Fog Island.
Li Wei, Cynthia, and their three companions climbed through the secluded mountain forest, aiming for the summit.
Mirror Lake was surrounded by the island's mountains. Heading there would let them survey their surroundings from the center and inspect the lake itself.
That was exactly what Li Wei had in mind.
The two rare Pokémon indicated by Scan (advanced) both seemed to be at Mirror Lake.
The two Lucario scouted ahead.
"Luca!"
In this thick fog, Lucario were the best guides they could ask for. The group followed carefully behind them.
"Dragapult, we're leaving our backs to you."
The Dragapult lurking in the shadows answered quietly.
"Drrr~"
They gradually approached the summit. Strictly speaking, Mirror Lake should have been a valley, surrounded by mountains on all sides.
To reach a vantage point, they had to climb.
To stay hidden, they couldn't fly on their Pokémon. They could only climb through the dense forest.
Fog Island's ancient, untouched terrain and thick forests gave them the cover they needed.
From overhead, no one would have been able to see them slowly making their way up the mountain.
When they reached the halfway point, Lance, who was leading, turned around on a level patch of ground and pulled them up one by one.
He had been about to ask whether Li Wei's stamina was holding up, only to find that Li Wei wasn't flushed or even out of breath.
It was as though Li Wei hadn't climbed half a mountain at all.
Lance looked him up and down, surprised. "You've got better stamina than I thought."
Li Wei smiled. "How do you think I care for large Pokémon without stamina? It's exhausting work."
Lance nodded in understanding. "Fair point."
Exceptional stamina, thorough planning, and no tendency to panic-Lance really hadn't been joking.