Chapter 575: Gratitude

It wasn't 50%, it wasn't 40%, and now it wasn't even 30%.

"Don't tell me it's only 10%?" Pierce asked, unable to believe it.

If it really was just 10%, well—that might still be acceptable.

The difficulty of advancing from Cyan to Blue was far higher than going from Green to Cyan. A 10% chance didn't mean it was impossible.

It was absolutely worth a try.

"It's 100%."

Julian decided not to mess with these four any longer and told them the truth.

As a result, the four of them wore expressions that said, 'Are you kidding me?'

A 100% success rate for advancing from Cyan to Blue? Impossible! So far, no such treasure had ever existed.

Seeing their obvious disbelief, Julian said, "If you don't believe me, you can try it."

The five orbs before them had the attributes of Fire, Dragon, Ice, Rock, and Ghost.

Julian pocketed the Ghost-type orb directly. Including the ones he'd obtained earlier, he now had more than ten Elemental Orbs in total.

The four of them each sent out their ace Pokémon.

Abomasnow, Salamence, Blaziken, and Golem.

Since Regirock already had Blue potential, Pierce sent out Golem.

Julian handed the Rock-type orb to Golem. "Eat it."

Golem first glanced at Pierce, and when the latter nodded, it swallowed the orb in one gulp.

As soon as the Rock-type orb entered its body, Golem felt a change in its body, as if some invisible shackle had been lifted.

On its stat screen, Golem's potential had already shifted from Cyan to Blue.

As Golem's trainer, Pierce, although unable to see this as directly as Julian, could still sense the difference in Golem.

And the sheer joy radiating from Golem was visible to everyone.

"Now it's our turn."

Asher seemed to believe Julian's words now; the current Golem really did look different from before.

He'd seen this kind of change before—it was what happened when potential improved.

"You three should switch to another Pokémon."

"Abomasnow has already consumed the Ice-type treasure, Ice Core. It'll reach Blue potential soon."

"Salamence and Blaziken are also very close to reaching Blue potential."

Using Elemental Orbs on them now would be a complete waste.

Julian took out two potential-enhancing potions and handed them to Salamence and Blaziken. "These will be enough for them."

The Walker family's potential-enhancing potions were famous in the outside world for their extremely high success rate, but they were exceedingly rare. Only families with close ties to the Walker family had a chance of obtaining them.

Seeing Julian hand over the potential-enhancing potions, Ember and Asher's eyes lit up instantly—this was the real deal.

Then the two of them sent out Dragonite and Charizard, while Rowan also swapped Abomasnow for Glalie.

After the three Pokémon consumed their respective Elemental Orbs, they underwent the same transformation as Golem.

Though they didn't use a potential-testing machine, the three trainers were already convinced by Julian's words.

These orbs could really elevate Cyan potential directly to Blue—with a 100% success rate! Such an insane probability was practically on par with Ultimate treasures.

And yet, Julian, fully aware of the orbs' effects, had still told them about it and even given them away. He could've easily kept them all for himself.

The four of them didn't even know how to thank him.

Ember fidgeted bashfully before blurting out: "How about… I keep you company for a few nights after we get out?"

The sheer audacity of the offer nearly made Julian choke on his own saliva.

"Aren't you just returning kindness with revenge?"

He shot back without thinking.

Ember: (╬ಠ益ಠ)

'What's wrong with me?! So I'm a little older than you—big deal!'

"If you ever run into trouble you can't handle, come find me," Rowan declared, thumping his chest. It really felt wrong not to say something appreciative at this moment.

"If even Julian can't deal with it, what makes you think you can?" Asher immediately undercut him before turning to Julian. "I can arrange for you to enter the Dragon's Den one more time."

Hearing this, Rowan's eyes lit up, and he quickly added, "Our family's Land of Extreme Ice is also open to you!"

"And you can visit the Flame Mountains anytime," Ember offered.

The Dragon's Den, Land of Extreme Ice, and Flame Mountains were all Special Advanced-level secret realms. Julian had been to the Dragon's Den before and reaped significant rewards.

"I'll visit the Flame Mountains when I get a chance," Julian said.

At the moment, he didn't have an Ice-type Pokémon, so the Land of Extreme Ice wasn't necessary. But the Flame Mountains? That was worth a trip—maybe he could find some rare treasures for Arcanine and Moltres.

Pierce, however, was at a loss.

These three all came from major families, each with control over a Special Advanced-level secret realm. But he was just a regular guy. Although he was backed by the military now…

But he couldn't just grant access to a Special Advanced-level secret realm like they could.

The military did control several Advanced-level secret realms, but none compared to the Special ones. There were also a few ruins, but even then, he didn't have the authority to approve entry.

After thinking for a moment, Pierce declared: "Next time you're in a fight, just call me and my boys—we'll back you up!"

The mental image of a squad of soldiers rolling up to throw down on his behalf was… admittedly kind of badass.

Julian rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

With his Mega Pallet Town physique, he wasn't afraid of fights—hell, he could take on a whole mob without breaking a sweat. If anything, his concern was that he might not be able to hold back and accidentally kill someone.

Pierce represented the military, while Rowan, Asher, and Ember were heirs to major national families.

Within this secret realm, the five of them had already formed a bond of camaraderie. Without absolute conflicts of interest, there was no way they would betray one another.

And once they left the secret realm, betrayal would be even less likely.

The Elemental Orbs were useless to Julian himself, and he already had ten of them. Besides, as the secret realm continued to be explored, the orbs' effects would inevitably become public knowledge sooner or later.

So if he had taken all of them for himself now. When the knowledge eventually became public, how would these four view Julian? Even if their friendship remained, there would undoubtedly be some lingering resentment in their hearts.

Exchanging four orbs for the friendship of three major family heirs and the military? That was a bargain worth making.

For a family to last, it wasn't just about raw strength—it also needed reliable allies who could lend a hand in critical moments.

Looking at the four of them, their faces practically glowing with gratitude, Julian figured they'd probably be dreaming about thanking him tonight.

After all, even among major families, Blue-grade potential Pokémon were exceedingly rare.

Now, each of them had two.

Asher recalled that even his father, the Dragon-type Elite, only had three Blue-grade Pokémon in his entire roster.

Once they left the secret realm, he was already fantasizing about how to brag in front of his old man.

Julian still had ten more orbs on him—meaning he could create ten more Blue potential Pokémon.

Unfortunately, there was only one Steel-type orb.

He wondered if he should give it to his grandfather or his father.

After some thought, he decided—better to give it to Grandpa.

After all, the Walker family's true pillar of strength naturally deserved the best.

*****

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