Chapter 83

"Yes, yes, yes."

Qiao Ran could only nod repeatedly. This guy's temper was even worse than before. Had he eaten gunpowder last night?

Despite his inner complaints, Qiao Ran still followed the other person's advice and began training with his Pokémon. The "level" in the Ruins was not easy to deal with, and he needed to make more preparations.

Qiao Ran and Phoebe's interaction didn't last long, but this scene was witnessed by a pair of blinking eyes.

Lillie pushed up glasses that weren't actually on her nose, revealing an expression that said, "I knew it."

Sure enough... those two were hiding something from her and Mei.

Section 157, 154 [Entering the Water]

The daytime passed quickly, and as night fell, the scientific expedition officially began.

Everyone was full of anticipation for this "adventure." Even Phoebe, who usually loves wearing dresses, obediently changed into a smart shirt and shorts, and changed her hairstyle to a high ponytail.

"Almost there, everyone get ready. Those with Pokémon, use Pokémon to enter the water. Those without Pokémon, put on your diving gear. Use headsets to communicate underwater and within the Ruins. Don't damage the equipment."

Outside the mansion, Phoebe glanced at the clock on her wrist and began counting the number of people present. What they were about to do was no simple task; even for Elite Four like her, there was a risk of things going wrong.

Those were the Ruins of another world, an unknown realm to them, and a realm unimaginable to ordinary people in this world. While most people still thought Pokémon were just ordinary creatures with special powers, Phoebe was already exploring a deeper goal.

She had to find that Pokémon —this idea had been deeply ingrained in her heart since she was born into this world.

"You, and you, and the one over there, I've prepared Pokémon for you to swim with. Don't wander off; stay close to me."

Phoebe pointed at Qiao Ran and Mei. Even without those gorgeous and elaborate Dress, her attitude was still quite arrogant. However, as a leader, she was still very reassuring.

"Good."

Qiao Ran glanced at Mei and Lillie and nodded. Since he and Mei had been preparing to break through the barriers and carry out various preparations, they had not participated in the training related to the diving suits. To solve this problem, Phoebe had to provide other solutions.

"Jellicent."

Phoebe took out two Poké Ball and released two pink Pokémon that looked like Pokémon. These two Pokémon Levitate in the air like Air Balloon with huge heads, but compared to the "fake jellyfish" Nihilego, they actually looked more like creatures that could exist on Earth.

Furthermore, this Pokémon, scientifically known as Jellicent, is Ghost type /Water type and exudes a damp aura. Not only that, Pokémon it also has male and female appearances; the male is blue, and the female is pink. The two that Phoebe released are undoubtedly females.

Phoebe herself has said that she doesn't like things that are too masculine, and this philosophy is reflected in her preference for female Pokémon.

"There's no time. Now follow my orders. The two Jellicent will each lead two people, and for now, they will move out in pairs. The rest of you, get ready. We'll set off as soon as it's 8 o'clock."

Just as Phoebe finished speaking, the clock in the mansion began to chime, echoing through the empty night sky.

"The time has come. Begin the operation now. All actions must be based on my instructions."

Phoebe waved her hand, and the two Jellicent beside her sprang into action. One of them floated to Lillie and Mei's side and wrapped their Limber bodies around them, engulfing them like an inflatable toy in an amusement park.

The other one chose Qiao Ran and Phoebe, wrapping its body around them.

"So soft..."

The Jellicent body did not bring Qiao Ran the discomfort she had imagined. On the contrary, the cool, Limber, and moist touch was a double enjoyment for both the mind and body.

However—what's affecting Qiao Ran right now isn't these things. Why... am I in a group with this guy?

Qiao Ran could clearly feel that, in addition to her Jellicent body, there was another body pressing against her.

"What are you doing? Is there something you're unhappy with about me?"

Phoebe's soft voice came from beside Qiao Ran. Her Jellicent body could only cover a limited space. After Swallow two people, Qiao Ran and Phoebe had no room to move and could only stick tightly together.

"This is the optimal allocation. If your size were increased by either of those two, it would be too much for Jellicent to handle. You and I together are the best solution."

"Don't think that I have any special meaning behind what I'm doing; don't misunderstand."

After explaining, Phoebe added a special note, telling Qiao Ran not to overthink it.

