I caught a Pokémon

Their next destination is Ripple Town.

There are two routes to Lianyi Town. One of them is the most common route, which runs south along the seaside road. Along the way, you can enjoy the beautiful sea view, breathe fresh air, and have a relaxing trip.

The second option is to go through the undersea tunnel.

Although the tunnel is not yet fully completed and officially open to the public, it is already passable. However, there may be some areas without lighting or incomplete internal repairs.

For the average person, it might not seem worth the risk, since the project is not yet finished and could be dangerous at any time. But for these trainers, it's not a problem at all.

Therefore, after Xia You explained both routes to the group, taking the underwater tunnel became almost everyone's first choice.

Compared to the scenery we see all the time, walking through the underwater tunnel will undoubtedly be an unforgettable trip and experience.

Seeing that they all agreed, Xia You waved her hand and led them to the tunnel entrance not far from Bo City, Qinghai.

The tunnel was closed at the moment, but that didn't stop Xia You.

As soon as he released Gardevoir, the previously closed tunnel door opened immediately with Gardevoir's psychic power, revealing the deep passageway inside.

Chapter 1402 Undersea Ruins

The tunnel was darker than they had expected.

This darkness is not the darkness of an ordinary night, but a profound darkness where you can't see your hand in front of your face and it seems that even sound is swallowed up.

This also makes the entire tunnel look like a giant maw that devours everything.

Xiao Guang stood at the entrance, his steps visibly hesitant.

"Um... do we really have to go this way?" she asked softly, peering into the deep tunnel. "I can't see anything..."

"You were the first to agree just now," Xia You chuckled.

"I...I thought there would at least be lights..."

Not to mention Xiao Guang, even Ya Mi hesitated noticeably.

Makomo was quite bold; she had already taken a few steps inside, then turned back and waved, "It's okay, it's just a bit dark here. It should be fine after walking for a while, right? Besides, we have Pokémon, don't we?"

"Don't worry," Xia You said with a smile, "No matter what happens, I will protect you."

Hearing him say that, Xiao Guang hesitated for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and followed. Seeing this, Ya Mi also quickly walked to Xia You's side and grabbed his arm tightly.

With their flashlights on, and under Gardevoir's protection, the group entered the unfinished underwater tunnel.

Their footsteps echoed in the empty passageway, carrying a slightly eerie resonance.

The walls on both sides of the tunnel are still the original cement color, and the pipes overhead are exposed. Occasionally, you can see some construction tools and materials piled up in the corners, but the project is basically completed.

"It feels like an adventure," Makomo exclaimed excitedly, looking around.

Indeed, this feeling is much more novel than usual.

After walking for about five or six minutes and going down the stairs, a different kind of light finally appeared ahead.

That wasn't lamplight, but a soft, bluish-green glow.

“That is…” Xiao Guang quickened his pace.

When they reached the source of the light, everyone stopped and exclaimed softly in unison, "Wow!"

It was a transparent glass tunnel that seemed to have no end.

Through the glass, the underwater world was laid bare before them!

Sunlight streamed down from the sea, turning into hazy beams that swayed slowly in the water.

Because the distance wasn't far, they could clearly see the waves rippling on the sea surface. On both sides of the tunnel were coral reefs piled up in various strange shapes and colors, some like deer antlers, some like fans. Although the colors weren't as vibrant as those in tropical seas, the deep purple and dark orange made them seem even more mysterious.

There are also some cone-shaped rocks, covered with seaweed, standing silently on the seabed.

In this environment, countless marine Pokémon are swimming leisurely!

Nanny Mambo leisurely swung her fins as several savage bass swam past her, creating a small ripple. A little higher up, several light, floating creatures bobbed up and down with the current, like balloons in the water. Giant Winged Flying ...

"So beautiful..." Xiao Guang had already forgotten his fear from before, and pressed himself against the glass, his eyes shining.

Makomo also leaned closer to observe and offered his professional insights: "These should be sedimentary rocks formed naturally on the seabed, eroded by seawater over a long period of time, and this tunnel should also be laid on the rocks."

"Is that Wailord?" Yami pointed to a huge black shadow in the distance.

