Pokemon : The Master of Dragon-Types

[Light Clay (S-rank)]: When the holder uses Reflect or Light Screen, the barrier's duration is extended beyond normal.

Jacob stood before three bronze treasure chests, quietly using the system's scanning ability to check their contents. Two of them held A-rank items, and the third contained a single S-rank item.

Without a second thought, Jacob reached for the chest holding the Light Clay.

The moment his hand closed around it, a powerful pulling force surrounded him. The world tilted and blurred. When his vision cleared, he found himself standing in an entirely new place.

He had arrived at the second layer of the Dragon Spiral Tower's Secret Realm.

Blue water stretched out in every direction. The sky above was a clean, open blue, dotted with white clouds. The sun beat down warmly, and a gentle breeze rolled in from the sea, carrying the sound of waves quietly pushing against the shore.

Jacob blinked, taking in the scenery around him.

Beneath the surface of the shimmering water, dozens of Relicanth drifted slowly, their thick tails sweeping back and forth as they moved through the deep blue sea. Their ancient, armored bodies caught the sunlight in flashes of brown and grey.

The sight jogged Jacob's memory. He recalled the second passage from the Qi Family's records about the Dragon Spiral Tower:

"Relicanth wander in Moon Bay."

So this was Moon Bay.

Jacob turned the name over in his mind. If the first layer of the Secret Realm had tested a trainer's tactical thinking, Pokémon strength, type matchups, and move combinations, then what did this second layer test? He looked out at the Relicanth gliding peacefully through the water. Whatever the challenge here was, it clearly had something to do with them and this wide, open ocean.

He rose to his feet and looked around. He seemed to be standing on a small isolated island. On every side, there was only sea. Far in the distance, he could just barely make out another landmass — another island, faint against the horizon.

Jacob released Noivern from its Poké Ball. The Bat Pokémon let out a short cry — "Noiv!" — and spread its large ears wide as it landed beside him. Jacob climbed onto its back, and the two of them took to the air, beginning a slow search along the coastline for anything out of the ordinary.

It took some time, but eventually Jacob spotted something in the shallows just off the beach.

A clue.

Outside the Secret Realm.

The sudden appearance of the Secret Realm had caused an immediate stir. Even as officials scrambled to respond, some adventurous onlookers had already pushed past the confusion and followed Jacob inside.

Newly discovered Secret Realms like this one were unpredictable and dangerous — but that was precisely what made them so tempting. In this world, there was no shortage of people willing to risk everything for a chance at rare items and powerful Pokémon.

Those who were confident in their strength dove in without hesitation. Those who weren't stayed back, pulling out their phones to capture footage and post it online.

Within minutes, the internet was in an uproar.

Word spread fast. The Pokémon Association was notified, and personnel were dispatched to secure the area. Officers quickly set up barriers around the entrance, clearing out bystanders and preventing anyone else from entering or exiting the Secret Realm.

The first to arrive from the Association was Sylas, the Flying-type Four Heavenly King of the Southwest region. He wasted no time taking command of the scene — sealing the Secret Realm's Gate and pushing back the gathering crowds.

Ten minutes later, Colby arrived.

"That's... Champion Sylas!"

"Why is he here personally?"

"A Champion showing up for a Secret Realm? Just what kind of place is this?"

Colby's arrival caused an even bigger stir than the Secret Realm itself. Whispers and murmurs swept through the crowd as people pointed and reached for their phones. Under normal circumstances, the discovery of a Secret Realm would only call for the Four Heavenly Kings to respond. For a Champion to appear in person — that meant something much bigger was at stake.

Sylas spotted Colby making his way through the crowd and moved quickly to meet him.

"Old Sylas," he called out, waving.

"Hmm." Colby gave a firm nod. His expression was calm but serious, his steps unhurried. Together, the two of them moved into the temporary command area that had been set up nearby. Colby took the main seat and turned his gaze toward the glowing entrance of the Secret Realm.

"How many trainers are currently inside?" he asked.

Sylas's expression tightened. "Quite a few. When the Secret Realm appeared, tourists were already everywhere. Anyone who felt confident enough made a run for it before we could stop them. Most of them have already been pushed back by the first layer, but there's still a number of trainers in there trying to clear it."

Colby nodded. "What's the situation inside the first layer?"

Sylas leaned forward slightly, his tone turning more serious. "I should give you the full picture first. This Secret Realm — based on what I told you over the phone — appears to be the legendary Dragon Spiral Tower." He paused. "From the accounts of those who've already come back out, everyone has been stopped at the first layer."

He continued, "The first layer is guarded by a Claydol and a Bronzong. Their strength is at the Gym Leader level, and trainers are allowed to send out two Pokémon to battle them — but all Pokémon are suppressed to that same level inside. On top of that, the spatial tactics those two use are difficult to read and even harder to counter. So far, not a single trainer has made it through."

Colby gave a slow nod, then looked at Sylas. "You haven't gone in yourself?"

"I need to manage things out here." Sylas let out a dry laugh. "This is a first-level divine Secret Realm. Something like this draws attention fast — the kind of attention I can't hold back on my own for long. That's why I called you immediately."

His expression shifted, becoming more guarded. "And there's one more thing you should know. Based on what the Qi Family's records suggest... Giovanni obtained the Dark Stone. Which means there's a strong chance this Secret Realm was opened by him."

A short silence followed.

Giovanni. Him again.

Colby's expression didn't change much, but something in his eyes became heavier. After a moment, he spoke. "I understand. Hold things down out here and wait for backup. I'll head in and assess the situation myself."

"Understood."

Second layer of the Secret Realm.

Jacob landed on the beach and looked at what he had found.

Carved into the sand — or perhaps etched by some unknown force — was a mark shaped like a circular arena, crackling faintly with the pattern of a lightning bolt. It stood apart from the surrounding beach, unmistakable against the pale sand.

Whatever this second layer was testing, Jacob was certain this circle was at the centre of it.

He studied it carefully for a moment, then glanced back at Noivern.

"Noivern," he said quietly, "go and check out that circular mark. Try stepping onto it."

He wasn't willing to risk testing it himself. And while the second layer clearly had something to do with Moon Bay and the surrounding sea, Jacob's only Water-type Pokémon — his Gigantamax Lapras — was unavailable to him here. That left him with limited options.

After a moment's thought, he had settled on Noivern.

The Pokémon let out a quiet cry and flapped its wide wings, gliding forward before touching down gently inside the lightning circle.

The moment its feet made contact, the calm surface of the sea began to shift.

Waves that had been rolling in slow and steady now churned with sudden energy. Then, from the depths below, a shape rose — enormous and ancient. A massive Relicanth, larger than any Jacob had ever seen, moved through the dark water like something that had been sleeping for a very long time. Its heavy, armored body was a muddy shade of brown-yellow, and it moved with the slow, unstoppable weight of a deep-sea leviathan.

At the same time, a purple light began to spread across the surface of the water. A path opened up — stretching from where Jacob stood, all the way across the sea toward the distant island on the horizon.

Jacob stared at it.

A race? he thought. Some kind of sea crossing?

But then the reality of the situation hit him.

He didn't have a Water-type Pokémon available to use.

Jacob's expression darkened. He stood at the edge of the glowing sea path, watching the enormous Relicanth circle slowly in the depths below, and for a long moment, he had no idea what his next move would be.

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