Chapter 261: Call

On the way back to the hotel, Julian found a secluded spot and stored the stone sphere that Magearna had become into his system space.

Since Magearna without its Soul-Heart was essentially lifeless, it could be placed into storage.

"This is what it feels like to be the protagonist"

Julian muttered, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. Though he usually acted like he had terrible luck and avoided trying his luck a second time, moments like this proved otherwise.

Sometimes, when luck struck, nothing could stop it. Who would have thought he'd stumble upon a dormant Magearna, transformed into a stone sphere, on the trading street of South Lake University?

A Mythical Steel- and Fairy-type Pokémon for just one million? This was a massive win for him.

Meanwhile, the seller, Zack, felt like he'd hit the jackpot too. Selling a useless stone sphere for a million?

He was already planning to stock up on similar "stone spheres" for his next batch.

Lucario glanced at Julian, who was practically radiating happiness. Though it didn't understand the reason, Lucario's mood brightened as well, and it let out a cheerful "Luca! Luca!"

As for Magearna's missing Soul-Heart, Julian wasn't in a rush. He planned to wait until his Metagross reached the Elite level before venturing into the ancient kingdom's ruins.

Given the difficulty of such ruins, only an Elite-level Pokémon could ensure meaningful gains while also providing enough strength to handle the dangers within.

At its current pace of gathering energy—even with the item 'Heart of Arceus' in its core—Julian estimated it would take at least six months to over a year for Metagross to break through to the Elite level.

In terms of time, this was remarkably short.

After all, Metagross had been born just over a year ago and was already a peak pseudo-Elite Pokémon, with battle strength approaching the late Elite level.

Raising a Metagross to this level in just over a year was unparalleled—not just in the Drakoria region, but across the entire world.

"Jigglypuff... jiggly..."

The phone rang. Julian took it out and saw Wade's name on the screen. He immediately pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Professor Wade."

"Julian, I heard from Frank that you've taken a leave of absence."

"Yes, I had some matters to attend to, so I took a five-day leave."

"Is there something you need, Professor?"

Julian asked. Wade wouldn't have called just to discuss his leave.

"If you're free, stop by the Drake family estate in the next few days. This is the period when the 'Dragon's Den' Secret Realm is at its peak for Dragon-type energy."

Wade didn't elaborate further, but Julian understood.

"Understood. I'll come by tomorrow," Julian replied.

With that, the call ended.

The energy levels of high-level secret realms fluctuate annually, with certain periods experiencing exceptionally low energy while others reach a peak.

The timing and duration of these fluctuations are unpredictable.

When a secret realm's energy reaches its peak, Pokémon breakthroughs become significantly easier compared to normal times; conversely, during low-energy periods, breakthroughs are much harder.

Julian sent a quick message to both Chase and Taylor, informing them that he had an urgent matter requiring his return to the Imperial Capital.

Since South Lake City didn't have an airport and high-speed train tickets to Imperial Capital were sold out for the next few days, Julian had no choice but to ride his Dragonite there.

With plenty of time before he needed to arrive in the evening, Julian kept Dragonite's speed moderate, maintaining a leisurely 100 kilometers per hour.

---

Meanwhile, back at South Lake University, Chase was still waiting for Julian to return from his hotel. Instead, she received a message saying he wouldn't be coming back and had to leave for the Imperial Capital.

Though Chase said nothing, the disappointment on her face was impossible to hide.

Taylor, on the other hand, breathed a deep sigh of relief when she saw the message.

'That jerk finally left. Now I don't have to worry about him messing with my bestie,' Clara thought to herself.

Seeing Chase staring dejectedly at her phone, Taylor snatched it away.

"Stop looking at it. He rushed back to the Imperial Capital—who knows which woman over there called him back!" Clara said, her tone dripping with disdain.

"I know these so-called heirs way too well. They might seem all proper on the surface, but who knows how many girls they've messed around with? Some might have even been forced to... you know."

Julian: 'The misunderstanding here is really over the top'

Chase shook her head. "Julian isn't like that. He's different from the other heirs. If it weren't for him, Cloyster and I might have died in a secret realm."

She vividly remembered the desperate moment in the secret realm. Holding her weakened Shellder, feeling utterly helpless and panicked, Julian had suddenly appeared.

He had given her a high-grade Water Stone without hesitation.

That Water Stone saved Shellder, enabling it to evolve into Cloyster and recover from the debilitating effects of excess Ice-type energy.

For Julian, it might have been a small, inconsequential act. But for Chase and Cloyster, it had changed their destinies.

Seeing the fervent emotion in Chase's eyes, Taylor was caught off guard. She hadn't realized there was such a story between her and Julian.

If that was the case, knowing Chase's personality, she would remember Julian's kindness for the rest of her life. The likelihood of her being completely devoted to him? Almost 100%.

---

Around five in the evening, Julian arrived in the Imperial Capital.

Having recently earned his flight license, he passed the inspection by the city's aerial patrol and rode Dragonite directly into the city airspace.

Gone were the days when he had to land on the outskirts of a city and enter by foot or other means of transportation.

The ban on entering city airspace without a flight license was primarily for safety reasons, ensuring a regulated and secure environment.

Julian had arranged to visit Professor Wade the following morning, so he opted to stay in a hotel for the night.

Naturally, the hotel he chose was the Gardevoir Hotel, owned by his family.

With the Asian Games currently being held in the Imperial Capital, the city was flooded with both domestic and international tourists. This influx explained why train and plane tickets to the city had been nearly impossible to secure in recent days.

Most of the hotels in the capital were fully booked, and finding an available room—especially during such a busy time—was no easy feat.

Even high-end hotels were at capacity, as there was never a shortage of wealthy travelers.

The Gardevoir Hotel was no exception; all its rooms were officially occupied, even the most expensive presidential suites. One of those suites had been booked for over two weeks by a single guest.

However, high-end establishments like the Gardevoir Hotel always kept certain rooms unlisted, reserved for special circumstances or VIP guests.

For instance, while the hotel officially had three presidential suites, only two were available for regular booking. The third was strictly reserved for individuals of exceptional status and was never publicly advertised.

Julian was given this exclusive third suite. Its interior was even more lavishly designed than the other two, a true showcase of luxury.