"That should be true." Makomo nodded. "It seems that the marine ecosystem in this area is quite rich."

The group continued forward, the glass tunnel like a transparent pipe enveloping them as they traversed the underwater world. All around was quiet, with only the sounds of their own footsteps and breathing. There were no wild Pokémon to disturb them, nor any other humans in sight, as if the entire underwater world belonged only to them.

Although I've already expressed my feelings about it, I have to say it again: this wonderful experience is definitely much more interesting than the seaside promenade.

As he walked, Xiao Guang suddenly slowed down and looked at the glass above his head with some unease.

"Um... is this tunnel really safe?" she asked softly. "We're so deep underwater, what if the glass cracks..."

"Don't worry." Makomo adjusted her glasses, her tone tinged with a hint of excited scientific explanation. "This tunnel utilizes many of the Unova region's cutting-edge technologies, connecting directly from land to underwater. Look at the thickness of this glass—"

She knocked on the glass wall next to her, making a dull "thump-thump" sound.

"The 25-centimeter-thick tempered glass is specially designed to resist water pressure, and the entire tunnel structure has undergone countless simulation tests. Even if there is a crack, an automatic sealing system will be activated."

"Makomo-neechan, you really know your stuff!" Hikaru exclaimed sincerely.

“I did some research before coming here.” Makomo smiled slightly. “And as you can see, the tunnel is basically finished. All that’s left is the final cleaning. The electrical wiring and pipes are all installed. When it officially opens, all these lights will be on, and it should look even more beautiful then.”

Xia You looked in the direction she pointed, and indeed, there were rows of fluorescent lights installed at intervals on the outside of the tunnel, but they were not yet powered on.

Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept across a spot outside the glass, towards the seabed further away, where something seemed to be in the dark depths.

"Ok?"

Xia You stopped and squinted in that direction.

"What's wrong?" Yami immediately noticed his unusual behavior.

"Over there..." Xia You pointed into the distance, "What do you think that is?"

The group looked in the direction he was pointing, but could see nothing but the deep blue sea and the blurry outline of the seabed.

"What's wrong? I didn't see anything." Xiao Guang blinked in confusion.

"Further over there, slightly to the left, there's... an outline?" Xia You herself was a little unsure, "It looks like the shape of some kind of building."

"An architecture?" Makomo's eyes lit up immediately. "Underwater?"

She immediately took out her phone, zoomed in, and began to observe carefully.

Through the zoomed-in lens, she carefully looked in the direction Xia You was pointing. At first, she couldn't see anything clearly, but when she adjusted it to the maximum zoom, she could finally vaguely make out some things. A blurry outline had indeed appeared.

That is definitely not a naturally formed rock.

Regular lines, layered structure, and the outline of a certain geometric shape can be vaguely seen.

“There really is something…” Makomo murmured, her voice filled with barely suppressed excitement. She put down her phone, turned to Xia You, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve heard a rumor that there’s an underwater ruin in the waters around here, something that seems to be left by an ancient civilization! But it’s always just a legend, and the authorities haven’t confirmed its exact location. Could it be… this is it!?”

Chapter 1403 Dive

Upon hearing about underwater ruins, Xiao Guang couldn't help but ask, "Is it like those sunken ancient cities?"

“It’s possible!” Makomo was completely absorbed in her research. “Judging from that outline, it certainly doesn’t seem to have formed naturally. If it is, that would be a remarkable discovery—”

She paused, looked at Xia You, her eyes filled with obvious expectation.

"Can we go take a look?"

Xiao Guang glanced subconsciously at the deep sea outside the glass, hesitatingly asking, "How do we get to such a deep place?"

After being blessed by the God of the Sea, Xia You possessed a far superior vision in the ocean compared to others, which is why he was able to see the underwater ruins.

He looked back at Hikaru and Makomo's expectant faces, especially Makomo's eyes which were shining like light bulbs, and couldn't help but smile.

“Of course we can go and take a look.” He paused and began to plan. “But we’ll need to rent a boat and prepare diving equipment. Anyway, we have plenty of time, so let’s find a port town to stay in first.”

