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

Cheng Lan's scream, filled with shame and indignation, still echoed in the tense air, the word "hooligan" particularly jarring.

Zhang Heng was suddenly pushed away by her, and he was so frightened that he quickly stood up from the ground, waving his hands frantically.

He hurriedly explained, "No! No! Miss Cheng, you've misunderstood! You were just unconscious from drowning, and your breathing stopped. I was performing CPR on you; it's a necessary first aid measure!"

Cheng Lan quickly zipped up her wetsuit, concealing her exposed skin.

She stood up unsteadily, her cheeks flushed an unnatural red from lack of oxygen and emotional distress, her eyes red-rimmed, and she glared at Zhang Heng with a hint of anger.

However, she was, after all, a mature and rational woman. After a brief moment of shame and indignation, the memories suppressed by her survival instinct quickly returned.

She vividly recalled the desperate moment when the oxygen tank ruptured, bubbles surged, and her consciousness was swallowed by darkness...

It was Zhang Heng who, under those circumstances, did not abandon her but instead led her into this unknown land.

Looking at the young man's face, which showed no pretense of anxiety or embarrassment, and the focus he had maintained while saving people in his clear eyes, I could see the genuine anxiety and embarrassment on his face.

Cheng Lan's anger dissipated like a punctured balloon, replaced by an indescribable gratitude and a hint of... embarrassment at her overreaction.

She tilted her head slightly, her voice softening subtly and awkwardly compared to its previous coolness, and whispered, "Thank...thank you for saving me."

Zhang Heng was nervously awaiting a storm, but instead received a thank you. He was taken aback for a moment, then quickly waved his hand, his tone sincere.

"It's alright, it's what I should do. Since we're traveling together, we're partners, and it's our duty to look after each other."

The crisis was over, but the atmosphere was inexplicably awkward. Cheng Lan seemed to remember something again, and subconsciously touched her lips with her finger, looking at Zhang Heng with a complicated expression.

Her voice was as low as a mosquito's buzz: "You...you just...kissed me?" As soon as she asked the question, she felt her face burning.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Heng shook his head vigorously, his tone even more certain: "No! Absolutely not! You were unconscious for a very short time, and I checked you. There wasn't much foreign object in your mouth or nose, and the water in your lungs wasn't serious. The main problems were suffocation and cardiac arrest."

"So all you need to do is perform continuous chest compressions to stimulate spontaneous circulation, and you don't need... you don't need to perform artificial respiration." As a medical student, he explained very professionally and clearly.

Upon hearing this answer, Cheng Lan's expression became somewhat strange.

On the one hand, there was a sense of relief and relief that they had not been violated; on the other hand, there was the sight of Zhang Heng looking so serious and completely absorbed in his medical explanation.

A strange, inexplicable sense of melancholy rose from the depths of her heart, a feeling she herself was unaware of.

"Am I really that unattractive as a mature woman?"

This strange thought flashed through her mind, causing her to momentarily waver and feel insecure about her appearance and charm.

Mature women's thinking can sometimes take strange turns.

Zhang Heng keenly sensed that the atmosphere was a bit off again. He dared not dwell on the topic any longer, so he quickly changed the subject and said in a serious tone.

“Miss Cheng, we have entered the secret realm inside the volcano. Look at the surrounding environment, the fire energy is unusually abundant and active, this is very likely a fire-type secret realm.”

"Just call me Cheng Lan."

Cheng Lan followed suit, shaking off the awkwardness, and began to carefully examine this strange world.

The scorched earth, the billowing heat, the sulfurous smell in the air, and the intense fire energy... all confirmed Zhang Heng's judgment.

She nodded, her tone regaining its usual calmness, with a hint of analysis: "The fire energy here is indeed more concentrated than I imagined. It seems that my previous assumption that this was a water-based secret realm based on the external environment was completely wrong."

She paused, looked at Zhang Heng, and her eyes hardened again. "But since we're here, there's no reason for us to leave empty-handed. Let's explore."

Seeing that she also agreed to explore, Zhang Heng said, "Okay, let's take a short rest and get ready before we set off again."

As he spoke, he threw Swampert's Poké Ball again.

Boom! A flash of white light, and the pink Swampert reappeared.

But as soon as it appeared, it let out a painful growl. The omnipresent, scorching fire energy around it pierced its water-based body like countless tiny needles.

Its pink skin even visibly glowed with an abnormal red light, and tiny sparks appeared out of nowhere!

"Not good!" Zhang Heng frowned. "Burn status!"

He was shocked. He had only made two brief appearances and had already caused a powerful Water-type Pokémon to fall into an abnormal state!

The suppression and damage this environment inflicted on non-Fire-type Pokémon far exceeded his expectations.

Just then, Cheng Lan's exclamation of surprise came from the side:

"WOW... a pink Swampert! A shiny starter Pokémon! You... you not only have Milotic, but you also have a shiny starter Pokémon?!"

Zhang Heng was a little confused, but honestly replied, "Yes, I'm a Water-type Trainer, and Milotic and Swampert are very important partners to me." He thought this was normal.

But in Cheng Lan's eyes, who was also a Water-type Trainer, this was simply outrageously extravagant! Whether it was the rare and elegant Milotic or the one-in-a-million shiny starter Pokémon, they were all things she dreamed of but could never have!

Her curiosity and desire to explore Zhang Heng intensified.

"Roar...wooo"

Despite its discomfort, Swampert still gave a friendly growl to the newly acquainted human as a greeting.

Zhang Heng dared not let it linger any longer and immediately ordered, "Swamp Monster, hold on a little longer, dig a hole, and take out what's inside."

Swampert endured the burning pain, gathered ground-type energy once more, and dug the shallow pit from before.

Because the soil had been loosened, the digging was much easier this time. Soon, it used its claws to dig the damp S-grade rock out of the pit and threw it to Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng reached out and caught the blue rock that was emitting cool, watery vapor.

Cheng Lan's eyes widened again, her mind reeling with even greater shock: "An S-grade damp rock?! He actually buried such a precious item directly underground... was it to create a cool environment for me to use in an emergency?"

Thinking of this, her gaze towards Zhang Heng softened considerably, even carrying a hint of goodwill that she herself didn't realize. "This 'blind date'... seems like a nice person?"

Zhang Heng had no time to pay attention to Cheng Lan's thoughts. He quickly used a Poké Ball to recall the suffering Swampert, and then skillfully took out a tube of special spray medicine for treating burns from the side pocket of his backpack.

The medicine was precisely sprayed into the healing port on the surface of the Poké Ball, and it seeped into the Poké Ball through a special channel, beginning to relieve Swampert's burn condition.

This series of smooth operations once again made Cheng Lan nod in approval.

A trainer who can be so attentive and timely in addressing their partner's injuries must be a sensitive, responsible, and kind-hearted person.

This further increased her trust in Zhang Heng.

After resting, Zhang Heng turned around and said to Cheng Lan, "Um... Cheng Lan, I plan to explore this fire-type secret realm further. Your body has just recovered, so if you need to rest, you can return to the outer sea through the entrance we came in through."

"Your Gyarados and my Milotic should still be nearby and can meet you. You should be safe." This was the safest advice he gave based on his professional judgment as a medical student.

However, upon hearing this, Cheng Lan raised her eyebrows, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible sullenness.

"What? Do you think I'll become a burden to you?"