Chapter 258: Desert Area
~Azure S. POV~
[Hoenn Region, Route 111 – Desert Area]
After defeating Wally Sapphire and we have been continuing our path towards the desert area of Route 111. My partners were resting now, tucked safely in my hoodie, chilling this time around.
Beside me, Sapphire bounced with an energy that could rival a fully charged Electrike. Her eyes, wide with youthful enthusiasm, scanned every shop, every trainer, every Pokémon she saw.
She was more than just a companion; she was my student, a fledgling trainer whose determination reminded me so much of myself, albeit with a brighter, more unyielding spark. She had a good heart, a sharp mind, and a growing team she adored.
She'd exclaim, pointing with an excited finger like a kid, "Master, look! That Plusle is juggling Oran Berries!"
I'd smile, a quiet warmth spreading through me. I couldn't help but mutter calmly, "It's quite skilled, isn't it? Every region has its own unique flair, Sapphire. Hoenn is just beginning to show us hers."
My own team, a varied and powerful roster, rested comfortably within their Poké Balls. Each represented a different facet of strength, a different strategy. They were ready.
Sapphire's rotation was equally impressive for her stage of training: Kirly the Gallade, Chic the Combusken, Rono the Lairon, Relly the Relicanth, Phando the Dolphan, and Troppy the Tropius. She understood the importance of a diverse team, even if her connection to them was still blossoming from pure affection into the profound bond that only true battle could forge.
Our immediate goal was Route 111, a path that promised a varied landscape, leading eventually into the heart of the desert. The road ahead opened into the vast expanse of Route 111, the air growing drier, the vegetation sparser.
In the distance, the undulating dunes of the desert shimmered under the Hoenn sun. I murmured, eyes narrowed, "The desert… A challenging environment, and a perfect training ground."
Sapphire nodded, understanding instantly. She asked curiously, "You're thinking what I'm thinking, aren't you, Master? Intense training."
Nodding my head, I confirmed, explaining as I felt the sensation of heat from the dessert of Route 111, "Precisely. The heat, the sandstorms, the unique Pokémon that thrive here. It'll push us and our partners to their limits. I propose we split up for the next two or three days. Isolate ourselves in different parts of this desert. Focus on individually training our teams, particularly those who stand to gain the most from this harsh environment. We'll meet back here."
Sapphire's eyes lit up. She grinned excitedly, already off to a tangent about what her plan is relying on her own Pokémon's natural abilities in this harsh environment, "That's a great idea! Rono could really benefit from the sand, and Phando might find some interesting water sources beneath the dunes! This will make us stronger, Master!"
Nodding my head, agreeing, I said cautiously, laying a hand on her shoulder, "That's the goal. Be careful out there, Sapphire. This desert isn't forgiving. Trust your Pokémon and listen to your instincts."
She replied innocently, already scanning the horizon, her mind clearly buzzing with training plans, "You too, Master!"
With a final nod, we separated. Sapphire veered off towards what looked like a rocky outcrop, while I headed deeper into the vast, sandy wilderness, the scorching sun already beating down, kicking up the first swirls of sand.
My path was intentional, less about general exploration and more about a specific location using my Arc Phone Map App. It would be quick, hopefully searching for the Desert Ruin containing Regirock.
But the first order of business was to mitigate the harsh conditions. Bringing out a Poké Ball, I hurled it out, bringing my Pokémon out, "Golduck, come on out!"
*Pop*
My Golduck, a majestic Pokémon with an air of calm wisdom, materialized, its blue body shimmering. I gave a simple command, calmly ordering, "Alright, Golduck, let's make ourselves comfortable. Activate your ability, Cloud Nine!"
*Shiii*
Golduck closed its eyes, and a soothing aura emanated from its body. Immediately, the intense heat seemed to lessen, the swirling sand a distant blur.
The oppressive weight of the desert weather cycles, the harsh sun, and the nascent sandstorm effects were negated, leaving us in a bubble of temperate calm. It wouldn't stop the sand from getting everywhere, but it certainly made breathing and moving far easier to handle.
Who knew that using the ability Cloud Nine like this could be this useful?
Gotta thank Blue for letting his Golduck teach my Psyduck at the time how to use its ability to disable weather itself.
I praised, giving its head a gentle pat, much to Golduck's joy, as I brought out another Poke Ball, declaring, "Good job, partner. Now, let's get some serious training in. Mudkip, you're up!"
*Pop*
Mudkip, small and eager, chirped excitedly as it emerged from its Poké Ball. Its beady eyes scanned the vast expanse, seeming undeterred by the scale of the challenge.
My goal for Mudkip was clear: evolution. Its potential, especially for the Hoenn League, was immense.
The desert, home to hardy ground types, presented a perfect opportunity. It wasn't long before we encountered our first challenge. At first, a horde of Sandshrew popped out when we invaded their territory unintentionally.
But not wanting to damage or hurt them, I asked for the Sandshrew to teach my Mudkip how to perform the move Rollout. Persuading them with food made them lower they're guard as they taught my Mudkip the basics of the move.
Sometimes, asking Wild Pokémon to teach my team moves I couldn't afford to teach is mildly better than spending on TMs. We waited for a few minutes till Mudkip got to move down as I checked its status, smiling happily at raising its move pool.
