Chapter 180: Secret Treasure in the Cave, Anyone Can Be the Dolphin Hero

Based on the characteristics of the spacecraft this group was riding, Luo Mu confirmed they must be related to Hunter J, and it was highly probable they were her subordinates who had fled.

Luo Mu was certain that all members of Hunter J's poaching gang who appeared on Frostbite Mountain had been arrested; the fact that these people still existed could only mean they had not participated in the Frostbite Mountain operation, or else they had been stationed outside on standby.

After finishing the call, Geeta quickly replied to Luo Mu, asking him to send his location so she could immediately arrange for someone to come and retrieve the Pokémon Hunters.

Luo Mu directly enabled location sharing with Geeta, then casually handed his phone to Dragonite, instructing, "When people arrive, answer the phone and bring them over; don't let these five fellows escape."

"Bwooo!!"

Hearing this, the simple-minded Dragonite straightened its posture with a solemn expression and saluted.

"Very good, then I'll go underwater with the Popplio and their leader; I also entrust my clothes and backpack to your care."

Smiling, Luo Mu patted Dragonite's head, pulled a pair of swim trunks from his backpack, and ran into the bushes to undress.

Soon, wearing only swim trunks and revealing a body honed with just the right amount of muscle, Luo Mu walked barefoot out of the bushes, handing his backpack and neatly folded clothes to Dragonite.

Fortunately, he had specifically prepared swim trunks; otherwise, how unsightly would it be to enter the water wearing only underwear?

After handing everything over to Dragonite, Luo Mu went to the water's edge and nodded to the Swampert and the Popplio who had been waiting for a long time.

The leader of the Popplio tribe emitted a ethereal cry and dove into the water first.

At the same time, the other Popplio, including the husky-like Popplio that had returned to the tribe, followed and dove down as well.

Standing behind Swampert, Luo Mu gripped its body tightly as Swampert began to sink.

The water temperature was somewhat chilly at this moment; just before his head was about to submerge, Luo Mu took a deep breath and completely disappeared beneath the surface.

After watching Luo Mu's departing figure vanish, Dragonite waddled over to the several Pokémon Hunters who were tightly bound to tree trunks and sat down heavily on the ground.

Its face looked utterly simple-minded and easily deceived.

The boss and the others rolled their eyes, planning to try again.

After entering the water, another magnificent scene came into view.

But Luo Mu had little mind to appreciate the scenery; his gaze remained fixed on the Popplio tribe speeding ahead to lead the way, hoping to reach the cave they mentioned as soon as possible.

After all, he had not brought professional diving equipment or oxygen tanks, so the time he could stay underwater was limited.

Fortunately, the spot where the Popplio chose to dive was already very close to the entrance of that cave; just before Luo Mu could no longer hold his breath, the swiftly swimming group led Swampert and Luo Mu to burst into the cave in one go.

Breaking the surface, a rather bizarre and motley scene left Luo Mu overwhelmed; the entrance here could only be accessed via a waterway, making it a place hidden beneath the island's mountain body that few creatures ever visited.

It was only by chance that the Popplio leader had stumbled into this place once before.

"Pop?"

The Popplio leader swam over to Luo Mu and Swampert, its gaze seemingly carrying a question.

"Let me see if there is any."

Understanding the Popplio leader's intent, Luo Mu nodded slightly and scanned the interior of the cave with his eyes.

The reason he had been brought to this cave by the Popplio leader was actually the same as why the Wailord had brought him to this island.

For Pokémon with pure hearts, receiving kindness demanded a wholehearted repayment, not to mention that Luo Mu and Dragonite, along with the Dolphin Hero, had saved their entire tribe from villains.

Whether out of respect for the ocean's hero, the Dolphin Hero, or from the perspective of repaying a debt of gratitude, they all wished to return the favor.

Popplio were a very intelligent species of Pokémon; they could distinguish between good people and bad people, rather than viewing all humans as enemies just because one person had harmed them.

Upon learning that Luo Mu was searching for a Damp Rock, the Popplio leader, seeing the photo he displayed, immediately thought of this cave, remembering that when it had accidentally entered here before, it had seen something with a similar shape and characteristics.

Recalling the whole story, Luo Mu's gaze landed on a "huge" rock; his thoughts were interrupted, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

"This is...!!"

Luo Mu patted Swampert's back, and Swampert, understanding, swam toward that direction.

After approaching, Luo Mu began to observe it closely.

It was a stone estimated to be over a meter high and more than two meters wide.

The outer layer of the stone was wrapped in crystals as azure as the sea, making its overall size likely approach the three-to-four-meter level.

Luo Mu was very certain that this stone was absolutely a Damp Rock, but why was it so large?

The Damp Rocks Luo Mu had previously obtained for Dragonite and Swampert to use were already considered huge at merely the size of a palm, and their price was not cheap at all.

As for the value of this giant Damp Rock, it was probably impossible to measure with money.

Swampert closed its eyes and sensed the Damp Rock embedded in the wall; it could feel that the stone contained pure Water-type energy so potent that even it felt a throb in its heart.

Luo Mu and Swampert exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes; after a long silence, Luo Mu asked, "Are you really going to give this stone to me?"

The Popplio leader nodded heavily; this was not only its repayment but also a gift for the Dolphin Hero, and compared to a leader like itself who lived quietly within an island, the Dolphin Hero who rid the seas of evil and promoted good needed this Damp Rock even more.

Even though the Pokémon before its eyes was not of its own tribe, it made no difference.

To the Popplio leader, as long as one was doing the same things as the Dolphin Hero, anyone could be the ocean's hero, the Dolphin Hero!

Unaware of the Popplio leader's grand perspective, Luo Mu took a deep breath and said in a grave voice to Swampert, "Carry it out; this relies entirely on you."

"Swamp."

Swampert nodded steadily, the muscles in its arms instantly bulging as it easily extracted the giant Damp Rock that was firmly embedded in the wall, lifting it high without any effort.

On the island.

Dragonite still sat on the ground with a simple-minded expression, looking like a giant doll; its large belly looked particularly cute.

However, the five people on the tree trunks looked even more wretched than when Luo Mu had left; not only were they dripping wet all over, but their hair had also been burned clean off by some mysterious power.

Where was the boss's former spirit? With a face full of terror, he stared at the simple-minded and cute Dragonite; at this moment, in his eyes, Dragonite was a demon cloaked in a cute exterior, simply inhuman!

Completely immune to the gazes from behind, Dragonite sat for quite a while longer until the phone it was carefully holding rang.

Dragonite's eyes lit up; following the method Luo Mu had taught it, it answered the call, and a voice came from the other end: "Hello, is this Mr. Luo Mu? We are the Maritime Security Force, and we have now entered the sea area near the island..."

Dragonite cried out: "Bwooo!" (Hello there!)

The voice on the other end stalled for a moment, then hesitated, "Uh, is this Mr. Luo Mu?"

Dragonite tilted its head and cried out again: "Bwooo~" (Nope~)

The commander on the other end of the phone was on the verge of collapse; who could tell him why a Pokémon was answering the phone?

(End of chapter)