On Route 106, a dark figure carved a white wake across the deep blue sea.
Jiang Han stood on his black surfboard, its two small but powerful propellers spinning rapidly at the stern, propelling him forward at an astonishing speed, cleaving through the waves.
The sea wind, carrying a salty, damp scent, rushed against his face, whipping the stray hairs on his forehead into a frenzy.
His destination was the Desolate Island etched deeply in his memory.
As the distance closed, the island's outline grew increasingly distinct at the horizon where sea met sky.
As desolate and as deathly silent as ever.
The main body of the island was rugged, blackish-brown rock. Aside from tenaciously growing moss and tangled thickets of thorns, there were no other signs of life.
Yet, this dead land concealed a miracle of life—that Oasis nourished by the cave stream.
The surfboard came to a steady stop in the shallow water by the shore. Jiang Han retrieved the surfboard and stepped onto the familiar sandy ground.
Without the slightest pause, he headed straight in the direction from his memory.
Passing through a dense thicket of thorns, the view before him suddenly opened up.
A vibrant Oasis abruptly appeared amidst this barrenness. A clear stream meandered out from a deep, dark cave, nourishing the surrounding land.
Various low-level pokémon frolicked and played here, some chasing each other, others drinking by the stream, composing a picture of harmonious seclusion.
Jiang Han's arrival did not disturb the tranquility here.
He kept his aura well-concealed. Those weak pokémon merely glanced at him curiously before returning to their own play.
Everything here was exactly as it was when he fled in such a sorry state last time.
That One-eyed Druddigon entrenched here clearly hadn't changed anything because of his intrusion.
"Still so leisurely..." Jiang Han muttered to himself, but his eyes were as sharp as blades, sweeping over the dark cave entrance.
He had only one goal for this trip—to take down that Level 33 Druddigon and seize the resources beneath it!
A head-on clash was the worst strategy.
That Druddigon's level advantage was far too obvious. Even with perfect coordination, Sneasel and the others would only meet with a crushing defeat in a direct confrontation.
Therefore, he needed to use his brain.
Druddigon, this type of pokémon, needs to absorb sunlight regularly to maintain its body temperature.
Fighting inside the cave would be too dangerous. The cavern where the Druddigon resides is large, but if any falling rocks damaged those precious white stones, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Therefore, luring it out of the cave to fight was crucial.
Under sunlight, its speed and power would receive a significant boost.
Choosing to act during the daytime would be no different from giving the opponent a powerful buff.
Thus, Jiang Han set the operation time for nighttime.
When night falls, the hunt begins.
He took a Poké Ball from his waist. A flash of red light, and an Inkay floated in mid-air.
"Gulu?"
Inkay shook its tentacles, curiously surveying its surroundings. This was its former home.
Jiang Han pointed at the cave entrance, then at himself, and finally made a gesture for silence.
Inkay instantly understood Jiang Han's meaning.
It had maintained a symbiotic relationship with that Druddigon for a very long time and was intimately familiar with its habits.
According to the intelligence Inkay previously provided, this Druddigon was incredibly lazy.
Aside from hunting and sunbathing, it spent most of its time sleeping soundly deep within the cave, unless someone foolishly disturbed its sweet dreams.
"Go, be careful. See what that fellow is up to," Jiang Han whispered.
Inkay nodded, its body becoming semi-transparent as it silently slipped into the clear stream.
The water surface merely rippled with an almost imperceptible circle before its figure vanished.
The stream was its most familiar path, leading directly into the depths of the cave.
Jiang Han, meanwhile, found a concealed rock and waited patiently.
Time passed minute by minute. The moon quietly climbed above the treetops, casting a silvery glow over the Oasis.
After about ten minutes, the water surface ahead stirred, and Inkay's head emerged.
It gestured with its tentacles at Jiang Han, mimicking the act of sleeping and snoring, looking somewhat comical.
"Still sleeping?" Jiang Han felt a moment of relief.
At the cave entrance, a cold wind blew out from the depths, carrying a scent of earth and stone and a faint, elusive dampness.
Jiang Han detached a Poké Ball from his waist. A flash of red light, and Sneasel's agile figure appeared under the moonlight.
Its pair of crimson eyes were particularly conspicuous in the darkness, its claw-blades glinting coldly.
"Guard here, Sneasel."
Jiang Han's voice was very low, yet it carried an unquestionable command.
"Until I come out, nothing is allowed in, and nothing is allowed out."
Sneasel didn't respond verbally, only emitting a very soft grumble from its throat. Then, in a flash, its form melted into the shadows at the cave entrance like a statue.
It was a lock, the most reliable lock Jiang Han had prepared for this hunt.
With his retreat secured, Jiang Han took a deep breath and turned to walk into that bottomless darkness.
Sandile was released. It followed closely behind Jiang Han, its thick paws stepping on the uneven rock, emitting dull 'tap, tap' sounds.
Its eyes vigilantly scanned the surroundings, its nostrils constantly twitching, capturing every unfamiliar trace in the air.
After walking for about ten minutes, the passage ahead suddenly opened up.
A massive underground cavern unfolded before his eyes.
Exactly as Jiang Han remembered it.
At the center of the cavern was a naturally formed spring, its water clear.
And right in the middle of the spring water, a huge rock platform rose abruptly.
On the platform, a colossal creature lay coiled.
Druddigon!
Its rock-like rough blue skin, crimson head, and that single closed eye were exactly the same as when Jiang Han fled in such a sorry state last time.
At this moment, it was curled up, asleep. Its heavy, rasping breaths were like an old, broken bellows. Each rise and fall made the air in the entire cavern tremble, oppressive enough to stifle one's breath.
Beside the Druddigon's coiled body, pieces of white stones of various sizes lay quietly.
That's it! The crystals that can boost Psychic attributes!
Jiang Han's breathing hitched for an instant, but he quickly suppressed it.
His gaze lingered greedily on those white stones for a moment before shifting away, returning to rest on the Druddigon.
He pulled out three Poké Balls, weighing them in his palm.
These three Poké Balls were engraved with special lightning marks on their surfaces. Inside were the Voltorb with the Aftermath ability that he had exchanged for a full 150 points!
Each one was in a near-fainting state.
This meant that as soon as they were released from their Poké Balls, they would immediately trigger their ability due to their own condition, causing a violent explosion.
This was the appetizer he had prepared for the Druddigon—dangerous, but absolutely effective.
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