Deep within the dense forest, Oliver moved alone between towering trees.
Unlike the harmless Pokémon near the entrance, the deeper he went, the more he encountered ill-tempered ones—
Beedrill, Ursaring, and others that clearly had no interest in being friendly.
Whenever that happened, Oliver chose to detour.
Group-dwelling Pokémon were never his target.
At last, he spotted his goal.
By the riverside ahead stood a Scyther, lowering its head to drink water. Its level was Intermediate–Early, making it the perfect opponent for Feebas's first real battle.
"Hey," Oliver called out,
"Scyther. How about a battle?"
Scyther looked at him warily, not moving.
Oliver took out an Energy Cube and held it up.
"If we battle, this Energy Cube is yours."
Of course, this wasn't a top-tier Energy Cube from the system.
Feebas couldn't possibly eat those every meal—that would be absurdly wasteful.
This was an ordinary Energy Cube Oliver usually bought, mainly used to mix with the top-tier ones for daily nutrition.
"Cha!"
Scyther swallowed hard at the sight of the cube… then nodded.
Oliver tossed Feebas's Poké Ball.
A red flash burst forth, and Feebas appeared on the field.
"Alright," Oliver said calmly.
"Battle start!"
The moment his voice fell, Scyther fully displayed its terrifying speed advantage—lunging straight at Feebas, its razor-sharp scythes gleaming in the sunlight.
"Feebas, use Splash!"
Leaves scattered everywhere.
Scyther's blade slashed through empty air—but it showed no panic at all.
Its wings vibrated sharply, and its body shot upward, accelerating even faster than before.
"That's Quick Attack," Oliver said instantly.
"Feebas, form Whirlpool in front of you!"
In the next moment, a swirling vortex of water appeared out of thin air before Feebas.
Scyther couldn't stop in time and crashed straight into it.
The rotating current rapidly stripped away its momentum. Soon, Scyther was dragged into the center of the Whirlpool, its frantic wingbeats completely unable to escape the carefully constructed watery prison.
Splash!
Feebas landed.
"Now—Dragon Breath!"
One second later, a streak of purplish-red Dragon Breath roared forward.
"Cha—!"
Scyther shut its eyes in terror—
Then realized… it didn't seem hurt?
Opening its eyes, it saw a massive boulder beside it completely shattered, pulverized by violent draconic energy.
This wasn't because Feebas missed.
Healing sprays were expensive. If Scyther were injured and left untreated—and one of its elders came looking—things would get very ugly.
"Alright, Feebas," Oliver said.
The Whirlpool dissipated. Scyther regained its freedom and immediately retreated, staring at Feebas in lingering fear.
It never imagined that this ugly-looking Pokémon could be so dangerous.
Sensing Scyther's gaze, Feebas happily wagged its tail.
The battle had ended quickly, but the key factor was Scyther's carelessness—charging headfirst into Whirlpool and losing its greatest advantage: speed.
Oliver tossed the Energy Cube over.
Scyther, still shaken, grabbed it with surprise and excitement before quickly disappearing into the forest.
Oliver turned his attention back to Feebas, his heart racing.
After this battle… it should evolve, right?
But time passed.
Nothing happened.
There was still no sign of evolution.
"Feebas… don't you feel anything?" Oliver asked helplessly.
"Hu?"
Feebas tilted its eyes left and right.
Feeling really refreshed—did that count?
Oliver slapped his forehead.
"Looks like Feebas's inner knot is tougher than I thought. And that win was too easy… We need a much stronger opponent."
Just as he was about to recall Feebas and move on—
A sharp whistling sound tore through the air behind him!
Too fast.
The target—Oliver's back.
In an instant, chills exploded across his neck.
There was no time to turn around.
Oliver could only throw himself forward, rolling desperately to dodge—
But the attacker was faster.
The next second, it was about to pierce straight through him.
"Hu—!!"
At the critical moment, Feebas unleashed a burst of Dragon Breath.
As if wary of its power, the attacker was forced to halt and dodge backward.
Only after gaining distance did Oliver finally turn around.
A green figure stood not far away.
Razor-sharp claws.
A lush, leaf-like tail.
A powerful, lizard-like silhouette.
He activated the system scan.
Pokémon: Sceptile
Level: Advanced – Early
Potential: Gym Level
Moves: Quick Attack, Fury Cutter, X-Scissor, Pursuit, Giga Drain, Energy Ball…
"…Damn it," Oliver muttered.
"The strongest Pokémon in the entire Secret Realm—and I just had to run into it?"
His expression grew grim.
The worst part was—he had been watching the map the entire time.
This area was definitely outside Sceptile's marked territory.
In theory, encountering it here should have been nearly impossible.
But this was a Secret Realm.
Once inside, even places considered "safe" could turn deadly due to unpredictable factors.
Feebas's eyes burned with rare fury, its mouth constantly emitting warning cries toward Sceptile.
Between species, level, and typing, the gap was overwhelming.
This was a battle that should be impossible to win.
And Sceptile was absurdly fast—
even if Oliver wanted to run, he wouldn't make it.
Turning his head slightly, Oliver noticed something—
There was no fear in Feebas's eyes.
Only blazing anger.
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"You have fallen into a deadly crisis.
Facing the powerful Sceptile, how will you respond?"
"Somewhere unseen, a gaze is watching you.
Your choice will affect how he / she / it views you."
Choice Triggered
Option One:
Have Feebas hold Sceptile back while you escape.
You are the only light in its life—it will stop at nothing to buy you time.
Reward: Mysterious Pokémon Egg ×1
Option Two:
Fight alongside Feebas and defeat Sceptile together.
Reward: Mystic Water ×1, Top-Tier Water Energy Cube Crafting Experience