All of Larvitar's problems traced back to its birth.
Larvitar—future Tyranitar—was known as the Desert Tyrant for a reason.
Its brutality, its overwhelming presence, its near-unstoppable strength—
Much of that came from how it was raised.
In the pitch-black underground, it devoured soil and stone endlessly.
As its body hardened, so did its will.
It could emerge as an unshakable overlord—
Or spiral into extremity and become a true tyrant.
And Tyranitar?
More often than not—
It was the latter.
---
The next morning, Chen Ran brought Larvitar to a nearby C-rank Secret Realm outside Sioux City: the Hushan Secret Realm.
Through the Secret Realm Management Office, they located a remote mountainous zone—high cliffs, dense rock formations, and minimal human activity.
Perfect terrain.
With the help of a wild Rhydon, they opened a deep tunnel leading underground.
"Larvitar," Chen Ran said seriously, "temper your will. Eat the earth. I'll be waiting for you above."
He had already explained everything clearly.
He had also shown Larvitar what a true Tyranitar looked like—standing tall in a sandstorm, radiating dominance.
Larvitar wanted to grow stronger.
It fully supported this trial.
"Kira!"
It nodded solemnly.
This opportunity was rare.
Either defy fate and rise—
Or remain forever mediocre.
"Kira!"
I'll do it!
Before Larvitar descended, Chen Ran handed it the Exp. Share.
Eating soil still granted experience.
Double gains for the same effort.
Efficiency mattered.
"Rhydon, I'll leave it to you."
With his aura perception, Chen Ran could communicate easily.
Rhydon agreed readily—mainly because Chen Ran had already "persuaded" it with a high-grade Energy Cube.
The target depth:
Five hundred meters underground.
Rhydon led Larvitar downward.
---
Chen Ran wasn't idle either.
He still hadn't used today's system refresh.
"Ding! Flash Sale shelf refreshed."
It was only Friday. The premium refresh wasn't until Monday.
He didn't expect much from a normal refresh.
Usually, green-tier items were already considered lucky.
Blue-tier?
Rare.
But today—
It shipped.
And it was exactly what he needed.
---
[Character Card: Adamant] (Blue)
Effect: After use, the Pokémon gains an Adamant nature.
Price: 7.23 yuan
---
Chen Ran stared.
There was actually such a thing?
In the real world, natures didn't provide numerical stat bonuses like in games.
But Adamant represented something more important:
A strong, unyielding personality.
Not stubborn in a negative sense—
But resolute. Firm. Unbreakable.
For a future Tyranitar?
Perfect.
"Purchase."
No hesitation.
Larvitar's timid and somewhat fragile personality could easily collapse under the oppressive darkness underground.
Even if it had shown determination earlier, negative emotions were inevitable.
With an Adamant nature—
It would stand firm.
---
"Now, the Shiny Skin."
"Ding! Shiny Skin used successfully. Please specify the Shiny coloration."
"Ding! Note: Shiny Skin cannot exceed two primary colors. Excessive combinations may violate aesthetic standards."
In short—
No neon disaster Tyranitar.
Chen Ran rolled his eyes.
He already knew the answer.
"Silver. Full-body silver-white."
He had prepared for this.
With Exp. Share active, once Larvitar leveled up and evolved, the Shiny form would activate naturally.
A silver Tyranitar.
Like forged steel in a sandstorm.
Pure luck.
Absolutely pure luck.
---
With Larvitar guarded underground, Chen Ran stretched.
"Time to grind."
It wasn't every day he could explore freely.
He re-entered the Secret Realm.
"Roar!"
Charmeleon was eager.
"Oulu!"
Riolu was just as fired up.
Both were battle enthusiasts.
Combat was the fastest way to grow.
As for Jirachi—
It had been catching up on sleep.
Previously, Jirachi had been terrified of being separated from Chen Ran again, refusing to rest and staying by his side constantly.
Now that it understood it wouldn't be taken away—
It finally relaxed.
And when Mythical Pokémon relaxed—
They slept.
A lot.
---
Chen Ran scanned the terrain.
"No need for points this time. No need for the Silver Whistle."
But—
He could still use the Insect-Attracting Perfume.
The Silver Whistle increased encounter rates.
The perfume increased the probability of encountering Shiny Pokémon.
He sprayed a light mist around himself.
"Charmeleon still needs over ten levels before evolution."
"Riolu's friendship level needs improvement too."
He clenched his fist.
"Let's go."
And just like that—
The hunt began.