Marshadow hadn't sensed anything unusual, but after hearing Chen Mo's words, it instinctively extended its range of perception and carefully scanned the surrounding area.
Very soon.
It detected traces of a familiar energy lingering nearby.
"Your instincts were right."
Marshadow's voice was cold.
"There is a Ghost-type Pokémon secretly watching us from somewhere nearby."
"A Ghost-type Pokémon?"
There wasn't the slightest change in Chen Mo's expression as he continued conversing with Marshadow.
"Can you tell who it is?"
"It may have already left, or perhaps its ability to conceal itself is simply too powerful. All I can sense are traces of the energy it left behind."
Marshadow paused slightly.
It had been one thing for Giratina to be sensed by Gengar before it could detect the Legendary Pokémon.
But now there was another one...
If it did nothing, wouldn't that make its reputation as a Legendary Pokémon seem rather undeserved?
"I should be able to find it if I make a serious effort."
Marshadow added this sentence.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Mo rejected the suggestion.
Putting aside whether that Ghost-type Pokémon was still nearby or not, Ghost-type Pokémon could certainly be dangerous, but it couldn't simply attack Chen Mo directly from a considerable distance.
And if it approached Chen Mo...
Heh.
With Gengar and Marshadow, two Ghost-type Pokémon, by his side, Chen Mo had nothing to fear from ordinary Ghost-types.
Aside from an existence at Giratina's level, that was.
Still.
Chen Mo couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Given the current environment of this secret realm, the only Pokémon likely to have survived were probably those, like Ghost-types, that had relatively little need for food.
Meanwhile.
On a certain hillside.
"As expected of an Aura Guardian. Even though I've deliberately kept my distance and used my ability to create illusions, I still almost got discovered..."
The dark figure's deep-red mane swayed gently in the wind as it gazed at the illuminated campsite in the barren wilderness and muttered to itself.
Because Chen Mo had ridden Pidgeot for part of the journey at the beginning, tracking him by scent had been somewhat confusing, causing the figure to spend a little more time catching up.
But...
Although finding Chen Mo had been difficult, the thought of all the shattered Time Flowers it had encountered along the way made the dark figure extremely excited.
Such a powerful Aura Guardian.
Everything was worth it.
"Just endure a little longer. I need to endure a little longer..."
Humans capable of becoming Aura Guardians generally weren't bad people.
But necessary observation was still required.
Moreover, the dark figure understood what it wanted.
Equivalent exchange was a principle.
It needed to consider what it could offer in exchange for the help of this powerful Aura Guardian.
However...
Thinking about this made the dark figure feel troubled again.
Not to mention what a powerful Aura Guardian might want, it itself had been trapped in this secret realm for far too long. There were very few things it could still take out.
"Looks like when I get back, I'll have to search through the things Lord Aaron left behind. I've already given something away once before. I wonder if there's anything left that this Aura Guardian might find worthwhile..."
The dark figure sighed softly.
It sat down on the hillside, facing the wind, and fell into thought.
Just then...
It suddenly noticed something.
A conspicuous column of white smoke slowly rose from the illuminated campsite, drifting toward the lifeless night sky devoid of stars and moonlight.
"Gurgle..."
Despite having gone a very long time without feeling hungry, the dark figure suddenly heard its stomach growl.
"As expected, my willpower still isn't strong enough. This is probably why I've never been able to sense Aura..."
The dark figure stared at the wisps of white smoke.
In its mind, it could almost see countless steaming delicacies laid out before it, waiting for it to feast.
"No! No!"
The dark figure abruptly raised its claws and viciously slapped itself twice across the face.
Then, with one last extremely reluctant glance toward the direction of the smoke, it slowly closed its eyes, deciding that what it couldn't see couldn't bother it.
Over and over, it silently repeated to itself:
"Aura resides within my heart... Aura resides within my heart..."
The next morning.
After getting a good night's rest, Chen Mo had completely shaken off his fatigue and was once again full of energy.
Daytime in the secret realm was basically no different from nighttime.
The sky remained a gloomy gray.