Everything that seems inevitable actually has its own reasons behind it. Phoebe's reason is also normal and within Qiao Ran's comprehension.

"All right."

Qiao Ran smiled helplessly. Being squeezed together with Phoebe wasn't actually that comfortable; the girl was so skinny, it just made him feel uncomfortable. If it were Mei instead, the outcome would definitely be different...

Inside the Jellicent body, it was difficult to sense the outside environment. After a while, when the Jellicent body unfolded and ejected Qiao Ran and Phoebe, they found themselves in a place resembling "ground".

"Is this... underwater?"

Qiao Ran looked around with some curiosity. The surrounding environment looked like a stone cave and was very dry. Apart from the faint mist in the air, the rest of the place did not look like a scene that should exist underwater.

"Just look up and you'll see."

Phoebe took a deep breath, steadied herself, and pointed to the direction above her head. Qiao Ran didn't know what was wrong with her; perhaps being carried by the Jellicent made it difficult to breathe, and she looked like she was drunk, her steps unsteady.

"Look up?"

When Qiao Ran looked up, he saw a huge water curtain above him, which completely separated the two worlds. On one side was the dry stone cave, and on the other side was the deep, cold lake.

"What... is this...?"

What kind of power is it that can protect this place from the lake water?

Qiao Ran stared in astonishment at this miraculous scene. Not only that, but as he looked over there, the rest of the Research Team also entered the area one after another.

Like Qiao Ran, they all exclaimed in amazement after witnessing this amazing scene.

Even Mei and Lillie moved closer to Qiao Ran, their expressions becoming increasingly cautious. As well-informed people from the Pokémon World, they realized at this moment that their original knowledge was somewhat insufficient...

Section 158, page 155 [Dense Fog]

Looking at the surrounding scenery, Qiao Ran couldn't help but think of what he had seen in that Cave back then. However, what appeared in front of him now was quite different from what he had seen back then.

"Now let's take a headcount. We might get separated once we're inside, so please form groups of at least two people. Don't panic, though; I'll be giving you instructions over the headset."

Phoebe stood in the middle of the road and released a Froslass beside her.

"Please also send out a Pokémon to protect yourselves. If any unexpected situation arises, please report to me immediately."

Since the space inside the "Cave" wasn't very large, Phoebe didn't let everyone release all their Pokémon. Besides, sometimes more people aren't necessarily better.

"Then I'll send out... Dianxi and Vulpix, you two come out."

Qiao Ran understood this principle well, so he chose the two smaller ones. He had Vulpix follow Lillie, while Dianxi stayed by his side in case of any "challenges" that might arise later.

Regarding the "level" that produces Pokémon Trace, Qiao Ran considered many ways to break the deadlock. However, he ultimately chose to fight Dianxi, whom he knew best. He might face a tough battle, but he believed that as long as he was with Dianxi, they would definitely find a solution.

As the leader of the Research Team, Phoebe took the lead, while Qiao Ran, Mei, and Lillie followed closely behind her, always keeping an eye on their surroundings.

The Cave continued to extend forward, but for the time being, there were no extra forks in the road. However... as they went deeper, Qiao Ran noticed that the surrounding mist was opening up...

It started to get increasingly thick, to the point that it began to obstruct vision.

"Qiao Ran... did you hear something in this fog?"

Mei, leaning against Qiao Ran, voiced her inner question: from the very beginning, she had felt a strange sound coming from the mist, echoing in her ears.

"Hmm... I heard that too." Lillie chimed in from the other side. Although she wasn't Trainer, she had also heard those things.

"Sound..."

Qiao Ran closed his eyes slightly, and sure enough—a proud wolf howl spread out from the depths of the mist. The sound was desolate and distant, as if telling some unknown and mysterious story, but it was still faintly mixed with a bloody aura of decisive killing.

The roars of the beasts resounded like increasingly powerful war drums, and the fog grew thicker and thicker. From some unknown point in time, the members of the Research Team began to disappear one by one from their side, just as Phoebe had said before—they had become separated.

Phoebe checked on the team members via radio, and after confirming they were temporarily safe, her expression relaxed somewhat.

It seems this was just a normal case of people getting separated, and nothing unusual happened.

"You all shouldn't leave my side either, come closer first."

