplessly, shivering uncontrollably. If the tree fell, these Pokémon wouldn't stand a chance.
"Arcanine, [Extreme Speed]!"
Just as despair clouded the Oddishes' faces, a red blur flashed past.
Bang!
The burning tree exploded into fragments, scattering harmlessly aside.
It was He Yongsēn and his Arcanine!
"You should head in that direction!" he instructed the grateful Oddish, pointing behind him. "It's safer that way—we opened an escape route there."
The Oddish nodded gratefully and hurried off on their tiny legs.
Once they'd gone, He Yongsēn quickly scanned his surroundings. Seeing the scale of chaos among wild Pokémon, he decisively left behind one team member to organize their evacuation.
"Xiao Li, stay here and guide these wild Pokémon out."
It wasn't that He Yongsēn had suddenly been overcome with altruism, prioritizing wild Pokémon over human rescue.
Rather, he knew that if these panicked Pokémon started stampeding irrationally, it would severely hamper their firefighting efforts. But once calmed, these wild Pokémon could even become valuable allies in containing the blaze.
After all, this forest was their home as well—who wouldn't fight to protect their own home?
"Understood!"
Xiao Li jumped down from his Numel's back, beginning to direct the wild Pokémon toward safety.
"Let's move!"
He Yongsēn signaled the other two team members and rushed onward.
Meanwhile, chaos reigned at the Pokémon summer camp.
Several children sobbed uncontrollably, while others had fainted from the intense heat. The camp instructors desperately commanded their Water-type Pokémon to combat the flames. Powerful streams of water temporarily prevented the flames from spreading closer, but they couldn't shield them from the intense heat radiating from all sides.
Moreover, the scorching environment severely depleted water-type energy, meaning every attack from the exhausted Pokémon consumed several times the usual effort. Their Pokémon were now reaching their limits.
If help didn't arrive soon, their lives would surely be lost to the flames.
Precisely due to this limitation of Water-types, rescue missions often relied heavily on Fire-type Pokémon—though Water-types had natural resistance to fire, their stamina couldn't keep pace in prolonged infernos.
Rock-type Pokémon didn't have stamina issues, but their notoriously slow speed made them unsuitable for quick rescues. Thus, Fire-types remained the optimal choice.
However—
An even graver danger was quietly brewing.
With the forest fire intensifying, a temporary Secret Realm appeared without warning.
...
"Hmm?"
As Guo Yi walked, a sudden wave of hot air blasted into his face.
He glanced around, realizing he'd been abruptly transported into a volcanic landscape. Far in the distance, a smoldering volcano spewed thick black smoke.
Roaring furiously like some colossal beast, the volcano belched searing ash and molten flame into the sky. Surrounding peaks seemed ablaze, glowing stones, crimson clouds, and fiery streaks of lava creating a terrifyingly majestic panorama.
"I've entered a Secret Realm again?"
Frowning slightly, Guo Yi instinctively drew out a Poké Ball and released a Pokémon.
This was a trainer's habitual caution in Secret Realms—wild Pokémon here were far more aggressive than their counterparts in the outside world. One lapse in attention could mean sudden attack.
Surprisingly, he released neither his powerful Beedrill, the Nidoking pair, nor even his newly captured Zapdos.
Instead, he chose Nidorino.
Though Nidorino hadn't undergone much direct training recently, his strength had nonetheless risen dramatically. After all, Nidorino's strength was tied directly to Su Qingxue's progress. Ever since Su Qingxue had captured and evolved her Weedle, her abilities had taken another significant leap—naturally boosting Nidorino's own power.
Currently, Nidorino had reached Level 35.
"Nido—!"
The moment Nidorino appeared, he crouched low to the ground, his large ears twitching slightly.
Nidorino had exceptionally keen hearing, often relying on his sensitive ears to gather intelligence from his surroundings. Unlike Nidorina, Nidorino remained quadrupedal after evolution, his ears and sharp horn growing noticeably larger and more formidable. The gleaming purple horn atop his head not only carried more potent venom but was sharp enough to shatter diamond.
"Nidorino, since we've stumbled into this Secret Realm, let's use this chance for you to properly get used to your newfound power," Guo Yi advised gently.
Unlike Beedrill's Template, Nidorino could rapidly increase his strength and acquire skills directly through Su Qingxue's Template, but combat experience still required his personal participation.
"Nido, Nido!"
[Bring it on, Trainer!]
At the prospect of a fight, Nidorino became visibly excited. Being confined in the Poké Ball for days had left him restless; he welcomed this chance to finally vent his pent-up energy.
"Easy now," Guo Yi soothed him gently. "Since we're already inside a Secret Realm, we can't just wander around aimlessly."
Guo Yi then opened the system's [Opportunities] menu, typing the word "treasure" into the search bar.
In a permanent Secret Realm, trainers could afford to take their time exploring, but temporary Secret Realms were purely a matter of luck. After all, who could guarantee the realm wouldn't vanish suddenly?
Countless trainers had previously recounted their frustrating experiences online—just after defeating guardian Pokémon, but before they could claim their treasure, the realm would vanish, leaving them empty-handed. Not only had they gained nothing, but they also had to spend large sums healing their injured Pokémon. Some trainers even avoided temporary Secret Realms entirely, fearing the cost.
Thus, Guo Yi's choice of direction was critical—he had no intention of joining those unlucky trainers' ranks.
As he inputted the information, several prompts appeared clearly on the screen:
[Southeast: A piece of Elite Four-Quality Charcoal.]
[Price: 1000 Mentor Points]
[Southwest: A Fire-type Pokémon Egg with Elite Four-Level potential.]
[Price: 1500 Mentor Points]
[Western Cave: A medium-quality Fire Stone.]
