Chapter 356: A Flashing Light That Vanishes

On the shore of Heart-Equal Lake, a wind‑sheltered campsite with a crackling campfire, its warmth spreading.

Ming Yao set down the empty clay bowl in his hand, let out a satisfied belch, then sprawled his limbs and collapsed onto the icy grass, looking up at the star‑filled sky and exhaling deeply.

But after only a few seconds he sprang up, turned to Huo La and the other two, and with a resentful face said, "Sigh, you have no idea how hard I've been looking for you; chasing your trail all the way here almost killed me!"

Huo La, hearing that, helplessly pressed his forehead, turned his head away with an embarrassed expression.

He had been in a hurry all the way, and never expected Ming Yao to be so persistently searching everywhere.

"Ming Yao, you're so eager to find us—did you run into some serious trouble?" Huo La asked in a low voice, his tone laced with concern.

"Nothing major," Ming Yao shook his head, sat up straight again, cleared his throat and said, "The matter over at Yingyue Battlefield has been fully resolved. As you instructed earlier, the Triangular Organ of that Garchomp has been removed and is now safely lying in the Galactic Team's Headquarters, waiting for you to see it when you return."

He paused, then continued, "Since there's nothing for me here, Captain Majamu feared you might encounter some tricky Pokemon or trouble on the way, so he specifically sent me to assist you, to give you a hand."

Huo La lowered his head, pondered briefly, waved his hand and said, "I don't have any special situation here; I came mainly to look for a Stone Tablet."

Hearing the word "Stone Tablet," Ming Yao's eyes lit up instantly, and he turned toward the distant misty Heart-Equal Lake, his gaze finally fixing on the silhouette of the night‑shrouded island at the lake's center, and asked in a low voice, "Inside the Lake Center Cave?"

"Exactly," Huo La nodded, his gaze also turning to the Lake Center Cave, "If nothing goes wrong, the final Stone Tablet should be inside; it's said three Legendary Pokémon guard this land there."

"Is there any way to get in?" Ming Yao asked eagerly, a spark of excitement flashing in his eyes.

Huo La helplessly spread his hands and made a grimace, "What else could we do? During the day I rode a Gyarados around a full circle, and that entrance was sealed tight; not even a tiny insect could probably squeeze through."

Amid the crackling of the campfire, everyone's gaze turned toward the silent island at the lake's center.

Just as Huo La gave up, Shan Kui's eyes lit up, and he burst out, clutching a Pokeball tightly, his tone firm and decisive: "Since there's no way in, let the Super‑Armored Rhino blast the cave open, and it'll be done!"

As she spoke, she gently shook the Pokeball in her hand, her eyes full of seriousness.

The Pokeball was something she had specifically asked Huo La for before leaving the Snowfield, having loaded all her Pokemon inside for easy transport, and now she thought of using Brute Force to solve the problem.

"Uh…," Huo La was startled, looking at Shan Kui's determined face, waved his hands frantically, his tone urgent yet helpless, "No, no, no—absolutely not! Inside lives the legendary Lake God; we must respect it and not use such a brute method. If it truly can't be done, I'll have Deoxys use its Psychic power to find a way to get me inside."

Mentioning Deoxys, Huo La recalled it was still healing inside a Master Ball, and he quickly asked in his mind, "How are your injuries?"

The next second, Deoxys's familiar cold voice drifted into his mind, its tone still flat, showing no particular emotion: "Hmm, nothing serious, the medicine's effect is good, I can use my abilities normally now."

Huo La exhaled, then hurriedly added, "Good. By the way, could you scan beneath Heart-Equal Lake to see if there's any spatial‑Cave‑type entrance that leads to the Lake Center Cave, or… to somewhere else."

Deoxys was silent, then after a moment its cold voice returned, its tone carrying a hint of certainty: "No. Below the lake's surface there's only ordinary water and rock, no spatial‑cave fluctuations."

Hearing Deoxys's reply, Huo La couldn't help grinding his teeth, his brows slightly furrowing.

Without a spatial cave, it meant the seemingly solid cave at the lake's center was merely a façade, likely containing neither the Stone Tablet nor the three Legendary Pokémon.

He lifted his gaze to the island at the lake's center, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

In that case, Ai Mu Li Duo, Ya Ke Nuo Mu, and You Ke Xi—the three lake‑legend Pokémon—are clearly hidden within another independent space, while the Lake Center Cave may merely be a guide, a "decoy" leading to that mysterious realm.

Ming Yao and Xiao Zhao, standing nearby, also sensed Huo La's unease; Ming Yao was the first to ask, "What's wrong, Huo La? What did Deoxys say?"

Huo La slowly shook his head, voiced his speculation: "Deoxys scanned and found no spatial cave beneath the lake; the Lake Center Cave is probably just a façade. Those three Pokémon are likely in another space."

"Another space?" Ming Yao repeated Huo La's words, a similarly solemn expression on his face, finally realizing the gravity of the issue, "Then… this problem is far more serious."

Huo La let out another heavy sigh, looked up at the ink‑black night sky, the surface of Heart-Equal Lake eerily tranquil.

He whispered, "Indeed, if we have no way to enter, even Psychic power would be useless."

The group fell into a stifling silence.

After a long silence, Huo La was the first to break the stalemate, shaking his head, his tone tinged with resignation: "Fine, let's drop it. We've been on the move all day, everyone's exhausted. Let's rest well tonight; any issues can wait until tomorrow."

Having said that, he stood up, brushed dust from his clothes, turned and walked into his own tent.

The tent's zipper was gently pulled up, sealing off the outside world.

Ming Yao, Xiao Zhao, and Shan Kui exchanged glances, each seeing resignation in the other's eyes.

Indeed, when there's no clue, anxiety does nothing.

They each rose, returning to their tents to rest.

While the four were drifting into sleep, atop the night‑shrouded island at the center of Heart-Equal Lake, the previously sealed Lake Center Cave suddenly flickered three lights without warning.

Three colored beams intertwined and spun, briefly bursting brilliant radiance at the cave's mouth, as if heralding the awakening of a dormant power.

Yet the strange sight lasted only an instant, vanishing like a shooting star.

The cave fell back into dead silence, as if nothing had ever occurred.