Alola Region

With such a bountiful haul, and with the newly captured Alolan Golem urgently needing treatment, Xinhai no longer had any desire to continue exploring.

They remained vigilant the whole way back, but perhaps their battles on the way in had cleared out most of the threats, making the return journey exceptionally smooth.

After about an hour, Xinhai and his partners finally saw sunlight streaming in from the cave entrance, utterly different from the darkness within.

When Xinhai stepped out of Granite Cave and once again bathed in Dewford Town's warm sunlight, he removed his night-vision goggles and could not help taking a deep breath of fresh air, as though he wanted to completely purge the lingering chill of the cave from his lungs.

"Eevee~!" (We're finally out!) Eevee excitedly bounced around Xinhai's feet, enjoying the warmth of the sunlight on her fur. The slight oppression she had felt amid the cave's tense atmosphere vanished completely.

"Blaze." Blaziken also narrowed his blue eyes slightly as he adjusted to the outside brightness. The taut presence he had maintained throughout the cave gradually eased.

The other partners also wore relaxed expressions as they enjoyed the warmth brought by the sunlight.

Looking at his partners, who were still full of energy despite being inevitably covered in dust and bearing traces of battle, Xinhai smiled gently.

"Everyone worked hard this time, and you all did wonderfully! Especially Zigzagoon—you made a huge contribution!" He rubbed the little Zigzagoon's head as he came over, and the little fellow happily narrowed his eyes.

"Let's head back to the Pokémon Center first. Everyone can get some proper rest, and I have a few things to deal with too."

With practiced efficiency, he recalled all the Pokémon except Eevee and Kirlia into their Poké Balls so they could rest properly