Hu Tao was very angry, but the number of draws for this week was exhausted, so she could only take Xiangling and evacuate quickly.
She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, the sourness would overflow uncontrollably. And if another guest drew a Dragon-type Pokémon in front of her...
I'm afraid our Director Hu would passively break through her defense today.
After leaving, the two teamed up and headed to the Ecological Zone.
Hu Tao complained to her best friend while walking:
"That Inazuma girl... she is too lucky! How come she has such luck?!"
"She has the appearance of a Fairy-tale creature and it's a Psychic type. And Manager Hiroshi said after evolution, it also gains the Fairy type! She is so damn powerful against my Dragon type!"
"With this kind of lifespan-draining luck, I can only say one thing: I wish her a long life!"
Xiangling couldn't help but glance at her Larvesta.
"Fortunately, after my Larvesta evolves, it turns into a Volcarona (Vulcan Moth), which is also beautiful and powerful. Otherwise, I would be more miserable than you now."
Hu Tao stopped and pointed to the Scyther baby that Xiangling released after arriving in the wild.
"What about this one?"
"A typical image of an insect... you can't say it's good-looking and beautiful?"
Xiangling chuckled and said:
"Why? Does the whole team need to be good-looking? Do you want combat power?"
"Just have one who is good-looking and responsible for the team's image!"
"Besides, the Scyther looks so cool and handsome. Look at the scythe blades on its arms..."
"Hee hee, he is so handsome in a warrior way!"
Hu Tao had a black line on her forehead, looking up and down, carefully scanning the whole body of the Scyther.
Then she looked back at her increasingly ferocious Gible.
"No... I solemnly declare that this Director's Gible will always be the coolest and most handsome!"
When the Gible heard this, its eyes filled with confidence, and it raised its stubby forelimbs high.
Gible!
(That's right!)
Gible~ Gible~!
(No one is as cool as me! I am the best shark!)
About an hour later, the two-person team hurried to the outskirts of the Ecological Zone.
The road led to the main entrance of the Forest Area.
But this entrance also had the most Liyue adventurers coming and going.
Some people even discovered a business opportunity, spread a piece of cloth on the side of the road, and set up a street stall on the spot. The font size of the banner was undoubtedly very high-end.
Upon hearing the shouts from the waiter, it turned out that it was a pop-up store opened by the Feiyun Commerce Guild, selling some special Liyue medicines and supplies, which of course were only effective on humans.
There was also no shortage of tea stalls, noodle stalls, and food stalls popping up like mushrooms after rain.
This area is expected to turn into an "Adventure Town" filled with people in less than half a month.
"The entrance here is too crowded."
"Let's go up the mountain. There was information in the group that we could go over the mountains and ridges in the direction of Mt. Aocang and Qingyun Peak, directly to the Stone Forest Mountains in the Ecological Zone!"
They detoured through the forest path less traveled.
As they hiked, occasionally Bird Pokémon flew overhead, crossing the boundary line of the Ecological Zone to hunt for some small wild animals or insects.
"It seems that the Ecological Zone will not completely restrict the activities of Pokémon to the inside." Hu Tao said thoughtfully.
"Um!" Xiangling nodded heavily. "If there is enough food outside, the Pokémon in the Ecological Zone may multiply and spread outside naturally."
Both of them are not bad at martial arts. They both go out often and have plenty of physical stamina. They can easily climb mountains and ridges.
After successfully passing a mountain trail, Hu Tao took a picture of the nearby topography and uploaded it to the Group Chat file:
Hu Tao: [File: Shortcut to Rock Area.png]. Marked on the map for your convenience!
Closing the Pokédex...
Hu Tao discovered that her teammate Xiangling was attracted to a nearby bush bearing fruit.
"Eh? These fruits look a lot like strawberries, but silver... so weird!"
Xiangling observed the plants. The bushes were not big, more than one meter high.
Larvesta and Scyther were not very interested in these fruits. They looked away after just one glance.
The Gible was also not interested, preferring to chew on a rock.
Xiangling took pictures and sent them to Hiroshi. She knew that Hiroshi was very busy and would only find time to reply later, but it was worth documenting.
So Xiangling picked a few Rawst Berries and put them in her backpack for later analysis.
While Xiangling was collecting fruit from the bush...
Hu Tao also discovered something interesting.
"A secret cave with the sound of dripping water?"
Going to observe near the entrance of the cave, it was dark and bottomless.
Hu Tao clicked her tongue, but there was no trace of fear or timidity in her mind.
She often dealt with dead people and souls. If Hu Tao was timid, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor would have closed down long ago.
Huh?
Hu Tao found something floating in the cave very suddenly.
"A Ghost?"
"Does the Ecological Zone also have such a thing? It's unlikely to be a Pokémon..."
Hu Tao became even more interested when her own major and career scope was involved. She turned around and shouted to Xiangling, who had just packed the fruit.
"Come on! I discovered a secret cave! Let's explore!"
After saying that, she strode in without waiting for her friend to follow.
But...
Hu Tao then stepped back as if avoiding a snake or scorpion, her face turning slightly pale.
The moment her vision dimmed as she entered, she saw a big scarlet tongue that seemed to be hanging upside down from the roof of the cave. There was even a terrible trickle of saliva dripping down.
"What's the matter, Hu Tao?"
Xiangling noticed something was wrong with her friend's face.
Hu Tao was silent for a while, but suddenly she clapped her hands and said with a grin, "Interesting."
"Xiangling, hold up the Pokédex behind me, turn on the flashlight and video mode, and follow me while recording."
"Believe me, Xiangling, the video we will record will definitely scare the piss out of a group of people!"
Xiangling blinked.
"Ah? Why?"
Hu Tao did not explain, but waved her hand with her back to Xiangling.
"If it is just a simple ghost, then this video really has no program effect. But if it is what I guessed..."
"Um... an alternative Ghost-type Pokémon? This video will definitely explode in the group chat!"
Xiangling felt goosebumps.
She is just a chef.
She often goes out to look for ingredients and challenges dark cuisine, sure.
But what kind of thrilling horror exploration...
She is really not good at it!
"Eh! Wait!"
Hu Tao had already submerged into the darkness of the cave, and her footsteps were getting further away.
Xiangling quickly raised the Pokédex, turned on the video function, and turned on the flash. She followed step by step...
The young Scyther and Larvesta followed around her legs, which gave Xiangling a bit more courage.
Suddenly, there was a corner a few meters away.
Hu Tao passed through first.
Then Xiangling's eyes widened in horror.
"Hu Tao! Hey! There is an old woman behind you..."
A stooped old woman holding a cane slowly walked out of the cave wall behind Hu Tao.
When she heard Xiangling's voice, the "old woman" raised her head.
On her wrinkled face, her eye sockets were hollow, her mouth was split to the base of her ears, and a long scarlet tongue danced in her mouth.
"Fuck!"
Xiangling, who had never uttered a curse word in her life, was so frightened that she uttered a "beautiful saying" imitating Manager Hiroshi.
Hu Tao suddenly turned around, eyes blazing.
"It's you who I'm waiting for!"
"Gible! Tackle that spot——!"
Boom!
The earth shook.
The Gible actually plunged headlong into the cave wall where the ghost was.
As for the old woman... she disappeared as suddenly as the wind blew, dissolving into purple mist.
In her place, a grinning, round purple ghost appeared, floating in the air with a mischievous laugh.
Gengar!