The only things capable of providing bright illumination throughout the entire world were the red-glowing crystals connected closely to the World-Origin Tree.
Through these crystals, the World-Origin Tree—which had originally relied on external light sources to survive—had instead become the only existence in this secret realm capable of emitting such a massive source of light.
Under the illumination of the World-Origin Tree, the world was at least spared from falling into complete darkness.
After making some simple preparations, Chen Mo once again set out with his Pokémon.
Just like the previous day.
Pidgeot was responsible for reconnaissance from high above, searching for signs of life and looking for Time Flowers scattered across the land.
Chen Mo and the other Pokémon continued following their planned route toward the World-Origin Tree.
And so...
Around three in the afternoon.
After repeatedly triggering Time Flowers, Chen Mo once again reached his limit.
However.
The consumption caused by Aura wasn't what concerned Chen Mo most.
What really bothered him was that none of the Time Flowers he'd triggered today had reproduced any useful scenes from the past.
"It's only three. Let's keep going for a little while longer and rest at five."
Still unwilling to give up, Chen Mo sat down and rested briefly before standing again, intending to continue.
However.
He had barely taken a few steps before he began gasping heavily, his entire body swaying unsteadily.
"Pi-ka! Pikachu!"
Pikachu finally couldn't take it anymore.
It jumped into the middle of the road, stretched both arms out to either side, and glared angrily at Chen Mo, trying to stop him from moving forward.
Soon.
With Pikachu taking the lead, Pidgeot, Gengar, Absol, Gible, and Jirachi all stood on either side of it, making their displeasure very clear.
"You always tell other humans and Pokémon not to push themselves too hard."
Marshadow's voice rang out at this moment as well.
"But you always seem to enjoy doing things that push yourself to the limit. You were like this when entering the secret realm, and you're doing it again now."
"Chen Mo, you're trying too hard."
Because Marshadow had lived in the Shadow World for such a long time, unlike Jirachi and the other Pokémon, it normally didn't address Chen Mo by his name.
And whenever it did...
It meant Marshadow was being extremely serious.
Chen Mo sighed softly.
The countless viewers in the livestream were also constantly urging him to stop.
Realizing that he had indeed been too impatient, Chen Mo finally agreed with his Pokémon and decided to stop for the day.
However.
Just as Chen Mo was preparing to have Gengar help set up the tent, Marshadow's furious voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
"That guy from last night is still following us!"
"No, that guy is coming closer!"
"Hm?"
Chen Mo froze.
Then...
A steady and powerful voice came from behind him.
"Time Flowers represent a miracle originating from time. They are extremely sensitive to Aura energy, and their capacity for it is extremely limited."
"But the Aura you have been applying to those Time Flowers has already far exceeded what they are capable of withstanding."
Chen Mo turned toward the voice.
In the darkness of the road behind them, a faint blue light was floating up and down.
Accompanied by heavy footsteps...
Chen Mo saw it.
A young man holding a staff, wearing a blue casual suit and blue top hat, was slowly walking toward their campsite.
With the blue light emanating from the staff illuminating his face, Chen Mo could clearly see his features.
Handsome.
Resolute yet gentle.
"PIKA!!!"
"Gengar!!!"
"Jira!!!"
Pikachu, Gengar, and Jirachi—all three Pokémon whose emotions were practically written across their faces—were the first to cry out.
Their voices were filled with disbelief.
The other Pokémon, such as Pidgeot and Absol, merely looked solemn.
Only Gible remained confused, staring at the young man's face as though desperately trying to recognize him.
At this moment...
As the young man walked into the light of the campfire, the entire livestream also erupted into an uproar after viewers got a clear look at his face through the camera.
[Holy shit! Isn't this the guy who appeared in yesterday's vision reproduced by the Time Flower? Wasn't he an Aura Guardian? Why is he here!?]
[Well, aside from the staff in his hand and the fact that Lucario isn't with him, his appearance and clothes are exactly the same.]
[Hey, did you guys hear what he just said? The special energy that triggers the Time Flowers is Aura! So that means... Teacher Mo...]
