Chapter 454: Surveillance

Huo La raised his hand, recalled the Pokeball, summoned the Gyarados that had been carrying the three across the sea, then loosened his stiff neck and rubbed his slightly sore shoulders with his fingertips; even with Pokemon as transport, the sea trek left him weary.

Although the Aether Foundation sealed off the entire A luo la qun dao with a technological barrier, barring outsiders from entering or leaving, travel between the islands was not heavily restricted, which gave them a chance.

If it weren't for that, the three of them alone would have found it hard to reach Poni Island so smoothly.

Poni Island is most famous for the massive Boni da xia gu that runs through the whole island; its steep cliffs are flanked by dense primeval forest, and between the forest depths and the canyon Rift lie countless tightly packed ancient Ruins, exuding a mysterious and desolate aura.

The spot where Huo La and the other two landed was an entrance on one side of the Boni da xia gu, a place relatively concealed and not easily spotted by Aether Foundation patrols.

"This place... the wind is way too strong!"

The moment they set foot on land, a raging wind howled at them, tossing Paipa's hair into a tangled flutter; he could only shout hoarsely, his voice mostly drowned by the wind.

The canyon entrance happened to be where the sea breeze met the wind channeled through the gorge, the howling gale laced with sand and gravel stung the face, the force so great it nearly knocked people off balance, far stronger than imagined.

Facing the wind, Huo La squinted slightly and explained, "We don't know the island's exact patrol routes; choosing this landing spot was the most secure plan after repeated consideration—both concealed and not far from the Ye dan shu ji qun qu we need to reach, saving a lot of time."

After his words fell, he tossed a Pokeball; Red Light flashed, and a sleek KenTaiLuo appeared, standing steadily in the gale, unmoved.

Bilan immediately produced his own Pokeball, smiled and tossed it, "Your turn now!"

The Red Light faded, and a Pokemon entirely covered in flame‑like mane stood proudly—an evolved Rapidash.

Huo La looked at the radiant Rapidash beneath Bilan, a hint of sentiment flashing in his eyes: "Oh? The Little Fire Horse has already evolved into a Rapidash, what a change."

"That's natural!" Bilan said proudly, patting the Rapidash's neck, "During the years you were away, it and I never slacked, we've been training hard, it's long no longer the same as back then!"

The Rapidash seemed to understand its master's words, lifted its head and let out a crisp whinny; the flames on its mane flickered lightly, looking especially spirited.

Huo La gave a gentle nod, turned his head toward Paipa and asked, "What about you? Which Pokemon do you plan to ride?"

Paipa scratched his head, thought for a moment, slowly produced a Pokeball, and said somewhat embarrassed, "I can only ride it; it might be a bit slower, please bear with us."

As he spoke, he lightly tossed the Pokeball; Red Light flashed, and a solid, gray‑stone‑colored Pokemon with a square face landed steadily—it was a Garchomp.

"A Garchomp..." Huo La said, looking at the sturdy Pokemon, "It isn't fast, but it's steady and solid; many mountainous regions use it for transport, making it perfect for traversing Poni Island's terrain."

Hearing that, Paipa breathed a sigh of relief, quickly flipped onto the Garchomp, "That's good."

Huo La mounted KenTaiLuo, Bilan sat steadily on the Rapidash's back, and the three prepared to set off.

Huo La looked up to gauge the direction, his tone firm, "Alright, let's go! Destination: southwest, the Ye dan shu ji qun qu area; Neimu Boshi should be there."

With his words done, KenTaiLuo stepped forward first, Rapidash followed closely, the Garchomp, though slow, kept steady pace, and the three figures braved the gale, heading deeper into Poni Island.

The coconut‑egg‑tree gathering spot in the southwest of Poni Island had long been away from the canyon's fierce wind, warm and cozy.

Clusters of coconut trees grew luxuriantly, their branches thick, sunlight filtered through the leaves casting dappled shadows on the ground, a gentle sea breeze brushed by, carrying a faint coconut scent—a scene of relaxed leisure.

A woman wearing black thin‑framed glasses and neat purple short hair lounged leisurely on a white deck chair, dressed in a sexy swimsuit, draped in a sheer veil, basking in the sun with a hint of languor on her face.

Beside her, a wholly golden coconut tree stood out, its dense canopy providing ample shade, perfectly shielding her from most of the glaring sun and blocking the afternoon heat.

"Neimu Boshi, you're living quite comfortably," a slightly teasing voice called from afar, breaking the silence.

Neimu Boshi slowly lifted his eyes and saw a woman with pink hair streaked with gold, wearing a loose floral long shirt, a drawing board slung over her shoulder, walking over with light steps.

She casually picked up the coconut juice on the low table beside Neimu Boshi, unscrewed the cap and took a sip, her demeanor as relaxed as if she were at home.

Neimu Boshi didn't mind her action, simply removed his glasses, rubbed the corner of his eyes with his fingertips, and in an even tone said, "Captain Moli, why are you free to come here today? Did you come especially to see me?"

"See you?" Moli pursed her lips, her tone tinged with annoyance, placing the coconut juice on the table, "I don't have that leisure time; I just happened to pass by, here to sketch, that's all."

"Tsk tsk tsk, sketching..." Neimu Boshi elongated his tone, a hint of smile flashing in his eyes, he didn't press further, just put his glasses back on.

Moli, made uneasy by his gaze, hummed lightly and changed the subject, "Stop sunbathing; how's your research progressing? When do you plan to leave Poni Island?"

Hearing that, Neimu Boshi's smile faded a bit, he slowly sat up, his tone tinged with helplessness, "Leave? How to leave? You know the Aether Foundation's control over entry and exit to A luo la qun dao is now stricter than before."

"Although I can move between the four islands under the pretext of research, which is relatively free, you see—"

She said, turning slowly toward the coconut trees not far away, where a black camera was installed; the lens stared straight at the spot where they were chatting, continuously monitoring the scene.

Moli followed her gaze to the camera, and the casual expression on her face gradually faded, leaving her silent.

The island administrators, seemingly enjoying a degree of freedom to move about, actually have that "freedom" only relatively; every move is under the Aether Foundation's surveillance, leaving no true privacy.