The students from Magic City Academy finally slunk away. Although they had forcefully cut ahead of Chu Xin to take the Trial, they lacked the strength to pass it.
Chu Xin sighed as he watched the Magic City Academy students leave. He did not know why the academy had not sent any experts. Expecting a handful of ordinary students to pass Zeraora's Trial was far too presumptuous.
But that was none of his business. Smiling, Chu Xin recalled Kaka, who was exhausted from the battle, then looked at Zeraora.
"Zeraora, I passed the first Trial, right?"
Zeraora nodded, then gestured for Chu Xin to follow him farther inside.
Chu Xin nodded and followed Zeraora deeper into the Secret Realm. After an unknown stretch of time, a small lake appeared before him.
Chu Xin stared at the lake in surprise. His intuition told him there was more to it than met the eye. The excitement of his recent victory inexplicably faded away here, leaving his body and mind completely at peace.
Zeraora waded into the lake. The clear water soaked his fur, making the previously cool cat look rather bedraggled, but he did not care in the slightest.
Standing in the water, Zeraora reached out with both hands and scooped up a strange feather. With the feather in hand, he walked back to Chu Xin.
(This is the Feather Spirit of Azelf, one of the Lake Guardians. Azelf commands willpower energy. If your will to protect Pokémon is strong enough, I will entrust Electrike to you.)
Chu Xin breathed a sigh of relief. I knew it. Why would Zeraora trust humans so easily? It turns out he can use the Lake Guardians to test the will of anyone who passes his Trial.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Xin placed his hand