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

Caught off guard and pulled into the icy seawater, Zhang Heng choked on several mouthfuls of water before managing to regain his balance and surface.

He wiped the seawater off his face and looked at Cheng Lan, who was calm and collected on the shore, with some annoyance, but swallowed his words back.

There was nothing he could do; he didn't know the way and needed the other person to lead the way. He had no choice but to swallow his anger for the time being.

Cheng Lan looked at Zhang Heng, who was soaked to the bone in the water, and her lips curled up almost imperceptibly. She said in a cool voice, "Soak in the sea for a while first to get used to the water temperature. This is basic common sense for diving."

Zhang Heng naturally understood this principle. Suppressing his displeasure, he followed instructions and slowly moved his hands and feet in the water, using the buoyancy of the seawater to relax his body and gradually adapt to the temperature, which was lower than his body surface.

Seeing that Zhang Heng was relatively obedient, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Cheng Lan's eyes. She casually tossed out a Poké Ball.

With a "thud," a flash of white light appeared, and another figure fell into the sea.

This is a fish-shaped Pokémon that is entirely dark blue and has a slightly fierce appearance.

It has a huge jaw filled with sharp teeth, which takes up almost half of its head, and a glowing yellow tentacle hangs from the end of the jaw, like bait.

Its back is dark blue, its belly is yellow, and it has red stripes on both sides of its body. Its tail looks like a tattered flag.

It is the same fish that corresponds to the Cherry Fish, which evolved from the Pearl Oyster by communicating with the Deep Sea Fang – the Spotted Fish!

As soon as the Seraphim appeared, it quickly swam to Sakura's side. The two Pokémon, one pink and one blue, one elegant and one fierce, appeared unusually close.

They gently rubbed against each other, swimming around each other. The heart-shaped tail fin of the cherry fish and the tattered flag-like tail fin of the hunter fish sometimes overlapped, as if they were dancing a silent and tacit duet in the water.

The bond between them is obvious; they are a pair of soulmates.

This was the first time Zhang Heng had ever seen these two Pokémon in real life.

He knew that both Sakurafish and Skaven were extremely rare in China, as they were originally unique Pokémon found in specific waters of Japan.

What researchers find even more fascinating is that their evolutionary path is considered an unsolved mystery in the history of Pokémon evolution—the Pearl Oyster, a shellfish Pokémon.

After being traded and evolved while carrying different deep-sea items, they can transcend species boundaries and evolve into fish Pokémon with completely different forms!

This remains one of the problems that the scientific community has yet to fully solve.

At the same time, Zhang Heng also noticed that both the cherry blossom fish and the spotted fish had mastered the skill of "diving", so it seems that they were the main "vehicles" for this deep dive.

He became curious about the origins of these two Pokémon and couldn't help but ask:

"Um...Ms. Cheng, where did you get your cherry blossom fish and spotted fish?"

Cheng Lan's gaze instantly returned to its previous coldness, as if she felt that Zhang Heng's interest in Pokémon surpassed that of herself. Her tone was indifferent, yet carried a hint of chill.

“During my previous diving training in international waters, I encountered two ignorant Japanese trainers who were plotting against me.”

She paused, her tone as calm as if she were saying the weather was nice, "In the end, I killed them. From their belongings, I found two pearl oyster fairy eggs, as well as matching deep-sea scales and deep-sea teeth."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng's pupils dilated slightly, and a look of astonishment flashed across his face.

Cheng Lan keenly noticed the change in his expression and sneered inwardly. So, he was just another person who was frightened by her "ruthlessness".

With a hint of self-mockery and probing, she deliberately asked in a colder tone, "What? Do you think a woman like me, who kills without hesitation and is ruthless, is particularly terrifying and you're afraid to approach me?"

However, Zhang Heng's next reaction was completely unexpected.

Zhang Heng quickly recovered from his shock. Instead of fear or disdain, his face showed a gentle and understanding smile. He shook his head and said firmly.

"No, I think... those people deserve to die. Your safety and innocence are more important than the lives of those scoundrels."

Zhang Heng spoke these words from the bottom of his heart. He had personally experienced the two brutal wars in the East China Sea and the China Sea, witnessed the despicable acts of foreign forces, especially the Japanese, and knew that they had joined forces to kill his father, Zhang Leiyuan.

In his heart, he had long since lost all goodwill towards these malicious foreign elements. Protecting his own people and fighting back against the enemy was a matter of course.

Cheng Lan was completely stunned.

She has been on many blind dates, with many of her potential partners being so-called young talents or high-ranking officials.

Whenever she brings up this unpleasant past, those self-proclaimed "civilized" intellectuals criticize her for indiscriminate killing and advocate for "equality of life."

Those privileged sons who prioritize personal gain will quietly keep their distance from her because she has "taken lives on her hands," fearing they might become tainted by her reputation.

No one had ever stood by her side so decisively and directly as Zhang Heng, saying things like "those people deserve to die."

A complex emotion, difficult to describe, surged within her. Her gaze toward Zhang Heng softened, becoming less icy and filled with a subtle, probing look.

"Hmph," she turned her face away somewhat awkwardly, concealing her inner turmoil, and changed the subject.

"You're good at talking. You can ride the spotted fish later; they'll take us diving."

Zhang Heng didn't say anything more, but instead swam over to the Spotted Fish and Cherry Fish. He possessed the power to control water and had a natural affinity for Water-type Pokémon.

The spotted bream and cherry blossom fish seemed to sense the comforting aquatic scent emanating from him, and quickly lowered their guard, swimming and playing affectionately around him, gently rubbing against him to express their goodwill.

"Oh, and let me introduce my partner to you all." Zhang Heng smiled and took out a Poké Ball.

