Cave Exploration (1)

Two days had passed since Dewford Town's Pokémon swimming race ended, yet tourists strolling around with their Pokémon could still be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys.

Some were checking in at the event memorial wall, while others browsed for local merchandise. This lively scene was exactly why the town had held the event in the first place.

After packing his gear as lightly as possible and slinging it over his shoulder, Lin Mo took out his phone and looked through the forum's practical posts about Granite Cave once more:

First, if you see a Makuhita, never laugh at its squinty eyes—Makuhita might usually look a little silly and cute, but mocking its squinty eyes could anger it and provoke an attack.

Second, make sure to shine your light on the ground and watch out for Mawile's traps—though Mawile looked adorable, it had a nasty personality and loved setting traps to tease other Pokémon. Trainers exploring caves could easily get hurt if they were careless.

Third, absolutely, absolutely do not bring too many metal items—carrying too much metal could attract Aron's attention, causing them to chase after you. In a dark cave, that could lead to unnecessary trouble.

Fourth...

Lin Mo kept the hard-earned lessons of other trainers firmly in mind as he walked. When he left town along the coastal road, the scenery was completely different from before.

Tourists in all kinds of outfits were everywhere now, and quite a few trainers were enthusiastically starting Pokémon battles right in the streets. The lively atmosphere continued all the way to the town entrance, only fading once he had completely left the town area and the surroundings became deserted again.

The coastline had become a paradise for wild Water-type Pokémon. Corphish crawled across the shallows with their little claws raised, Wingull spread their wings and skimmed across the sea, and the occasional round Octillery could be seen sprawled over the reefs.

The moment Lin Mo approached, an Octillery stared at him blankly. He immediately remembered the unpleasant experience of being sprayed with ink by one in the past, so he decisively pretended not to see it and quickened his pace to avoid this "potential troublemaker."

Before long, Granite Cave appeared before him.

The cave was pitch-black, with even daylight firmly blocked outside. He could barely make out the vague outline of the entrance. Wind carrying the chill from within swept past him, and that bottomless darkness instantly filled the air with terror.

Lin Mo did not rush in. He first set his livestream device to flight-follow mode, making sure it could clearly record the expedition.

Next, he took the inflatable portable fish tank from his backpack, filled it with water, fastened its straps, and secured it to his chest. Then he threw out a Luxury Ball and released Feebas.

Watching Feebas swim freely in the inflatable fish tank against his chest, Lin Mo let out a sigh of relief. Exploring Granite Cave would take a while, and Feebas could not stay out of water for too long.

And if Feebas stayed inside its Poké Ball, it would be troublesome if he encountered sudden danger and failed to react quickly enough to release it.

This arrangement would keep Feebas in good condition, while allowing it to react faster and help him deal with unknown threats if danger arose.

Once everything was ready and he had confirmed none of his gear was missing, Lin Mo switched on the headlamp above his forehead and opened the livestream, greeting the viewers who had been waiting.

Then he looked up at the dim cave entrance, where the interior could not be seen at all. Taking a deep breath, he walked inside with steady steps.

The beam from his headlamp pierced the gloom at the entrance, clearly illuminating the damp rock walls.

Lin Mo had barely taken two steps when his livestream device chimed. Dense waves of comments instantly flooded the screen like a flock of chirping sparrows.

"The streamer finally went live! Front-row seats for Granite Cave exploration!"

"Feebas is so well-behaved in that fish tank on his chest!"

"Be careful, streamer!"

"Your equipment looks so professional! Where did you buy that portable fish tank? I want one for my Magikarp too. Link, please!"

Lin Mo glanced down at the screen with a faint smile, then raised a hand to adjust the angle of his headlamp so it illuminated both the path ahead and the inflatable fish tank on his chest.

The livestream device slowly descended, its camera steadily focusing on Feebas inside the inflatable fish tank.

A soft fill light automatically came on, making Feebas's purple body especially clear—

Several droplets still clung to its rough scales, glittering faintly under the light. Its protruding, round eyes stared curiously at the camera, as though studying the "little square" that had suddenly come so close.

With a splash, Feebas suddenly flicked its tail. Its tail fin struck the water, and the splashing droplets landed directly on the camera lens, forming a hazy film of water.

By the time the droplets slid down the lens, it had already swum to the other side of the tank. It gently rubbed its head against the transparent wall, as though greeting the viewers on the other side of the screen.

The comments immediately flooded with reactions to the scene:

"Ahhh, that tail flick! It knows exactly what it's doing!"

"My heart melted when the water splashed onto the camera!"

"..."

Looking down at the little one in his arms, Lin Mo could not help smiling. He reached out and touched Feebas's head. It immediately turned around and rubbed against his fingertip, making a faint "mm-mm" sound in its throat, as though acting spoiled.

"Good morning, everyone."

Lin Mo's voice passed through the microphone on his collar, carrying the distinctive echo of the cave.

"I've just entered the cave, and I'm about to begin exploring. After this, I'll need to focus on watching my surroundings, so I might not be able to reply to comments right away. Please bear with me. If anything unusual happens, I'll stop and tell everyone."

"Got it, got it! Focus on exploring, streamer!"

"Safety first! Don't worry about us!"

"We'll quietly enjoy the streamer's first-person exploration!"

"..."

Although he had expected it to be challenging, Granite Cave's environment still exceeded Lin Mo's expectations. It was far more complicated than he had imagined.

The narrow paths crisscrossed like tangled threads, and some sections were covered in moss from the dampness, making it easy to slip at any moment.

More troublesome still, the cave's rock formations all looked alike. Many forked passages were almost identical, making them difficult to match accurately even with a map.

Lin Mo carefully compared the map and, after repeatedly confirming his choice, picked a direction and continued deeper inside.

Without warning, Feebas in the inflatable fish tank on his chest suddenly leaped out of the water. It traced a small arc through the air and splashed water onto Lin Mo's face.

Lin Mo had been lowering his head to compare the route on the map when Feebas's strange behavior caught his attention. He shook his slightly heavy head, then looked up and saw a hunched, dark little figure wedged in the middle of the tunnel, blocking his path.

The figure was so thin that it looked as though a gust of wind could knock it over. Lin Mo's heart instantly skipped a beat, and images of primitive monsters lurking in the darkness from movies he had watched in his previous life surged into his mind.

Meanwhile, the livestream screen was completely covered by rolling comments, the viewers' anxiety seeming ready to burst through the screen.

"Streamer, streamer, look up! Look ahead!"

"Stop looking at the map, streamer! Watch out in front of you! The camera caught something moving just now!"

"..."