It was more than half an hour before the meal was over. Jack Green picked up the remote control on the coffee table and turned on the TV. He wasn't interested in watching any TV shows or movies; he just wanted to pass the time.
He flipped through the channels one by one.
"Moo Milk, the best choice for newborn Pokémon!"
"Good news, good news! Milotic Beauty Store is having a grand opening, with 20% off all purchases for seven days before the opening, plus a promotion of spending $5,000 to get $5,000 free!"
"Piao Piao Shampoo, Gardevoir says it's good!"
Every channel featured pictures of Pokémon, even the Coke can Jack Green had just finished drinking had a Blastoise on it.
A hundred years ago, as humans lived in peace with Pokémon and discovered the manufacturing technology of Poké Balls from the ruins, the relationship between Pokémon and humans became even closer.
Now Pokémon have permeated all walks of life.
On construction sites, you can see Machop, Machoke, Machamp, Gurdurr, and Conkeldurr—these powerful humanoid Pokémon help humans build houses, subways, harbors, and more.
In hospitals, you can see Chansey, Audino, and other Pokémon that take care of people.
Jack Green's family has a beloved butler—it is his mother Emily Rose's starter Pokémon and also a great helper around the house. He didn't see it when he got home this time, so it's probably taking care of other Pokémon in the backyard.
In police stations, it may not be the police interrogating prisoners but a psychic Pokémon like Alakazam.
For deliveries, Pidgeotto or Fearow might be the ones bringing packages.
Walking down the street, you can see people holding Eevee, Skitty, Jumpluff, and other small Pokémon.
"According to an announcement released by Penguin Group today, another Pokémon owned by the Chairman of Penguin Group has broken through to Elite status, and Chairman Ma is expected to participate in the Elite Challenge next year."
"A secret realm suddenly appeared in Shutian City, Yunzang Province. According to expert testing, the energy fluctuation of the secret realm is primary level. Professionals have been dispatched, and it is expected to be open to the public in a week."
This news piqued Jack Green's interest. A new secret realm had appeared. Although it was only primary level, because it was new, everything in the secret realm hadn't been developed yet. The first people to enter have the greatest chance to benefit.
There are thousands of primary secret realms all over the country. There are ten primary secret realms in Central City. The latest one appeared three years ago and is almost fully explored, meaning there are basically no good things left in it.
However, there are still many people willing to enter these primary secret realms that have been thoroughly explored because the treasures, props, and berries might be gone, but there are still Pokémon inside.
Even catching a Caterpie can fetch 40,000 to 50,000 when sold.
However, to protect the Pokémon in the secret realm from being over-captured and to ensure sustainable development, the number of Pokémon each person can capture in the secret realm is limited, and the same secret realm can only be entered twice a year.
Some people with good luck can still find valuable items in the explored primary secret realms and sell them at sky-high prices.
Once a trainer even captured a Dratini in a primary secret realm, causing a great sensation. At that time, the secret realm's entrance fee increased from 500,000 to 2 million per person.
Many people suspected this was hype by the company controlling the secret realm, but even if there were doubts, without clear evidence, no one could resist the allure of a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.
"Click"
The door opened.
A man in gray overalls, in his forties, with a face similar to Jack Green's, walked in.
"Conkin"
Metagross flew over immediately.
"Dad, you came back just in time. Mom just started dinner," Jack Green said.
"I followed the smell here."
John Green patted Metagross and brushed off some dust, causing a lot of dust to float off him.
"John Green, you'll be in trouble. Hurry up and take a bath first."
Emily Rose came out with the last dish, saw the scene, and noticed a thin layer of dust on the once smooth floor, immediately becoming angry.
With his wife angry, John Green went to take a bath without a word.
"Metagross, bring me a change of clothes."
"Metagross, ignore him. If he's lazy, he'll get it himself."
Ten minutes later, John Green finished showering and joined the family at the dining table, where Emily and Jack were waiting for him to have dinner.
"How is it? Was there any trouble in the secret realm?"
Emily asked while serving dishes to Jack and John.
Metagross was eating a special energy cube on the side.
Although Pokémon can eat human food, consuming it for a long time can harm their bodies, so a good Trainer won't feed Pokémon human food.
"It's nothing major, just an Elite Steelix causing trouble. Probably due to breeding, it drove other Pokémon out of its territory. These Pokémon had nowhere to go, so they encroached on other Pokémon's territories, leading to a small riot."
"It's all settled now."
In advanced secret realms, the top Pokémon are usually Elite-level, and in some special advanced secret realms, there are even quasi-champion Pokémon.
The Great Wall of Oreburgh is a special secret realm, home to a long-lived quasi-champion Metagross and a shiny Metagross.
Jack Green's grandfather and father both have shiny Metagross as their trump cards.
His grandfather's Metagross is a descendant of the quasi-champion Metagross in the secret realm, and his father's Metagross is a descendant of his grandfather's Metagross.
Metagross are genderless, and they reproduce by cellular division.
So what the shiny Metagross produces is a shiny Beldum, not a normal-colored Beldum.
The quasi-champion Metagross in the Great Wall of Oreburgh was the Pokémon of their Green family ancestor more than a hundred years ago, released into this secret realm after his death.
Back then, it was only an Elite, and over a hundred years later, it reached quasi-champion strength.
It is precisely because of this Metagross's existence that the Green family has significant control over the secret realm of the Great Wall of Oreburgh.
There has never been an incident in over a hundred years where Pokémon escaped and caused havoc in the human world.
At the same time, because of this quasi-champion Metagross, the Green family has grown step by step and established a status in the Avalon Trainer Association, which is, of course, inseparable from their own efforts.
There are unruly children from aristocratic families, some who can't be helped, and some who misuse their family background. Still, most are positive and hard-working individuals.
No aristocratic family wants its legacy to fade, so the education of its children is naturally a top priority.
Believe it or not, Jack Green's monthly allowance has never exceeded $600 since he was born, and his clothes are ordinary, priced at one or two hundred dollars.