Chapter 476: Prepare the Potions
Unfortunately, Dr. Zeratano couldn't provide much more information about Flygon. After their discussion, the doctor arranged for Arthur to stay nearby. There were still many preparations to be made before entering the desert.
By accepting the job, Arthur was no longer going in alone. He would be accompanied by the doctor's assistants and a whole data-logging team. The female assistant who had brought him to meet the doctor, a woman named Amani, was one of them. She had also named her Indeedee "Jia Ran." Amani was Dr. Zeratano's student and a doctoral candidate at the Shurima Royal Academy. Several other graduate and doctoral students from the academy would also be joining the expedition.
However, it was clear that not everyone was convinced by Arthur's sudden appointment as team leader. Over the next few days, Arthur noticed that a male student named Ferruccio seemed to have it out for him. He would frequently make pointed remarks in his presence, like, "The Pokémon in the desert have been tempered by war; they're very strong. Youngsters from peaceful regions shouldn't try to be heroes."
At first, Arthur didn't understand. It wasn't until Amani explained the situation to him. "Oh, Ferruccio... he has a lot of private dealings with the trainer who was originally supposed to lead the team. He might have already received a partial payment. The doctor's last-minute decision has put him in a difficult position."
Unfortunately for Ferruccio, the trainers he had hired had decided to "re-evaluate their strategy" after witnessing Greninja's casual display of power that day. And after learning that Arthur had been recommended by Forrest, most of the other team members had accepted his presence. Forrest had taught at the Shurima Royal Academy just a few years ago; many students still remembered him. This left Ferruccio in an awkward spot, reduced to trying to intimidate Arthur into backing down with resentful glares.
It was, of course, completely useless. Arthur's mental fortitude was immense; a few dirty looks weren't going to faze him.
Until one day, Amani came running to find him again. "Team Leader Arthur, it's bad! Come with me to the sand-proof forest, quickly! Ferruccio deliberately didn't inform you, and now the situation is getting out of control."
Arthur immediately went with Amani, asking on the way, "What's going on?"
Amani explained as she drove, "A wild Pokémon is destroying the sand-proof forest. A large section of trees has already been destroyed. Ferruccio wanted his trainer friends to handle it, so he didn't tell you. But they still can't get the situation under control."
Heh. Arthur sneered inwardly, but his expression remained calm. "What kind of Pokémon is it?"
"They say it's a Sandslash leader."
"Sandslash?" Arthur was a bit surprised.
Wild Sandslash weren't very high on the food chain, and their lifespans were similar to ordinary mammalian Pokémon, around thirty to forty years. It was rare for a particularly powerful individual to appear. They can't even handle a Sandslash?
It was only when he arrived at the scene in Amani's vehicle that Arthur slightly revised his assessment. The Sandslash he saw, dodging and weaving with incredible agility within a circle of humans, was actually quite strong.
"Watch out for the tremors! Brace for impact!"
Amid the urgent shouts of the people around them, the Sandslash in the center of the circle leaped high into the air and then slammed down hard.
BOOM!
The sound was deafening, as if the earth itself was shaking. The ultimate Ground-type move: Earthquake.
"Ah!"
"Ow! My leg!"
Cries of pain immediately filled the air. Even though the Pokémon were in the center of the circle and the humans were mostly on the periphery, the Earthquake still caused considerable chaos and confusion.
Arthur watched from a distance, raising an eyebrow. Even though he had gotten out of the car several hundred meters away from the Sandslash, he could still feel the tremors. The attack power was indeed impressive.
"Its base strength is likely at the captain level. And from the energy aura around it, it has at least two stacks of Swords Dance, and possibly other buffs as well."
Arthur assessed the situation in an instant. The information surprised even him. Is the Ashen Desert really this intense? A random Sandslash, a Pokémon not even high on the food chain, has captain-level strength?
He felt that something was off. While powerful wild Pokémon did appear from time to time, it was usually a result of a large population base. The probability of encountering a powerful Pokémon in the wild could never be higher than in the professional league. Captain-level was considered an elite and rare asset even among professionals. Moreover, powerful wild Pokémon were usually either long-lived or high on the food chain. Sandslash was neither.
But regardless of how strange it was, one look at the constipated expression on Ferruccio's face was enough for Arthur to be sure that this incident had nothing to do with him. It wasn't a setup. So, he would deal with it first and ask questions later.
Ferruccio, standing on the edge of the battlefield, noticed Arthur getting out of the car and approaching. He sneered, "Be careful, my friend from the Kubfu Alliance. The wild Pokémon in our desert are very strong." Even now, he was still being passive-aggressive.
Arthur just smiled. "I gave you a chance, and you couldn't handle it."
It was obvious they hadn't wanted to inform him, hoping to solve the problem themselves and earn some credit with the doctor, to prove their worth. But they had been unable to take down this unusually strong Sandslash. And it wasn't alone; it was surrounded by a group of Sandshrew. When it had used Earthquake, the Sandshrew had scattered to avoid friendly fire. Now that the tremors had subsided, they had regrouped to cover their leader during its move's cooldown.
Their movements were coordinated and disciplined. Even when surrounded, they were not at a disadvantage. This surprised Arthur even more. This Sandslash not only possessed great individual strength but also seemed to be a skilled leader.
"A very impressive leader," Arthur commented sincerely.
Hearing this, Ferruccio thought Arthur was getting scared and puffed out his chest a little. "Hah! If you're scared, then I suggest you stay out of this. The water here is deep; you can't handle it."
But Arthur just smiled faintly. This Sandslash was impressive, but that was all. He could handle captain-level opponents on the professional stage; a real-world battle was even easier.
"Amani, you should prepare some Potions," he said as he calmly walked toward the Sandslash pack.
Amani was confused. "I don't even know what Pokémon you have. What kind of injuries should I prepare for? Or should I just get general-purpose ones?"
Arthur didn't turn back. With his back still to her, he said calmly, "No. I mean prepare the Potions for that Sandslash."
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