[Price: 800 Mentor Points]
…
Guo Yi briefly scanned the entries.
Most of the opportunities offered by the system were [Pokémon Eggs] with potential at or above Ace-Tier, or valuable items worth at least 3,000 [Mentor Points] in the system store.
As for anything below that threshold, the system evidently didn't deem them worthy of mention.
Suddenly—
One opportunity priced at a staggering 10,000 [Mentor Points] instantly caught his attention:
[A mysterious feather.]
Unlike previous descriptions, this one was not only absurdly expensive, but also infuriatingly vague, offering no details whatsoever—not even a general direction.
However, according to the rules of [Opportunities], the higher the price, the greater the potential reward.
Guo Yi couldn't possibly let this chance slip by.
But I don't quite have 10,000 [Mentor Points] right now, Guo Yi sighed internally after checking his balance.
He'd wanted to buy this information directly, but unfortunately, his wallet disagreed.
No choice, then. He'd have to exploit the cheaper opportunities first to close the gap.
[Pokémon Eggs] are out. The system store doesn't recycle eggs.
Even though an Ace-Tier egg would be incredibly valuable, my priority now is gathering [Mentor Points]. If there's time afterward, maybe I'll come back.
It was impossible to say he wasn't tempted. An Ace-Tier Pokémon Egg, even unhatched, could sell for tens of millions at a breeder's market. And if it contained something popular like a Charmander or a Cyndaquil, selling it for over a hundred million was entirely plausible if the right buyer appeared.
But right now, that mysterious feather worth 10,000 [Mentor Points] took precedence.
This Elite Four-Quality [Charcoal] costs 1,000 points, but I can resell it in the store for 5,000—easy 4,000 profit.
This medium-grade [Fire Stone] can also net a decent profit, but it's in the opposite direction entirely—east versus west. It'd be a waste of time.
He quickly picked another opportunity:
This Gym Leader-Quality [Hard Stone]'s resale isn't as profitable as the [Fire Stone], but at least it's in the southeast direction, convenient enough to pick up on the way.
Oh, this one's also on the same route, and… this one too.
In the end, Guo Yi selected four opportunities, spending a total of 3,200 [Mentor Points]. His estimated returns hovered around eight or nine thousand, nearly triple his investment—more than satisfying.
"Now, which one's closest?" he muttered, examining the system-provided map carefully.
The map clearly indicated each item's location, alongside details about any powerful Pokémon nearby.
After a quick assessment, he settled on his first target:
Looks like it's you, Torkoal.
Seeing a coal mine clearly marked on the map, Guo Yi finalized his decision.
But before they could set out—
A massive fireball, blazing violently, barreled straight toward Guo Yi and Nidorino.
Without hesitation, Guo Yi issued an order: "Nidorino, use [Dig]!"
"Nido!"
Nidorino's muscular front legs swiftly tore into the ground, and in a blink, he vanished beneath the surface, leaving only a half-meter-wide hole behind.
The fiery sphere grew louder and faster as it approached, its target clearly the lone trainer remaining—Guo Yi.
Facing its direct charge, Guo Yi could feel intense heat radiating fiercely.
Yet the fireball failed to notice a subtle bulge emerging from the ground ahead.
"Nido!"
At the very moment it rolled over, Nidorino surged out from beneath, lifting the fireball into the air. With practiced ease, Nidorino twisted his body mid-air, delivering a sharp [Double Kick] that sent the ball flying away.
With a loud bang, the fireball hit the ground, finally revealing its true form.
"Sizzlipede."
Guo Yi immediately recognized the fiery red, centipede-like Pokémon:
[Sizzlipede (Fire/Bug)]
[Gender: ♂]
[Level: Lv.34 (Veteran-tier)]
[Ability: Flame Body (30% chance to burn opponent upon physical contact.)]
[Moves: X-Scissor, Fire Fang, Flame Wheel, Coil, Slam, Wrap (Commonly Used Moves)]
[Egg Move: Struggle Bug]
[Held Item: Nugget]
[Potential: Ace]
Looks like this whole area must be Sizzlipede's territory. No wonder it attacked immediately.
Guo Yi was quite familiar with this Pokémon's behavior. After all, it was one of the few Pokémon capable of using its own exclusive [Gigantamax] move, and was quite popular in the games.
Official descriptions consistently depicted Sizzlipede as fiercely territorial, attacking any intruders on sight. Once battle commenced, it raised its scorching-hot body high, striking opponents with its belly or constricting them tightly.
Judging by its behavior, this Sizzlipede clearly viewed Guo Yi and his Pokémon as hostile invaders.
But something's off with this Sizzlipede...
Guo Yi frowned slightly as the Pokémon got back up, roaring furiously at Nidorino.
Normally, a Sizzlipede's eyes burned a deep, fiery orange. But this one's pupils were an unsettling blood-red, making its already intimidating appearance even more ferocious.
"Raaaagh!"
Not allowing Guo Yi another second to think, the Sizzlipede roared and charged toward Nidorino. Its huge mouth opened wide, flames blazing fiercely within—Guo Yi could feel the blistering heat even from a distance.
Sizzlipede could ferment what it consumed into highly combustible gases, which its abdominal organs then ignited, generating flames reaching temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius. These flames radiated intensely through its antennae and tail-end.
If this attack landed, Nidorino would suffer badly.
But sensing danger instinctively, Nidorino didn't even wait for an order, immediately diving underground again with [Dig].
Truthfully, as long as the opponent didn't possess moves like [Earthquake] or [Magnitude], [Dig] was practically an unbeatable dodge-and-counter strategy.
The enraged Sizzlipede, having lost sight of its target, could only frantically search the surroundings in vain, helplessly trying to pinpoint Nidorino's location.