Because they were so close together, Qiao Ran and the others, along with Phoebe, hadn't separated yet. However, due to the increasingly thick fog, they had also lost the ability to directly determine their direction.

This level of fog, especially inside a "Cave," is so dense that even blowing it away with the wind is impossible.

What's the next step?

Qiao Ran couldn't help but ask, the fog was seriously affecting his judgment, in such thick fog it was practically the same as being blind.

"That's easy."

Phoebe, however, remained calm. She pulled out several more Poké Ball from somewhere and released four Gastly in a row.

It's neither Gengar nor Haunter, just an ordinary Gastly. These spherical creatures Levitate in the air, bobbing up and down.

"Gastly's body is entirely composed of mist, giving it a higher sensitivity than other Pokémon. Furthermore, it can leave behind unique Gas Energy trails, allowing it to lead us directly to our target."

Phoebe sent the four Gastly to different places to search for a way out.

It has to be said that her move impressed Qiao Ran; she must have made some preparations.

Soon, the four Gastly returned with good news: they had found their next destination. Led by them, Qiao Ran and the others entered an increasingly terrifying fog. Everything around them was a vast expanse of white; they couldn't even see their own fingers when they stretched out their hands. If they had to search on their own, they probably would never have found their way forward in their entire lives.

"Etc."

Phoebe suddenly spoke, recalling all her Gastly, even the Froslass she had previously released.

"Alright, let's move on now."

"...?"

Qiao Ran didn't understand the meaning behind her series of actions, but in the next moment, he seemed to realize it.

When everything reaches its limit, and nothing can be increased further, everything will reverse to another limit.

After taking a step forward, Qiao Ran felt everything around him darken, and everything in front of him began to become clear. It seemed that he had come to a new Cave. There was no fog here, and the air was filled with the fragrance of earth.

But when Qiao Ran looked back, what was behind him was the area that had been covered by the white mist. However, the mist seemed to be blocked by an invisible Barrier.

Qiao Ran couldn't help but think of the lake from before; it was almost identical to this one. Could it be... that some force is truly protecting this place?

"Where is this place? Should we get the other team members here first?"

Qiao Ran looked at Phoebe, who had a serious expression. She was probably the one who knew the most, Qiao Ran subconsciously felt that she must know something.

"Don't worry about that now. We can have Gastly bring them over after we've dealt with things here."

Phoebe gave her answer, her eyes fixed on the ground before her. Under her gaze, the previously empty ground began to change and take on its own shape.

Soon—to everyone's astonishment—three Pokémon with bodies made of mud and shrouded in black Pokémon appeared before them, emanating strong energy fluctuations from these strange creatures.

Moreover, judging from the appearance of these Pokémon, they are clearly the same as Dianxi, Vulpix, and Serperior.

Phoebe took a deep breath.

"If we can't resolve these issues smoothly, then this time... we'll probably have to head back immediately."

"Go for it!! This time it all depends on you three Trainer!"

Phoebe cheered enthusiastically for Qiao Ran and the others, while Lillie looked on with a series of question marks above her head.

?????

However—at this very moment, another unexpected event occurred.

The mud on the ground suddenly began to shake again, to everyone's astonishment.

--The mud... it gradually took on a woman's curves, and even... the details began to become more and more perfect...

Section 159, page 156 [Trace]

Inside the oppressive underwater cave, a battle was almost imminent, yet—at this moment, Lillie felt as if she were being relentlessly targeted.

First, there's Phoebe's line about "three Trainer"... does that mean she's included in that list??? She... is going to fight too??

This Vulpix isn't her Pokémon!

Is there some misunderstanding here?

Lillie had originally intended to say a few words, but what happened next left her frozen in place.

The writhing ground, after giving birth to three Pokémon, stirred again, this time revealing the form of a young girl...

Moreover, Lillie felt that the shape was becoming more and more familiar... This figure... This hairstyle... Wait! Isn't this herself?!

Why... why was I Trace too?!

"What... what's going on?"

Aside from Lillie Qiao Ran, the other people Pokémon all looked confused. Even Phoebe gaped in astonishment. Wasn't this place just for Trace Pokémon for battle? Why were there a person here?

Is it possible to Trace humans here???

"Don't... don't look!"

If Lillie blushed and felt ashamed, why wasn't this Trace wearing clothes? And the details were so meticulously done?

Why is the world constantly targeting her?