In a remote mountain range rarely visited by humans,
a jeep slowly rolled to a stop in front of a sheer rock cliff.
Inside the vehicle sat two men dressed in black uniforms.
One of them pressed a button in his hand. The solid cliff face in front of them shimmered like a mirage, then gradually faded away, revealing the entrance to a pitch-black mountain tunnel.
In the shadow along the cliff wall, a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly snapped open.
A Gengar emerged from the darkness.
"Geh-heh!"
The two men handed over their identification cards. After confirming their authenticity, Gengar floated straight through the jeep's body and drifted into the trunk.
Inside, Poké Balls were piled up like a small mountain.
One of the men casually tossed two low-quality Energy Blocks toward the back. Gengar hurriedly caught them, grinned in satisfaction, and melted back into the shadows.
With its high beams on, the jeep advanced slowly through the dark tunnel.
Before long, a massive metal gate completely blocked the path.
The two men swiped a specially made access card.
The gate rumbled open.
Inside was an enormous underground space, as if the entire mountain had been hollowed out.
The interior was filled with futuristic equipment.
Test tubes, cultivation tanks, and experimental devices lined the tables. Several Pokémon rarely seen outside were suspended in nutrient-filled glass chambers.
The two men carried boxes filled with Poké Balls and moved deeper inside.
Dozens of researchers in white lab coats hurried back and forth, paying no attention to the newcomers—as if this were all routine.
They soon arrived at an area resembling a prison.
Countless Pokémon were locked inside cells, their bodies bound by chains and shackles designed to suppress their power.
They were covered in wounds.
When people entered, most Pokémon stared blankly, eyes devoid of light.
Only those captured recently let out weak cries.
The men handed over the Poké Balls to the person in charge.
A man who looked like the leader nodded in satisfaction.
"This haul wasn't bad. We've basically gathered all the Pokémon the boss needs."
"All of them?" another asked. "Aren't pseudo-legendary Pokémon supposed to only exist in heavily guarded League secret realms?"
"Haha! Those guards can't stop me."
"You should still be careful. If the League seriously investigates—"
The man snorted.
"Catch me? Even if a Champion shows up, I can still escape easily."
He instructed his subordinates to assist with processing the Pokémon, then straightened his clothes and walked toward a door.
Knock. Knock.
"Boss, I'm back."
A deep, low voice came from inside.
"Come in."
"Yes."
The moment the door opened, the atmosphere changed completely.
Unlike the cold laboratory outside, the room was furnished like an ordinary office.
A chair faced away from the door, revealing only one hand resting on the armrest, gently swirling a glass of red wine.
The crimson liquid clung to the glass, dripping slowly like thick blood.
The low voice spoke again.
"How was the harvest?"
"Excellent. Enough to supply the lab for at least a month."
"And the person I told you to investigate?"
"That's been confirmed as well, Boss. The author of that paper is a high school senior. Clean background, poor family conditions—perfect for recruitment."
"A research prodigy…"
The man paused.
"Send someone to make contact. If that fails…"
"…Leave no traces."
"Yes."
After the man in black closed the door and left, the figure in the chair slowly sat upright.
"Soon… very soon. Once I obtain His power, no one in this world will be able to stop me."
A vicious scar ran across one eye, while the other—still intact—was filled with eerie, mysterious runes.
Terrifying.
Back at home, Oliver had already taught Ralts the correct method for making Psychic-type Energy Blocks.
With the help of telekinesis, Ralts tried again.
This time, it succeeded.
A solid Energy Block formed—its energy level had reached Advanced grade.
The shortcomings were clear:
the technique wasn't refined enough, impurities hadn't been fully removed, and the reaction between berries wasn't maximized.
But these were issues of proficiency, not talent.
As Ralts' telekinetic control improved, its precision would naturally follow.
What surprised Oliver even more was that making Energy Blocks also trained telekinetic control.
That meant yet another reason for Oliver to hand off the work.
Ralts itself was clearly fascinated by crafting the delicious Energy Blocks with its own hands.
The sense of achievement made it eager to practice.
From then on, after finishing daily training, Ralts gained an additional task:
Energy Block production practice.
Each time it controlled the machine with telekinesis, the Silver Wing tucked into its hair emitted a faint glow, making its control smoother and more precise.
That night, Oliver sat by the window, organizing training records for Milotic and Ralts, planning their next phase.
Milotic wasn't a concern.
Once it fully mastered Surf or Waterfall, it would officially step into the Veteran-tier.
Ralts, however, had already advanced to Beginner High-tier.
The next goal was breaking into Intermediate.
Just then—
A childlike voice echoed directly inside Oliver's mind.
"Oliver~ Oliver~"
Oliver looked up, startled, but saw no one.
"It's me. I'm speaking directly into your mental space."
He immediately recognized the voice.
"Celebi…? You can contact me across realms?"
"Because I granted you my blessing, it left a mark on you. That allows me to connect across space… but due to the world's will, I can only maintain this link briefly."
Oliver's expression turned serious.
"You're contacting me this urgently… does that mean the secret realm with your kin is about to descend?"
"Yes… my perception is becoming… clearer. At most… one week… it will descend… come to the realm… find me…"
Celebi's voice became increasingly fragmented.
Oliver glanced at the notebook in front of him, where Ralts' training plan was written out.
Then he smiled.
Celebi was also a Psychic-type Pokémon.
"Looks like your opportunity has arrived, Ralts."
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