Even though training Feebas to Intermediate–Mid level in such a short time was already astonishing, Oliver still felt an intense sense of urgency.
School would be starting again in just a few days—but his paper was still missing the most crucial piece.
A video of Feebas evolving into Milotic.
Without video evidence, his work would be nothing more than a theoretical hypothesis about Feebas's evolution, not a verified research result.
Its academic value would plummet.
So would the Pokémon League's rewards.
According to the knowledge in Oliver's memory, once Feebas reached Intermediate–Early level and was equipped with a Prism Scale, evolution should already be possible.
And yet, the Prism Scale had been worn by Feebas all this time—
there wasn't the slightest sign of evolution.
"Could it be…" Oliver muttered,
"…that although Feebas has reached Intermediate strength, it's been training nonstop and hasn't experienced a real battle?"
"Yes—that must be it!"
"It needs a true evenly matched fight, not a one-sided stomp."
"But if I battle at a city Battle Center, it might evolve on the spot the moment it wins. The news would spread instantly… What if someone publishes a paper before me?"
"So… the only option is a Secret Realm?"
Oliver frowned.
"That's way too risky. It goes completely against my life philosophy."
Just as he was stuck in hesitation, Feebas's firm voice echoed out.
"Hu—hu!"
"…You want to go to a Secret Realm?" Oliver asked.
He couldn't understand Pokémon speech, but he clearly felt that was Feebas's meaning.
Feebas nodded vigorously.
"…Alright!"
Oliver clenched his fist.
"If that's the case, then I'll plan this carefully."
He comforted himself by thinking that he hadn't officially become a Pokémon Researcher yet.
All early effort and risk were investments for a more comfortable future.
Once he thought of it that way, going to a Secret Realm didn't seem so terrifying anymore.
At worst, he'd choose a safe, small-scale Secret Realm.
Even with Feebas only at Intermediate–Mid level, survival wouldn't be an issue.
Once the decision was made, Oliver acted immediately—hesitation had never been his style.
He logged onto the Pokémon League's official website and searched for nearby Secret Realms with the lowest danger ratings.
After some browsing, one caught his eye.
Qinglin Secret RealmType: Forest
Scale: Small
Danger Level: E
Highest Confirmed Pokémon: Sceptile (Advanced–Early level)
Official Notice:
This Sceptile is extremely aggressive. Anyone entering its territory will be attacked. Proceed with caution.
The entrance to the Qinglin Secret Realm was located at the foot of Qingcheng Mountain, just outside the city.
Oliver chose this realm for one reason—safety.
The strongest Pokémon was only Advanced–Early level, and as long as he didn't wander into Sceptile's territory, there was little risk.
Although Qinglin was classified as a small Secret Realm, the space inside was still vast.
Even excluding Sceptile's territory, Oliver would have plenty of areas to explore.
All he needed was to find a Pokémon roughly equal to Feebas in strength, defeat it, and withdraw.
After finalizing his plan, Oliver packed all necessary supplies into his backpack and clipped Feebas's Poké Ball onto the belt case at his waist.
Once everything was ready, he stood in front of the mirror and took a good look.
This wasn't narcissism—
it was his first time entering a Secret Realm, and that made it meaningful.
He looked left. Looked right.
Suddenly remembering something, he went back into his room and grabbed a red baseball cap, placing it firmly on his head.
He nodded with satisfaction.
"Yeah… that's the vibe."
The Qinglin Secret Realm wasn't far from the city. The League operated direct shuttle buses to designated locations.
Bus fare: 100 League Credits
Entry fee: 500 League Credits
Resource tax: 10% of all valuable items brought out
It was easy to see how hard Trainers worked just to obtain resources.
Risking their lives in Secret Realms, fighting on the edge of danger—
only to hand over a portion of what they earned to the League afterward.
As the bus approached the entrance, the number of people gradually increased.
Since Trainers entered Secret Realms daily, demand for supplies was huge.
Merchants set up stalls near the entrance, and Trainers who had just returned from exploration often sold off excess resources.
Over time, this naturally formed a bustling marketplace.
It might not always have rare treasures, but everyday survival supplies were never lacking.
Oliver ignored the stalls.
He had already prepared everything he needed.
If there was one thing he was good at, it was knowing when to save money.
After paying the entry fee, he signed a safety waiver and registered his entry into the Qinglin Secret Realm on the official app—just in case something happened and he disappeared without a trace.
The Secret Realm was guarded by military personnel.
By law, only those 18 or older could enter.
After checking Oliver's ID, the soldiers finally allowed him through.
The entrance looked exactly like the images and videos he'd seen before—a deep blue, vortex-like passage where space itself seemed twisted.
Stepping inside didn't feel uncomfortable.
Just a burst of blinding light that forced Oliver to shut his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was already inside the Secret Realm.
Towering trees tens of meters tall surrounded him, with only faint sunlight filtering through the dense canopy.
Caterpie slowly crawled along tree trunks.
Pidgey, Hoothoot, and Pidove chirped noisily from the branches.
"Good," Oliver said quietly.
"Next step—find a Pokémon around Feebas's level and battle it."
With the system's support, Oliver could instantly view the detailed information of every Pokémon in sight.
Pokémon: Caterpie
Level: Beginner – Late
Potential: Intermediate – Late
…
Pokémon: Pidgey
Level: Novice – Mid
Potential: Intermediate – Late
…
Pokémon: Rattata
Level: Novice – Early
Potential: Novice – Late
But after scanning the area, Oliver frowned.
There wasn't a single Intermediate-level Pokémon in sight.
Perhaps because this area was close to the entrance, the Pokémon here weren't even afraid of humans.
Oliver had no intention of fighting them.
Without hesitation, he headed deeper into the Qinglin Secret Realm.