Chapter 480: Entering the Desert
A few days later, Arthur officially set off, leading a seven-person expedition team. Besides him, the only other armed personnel was a local mercenary from the Batta Alliance, an old friend who had a long-standing partnership with Dr. Zeratano and frequently led research teams into the desert. His name was Skarner, a retired scout in his forties who had been a reconnaissance vanguard in the army. He had been working with Dr. Zeratano since leaving the military eight years ago. His signature Pokémon was a very lively Gliscor.
The team set out in three open-top off-road vehicles. Arthur, Skarner, and the research team's lead, Amani, were in the first vehicle, with the remaining four members in the two vehicles behind them. The vehicles were loaded with gasoline, tents, various collection tools, observation equipment, and a full case of Poké Balls.
These Poké Balls primarily contained Cacturne and Maractus. These were two common Grass-type Pokémon in the desert, and they also served as excellent water storage "items." Although they were Grass-types, they could have the Water Absorb ability. By feeding them plenty of water before entering the desert, they could store a large amount of freshwater in their bodies.
Because Pokémon possess extraordinary powers, a Maractus or Cacturne with Water Absorb could store several times its own body weight in freshwater, far surpassing ordinary animals like camels. Thus, these two cactus Pokémon had become essential companions for desert travel in this world.
In addition, when they first set off, a flock of Dodrio ran alongside their vehicles. These were also Pokémon the team had prepared in advance. Human vehicles weren't always reliable in the desert; if one broke down, it would become useless scrap metal. It was essential to have backup transportation. The Dodrio were there for that purpose. The initial part of the journey was relatively easy, so they let the Dodrio run for a while to warm up and acclimatize to the desert environment, ensuring they hadn't gotten too out of shape from being cooped up at the academy.
Seeing these Dodrio running tirelessly through the heat and dust, Arthur was reminded of that rainy night in the Star Brilliance Alliance. When he was searching for Specter, it was a Dodrio that had carried him tirelessly all over the city. Looking back now, he still felt a sense of gratitude. It was just a shame that after that incident, the rental Dodrio never wanted to see him again. He had searched half the city for her later, but he never found her.
About thirty minutes after they set off, Skarner released his Gliscor, sending it into the sky to keep watch over their convoy.
"Be careful. We're entering the reserve now," Skarner warned.
In the desert, the boundary between the nature reserve and the human world wasn't clearly marked. It was difficult to draw a distinct border in the sand. Generally, the area around the oil fields and cities was considered human territory, and anything fifty kilometers beyond the city limits was considered part of the nature reserve.
The wind and sand gradually grew stronger, and the sun beat down relentlessly. The surface temperature climbed as they ventured deeper. The harsh desert was beginning to show its terrifying side.
Yet, even in these severe conditions, there were still many Pokémon, plants, and animals to be seen. As the saying goes: life finds a way. Along the way, they saw Hippowdon sunbathing with their mouths wide open, Silicobra occasionally bursting out of the sand, and a group of Baltoy spinning and dancing in a circle on a sand dune. They also had several startling encounters with Trapinch, which would suddenly pop their large heads out from under the sand.
Trapinch were common in the desert and were often seen in groups. Three hours after they set off, when the team stopped for their first break near a patch of desert vegetation, the Sandslash that had returned to the desert with them immediately caught several Trapinch. It led its Sandshrew minions, burrowing into the ground and then leaping out, occasionally unearthing one or two hidden Trapinch.
"What are they doing?" one of the researchers asked, confused. They had brought the Sandslash back to the desert with the intention of releasing it, but it had followed their convoy the whole way, seemingly unwilling to leave. Now that they had stopped, it had even taken on the job of driving away the local Pokémon.
But after unearthing the Trapinch, the Sandslash and its minions didn't just drive them away. They surrounded the group of Trapinch. The researchers grew even more curious, momentarily stopping their work. "Why are the Sandshrew bullying the Trapinch? Their diets don't conflict, do they?"
It wasn't until Greninja listened in for a while and relayed the information to Arthur that he understood the Sandslash's intentions. But his confusion only grew.
Meanwhile, Amani had also learned what the Sandslash was doing through her Indeedee, Jia Ran. She explained to her colleagues, her voice filled with wonder. "It's incredible. That Sandslash is gathering all the nearby Trapinch to teach them not to chew on the roots of the plants. It's explaining that doing so will kill the limited vegetation. It's… teaching the Trapinch about sustainable consumption. Has this Sandslash's intelligence really reached that level?"
No one had expected that the Sandslash had followed them deep into the desert for this purpose. The intelligence of a Trapinch was generally no better than a Sandshrew's, maybe even worse. After a lengthy lecture from the Sandslash, the group of Trapinch was still completely clueless. The Sandslash waved its claws in frustration. It was one thing to command its own kind, who were a bit slow, through its authority as a leader. But trying to teach a different species that just didn't get it was truly exasperating.
Vegetation in the desert was already scarce, and many Pokémon and animals depended on it for survival. They couldn't let these dim-witted Trapinch destroy the roots. But no matter how much it explained, the Trapinch just shook their heads and opened their mouths, a perfect illustration of "big head, no thoughts." The Sandslash, whose own strength and intelligence were impeccable, was completely stumped.
After watching for a while, Arthur walked over and had Greninja relay a message to the Sandslash. "You won't get through to them like that. You have to do it this way."
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