Xiao Guang immediately cheered.

Makomo had already taken out her notebook and started writing and drawing, probably planning an exploration route.

Only Yami frowned slightly, not because she was unwilling, but because... she didn't want to go into the water.

He patted her hand, and after Makomo used the equipment to set the location, the group quickened their pace and left the underwater tunnel at the nearest exit.

Emerging from the tunnel, one is greeted by a small port town, with fishing boats and yachts scattered around the dock, and seabird Pokémon perched on the masts, lazily preening their feathers.

The boat rental went smoothly.

When the old boatman at the dock heard that they wanted to go to that area of ​​the sea, he glanced at Xia You a few more times and said, "The water there is quite deep, but the weather has been good lately, and there are not many waves."

He patted the gunwale: "This boat is sturdy, you can use it with confidence."

Diving equipment was also prepared. Xia You checked the oxygen cylinders and masks, and after confirming that there were no problems, he left a few people to wait there while he went to the Pokémon Center in town.

Adjusting the lineup is a necessary step.

Unlike on land, underwater activities require Pokémon that can move freely in the sea.

Xia You stood in the central hall, carefully considering who she should take with her to sea.

Milotic was naturally included; its agility in the water was unmatched.

Greninja is an old partner of the sea frog, with rich experience in underwater combat. It's just unknown whether it can adapt to seawater for a long time, given its freshwater environment.

Oh, and Blastoise too—

He contacted Sakuragi Research Institute and exchanged Blastoise's Poké Ball for his own.

When Xia You finally got the Poké Ball and looked at it, a slight smile appeared on her lips.

His Blastoise had been with him for a long time, traveling all the way from Kanto to the present. It was a true old friend. Come to think of it, it had been a while since he had let it travel with him. This was a good opportunity to let it get some exercise in the water.

Once back at the dock, they met up with Xiao Guang and the others, and everything was ready.

The group boarded the rented boat, the engine roared as it pushed through the azure sea, and headed towards the area where the outline of the ruins had been discovered, following Makomo's directions.

A sea breeze blew in my face, carrying a salty, damp scent.

Sunlight dappled the water, scattering into golden shimmering patterns. A white spray trailed from the stern of the boat, and several long-winged gulls followed it for a while before turning back.

Once they reached the approximate location, Xia You stopped the boat.

He is no longer the clueless person he once was. His long journeys have honed his skills, including piloting these small boats.

Yami stood on the ship's railing and looked down. The deep blue sea was unfathomable and she couldn't see the bottom. She subconsciously took a half step back and shook her head: "I'll just wait for you on the ship and keep an eye on it."

Xia You didn't force her, knowing that she had always been afraid of things like darkness, ghosts, and the deep sea.

He simply took a super ball from his waist and handed it to Yami.

"Then you can watch the ship. I'll leave Deoxys with you in case anything unexpected happens."

Yami didn't say anything, just nodded, after all, she knew that Xia You was doing this to protect herself.

"Then you should be extra careful."

"understood."

After releasing Milotic, Greninja, and Blastoise, Xia You, Xiao Guang, and Makomo changed into their diving gear.

After checking his mask and oxygen tank one last time, Xia You was about to go into the water when he saw his Meloetta emerge from its Poké Ball and call out to him softly a few times.

Judging from its appearance, Xia You knew what it was going to do.

Are you going too?

Meloeta nodded, her eyes sparkling.

"Let's go together then."

Xia You didn't say anything. After all, when traveling normally, just like Xiao Guang's Mythical Pokémon, Meloetta was too eye-catching, so it couldn't easily follow them. Now that they were going to the sea, they didn't have to worry about being discovered by anyone, so naturally they had no concerns.

At that moment, Makomo and Hikari fell backward and into the water from the side of the boat, while the Pokémon swam by and waited for them.

Carrying Meloetta, Xia You also jumped into the water, splashing up a large spray.

In contrast, Meloetta was enveloped by her own energy, forming a bubble-like protective layer before entering the water.

Cool seawater enveloped me, and through the mask, the underwater world unfolded before my eyes.

He made a gesture to the two women, and the three of them swam downstream together.