Chapter 272: Magic Wall Puppet

"Ugh, how can this damned wetland be so cold at night!" Huo La wrapped the thin animal‑skin blanket tighter around himself, his shoulders shivering, and instinctively moved closer to the Fire Rock Mouse.

The Fire Rock Mouse immediately understood, its flames rose slightly, and the warm heat enveloped the two of them, dispersing some of the damp cold.

Ming Yao bent over and added a few dry sticks to the fire; sparks crackled, lighting his sharply angular profile. "The Red Lotus Wetland is like this—day‑night temperature swings are absurd. During the day the sun is strong; the ground moisture either pools in the marsh or gets baked and evaporates. When night falls and the sun sets, the cold wraps the moisture and rises, and a bit of wind drives the damp chill right into the bones. If you're unlucky, a thick fog rolls in the latter half of the night, obscuring the road."

"Heh, it's a bit like the return‑south weather from my past life's southern region—humid and cold," Huo La muttered softly, and realized his slip as soon as the words left his mouth.

"What's a return‑south?" Xiao Zhao, hugging his knees and rubbing his hands for warmth, tilted his head curiously, his eyes sparkling at Huo La.

"Nothing, nothing!" Huo La waved his hand quickly, shifting the topic, his gaze landing on the Mumu Owl dozing on Ming Yao's shoulder. "Ming Yao, besides this Mumu Owl, you must have other Pokémon, right?"

Ming Yao smiled, glanced at the Mumu Owl nearby, huddled with a Water Otter, and said gently, "Yeah, there's another—my companion I grew up with, the one I'm closest to."

"What is it? Tell us!" Xiao Zhao immediately perked up, leaning forward, eyes full of anticipation.

"It's…" Ming Yao began, but his words were abruptly cut off by a sharp whoosh.

"Whoosh— thump thump thump!" Three cold‑glowing darts lodged precisely into the dry log Xiao Zhao had just lifted from the firewood pile; the dart tips sank deep, making the wood tingle faintly.

Xiao Zhao shivered all over in fright, let out a startled cry, and with a loose hand flung the log into the fire; sparks instantly leapt half a foot high.

Huo La and Ming Yao sprang to their feet almost simultaneously, their auras tightening in an instant.

"Fire Rock Mouse, Point Shot the flames! Aim at the direction the darts came from!" Huo La ordered in a deep voice.

The Fire Rock Mouse instantly arched its body, its cheek pouches bulging, and in the next second countless tiny scorching flames burst forth, like a rain of sparks shooting into the darkness.

The firelight sliced through the thick night, illuminating three stealthy silhouettes treading the wetland's decaying leaves, slowly advancing toward the fire.

"Three Bandit Sisters!" Huo La and Ming Yao shouted in unison, then both froze, instinctively exchanging a glance, surprise flashing in their eyes—clearly they hadn't expected the other to know that group.

"Hehe, not bad, we're exactly the three sisters!" A Song's coarse, hoarse laugh echoed from the darkness.

"A Song!"

"A Zhu!"

"A Mei!"

The three shouted their names in unison, their bodies flickering as they sprang from the spot, landing steadily before Huo La, Ming Yao, and Xiao Zhao, each blocking one of them.

Xiao Zhao stared at the three, then glanced again at the dart still lodged in the log, his cheeks flushing with anger, fists clenched as he scolded loudly, "You three are out of line! Throwing darts in the middle of the night—do you intend to kill someone?"

A Song twirled the dart in his hand, a sly grin curling his lips. "We're not out to murder, just hoping to invite a few 'honored guests' to come with us. After all, anyone who treats Gangshi and Pearl Shell as treasures must be hiding plenty of good stuff."

Huo La's eyes darkened, his foot shifted lightly, and he stepped forward to firmly block in front of Xiao Zhao, his back shielding them solidly. His tone was cold and resolute: "If you think you can make us go with you, you clearly don't have the ability yet."

He was clear‑minded; though the sudden appearance of the Three Bandit Sisters caught him slightly off guard, he felt no fear— the scene from the Mysterious Antler Deer King incident was still vivid. Those three, despite having Pokémon, never dared a direct confrontation, and their Pokémon's strength was ordinary, hardly worth fearing.

"If you refuse a toast, you get a penalty drink!" A Mei's face darkened as she gritted her teeth and snapped, then turned to A Song, urging, "Big sister, stop wasting words with them! Just capture them—aren't you afraid the Galaxy Team won't bring good stuff to ransom us!"

"Sigh, what a hassle," Huo La muttered helplessly, raising his hand to call his partner. Just as he began to utter "Fire Rock…", Ming Yao gently pressed his wrist, cutting him off.

Ming Yao stepped forward, positioning himself beside Huo La. The gentle expression on his face faded, replaced by a crisp combat resolve. He raised an eyebrow at Xiao Zhao and, with a relaxed teasing tone, said, "Leave it to me. You've been wanting to meet my original partner, right? Take this chance to let it stretch its limbs and loosen up." As he spoke, he lifted a slightly weathered Pokeball from his waist, confidence shining in his eyes.

"You? Heh." A Zhu scoffed, eyes full of disdain, tone flippant and contemptuous.

A Song, however, suppressed his smile, his voice heavy as he warned, "Be careful. I've heard of this Ming Yao from my time in the Galaxy Team; he's considered a prodigy in the squad, not weak at all."

"A prodigy? I'd like to see for myself. Go, Blizzard King, use Ice Shards!" A Song said, tossing a Pokeball. The hulking Blizzard King thudded onto the ground, opening its mouth to spew countless tiny ice shards, hurling cold toward the three.

"Magic Wall Puppet, Reflect!" Ming Yao swiftly threw a Pokeball; the Magic Wall Puppet materialized, its hands rubbing rapidly, instantly forming a transparent barrier that reflected all the ice shards back.

Huo La's gaze swept over the sleek Magic Wall Puppet, admiration rising in his heart.

Pokémon: Magic Wall Puppet

Gender: Male

Level: Lv. 46

Su Xing: A

Status: Healthy

Nature: Reserved

Attribute: Psychic/Fairy

Ability: Technician (Pokémon with this ability increase the power of weak moves.)

Height: 1.4 m

Weight: 54.5 kg

Carried Item: Yue Fruit

Moves: Psychic Power (mastery 45%), Meditation (mastery 61%), Iron Defense (mastery 99%), Reflect (mastery 51%), Hypnosis (mastery 19%), Mind Headbutt (mastery 5%)...

Improvement Count: 0

The Magic Wall Puppet's Attribute Panel displayed that, for Ming Yao's age, he already possessed a level of skill comparable to a Gym Leader—he's as tall as Huo La and even younger than Xiao Gang; such talent certainly warrants calling him a prodigy.

Looking at the opposing Blizzard King, its Attribute Panel was clearly far inferior; both move mastery and Su Xing lagged well behind Ming Yao's Magic Wall Puppet.

Pokémon: Blizzard King

Gender: Female

Level: Lv31

Su Xing: A

Status: Healthy

Nature: Gentle

Attribute: Grass/Ice

Ability: Snow Warning (Pokémon with this ability cause hail weather as soon as they appear in battle.)

Height: 2.3 m

Weight: 135 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Ice Pillar Drop (mastery 27%), Energy Orb (mastery 41%), Ice Shards (mastery 51%)

Improvement Count: 0