"Huh? What preparations did you make?"
Jace Rowan's curiosity grew.
"Of course, I'm borrowing one of my dad's Pokémon — his Gengar," Auron Vale said with a grin.
"If the danger level is too high, we pull out immediately. If it's low, we go in for a look. Secret Realms don't have the same rules as the entrance exams — nobody cares whether the Pokémon you bring are actually yours."
Jace's eyes lit up, and he smacked his right fist into his left palm.
"Yeah! Why didn't I think of that? I'll go home and ask my dad to lend me his Polteageist. A Ghost-type can hide in my shadow and protect me. Perfect."
Auron gave a smug look.
"See? But let's be clear — this time we're only going in to get a feel for the place. Listen to me, don't run off on your own, and be prepared to come out empty-handed."
"Got it, got it," Jace said excitedly. Of course he was going with Auron — who would turn down a trip where you don't have to do any thinking?
"Alright, talk to your dad. If he won't let you go, I'm not taking you," Auron warned. "Bye."
Jace smirked. "Hah, you'd better hope your dad doesn't forbid you."
"If my dad doesn't let me go, you think you'll be going?"
"I will!"
"Haha, alright. I'm off."
"OK."
At the intersection, they split and headed for their respective homes.
Back home, Auron made some Poké Puffs to reward his two Pokémon for their hard training.
Once they were done, he went to the study, finished his homework, and dove back into the sea of practice questions.
…
A while later, Ashen Vale and his wife came home with the three Pokémon.
Over dinner, Auron brought up the subject of the Secret Realm.
"Dad, the Secret Realm near Vantora is opening soon. I want to go take a look."
Before Ashen could answer, his wife spoke sharply.
"You're going into a Secret Realm? With your current strength, if the danger level is even a bit high, you'd never make it back. Absolutely not."
Auron pulled a pleading face. "Moooom~"
"No!" she said firmly, face like stone.
Ashen reached over to calm her, his tone turning serious.
"Why do you want to enter the Secret Realm?"
Auron suddenly felt a bit small. His father had always been gentle with him growing up, and he himself had never been a rebellious child — this was the first time he'd seen his dad look so stern.
"I… just want to see it. I'll keep myself safe."
His mother's voice rose. "And how exactly will you protect yourself? Sure, Munchlax helped you win the Junior Cup, but that was the Junior Cup. You're not even a licensed rookie trainer yet. How can you protect yourself inside a Secret Realm?"
Auron gave a sheepish smile, careful not to push her buttons.
"I'm just curious. I wanted to tell Dad because I was hoping to borrow Gengar. If he's with me, you can relax a little, right?"
He knew the request would provoke a reaction, so he decided not to dance around it and just lay everything out.
Ashen's expression eased slightly.
"Honestly, I don't want you going at all. But since you've said that, I'll let you borrow Gengar to protect you — on one condition."
"Deal. I agree," Auron said instantly.
"Let your father finish," his mother said sharply, glaring at Ashen before rapping her knuckles on the table.
Auron shrank back. "Okay, okay. I'm listening."
Ashen leaned forward.
"If Gengar warns you of danger, you drop everything immediately and leave the Secret Realm."
"No problem," Auron said quickly. That had been his plan all along — no one in their right mind would gamble with their life.
Seeing the agreement reached, his mother stood and went to the bedroom.
"Ashen, come with me."
He hurried after her, pausing beside Auron to murmur, "I'll take the heat for this one. Make sure you spoil your mother a bit over the next few days."
"Got it, Dad. Don't worry."
With that, the matter was settled — all that remained was for Ashen to smooth things over with her.
In the bedroom, Ashen pulled his wife into his arms.
"Our son's growing up. If he's going to take this path, he can't avoid the Secret Realm forever. Better he gets a taste of it early."
"And what if something happens?" she shot back.
He patted her back.
"Have you forgotten which Elite Four member is coming this time? I'll speak to them personally and have them keep an eye on Auron."
She gave him a glare and pushed him away before walking out.
"Hmph. You could've said that earlier. You and your son are exactly the same."
When she emerged, Ashen followed and flashed Auron an "OK" gesture. Auron knew the matter was settled and quickly began doting on her — piling food onto her plate and praising her cooking.
"Here, Mom, try this. Honestly, this dish is amazing — you should have more…"
Meanwhile, at Jace's house…
Unlike Auron's family, his was strict father, gentle mother.
Jace's dad was in full lecture mode, scolding him about the dangers of the Secret Realm — how could someone without even a rookie trainer license think of going in?
Jace wasn't swayed. "I'm going with Auron."
That only made his father more annoyed. In the end, he threw up his hands. "Fine, do what you want."
Jace seized the opening.
"Then lend me Polteageist. I want it to protect me."
His father's eyes narrowed. "This is Auron's idea, isn't it?"
"Of course," Jace said without hesitation.
With a sigh, his father relented. "Alright. Tell me when you're leaving. I'll lend you Noivern too — so you can get out fast if something happens."
He shot Jace a glare before heading inside. Honestly, the man's dislike for Auron probably had a lot to do with Jace's attitude — he brought him up in everything.
Back in Auron's room, he was looking up information online, wondering if he could take the rookie trainer exam ahead of time. His mother had called him "just a Junior Cup kid" — no license yet.
Trainer licenses came in six ranks: Rookie, Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Quasi-Elite, and Elite.
Champions didn't need a license — their face was their credential.
The Rookie license was the easiest to get — you'd receive it automatically after passing the national college entrance exam.
Graduating from university also required a license. Each school had its own standards — for example, Skyspire University required at least an Intermediate license to graduate.
It was a bit like the Level 4 certificate from his past life — except here, academic requirements counted less, and battle skill weighed much more heavily.
Some universities even had different specialisations, each with its own certification:
Coordination: Junior Coordinator license
Pokémon Cuisine: Junior Gourmet license
Breeding: Junior Breeder license
And you weren't limited to one — a battle major could also sit for the Coordinator exam, for example.
But when Auron looked up the Rookie exam requirements, his hand smacked the desk in frustration.
"Damn — the Rookie Trainer exam only opens after the entrance exams? That's targeting me!"
(End of Chapter)