[Come on, what is there left to doubt? We've been discussing it since yesterday. Teacher Mo deliberately kept this one hidden because he likes playing mysterious. His identity as an Aura Guardian has basically been sitting right in front of us all along.]
[Wait, something's really strange. Guys, according to our speculation yesterday, this person should have died already. So how is he still alive...?]
The viewers weren't stupid.
Many had already guessed that the Aura Guardian accompanied by Lucario had most likely come here to solve the problem of the World-Origin Tree.
As for the result...
It was obvious.
The World-Origin Tree had ended up in its current state, so he had clearly failed.
Combined with everything Chen Mo had witnessed along the way and his explanations about Aura Guardians, many viewers had come to the same conclusion:
That Aura Guardian accompanied by Lucario had probably died in this secret realm.
The same assumption had actually been made by Chen Mo's Pokémon.
"Jira..."
Seeing the "dead man" they had expected suddenly standing alive before them, Jirachi became frightened and pressed itself tightly against Chen Mo.
At this moment...
Only the warmth radiating from Chen Mo's body gave Jirachi any sense of security.
Looking at the expressions of all the Pokémon around him, Chen Mo suddenly smiled.
"There is a Pokémon called Zoroark. It possesses a special ability that allows it to transmit scenery or scenes from its memories into the minds of other living beings through powerful psychic waves, causing them to see illusions."
"The stronger the Zoroark, the more realistic the illusions it creates."
"At the highest level of the species, a Zoroark can even possess enough power to deceive countless humans and Pokémon in an instant."
"Such an incredible ability is even capable of confusing many Legendary Pokémon, making it impossible for them to distinguish reality from illusion."
"Because of this, Zoroark has earned an imposing title recognized by countless Trainers as a symbol of its tremendous strength."
"Its name is—"
"The Ruler of Illusions!"
The entire livestream was already shaking with excitement as Chen Mo continued his explanation.
[The Ruler of Illusions! Holy shit, that title sounds so badass!]
[A Pokémon this awesome—even if it isn't Legendary, I feel like it has to at least be pseudo-Legendary, right?]
[Wait, I think we've overlooked something. Teacher Mo suddenly starts explaining a Pokémon we've never even seen before, specifically mentioning that it can create illusions...]
[No need to wonder. Teacher Mo's meaning is obvious. This Aura Guardian in front of us is fake. It must be a Zoroark using an illusion to disguise itself!]
[Actually, I have a question. Teacher Mo, you said Zoroark uses a special psychic wave to cause reactions in the brains of other living beings and create illusions. But we're watching a livestream. Why can we see the illusion too?]
[Don't question Pokémon logic!]
Faced with the questions in the comments, Chen Mo remained completely calm.
"Although Zoroark isn't a Legendary Pokémon, nor is it a species known for developing late, its unique abilities mean that its species is still surrounded by countless mysteries."
"So I sincerely hope that humans will conduct more comprehensive research into it in the future."
After chatting casually with the livestream viewers for a moment, Chen Mo once again turned his attention toward the "young man."
Having secretly followed Chen Mo throughout the day, Zoroark had realized that Chen Mo had a habit of speaking to the camera and explaining Pokémon.
So it hadn't been in a hurry to take its next step.
Instead, it had listened with considerable interest as Chen Mo introduced its species.
However...
When Chen Mo turned his gaze toward it, Zoroark understood that there was no longer any point in hiding.
It remained completely composed.
"As expected of an Aura Guardian. You saw through my disguise at a glance."
The layer of energy covering its body gradually dissipated.
Zoroark's true form slowly appeared before Chen Mo, his Pokémon, and the tens of millions of livestream viewers.
Its deep-red mane swayed gently in the wind.
Its stern face carried a hint of gentleness.
Chen Mo froze.
He looked at Zoroark uncertainly.
Then he activated his Eye of Detection once again.
The information displayed under Zoroark's type was unmistakable.
Normal + Ghost!
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
Go check it out and dive into the full experience.
Claim early access here: [email protected]/plotwired
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews unlock 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.