Chapter 213: Desert Ruins
In the vast Hoenn Desert, everything was a monotonous yellow as far as the eye could see. There wasnât a single tree, and the endless expanse of the desert left Terrance and his companions exhausted, feeling as if they would never get out.
Actually, it was just an illusion. They hadnât been in the desert for long, but the surroundings had a profound psychological impact on them.
It was Terranceâs first time traversing a desert, so he found it both novel and overwhelming. Aside from the PokĂ©mon Regirock, this desert didnât pique his interest much.
As it approached noon, the sun was high in the sky, heating the desert until it seemed to steam. By this time, Terrance had already drunk a whole bottle of water.
âHow much further?â Murasakibara, the Trainer with the earrings, asked in a hoarse voice. He was extremely uncomfortable, with sand occasionally blowing into his face, making this place simply not suitable for people.
âI⊠I canât hold on any longerâŠâ Albert, the dark-skinned member of the group, wailed. Even compared to previous trips, walking a few days continuously had never been as painful as this half-day in the desert.
âThese four beastsâŠâ Both Albert and Murasakibaraâs eyes widened in surprise as they looked at the other four people.
Maki, Ishi, and Arvin were fine as they were used to dealing with such environments⊠but Terrance, besides looking bored, didnât show any of the pain or helplessness that they felt.
âI give up!â Murasakibara took a gulp of water, his vision suddenly blurred, and he quickly said: âLook, a tree⊠a treeâŠâ
âWhat treeââ Maki looked over, and amidst the blue sky and yellow ground in the vast desert, where there was no other color to be seen, a bit of green appeared, causing everyone to rub their eyes.
Maki was the first to react. She said, âThat must be the Grass-type PokĂ©mon, Cacnea. Look, is it moving?â
They looked again and saw that the green spot was indeed moving through the desert, with a yellow spot on top⊠It was Cacneaâs signature.
âItâs not a treeâŠâ Murasakibara said disappointedly; he was hoping to see something more interesting, but it was just a PokĂ©mon.
âHahaâŠâ Ishi said, âEncountering a Cacnea in the desert is actually something to be happy about.â
âWhy?â Albert and Murasakibara asked, puzzled.
Both were ordinary Trainers and didnât have as much experience in the wild as Ishi and the others. So, they were immediately curious about this statement.
âHey?âŠ.Terrance, arenât you curious?â Arvin asked, noticing that Terrance was indifferent.
Terrance adjusted his goggles. âI know, but since we brought enough water, Cacnea wonât be much help to us.â
âHuh?â Albert and Murasakibara were still confused.
âOhâŠTerrance, you know quite a bit,â Maki said in surprise, then explained to the other two, âDue to Cacneaâs unique body structure, they are very good at storing moisture.â
âEven without any water, they can live in the extremely hot desert for at least a month using their internal storage.â
âSo, if you find yourself in the desert without enough water, encountering a Cacnea is a blessing. The moisture stored in its body can be extracted and can save lives in critical times.â
âAlso, Cacnea appearing in large numbers in the desert indicates they have sufficient water resources,â Terrance added.
âHowever, you canât just ask Cacnea for water. Water is crucial for their survival too. Unless you encounter an exceptionally friendly Cacnea, youâll need to capture them first and then negotiate,â Ishi explained.
The Adventure Teamâs three members spoke confidently, analyzing how to utilize the surrounding environment in the wild.
Terrance listened intently. Though he had some understanding of these aspects due to his knowledge as a Pokémon Breeder, he knew that personal experience was invaluable.
âWeâre almost thereâŠâ
Looking at the map, Maki traced a route and exclaimed, âAhead is the âDesert Ruinsâ!â
âReally?!â Everyone was overjoyed.
Desert Ruins was their destination. In the vast Hoenn desert, there were at least ten ruins which have existed from ancient times until now, but Regirock could only be in one of them.
Moreover, after entering a desert, determining the direction and location is quite difficult. Fortunately, although the desert is big, as long as they keep walking in one direction with sufficient water, food, and Pokémon assistance, they have a chance to make it through.
âIs this the place?â Ishi asked.
âNot sure⊠but based on the ancient texts we found in those two locations, weâve outlined four possible routes. This is one of them!â
âA one-in-four chance, huhâŠâ
The so-called Desert Ruins resembled a cave, completely made of stone and covered in sand, looking dark and eerie, giving off an unsettling feeling.
âWhooshââ
As they reached the entrance of the ruins and before they could enter, the group, including Terrance, jumped as a shadow suddenly darted past.
âItâs a Sandshrew, donât worry,â Terrance said, recognizing the strange pattern in the sand.
âI knewâŠit was a PokĂ©monâŠâ Murasakibara scratched his head; he was still clearly brooding because of the earlier matter.
âStay vigilantânext, we all need to release a small, agile PokĂ©mon to ensure our safety.â
âThe ruins are very dark, and we must be careful. Moreover, most wild PokĂ©mon in the desert inhabit these ruins, so we cannot be careless. We are intruders, and some PokĂ©mon wonât be very friendly!â Arvin warned.
Albert released a Breloom to follow him.
Murasakibara released a Sandslash, which seemed fitting for the environment.
As for Terrance, he simply nodded. His Mismagius had been with him since they entered the desert.
âMy PokĂ©mon is Machop⊠Donât underestimate it. We specially trained it to destroy obstacles⊠Whether we can pass unimpeded depends on it,â Ishi said.
Terrance noticed that Machopâs arm muscles were well-developed, even more so than some Machoke, and its hands were wrapped in medicinal bandages, showing that it takes great care of its hands.
âCome out, Xatu.â Maki also called out her PokĂ©mon. âMy Xatu can foresee danger. Our safety will depend on it.â
âHehe⊠Although Iâm an Adventure Team Trainer, my PokĂ©mon is this⊠Volbeat.â Arvin held a plump bug, saying, âThe path ahead is not going to be easy, and holding a flashlight isnât convenient⊠but with Volbeatâs help, our path will be brightââ
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