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

Zhang Heng reviewed the task list. Apart from the earliest Water Dragon task, which had been successfully completed, the Fire-type capture and Gigantamax capture tasks were still in progress.

Currently, the Gigantamax quest seems to be progressing faster.

"System, open the system space panel and organize my current items."

"Ding... Loading for the host."

With a whoosh, a virtual storage space unfolded in his mind, neatly categorizing all the items he had acquired so far. The system thoughtfully generated a clear list:

[Battle Items]: Dark Z, Water Z, Fighting Z, Dragon Z, Mega Aggron Stone, Z-Ring, Key Stone, Max Sash

[Skill Learning Tools]: Rain Dance, Dragon Star Swarm, Large Flame Burst

[Items Carried]: 1 S-rank Damp Rock, 1 S-rank Dragon/Water/Fire Gem each

【常规道具】：真·大师球1、金色王冠2、银色王冠2、极巨菇10、许愿星块10、潜水球998

[Special Effect Items]: Water/Dragon Item Finder 1, Aptitude Locator 1

[Other Items]: Giant Mushroom Soup Recipe *1

[Special Abilities]: Water Control, Dragon Control, Fire Affinity

"I've collected quite a few props." Zhang Heng stroked his chin, looking at the props.

"It seems I need to find some time to go to the Alliance Exchange and exchange what I don't need for resources into resources that my partners urgently need."

His gaze lingered for a moment, particularly on the gold and silver crown. This was a precious item that could directly improve a Pokémon's Individual Values ​​(IVs), and he needed to carefully decide who to give it to.

"Beep beep beep..."

The alarm clock set by the encyclopedia rang on time, reminding him that it was time to head to the port of Shanghai.

Zhang Heng quickly rinsed his mouth with water, wiped his face clean, put on a simple coat, grabbed the backpack he had prepared, and deftly opened the window—he had chosen the most direct route.

"Let's go, Gengar!"

Hehehe!

The already waiting Shiny Gengar burst out from the shadow beneath his feet, its Ghost-type energy surging, and just as Zhang Heng leaped out of the window and was about to fall, it steadily caught him.

The familiar "ghost taxi" service started up again, carrying him at low speed, heading straight for the port of Shanghai in East China.

They remained silent throughout the journey. Upon arriving at the port area, in accordance with the regulations for deep-sea exploration, Zhang Heng changed into a professional diving suit in the designated area.

After putting on the necessary equipment (including oxygen cylinders, underwater lighting, distress signals, etc.), we arrived at the agreed third berth.

The berth was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Haven't we arrived yet?" Just as Zhang Heng was about to take out the map to contact the other party, suddenly, a series of dense bubbles rose from the calm sea beside the berth.

"Crack-!"

With a splash, an elegant pink figure emerged from the water first!

It has a streamlined body, smooth skin, an elegant heart-shaped tail, and pink fins that extend from the sides of its head like a gorgeous headdress—it is the Water-type Pokémon Chlorophytum!

Immediately after the cherry blossom fish, a slender and agile human figure suddenly emerged from the water!

She emerged from the water like a lotus, creating a splash of glistening water droplets.

She tossed her wet, long hair back, tracing a clean arc that revealed her smooth forehead and slender neck.

The tight-fitting professional wetsuit perfectly outlined her curvaceous and powerful figure.

She wiped the water droplets from her face, glanced at the shore, and quickly locked onto Zhang Heng standing on the berth.

Her eyes were clear and bright, but she still possessed an aloof and unapproachable air.

She swam smoothly to the shore, pushed herself up with both hands, and stood up neatly in front of Zhang Heng, water droplets sliding down the texture of her wetsuit.

Although Zhang Heng was determined, he was still just a teenager and had never experienced anything like this before.

Faced with this strange woman who suddenly appeared from the water, with a hot figure and a strong aura, he suddenly felt a little flustered, his face flushed, and he subconsciously took a small step back.

"Um... hello, I'm Zhang Heng. Actually, I'm not..." He tried to quickly explain away the misunderstanding about the "blind date".

However, before he could finish speaking, the woman, who resembled a goddess of the water, suddenly stepped forward, extended a gloved index finger, and gently pressed it against Zhang Heng's lips, stopping him from continuing.

The smooth, cool touch of the wetsuit through his lips made Zhang Heng feel extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

The woman looked at him, her cool voice carrying a certainty that seemed to see through everything.

"I know. You didn't really want to come here for a blind date, right? It's all pressure from your elders. I've heard this kind of excuse and opening line too many times."

She clearly categorized Zhang Heng as one of those men who were forced into blind dates by their families but were trying to find excuses to avoid it.

Zhang Heng quickly took another step back, freeing himself from her fingers, and pouted helplessly.

It seemed he had no choice but to make things clear. He took a deep breath and stated his purpose quickly and clearly:

"Hello, my name is Zhang Heng. You've misunderstood, I'm really not here for a blind date! I learned about your underwater extinct volcano exploration today through Cheng Fengtianwang's introduction, so I came here specifically to ask if I could accompany you on this underwater exploration!"

After hearing Zhang Heng's explanation, the woman's already aloof face seemed to freeze over with a thin layer of frost. Her sharp eyes scrutinized him, as if to say, "Oh? Playing hard to get? This new tactic is quite interesting. You've successfully caught my attention."

A faint, slightly mocking smile curved her lips.

He deliberately said, "Oh? You're not here for a blind date? That's quite a novel excuse. Alright then, since it's not a blind date, I have no obligation to take you sightseeing. You can go on your own, I'm not going." With that, he made a move to turn around.

Zhang Heng froze on the spot, feeling like a giant swamp monster caught in the grip of a giant gorilla, caught in a dilemma.

But he caught a glimpse of cunning in the depths of the other person's cold gaze and realized that the other person was not really going back on their word, but rather was waiting for him to "give in".

"Alright... a true man knows when to yield and when to stand firm! For the sake of a potential Fire-type Pokémon, I'll give it my all!"

Zhang Heng mentally rallied himself, forced a somewhat stiff smile, and quickly corrected himself:

"Wait! Um...you're right! I...I really did come here for a blind date! Cheng Feng, the Heavenly King, was right!"

Upon hearing Zhang Heng's words of "giving in," the woman's icy expression instantly melted away, replaced by a knowing smile.

Like the first snow after a spring rain, it still carries a sense of distance, but at least it is no longer so aggressive.

“That’s more like it.” She nodded in satisfaction and formally introduced herself: “My name is Cheng Lan. So, Mr. Zhang Heng, let’s begin our… uh, ‘date’ program now.”

As she spoke, Cheng Lan smiled and extended her right hand, which was covered by a diving glove, to Zhang Heng, seemingly wanting to shake hands in a friendly manner.

Zhang Heng, without suspicion, reached out and shook hands with him.

However, the moment their hands clasped, a glint of triumph flashed in Cheng Lan's eyes, and she suddenly pulled hard with her arm!

Zhang Heng was completely unprepared and felt a tremendous force coming at him, causing him to lose his balance!

“Plop——!!!”

A loud splash rang out, water spraying everywhere. Zhang Heng was pulled directly into the icy seawater by Cheng Lan!

The salty seawater instantly filled his mouth and nose. The sudden cold and suffocating sensation caught Zhang Heng off guard. He struggled in the water for a while before regaining his balance and surfacing in a disheveled state.

Wiping the seawater off his face, he looked at Cheng Lan on the shore with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. Cheng Lan's expression remained aloof, but a hint of cunning was on his face.