A water-type trainer who specializes in dragon-type water.

"Whoosh whoosh-!"

A series of rapid and dense whistling sounds, like tearing fabric, echoed in the damp morning air, waking Zhang Heng from his deep sleep.

He opened his sleepy eyes, stretched lazily, and felt more energetic than ever before.

This was the most restful and peaceful night he had ever had since the battles that had traversed half of China from the Ice Sea battlefield to the East China battlefield, and especially since the immense shock of his father's "death" and subsequent resurrection.

Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see that not far away, the Combo Style Martial Arts Ursa Master and the Overlord Charizard were engaged in a fierce "morning training" session!

Martial Arts Master Xiong's eyes flashed like lightning. He lowered his waist and stood at attention, unleashing a barrage of punches like cannonballs!

Each punch contained superb fighting skills and immense power, with a fierce wind that caused the surrounding air to emit sharp whistles!

Its movements were swift and powerful, clearly indicating that the broken arm had fully healed and was in even better condition than before!

Its opponent, the dominant Charizard, did not use any fire or flight skills, but responded with pure physical strength and fighting techniques!

Its claws, covered in hard scales, move with wide, sweeping motions, striking, and seizing, exuding a wild and powerful aura.

Using its own weight and the balance advantage gained from subtle wing adjustments, it calmly and steadily deflected the tidal wave of attacks from the martial arts bear master time and time again.

The Pokémon around them gasped in surprise, especially the physical attacker Swampert, who watched with great interest.

This is a pure clash of flesh and skill!

The dull thud of muscles colliding, the sharp whistling of claws and fists clashing, and the heavy breathing of both men combined to create a powerful morning symphony.

Suddenly, Martial Arts Master Bear made a feint, then lowered his body and unleashed a swift sweeping leg kick that left a trail of afterimages, fiercely striking the lower body of the Overlord Fire-Breathing Dragon!

However, the dominant Charizard has a wealth of combat experience and predicted the attack almost the instant its opponent's shoulder twitched!

Its huge wings flapped downwards suddenly, not to fly, but to generate a powerful thrust.

He leaped back with agility, his massive body dodging the vicious sweeping attack with perfect timing!

The moment they landed, their eyes met again in mid-air, a golden glint of excitement flashing in their eyes as if they had met their match. Their muscles tensed instantly, and they were about to pounce on each other again to start a new round of fierce fighting!

"Alright, that's enough of the sparring." Just then, Zhang Leiyuan's calm voice rang out, interrupting their further actions.

Upon hearing this, the two Pokémon gradually suppressed their fighting spirit and calmed their slightly rapid breathing.

They nodded to each other, their eyes revealing recognition and respect for each other's strength.

Zhang Heng could clearly see from the side that the dominant Charizard was obviously much stronger.

As a Totem Pokémon, Charizard's size and base strength far surpass those of its peers. However, Charizard's Attack stat is not outstanding in its normal state, and it relies purely on its Fighting skills and physical attributes.

The fact that he could fight on equal terms with Urshifu, a Fighting-type legendary Pokémon, and even subtly gain the upper hand, is already quite remarkable and is enough to prove his superb fighting skills and Zhang Leiyuan's excellent training.

Zhang Heng wasn't angry at all at being woken up by the sounds of sparring. On the contrary, he was genuinely happy that Martial Arts Master Xiong had recovered his health so quickly and returned to his peak.

He understood that the sparring match just now was deliberately arranged by his father, with the aim of helping Martial Arts Master Xiong fully adapt to his recovered body and regain his best fighting condition through high-level combat.

"Awake? How did you sleep?" Zhang Leiyuan asked his son with a smile.

"I haven't slept this soundly in a long time. I feel completely refreshed." Zhang Heng stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt better than ever before.

The father and son exchanged a few words, then turned their gaze to the depths of the basin.

As the first rays of dawn shone, the outline of the ancient tower in the distance became clear once again, as if silently guiding the way.

"Looks like we've rested enough, it's time to move on," Zhang Leiyuan said. Zhang Heng nodded in agreement.

As the two were packing their things, Zhang Heng noticed out of the corner of his eye that the shimmering water duck had also woken up at some point.

It was squatting not far away, tilting its little head, staring blankly at the place where the martial arts bear master and the fire-breathing dragon had just sparred. There seemed to be a trace of longing and reminiscence left in its bean-sized eyes.

Zhang Heng's heart stirred, recalling that the final evolution form of Runshui Duck, Carnival Wave Duck, was a water + fighting type. It would instinctively be interested in and resonate with this high-level fighting competition.

He walked over, squatted down, and asked gently, "Runshui Duck, what... are your plans for the future?"

Upon hearing the question, the water duck snapped out of its daze, its gaze immediately dimming and becoming somewhat lost. It let out two soft "quack quack..." sounds, its voice filled with helplessness.

It silently turned its head and looked at the swamp that used to belong to its kind—now occupied by gem starfish and starfish.

It lost its home, even that cruel but at least familiar "home".

Although the community never truly accepted it, the longing for belonging etched in its genes still made it feel a pang of sorrow.

Seeing its state, Zhang Heng's heart softened. Now that he had saved it, he couldn't let it fend for itself, especially in this perilous secret realm.

At this moment, Zhang Leiyuan also came over, looked at the Runshui Duck, and said, "This Runshui Duck is full of energy and has a strong aura. It should be close to the edge of evolution. After it evolves and has enough self-defense capabilities, it won't be too late to let it return to the wild."

"Until then, let it follow us for now and act as our guide in this area. It should be more familiar with the environment here than we are."

Zhang Heng thought his father's suggestion was very appropriate, so he looked at Runshui Duck again and asked, "Runshui Duck, could you be our guide and lead us across this basin?"

Although the ducks were out of control for a time, they did not lose their memory.

It clearly remembered that it was this human who rushed out to protect it at the last moment; otherwise, it would have died from the super-powered attack of the gem starfish.

It will always remember this life-saving grace.

"Gah! Gah gah gah!"

The confusion in its eyes was quickly replaced by a sense of mission that made it feel needed, and it responded with cheerful calls.

First, it habitually and somewhat vainly brushed aside the tuft of white bangs on its forehead, then patted its small chest forcefully, making a "leave it to me" gesture.

Then, it turned around, head held high, and swaggered confidently to the front of the line.

Sunlight shines on its shimmering blue feathers, giving them a new glow.

Zhang Heng and Zhang Leiyuan exchanged a smile and followed. Swampert and Urshifu stood faithfully guarding the two trainers on either side.

A new journey has officially begun, led by this little, shimmering guide. Their destination is the mysterious ancient tower in the center of the basin.