With two soft splashes, two small sprays of water rose, and the surface soon returned to calm, with only rings of ripples slowly spreading outward.
Xinhai and the others waited by the shore, their eyes following the two blurred figures beneath the water.
Gardevoir floated above the pool, her red eyes half-closed. Her powerful Inner Focus was like the most precise underwater sonar, piercing through the clear water to Lock-On to Eevee and Zigzagoon's positions while sensing the subtle changes in the currents and energy fluctuations at the bottom, ready to handle any sudden situation.
Second by second, Xinhai waited patiently on the shore.
Beneath the clear water, Eevee and Zigzagoon's figures shifted between blurry and distinct.
They deftly weaved through swaying aquatic plants, smooth pebbles, and the occasional Goldeen or Magikarp, carefully searching for hidden "treasures."
Every seven or eight minutes, the two little ones surfaced to catch their breath, shaking off sparkling droplets before handing their finds to Xinhai and eagerly diving back down.
"Splash..."
The surface broke as Zigzagoon's drenched head emerged first. He shook himself, sending droplets flying everywhere.
Clenched in his mouth was a fist-sized sphere with a gentle milky-white sheen beneath the cave's faint light. He quickly swam to shore.
Xinhai reached out and pulled him up, taking the item from his mouth. It was slightly cool and smooth to the touch, giving off a faint pearly luster and a moist aquatic aura.
"This is... a Clamperl Pearl? And it's excellent quality!" Xinhai examined it carefully and was somewhat surprised when he recognized it.
Clamperl Pearls were genuinely valuable. A Clamperl could only produce one after several years, and the pearl could not only enhance a Pokémon's spiritual strength but also be used to make special medicines. It was a true treasure.
"Eevee!" (Xinhai,