Chapter Fifty-Three: Who Is Throwing a Party and Dancing in the Night?

Squeezing out from the narrow coral cave, Su Yi found himself in the depths of a tranquil night. The night wind brushed by, bringing with it a faint chill. Su Yi released the Emberbug, cradling it in his arms. The little creature chirped in delight, enjoying the warmth of his embrace, its curious eyes sparkling with excitement as it gazed at the mysterious scenery before them.

“Come on, Bear Disciple, let’s go for a walk,” Su Yi said, summoning Bear Disciple. With a happy gurgle, Bear Disciple beamed at the chance to take in the sights together.

At night, the Fluttering Wyverns were no longer active, resting high among the coral groves. The coral woods, so lively by day, had fallen into silence. Now, as the night wind danced, the Sky Capes finally revealed their dazzling beauty in full. Emitting a soft blue glow, these Sky Capes dotted the land-coral plateau like stars scattered across the night sky.

The whole scene was reminiscent of glowing jellyfish drifting through coral forests beneath the sea—how fitting the name, “land-ocean,” seemed at this moment.

A gentle buzzing signaled as the guiding insect at Su Yi’s waist took flight, cutting a bright path through the darkness, pointing the way ahead.

“It’s a Jar Barnacle—tonight’s supper is abalone!” Su Yi smacked his lips with anticipation. The Jar Barnacle was about the size of a football, pink and sturdy, with a tiny opening atop it through which the tender, succulent abalone could be glimpsed. During the day, he’d been too preoccupied with the arrival of the Sakura Fire Dragon to explore this area, but now he could take his time, savoring the moment.

“There’s more here, meow!” Cat chimed in excitedly.

Bear Disciple, eager to help, volunteered to split open the tough shell with a powerful chop, extracting the plump abalone within.

“This one’s huge! Is it the rare hidden barnacle abalone?” Su Yi’s mouth watered at the sight of the luscious delicacy. “Well done!” he praised Bear Disciple, and stored the bounty—these treasures of both land and sea—among his possessions.

They continued onward, crossing a bridge woven from coral and vines, arriving at the spot where they’d last seen the swaying eels. Su Yi signaled for silence and crouched, inching closer to the group. Even at night, the eels swayed to the wind, while the Sky Capes above shone like ballroom lights, illuminating their dance.

At the center of the green and blue eels, an orange-red queen stood out among the rest.

“It’s the Eel Queen,” Su Yi whispered, motioning for Rotom to record a video of their mesmerizing dance.

Climbing the winding rocky peak, Su Yi reached a small open platform and surveyed the plateau below. In the distance, a great flock of Sky Capes soared, and not far off he could make out a patch of coral forest. Further away, he spotted an airship crashed in the southwest, near the ring-shaped canyon that encircled the land-coral plateau, yet removed from its heart.

“Aibo, isn’t that the Third Expedition’s airship?” Su Yi lifted his binoculars for a better look. The airship lay head-down, wedged into the plateau’s edge, isolated and forlorn.

Nearly twenty years ago, after the First and Second Expeditions had established a foothold on the New World, the Guild dispatched over a hundred members in the Third Expedition, following the Elder Dragon Steel Dragon across the sea. Composed mainly of scholars and researchers, the group was immediately captivated by the local ecology, especially the unknown environments north of the canyon.

On the proposal of their imaginative leader, they converted the Guild’s ship into an airship and bravely crossed the jagged, blade-like canyon. But as soon as they entered the land-coral plateau, disaster struck—they were attacked by Wind-Drift Dragons and crashed in the southwest, beyond the canyon.

Stranded for twenty years, their spirits remained unbroken; the scholars embraced their days of research in this ecologically diverse land. Most of the researchers were Wyverians, whose lifespans far exceeded those of humans—twenty years was but a blink to them.

“It seems so, meow! The legendary Third Expedition, meow,” Dewgrass said.

“I really admire their dedication—twenty years of research under such conditions,” Su Yi sighed, and turned his gaze toward the distant coral rock forest.

As Su Yi, Dewgrass, and the Pokémon admired the plateau beneath the night sky, a sudden flash in the coral woods caught their eyes—a tiny, brilliant burst like a star igniting in the darkness.

“Huh? Who’s partying out here at night?” Su Yi peered through his binoculars. On a soft coral platform, a Dazzle Bird darted and spun as if embroiled in a fight. The coral trees and the night’s gloom obscured much of the view; all Su Yi could see was the bird’s blue-violet figure.

“Throwing a party and not inviting me?” Su Yi marked the direction, then swiftly rappelled down the cliff using a grappling hook and vines, sprinting toward the coral forest.

A sharp cry rang out.

The Dazzle Bird screeched, spreading its talons as it lunged at a beastman resembling a wildcat. The small Cat dove aside just in time, narrowly dodging the attack. Not far away, two more Cats lay on the ground, clutching their wounds, while three Cat Lizard-Dragons lay unconscious nearby, eyes closed.

“Meow!” The battle-ready Cat snarled fiercely, though its bone weapon was already broken.

The Dazzle Bird eyed its desperate foes, unfurling its luminous membrane, which began to flicker in a rapid prelude to a blinding flash.

“Meow!” The Cat squeezed its eyes shut.

“Using a flash attack in the middle of the night? Have some decency!” A booming shout pierced the darkness, followed by a sharp stone whistling through the air.

The stone struck the Dazzle Bird’s luminous membrane dead-on, disrupting its attack and causing it to screech in pain. Enraged, it turned to face the newcomer.

“We meet again, little Dazzle Bird,” Su Yi said with a calm, unhurried smile.

“Meow?!” The Cat stared in surprise.

“It’s Su Yi, meow! He’s a beastman like an Ailu Cat, but a little different,” Dewgrass remarked, marveling at the Cat that so closely resembled herself.

“That’s a Dettel—also known as the Lynx Tribe, one of the beastman races of the New World,” Su Yi explained with interest. He’d never expected to encounter them here. Noticing the red fur on the Cat’s paws, feet, and ear tips, he realized this was a Plateau Performer, a Dettel living on the land-coral plateau.

Seeing the collapsed Cats and Cat Lizard-Dragons, he quickly deduced what had happened. The Plateau Performers had the unique ability to communicate with Cat Lizard-Dragons, taming them as partners for hunting and battle. Yet, as Cat Lizard-Dragons often clashed with Dazzle Birds, it was little surprise these performers had been attacked.

“Aibo, Bear Disciple, take these medicines and help treat their companions,” Su Yi said, handing healing potions, life dust, and bandages to Dewgrass and Bear Disciple.

Bear Disciple thumped his chest, promising to handle it with confidence.

“As for you, I won’t bully you—let’s go, Kulu-Ya-Ku!” Su Yi summoned his own bird wyvern, equal in size to the Dazzle Bird, to face their adversary.