After four full days of effort, Julian finally managed to completely explore the lake that covered a quarter of the secret realm.
While he didn't find the realm's ultimate treasure, he did come across quite a few valuable items.
He found three more Water Moon Grass plants and four top-grade Water Stones.
Top-grade Water Stones can also purify water, but this purified water only benefits Pokémon, not humans. In contrast, water purified by Water Moon Grass is beneficial for both humans and Pokémon.
In addition to these, he found a Crystal Shell, which can boost a Pokémon's special defense. Julian gave it to his Metagross as a snack.
Finally, he came across a Soul Dew, which took him by surprise. The Soul Dew is a rare item, but only one type of Pokémon can use it: Latios and Latias.
When they hold this item, it boosts the power of their Psychic and Dragon moves by 20%, which is quite substantial.
Latios and Latias have already been discovered by humans, and they aren't unique beings. They've been sighted in multiple countries.
Three years ago, both Pokémon appeared in Drakoria's Seaport city and calmed a once-in-50-years massive tidal wave.
There are statues of them in Seaport as a tribute.
Latios and Latias have helped several coastal cities avert disasters, and so they are regarded as guardians in some places.
Seaport in Drakoria is one such city.
Another example is the famous tourist city of Vivis in Vidalia. If it weren't for Latios and Latias, the city would have been destroyed by the giant waves from the Kyogre and Groudon battle a century ago.
(T/N: couldn't find which country in real world, so just assume whichever you like)
During Vivis's annual Guardian Festival, Latios and Latias always make an appearance, drawing countless people who flock there just to catch a glimpse of these legendary Pokémon.
Julian looked at the Soul Dew, feeling a bit frustrated. This item took up a quarter of his Dowsing Machine's space.
Though it was rare, it wasn't exactly useful to him—unless he somehow managed to capture Latios or Latias.
But the chances of that happening were extremely low. Whether it's legendary Pokémon, mythical Pokémon, or other legendary birds like Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos.
If they aren't willing to follow you, any attempt to forcibly capture them would lead to the power of their aura shattering the Poké Ball from the inside.
Instead of forcing them to submit, winning them over through personal charm is what truly matters.
Or, you could raise one from a young age, like Melmetal—now that would be ideal.
"Let's go to the Shadowed Forest," Julian said.
With the lake fully explored, there was no reason to linger. He had a month to explore this advanced realm, and seven days had already passed.
So far, things had gone smoothly, aside from the encounter with the Elite Gyarados along the way and a few other Pokémon that had tried to interfere, attempting to defend their treasures, but Metagross and Dragonite had quickly taught them a lesson.
The Shadowed Forest wasn't on the surface; instead, it lay within a vast underground cavern. Though it was technically a cave, it spanned 8,277 square kilometers, about the size of a small city.
This area was also the most dangerous part of the secret realm, home to many Ghost-type Pokémon. Other Dark-loving Pokémon also resided there, but Ghost-types were by far the majority.
Of the eighteen Pokémon types, Ghost-types are easily among the most dangerous.
They can appear and disappear in the blink of an eye. If you only have a Pikachu at your side for protection, you might find yourself in real trouble with a Ghost-type aiming for a sneak attack.
In areas full of Ghost-types, it's best to have Psychic-type or other Ghost-type Pokémon with you for protection.
These two types have the highest detection abilities.
The Shadowed Forest was home to two Elite-level Pokémon: a Gengar and a Trevenant.
After three hours of traveling, Julian reached the cave entrance to the Shadowed Forest. Just standing at the entrance, he could feel a chilly aura seeping out.
He muttered, leading Metagross and Dragonite inside.
Since it was an underground cavern, there was no natural light. However, faint green glows came from the stones and trees, providing just enough illumination to make out the surroundings.
As soon as they entered, an eerie cold washed over him, causing goosebumps to rise. It really did feel like walking into a ghost's den.
Julian released Lucario to stay alert. Its Aura-sensing abilities would detect any Ghost-type Pokémon lurking to sneak attack.
Julian himself had Aura abilities, but Lucario's endurance with Aura definitely surpassed his.
Then, he brought out Melmetal too.
With Metagross, Dragonite, and Melmetal—three pseudo-Elite Pokémon standing guard—and Lucario's Aura radar, Julian felt entirely secure.
If it weren't for Steelix's size making it cumbersome in tight spaces, he would have brought it out too.
Now fully equipped for safety, he took a high-powered flashlight from his pack.
A powerful beam of light cut through the darkness, illuminating the surroundings like a miniature sun in this shadowy underworld.
He said, relaxing as his view became as clear as daylight. The difference was like night and day.
Julian greeted, his expression stiffening slightly as he looked ahead at the dozens of Ghost-type Pokémon gathered in the flashlight's beam.
This flashlight did make it easier to see, but in a place as dark as this, using a strong beam was like telling every Pokémon nearby: There's someone here
Ghost-types were known to be able to increase their power by feeding on the life force—or even the souls—of others, which was one of the main reasons many Trainers were wary of these Pokémon.
Among the dozens of Pokémon in front of him, Julian noticed two that resembled tiny candles, each with a purple flame flickering atop its head.
Litwick, These Pokémon could absorb the life force of both humans and other Pokémon. That eerie flame? It actually burned using the energy drawn from them.
Normally, the flame remained extinguished. But once it started drawing in life energy, it would burn brightly.
The younger the life force it absorbed, the stronger and more ominous the flame would glow.
Trainers who captured Pokémon like Litwick often found themselves the first victims—unless they were skilled enough to teach the Pokémon to control its energy-draining powers.