Pokémon: Starting with a Bound Entry System

Chapter 223: Returning to the Secret Realm, Seeking Ho-Oh's Feather

This little shark was quite fierce.

Gible's large, round eyes sparkled with curiosity, tinged with a hint of regret—as if still disappointed for not having bitten Gardevoir last time.

Gardevoir sighed deeply.

Fine… a little land shark it is.

After all, it was Hikaru who had assigned this task. There was no avoiding it.

Hikaru handed over some Grass-, Bug-, and Water-type energy cubes to Gardevoir and Greninja—compensation for the sparring partners they'd soon find for Gible and Bulbasaur.

After explaining the current move sets of the two young Pokémon, Hikaru waved them off.

Once they were gone, only Latias remained by his side.

"Latias, I need to get up in the air. Can you help me out?"

Hikaru glanced at Latias, still in her human disguise, and spoke softly.

Latias's eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Oh? You want to get on my back, huh?"

Though she already knew the answer, she couldn't resist teasing him.

Hikaru scratched the back of his head, a little embarrassed, and nodded. Without further delay, he hopped onto her back.

"Hmm? Where to, Hikaru?" Latias asked as they soared into the sky.

"Hold on a moment."

Closing his eyes, Hikaru unleashed the full extent of his Aura.

Compared to when he had first acquired this power, his current Aura strength had increased tenfold—perhaps even more. His detection range had expanded drastically.

Within a 10-kilometer radius, the world unfolded in stunning detail:

The breeze rustling through leaves, brushing against camouflaged Caterpie.

Pidgey flitting through the sky.

Metapod hanging silently from tall trees.

Hikaru even witnessed a rare moment—a Kakuna evolving into Beedrill, its sharp stingers slicing through its former shell.

More importantly, his Aura swept across the landscape, searching for treasures.

But disappointment soon settled in.

The quality and quantity of secret treasures here were far lower than expected.

Clearly, there was nothing of value within his current range.

Still, Hikaru didn't rush to change locations.

Instead, he refocused his Aura, this time probing underground.

"Let's see how deep this secret realm really goes."

Advanced Aura techniques made the ground feel transparent. Hikaru's mind painted a vivid picture of the world beneath:

The moist scent of soil filled his senses.

Burrowing Diglett carved winding tunnels.

Sleeping Sandshrew nestled in cozy underground dens.

But after a thorough sweep, Hikaru shook his head.

"Nothing here either. Latias, fly forward. We'll try another area."

"What exactly are we looking for, Hikaru?" Latias asked, adjusting her flight path.

"A feather—from a certain legendary Pokémon."

Specifically, Hikaru was searching for a Feather of Life from Ho-Oh.

It was a rare relic, sometimes left behind when the legendary bird visited secret realms. Such feathers contained immense vitality, capable of healing Pokémon and even extending lifespan.

Latias nodded thoughtfully but didn't pry further.

She, too, had shed scales and feathers in the past. Those scales contained significant energy—perhaps that's what Hikaru values?

The secret realm wasn't vast—only about 100 square kilometers, a mid-sized B-rank realm.

In less than an hour, Latias had carried Hikaru across the entire perimeter.

At the edge of the secret realm, they encountered the boundary wall—a shimmering, translucent barrier that separated the realm from the real world.

The space wall shimmered with flowing blue light, streaked with rainbow hues.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

Most secret realms ended like this:

The terrain would abruptly halt.

Only a thin energy membrane would remain.

Once this space barrier shattered, the secret realm would fully merge with reality—forming a new geographic location in the real world.

In the past, some reckless trainers had attempted to forcefully break these barriers, hoping to trigger an early fusion.

But doing so collapsed the entire realm.

The result?

Pokémon trapped inside were swept into chaotic space currents.

Lucky survivors might reappear elsewhere on the planet.

But most were lost forever.

Hikaru merely glanced at the space wall before moving on.

After several hours of searching, he'd mapped the entire surface of the secret realm.

But there was no sign of Ho-Oh's Feather.

Only one place remained unexplored:

The lake at the heart of the realm.

"If it's not there," Hikaru muttered, "I'll have to start digging."

He was willing to spend the effort.

A Feather of Life was a priceless treasure, well worth the time and energy.

Near the lake, Hikaru extended his Aura once more.

Immediately, he sensed four Gyarados lurking beneath the surface.

Among them, the dominant one—the very same Gyarados that had once chased him and Charmeleon—had grown even stronger, now Level 41.

"Well, well… the king of the lake, huh?" Hikaru smirked.

But this time, he was no longer prey.

"Come out, Charizard!"

A flash of light revealed Charizard, who roared triumphantly upon recognizing its old stomping grounds.

"Graaah?!" (This place… I remember this!)

Charizard's eyes sparkled with excitement.

After all, this was the first secret realm it had explored with Hikaru.

And that Gyarados—the one who had once chased it as a Charmeleon—had left quite an impression.

"Go ahead, Charizard. Stir things up a little." Hikaru grinned.

"Graaaah!" (Gladly!)

Charizard soared into the sky, eyes gleaming with battle lust.

It scanned the lake from above, quickly assessing the situation.

The lake was massive—almost at the limit of Hikaru's Aura detection range.

No wonder it could support multiple Gyarados.

Beneath the surface, the water stirred as Charizard's presence spread like wildfire.

The wild Pokémon within the lake panicked, darting into hiding.

Then, the lake king emerged.

A massive Gyarados—its head breaking the water's surface.

Its ferocious glare swept the sky, immediately locking onto Charizard.

Once, this very Gyarados had been the tyrant of the lake, chasing Hikaru and Charmeleon away like insects.

But now?

The tables had turned.

"Boom!"

Sensing Charizard's dominant aura, Gyarados didn't charge recklessly.

Instead, it hesitated.

This was unusual.

Wild Gyarados were notorious for their rage.

Yet this one, sensing Charizard's power, chose to negotiate rather than fight.

"Rooaar!" (Intruder! What do you want?)

Charizard grinned mischievously, folding its arms.

"Graaah…" (Don't recognize me?)

Gyarados froze.

Who was this Charizard?

"Graah?" (Still don't remember?)

Charizard shook its head and clicked its tongue.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Never mind. I remember you just fine."

Crackle!

Electricity surged around Charizard's claws—a Thunder Punch, perfectly suited for Water-types like Gyarados.

But the lake king wasn't foolish.

Realizing it was outmatched, Gyarados dove instantly, vanishing beneath the waves.

Charizard snorted in frustration.

It glanced back at Hikaru, as if asking, "Now what?"

Hikaru chuckled.

"Gyarados are infamous for their short tempers… Let's use that to our advantage."

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