The Pokémon food prepared in advance was lifted out by Gardevoir using Psychic type power, poured into Milotic's own bowl, and handed to the edge of the boat.
Milotic glanced at Xinhai once more before lowering its head and beginning to eat in small bites, though its eyes never fully left him.
Wearing goggles, Xinhai stood by the side of the boat and rolled his shoulders and neck, his bones making faint cracking sounds.
Then, following the fourteen basic movements Brawly had taught him, he performed them one by one on the Inner Focus platform Gardevoir had created.
After completing the full set, he slipped the harness over his shoulders and adjusted its tightness, ensuring it would neither constrict him too much nor come off while swimming.
The harness was custom-made, soft yet extremely tough, with a thin shock-absorbing layer inside that could effectively reduce the feeling of pressure from the pulling.
Xinhai took a deep breath and looked at his companions.
"Then I'm off."
The moment he finished speaking, he gave a light leap and jumped into the sea.
Splash—
The seawater was a little colder than expected, but still comfortable. Xinhai submerged completely, then surfaced again and shook the droplets from his hair.
The buoyancy of the seawater supported his body, allowing him to stay afloat without expending much energy.
The harness extended from his shoulders to the bow, stretched taut behind him in a straight line. The weight of the inflatable boat passed through the rope, bringing a constant backward pull.
"Eevee!" Eevee lay at the edge of the boat, staring at him nervously through its sunglasses with wide brown eyes. Its little paws gripped the side, looking ready to jump in and rescue him at any moment.
"It's fine." Xinhai smiled at it, then turned around