Elf: I have a secret realm of emerald green.

The three elves worked together and soon created a decent-looking horizontal hole on the slope.

The Moon Bear then used its sharp stones a few more times to act as pillars for the "house," thus stabilizing the shelter.

Xia Shen instructed the three elves to carry the branches and leaves over.

The branches were used to start a fire, and the pine needle-like leaves were laid at the entrance of the cave to shield it from wind and snow. Their structure did not obstruct ventilation inside or outside the cave.

After letting Yan Yan go inside to rest, Xia Shen put on a down jacket, summoned Zoroar to transform into Machamp, and together with Riolu who also came to help, Xia Shen and the five Pokémon worked together to renovate the temporary shelter.

Garchomp and Ursaring have different characteristics: Garchomp has only one toe, Ursaring cannot stand upright for long periods of time, and Riolu is relatively short.

In the end, it was Zoroa, who had more hands, and Xia Shen, who possessed some superpowers, who contributed the most.

After taking care of everything inside and outside the cave, Xia Shen quickly led the four elves, who had been working for a long time and were also getting a bit cold, back into the cave to rest.

…………

As soon as she entered the cave, Yan Yan immediately came to greet her, just like a wife waiting for her husband to return home.

Inside the cave, a campfire was already lit, and a large pot on top was simmering meat soup, steaming away.

The enticing aroma wafted into the noses of Xia Shen and the elves, who were still hungry after finishing their work.

Under Yan Yan's gentle gaze, Xia Shen and Fang Lu Sha started eating without any hesitation.

But feeling Yan Yan's loving, motherly gaze, Xia Shen always had the illusion of living married life...

After returning home from playing outside all day with the mischievous children, he found that his wife had already prepared a meal and was waiting for him.

However, it's a bit strange that her sons and daughters are already taller than her even before they're a year old.

There was no time for idle chatter; Xia Shen and Fang Lu Sha quickly finished off a large pot of steaming hot meat soup.

With a lingering sense of satisfaction, the elves smacked their lips, their eyes fixed longingly on their "mother" who was cooking.

Helpless, Yan Yan took out some water and food from her storage sphere. While cooking, she said to Xia Shen with concern, "I'm running low on water and food. Should we eat sparingly?"

Xia Shen couldn't help but laugh out loud. Yan Yan's tone sounded just like that of a poor couple who were carefully calculating how to make ends meet.

Yan Yan playfully slapped him, "I'm being serious with you. We don't know how long we'll be staying here, and we only have enough food for a few meals."

Xia Shen casually took out a large piece of frozen raw meat from his storage sphere and reassured her, "Don't worry, I have plenty more. If we're stuck here forever, it'll be enough for our child..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xia Shen was subjected to Yan Yan's "flesh-pinching attack" again, and the effect was outstanding!

Heaven have mercy, Xia Shen must have been thinking about Garchomp and Luna when he said the child was born.

Xia Shen quickly straightened up and said, "Don't worry, after Sister Yu went out and didn't see us, she will definitely come looking for us with your father. As long as she asks the guards outside, she will know that we are still in the secret realm."

Despite saying that, Xia Shen felt a little worried.

If the entrance to the Crown Snowfield had swallowed up the original exit, they probably wouldn't have been able to find this place even if they searched the secret realm for ten thousand years...

Therefore, Xia Shen had already prepared for the worst and was slowly developing in the Crown Snowfield.

It's not too late to look for an exit when your elves can roam freely here and slap a Galar chicken one by one.

As for now... even professional trainers have a high casualty rate when exploring newly discovered secret realms, so he naturally wouldn't dare to take Yan Yan on that risk.

……

Pulling myself back to reality, the broth in the pot began to boil again, the aroma of seasonings unique to human society mingling with the fragrance of meat, filling the small cave.

The fragrance, carried by the heat, seemed to drift towards the cave entrance, which was covered by leaves.

Garchomp and his friends were continuing to eat when they heard strange noises coming from the cave entrance.

"Tap tap tap—" It sounded like something was pushing aside the branches and leaves and crawling inside.

Garchomp was the first to react, rushing to the cave entrance and crouching to ambush the intruder.

The remaining Pokémon also stopped eating and hid behind Garchomp, ready to provide support at any time.

Although he felt it was likely a relatively weak spirit, Xia Shen didn't dare to gamble.

Xia Shen waved for Yan Yan to stay put, then channeled his superpowers and headed towards the cave entrance.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Shen, who was tiptoeing, had not yet gotten close when he heard the sound of the branches and leaves covering the cave entrance rubbing together getting louder.

Then, a round-faced, chubby yellow chicken appeared before all the elves.

"Chirp~" The intruder seemed not to have expected that so many Pokémon were hidden here. It cried out in panic and then tried to back away.

However, its overly "strong" body seemed to be stuck among the pine needle-like leaves. It would get pricked if it moved even slightly, and cried out in pain. For a moment, it was caught in a dilemma.

Okay, it seems we can confirm that this is a weak elf. Xia Shen slowly lowered his guard.

However, he couldn't immediately figure out what kind of spirit this chick-like thing in front of him was.