A flash of white light appeared, and a tall, elegant figure covered in brilliant iridescent scales appeared in the azure sea—it was Milotic!

Its appearance exudes a serene and noble aura, as if the entire sea becomes brighter because of its arrival.

Milotic, Sakura, and Slardar are all slender and graceful Water-type Pokémon. Their gathering together at this moment does not seem out of place at all, but rather creates a harmonious and beautiful scene, like a moving underwater art exhibition.

Sakura and Milotic, with their stunning looks, have become the undisputed focus of this blue stage.

Zhang Heng released Milotic mainly to let it come out and relax, since it had been staying in its Poké Ball for a while.

As for the Rippling Water and Combo Style Martial Arts Bear Master, divine beasts are not very suitable for this kind of situation.

Swamp Monster prefers mud to pure seawater, so he did not release it.

"You...you actually have Milotic?!" Cheng Lan's exclamation suddenly came from the shore, filled with disbelief and astonishment.

Zhang Heng stopped playing with the three Pokémon, who had been spraying each other with water guns and having a great time. He looked at Cheng Lan with some confusion.

He said, "What's wrong? I'm a Water-type Trainer too. Is it strange that I have Milotic?"

Cheng Lan looked at the elegant Milotic in the sea, her eyes revealing undisguised admiration and envy.

Milotic was one of the Water-type Pokémon she dreamed of, but wild Milotics are extremely rare.

The Feebas eggs provided by various water systems and wilderness areas had already been reserved in advance by people with connections and wealthy individuals, and she had been waiting in line for a long time without getting one.

"Oh!"

The Poké Ball on Cheng Lan's waist inexplicably opened on its own.

A beam of white light entered the water and transformed into a huge, ferocious figure covered in blue scales!

It has a ferocious face, a sharp horn on its head, blood-red eyes, and a huge mouth full of sharp teeth—it is Gyarados!

However, this seemingly ferocious Gyarados immediately locked its gaze on the elegant Milotic upon its appearance.

Its eyes, which were originally full of ferocity, instantly turned into exaggerated heart shapes!

Completely ignoring its trainer, it wriggled its massive body like a lapdog, eagerly approaching Milotic and trying to rub its head against it.

Milotic frowned slightly, a hint of disgust flashing in its eyes. It disliked this rude approach.

With a gentle flick of its long tail, a small tornado made of dragon-type energy instantly formed, precisely pushing the Gyarados, which had gotten too close, back a distance.

"Sigh..." Cheng Lan patted his forehead helplessly, feeling extremely embarrassed and troubled by his Gyarados's "infatuated" appearance.

Despite being pushed away, the Gyarados's eyes still sparkled with hearts, showing no signs of discouragement, and it swam towards Milotic once more.

at this time--

"Hey! Ha!"

A dark purple figure appeared silently behind Gyarados, like a ghost – it was Gengar!

It opened its mouth wide and let out a sudden, eerie cry—a Ghost-type scare move!

"Roar?!"

Gyarados was startled by the sudden fright, its massive body trembled, and the heart-shaped eyes in its eyes shattered instantly, regaining their clarity.

It then realized its lapse in composure and slunk back to Cheng Lan's side, head bowed, not daring to look at Milotic again.

This little farce has come to an end.

Zhang Heng didn't seem to have any particular feelings about this; he always seemed to be a step behind others when it came to relationships.

He brought his attention back to the main matter and asked Cheng Lan, "Ms. Cheng, in your opinion, what kind of Pokémon might be living inside that extinct volcano?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Lan also composed herself and entered a thinking mode. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "The common speculation is that there are some Fire-type Pokémon with good potential inside, such as Magcargo or Magmar."

"However... based on my previous exploration, I believe that the depths of that extinct volcano may very well connect to the entrance to a hidden secret realm."

"The interior of the secret realm may be a completely different scene. Considering that the entrance is located in the deep sea, I personally think that the probability of it being inhabited by powerful water-type Pokémon is actually higher."

"A secret realm?" Zhang Heng's eyes lit up. "Have you ever been inside?"

Cheng Lan shook her head: "No. Last time I only detected the energy fluctuations at the entrance of the secret realm, but I felt that I was not well prepared and the situation inside was unknown, so I did not enter rashly."

Zhang Heng nodded, indicating his understanding.

Anything can happen in a secret realm; it might be a unique secret realm where water and fire coexist and the environment is peculiar.

After some time, both of them felt that their bodies had fully adapted to the water temperature and initial water pressure.

They helped each other check and put on their professional diving equipment: fins, goggles, oxygen tanks... everything was ready.

The two of them put the oxygen cylinder's special filter in their mouths and looked at each other.

Cheng Lan raised her hand and made a downward gesture, a common signal used by diving teammates to ask if they were ready to descend.

Zhang Heng was already riding on the broad back of the spotted fish, firmly gripping the stable structure near its dorsal fin, and gave Cheng Lan a clear "OK" sign.

Cheng Lan also rode the cherry blossom fish and nodded to her companions.

The next moment, soft water-based energy light emanated from both the cherry blossom fish and the spotted fish!

The light flowed like living water, forming a peculiar water film around their bodies, generating a gentle yet firm downward pulling force!

The two Pokémon simultaneously swung their tail fins and began to dive into the deep blue sea at a speed far exceeding that of human swimmers!

Milotic and Gyarados, who has recovered from its infatuation and looks quite imposing.

They were like loyal guards, one on the left and one on the right, protecting the two as they headed towards the unknown deep-sea secret realm.

The sunlight overhead gradually weakened, and the surrounding seawater transitioned from a bright azure to a deep inky blue, as if we were falling into the interior of a gigantic sapphire.

Silence reigned supreme, with only the sound of bubbles from the oxygen tank and the sound of water flowing past one's ears clearly audible.