Early the next morning, Oliver went to school and headed straight for the principal's office.
Normally, requesting leave only required approval from the homeroom teacher. However, Oliver still didn't know where the secret realm would descend this time, and the leave he needed was a bit longer.
After all, this trip might take him out of the province—there was even a chance he'd have to go abroad.
The homeroom teacher couldn't authorize such a long absence, so Oliver was sent directly to the principal.
"What?" The principal's expression turned stern. "You want to take a full week off? I'll need a proper reason for that."
In his mind, Oliver had probably become arrogant after publishing such an influential paper—thinking his research talent was so exceptional that skipping classes no longer mattered.
First the Pokémon battle competition, now a week-long leave.
"Principal, you've misunderstood," Oliver said calmly. "Am I really that kind of person? Didn't I already upset you by joining the Pokémon battles before? This time, I want to dig deeper into an academic problem. I'm going out to look for inspiration."
Hearing this, the principal's expression finally softened.
"So soon? What are you researching this time? Do you have confidence?"
Oliver assumed the principal meant whether the paper would be impactful enough.
"Don't worry. Once this paper is published, its influence will definitely surpass the Milotic paper."
The principal was stunned.
"More impactful than the discovery that Feebas evolves into Milotic? What exactly are you researching?"
At that moment, he realized he could no longer see through this young student.
Things that others spent a lifetime failing to understand—Oliver spoke of them as if he could simply take them out of his pocket.
It was as though countless profound truths already existed in his mind, waiting to be revealed.
Although he still didn't know what Oliver was researching, the principal ultimately chose to trust the student who had brought him so many surprises.
After signing the leave form, Oliver paused at the door and left behind a single sentence:
"Don't you think the current seventeen Pokémon types feel a little… off? Maybe the Dragon type is just too strong."
With that, Oliver left and closed the door behind him.
The principal remained seated, his expression blank, replaying Oliver's words over and over in his mind.
Had Oliver discovered a fundamental flaw of Dragon-type Pokémon?
Indeed, Dragon-types were universally acknowledged as the strongest type—few weaknesses, overwhelmingly powerful species.
If all Dragon-types truly shared a common weakness, the revelation would cause an enormous uproar, far exceeding the impact of Milotic's evolution.
It might even affect whether the current No.1 Dragon-type Champion of Xia Kingdom could continue to dominate the next Champion Tournament.
But thinking carefully, Oliver was still only eighteen. Perhaps he had merely found the weakness of a specific Dragon-type Pokémon?
Yet the key point of Oliver's sentence lay in its first half.
Seventeen types.
That's right—this world had only identified seventeen Pokémon types so far.
And what Oliver intended to do was bring the eighteenth type into the world's view.
Fairy type.
When power levels were similar, Fairy-type Pokémon could even completely nullify Dragon-type moves.
And Oliver's own Ralts just happened to be a Psychic/Fairy dual-type Pokémon.
As long as Ralts could master even a single Fairy-type move—and with sufficient data to back it up—Oliver could prove to the world that an eighteenth type truly existed.
At that point, Dragon-types would still be powerful, but they would no longer sit unchallenged upon their throne.
Because Fairy types—
were the natural nemesis of Dragon types.
The discovery of the Fairy type would be the second gift Oliver brought to this world.
However, the work involved was enormous. For now, simply proving the existence of this new type alone would already require tremendous effort.
After returning home and packing his things, Oliver briefly informed his mother before heading out.
She had always respected her son's decisions and didn't try to stop him—only repeatedly reminding him to stay cautious and put safety first.
The massive villa suddenly felt empty.
Apart from Oliver's mother, no one else remained—not even Ralts, who had been taken along.
She stood before the family photo on the TV cabinet, gently brushing her fingers across the glass, murmuring softly:
"He keeps saying he wants to become the greatest Pokémon Professor… but how could I not see it? The way he trains Pokémon, the path he's chosen—it's battle. I don't want him to walk the same road you did… but that passion in his eyes, that obsession with Pokémon… it's exactly the same as yours back then."
She sighed.
"Go on, then. Maybe… maybe you really can accomplish what you never could."
Oliver's first destination was the Greenwood Secret Realm.
This was his second time here.
As a relatively low-risk secret realm, Greenwood was as lively as ever. Vendors selling Pokémon tools and wilderness survival supplies shouted loudly from their designated market zones.
But compared to his previous visit, Oliver himself had changed completely.
He now controlled tens of millions in funds, possessed a Milotic with one foot already stepping into the Veteran tier, and within this secret realm, he had no real equal—
Aside from Celebi.
There would be no repeat of that near-death experience from before.
After paying the entry fee, Oliver stepped into the spatial gateway.
The moment he entered, Celebi's voice echoed in his mind.
Following the telepathic guidance, Oliver moved deeper into the forest, eventually reaching a secluded area where no humans ventured.
This place was once the territory of the strongest Pokémon in the realm—Sceptile.
But now, Sceptile sat obediently on the ground.
When it saw Oliver approach, it merely offered a friendly smile, even a hint of flattery in its eyes—nothing like the ferocity it once displayed.
After Oliver left last time, Celebi had personally healed Sceptile.
Upon witnessing the appearance of a legendary Pokémon, Sceptile immediately pledged its allegiance. Celebi then ordered it to guard this area and prevent humans from entering.
Before coming here, Celebi had already informed Sceptile.
Thus, in Sceptile's eyes, this human—someone who could converse with Celebi as an equal, someone whom even Celebi had asked for help—
Deserved nothing but respect.
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