The sprite, stuck in the branches and leaves, fluttered for a while, then seemed to give up struggling, stubbornly looking at Xia Shen, who was still deep in thought and staring at it.

Seeing that there was no movement at the cave entrance for a long time, Yan Yan walked over and also saw the unknown elf.

"Is this a new elf from the secret realm?" Yan Yu guessed.

Xia Shen couldn't answer that question. Logically speaking, besides those legendary Pokémon, the only new Pokémon in the Crown Tundra is Slowking's Galar form.

But the indistinguishable appearance of the elf before him made him begin to doubt his own memories.

Yan Yan looked at the elf who seemed to be shivering from the cold wind outside the cave and felt a little sorry for it. "Anyway, let it come in first."

Xia Shen didn't object. This kind of weakling, let alone Sharp Fang and Garchomp, he could easily take on them one-on-one.

Yan Yan carefully parted the branches that were trapping the elf and pulled its body, which was sticking out of the cave, inside.

Xia Shen then got a clear look at it: two long, bushy tufts of hair on its head, and fluffy, cotton-like wings...

This is a blue cottonbird with unusual colors!

Xia Shen suddenly realized why he hadn't recognized it. First, he hadn't seen its signature fluffy, cotton-like wings, and second, he hadn't expected it to be a different colored elf.

The blue cotton bird had no injuries, except that its originally pale yellow round face had turned bluish from the cold.

Yan Yan quickly carried it to the campfire to warm up, and took out some Moo Moo Milk from her storage ball to feed it.

Seeing that the matter had been resolved, the other elves all sat back down and continued eating.

Having satisfied its hunger, the blue cotton bird's complexion finally regained some color. It chirped and fluttered its fluffy wings at Yan Yan, seemingly thanking her for saving its life.

Yan Yan smiled and patted the two tufts of hair on its head, asking, "Why did you come to such a cold place all by yourself? Where are your people?"

“Chirp…” Yan Yan’s words seemed to evoke memories in the blue cotton bird. It responded in a low voice, and then wrapped its body tightly with its two cotton-like wings.

This instinctive protective posture suggests that the memories the blue-winged bird had been awakened to were not pleasant.

"What happened to you and your people?" Xia Shen asked abruptly.

"Chirp..." The blue cotton bird nodded, a trace of fear remaining in its eyes.

Observing the behavior of the blue cottonbird, Xia Shen seemed to be deep in thought. Could it be a struggle between species?

Or are there other risk factors?

After thinking for a moment, Xia decided to ask about this matter.

Having just entered the secret realm, I was completely in the dark. I definitely needed to figure out the potential dangers within it first.

Since this Swablu was the first native Pokémon we encountered after entering the area, we naturally wanted to gather as much information as possible.

…………

[Yukishi, get to work!]

Unable to understand Elvish, Xia Shen had no choice but to ask Yukshi for help.

[Ugh... I just fell asleep and you woke me up again.]

[Just a little favor, God of Knowledge!]

Yuxi was quite pleased with Xia Shen's rare praise, and immediately sent it out of the Arceus phone.

However, only Xia Shen can see it.

With the translator in place, Xia Shen gently asked the trembling blue cotton bird, "Blue cotton bird, can you tell me what happened?"

The blue cotton bird raised its head from its wing, as if it were recalling something.

Yan Yan, who was holding the blue cotton bird, looked at Xia Shen with a strange expression.

When will you be able to understand Elvish again?

Xia Shen didn't explain, but gave her a reassuring look, and then the two of them waited quietly for the blue cotton bird to speak.

Finally, the blue cotton bird seemed to have overcome its fear of memories and began to tell its story.

"Chirp...chirp..."

[My people and I live in the land protected by the sacred tree. It is the only place on the snowfield where spring reigns all year round. The holy spring flowing from the sacred tree irrigates the earth, grows countless fruits, and nourishes all the elves living nearby.]

Xia Shen pondered as he listened to the simultaneous translation provided by Ke Xi.

He had no recollection of any sacred trees or springs in the Crown Snowfield of the game.

But that's normal. The map in the game is only so big. You can ride a bicycle for half an hour and that's enough for your character to travel around the snowfield.

As for this secret realm... at least when Xia Shen first entered and sat on Pidgeot to look out, he couldn't see the edge of the snowfield at all.

However, listening to the description of the Blue Cotton Bird, Xia Shen was reminded of the mythical beast that lived in the Crown Snowfield, the Crowned King, who was known as the [King of Abundance].

It is said that when it raises its right hand, it can make flowers bloom and grass grow lush and green. And when it raises its left hand, it can make the fields fertile and the crops bountiful.

But I've never heard of the Calycanthus being related to any sacred tree or holy spring...

Keeping this conjecture in mind, Xia Shen continued to listen to the Blue Cotton Bird's story.

……

Our people and the other elves have always lived in harmony on that fertile land. But just a few days ago, that peace was shattered...

----------

Author's Remarks

Thank you everyone for your concern. I think I haven't eaten anything for about a day, and I feel like my stomach has been tamed. I'll have some porridge tonight. Everyone, please eat well!

2022-06-14 18:00