Afterward, we split off from the Sandshrew as we moved forward to the Desert Ruins. That was our real goal to reach, while training and evolving Mudkip was secondary.
At the very least, the trip there won't be annoying. Certainly made better without the harsh desert weather conditions, making it an even fight.
During the traveling, we battled a few Wild Pokémon for Mudkip to grow as it steadily increased its experience through each encounter. With each battle, it steadily grew in experience, making me smile to see its growth.
*RMBL*
But not before long, a new opponent appeared before us. A Trapinch, burrowing just beneath the surface, burst out, its massive mouth snapping.
It was larger, more aggressive than the ones I'd seen in my Kanto studies. A strong, desert-bred specimen, perfect for Mudkip's growth and testing out its refined moves, we developed during training.
I commanded calmly, "Mudkip, Agile Style Water Gun!"
*SPLASH*
Mudkip opened its mouth, sending a stream of water towards the Trapinch. The Trapinch, surprisingly agile, dug itself into the sand to avoid the attack, then resurfaced, launching a barrage of Sand Attack.
*Pooof*
The sand was tossed in Mudkip's way. But I countered easily, "Dodge the sand, then Strong Style Water Gun!"
*SPLASH*
Mudkip, thanks to its fin, managed to avoid the Sand Attack and countered with its Strong Style Water Gun. The battle continued, a dance of awareness and ground-based power. And eventually, the Trapinch was defeated.
However, it wasn't enough. We encountered several Trapinch, each encounter pushing Mudkip a little further.
I used a variety of its moves, having it practice both offensive and defensive strategies. It learned to predict the Trapinch's movements, to use its fin to its advantage, and to conserve its energy in the searing heat of the (negated) desert.
Mudkip's movements grew more confident, its attacks more precise. Its cries, once high-pitched and slightly uncertain, now held a note of defiance.
The experience points accrued, the muscle memory built, the raw strength increased. We were deep in the desert now, the dunes stretching endlessly in every direction, an ocean of sand under the pale Hoenn sky.
After a particularly arduous battle against a particularly stubborn Trapinch, which Mudkip, with a final, decisive Water Gun, finally managed to fell, a shimmering light enveloped my little mud fish Pokémon.
*Shiii*
I breathed, a wide smile spreading across my face, "Yes!"
Mudkip grew as it evolved. It turned bipedal Pokémon similar in appearance to a salamander or mudskipper. Its body is primarily light blue with a lighter shade of blue for its underside and an orange belly.
Its head has an angular black fin, small orange eyes, and orange gills on the ends of both cheeks. It has long arms with three-fingered hands. Its feet have three small toes, and it has two black fins for tails.
Mudkip evolved into Marshtomp. It let out a deep, resonant cry, a sound far more powerful than Mudkip's cry, "Marshhh!! (Looking good, boss!)"
I cheered, rushing forward to congratulate it into a hug, "Congratulations, Mudkip! No… rather Marshtomp!"
It was always so humbling and exhilarating when a Pokémon of mine evolved. But then I quickly checked my Arc Phone to see any new info.
[Marshtomp the Mud Fish Pokémon. This Pokémon has a thin, sticky film enveloping its body that enables it to live on land. This development came from living on muddy ground where there is poor footing. Despite this, Marshtomp is at its best when in this environment.
Its body weakens if its skin dries out, so it plays in the mud on beaches when the tide is low to replenish fluids. Marshtomp will burrow into the mud to sleep, seemingly feeling safe as it slumbers. Marshstomp has four different sleep styles: Seated Sleep, Outflung Sleep, Mud-Bath Sleep, and Atop-Belly Sleep. It can move faster through mud than water. With its sturdy legs, it has a good footing in mud that allows it to overwhelm struggling opponents. Marshtomp lives in swamps and other wetlands.]
|Name: Marshtomp (Mud Fish Pokémon)
|Type: Water/Ground
|Level: 16
|Gender: Male
|Held Item: None
|Ability: Damp (Hidden Ability)
|Nature: Relaxed
|Moves: Growl, Protect, Supersonic, Foresight, Curse, Water Gun [A][S], Mud-Slap[A][S], Rollout [A][S], Rock Smash [A][S], Rock Throw [A][S], Mud Shot (IM), Ice Ball [A][S] (IM), Mirror Coat (EM) (0 Moves left to learn)
Good. I smiled, seeing its growth was worth the wait. With its new evolution, Marshtomp continued to battle any foes in our way, with Golduck occasionally hydrating us with its Water Moves to keep the heat off and refresh Marshtomp's skin.
But soon we reached the vast landscape, and something caught my eye in the distance. A structure revealed itself. Not a natural formation, but something built, something ancient. A particularly large dune partially obscured it, but its distinctive, geometrically carved stones were unmistakable…
The Desert Ruins.
A jolt went through me. This was it.
This was the place I had sought, the rumored abode of the Rock Titan. I'd parted ways with Sapphire not just for focused training, but for this very reason.
I wanted to face Regirock alone. Not out of selfishness, but out of a deep respect for the challenge. Legendary Pokémon encounters were personal, profound events.
I didn't want to inadvertently deny Sapphire the opportunity to face it herself, nor did I want to navigate the complexities of who would capture it, if capture were even possible or desirable. This was my quest for this leg of the journey.
*Bdmp*
My heart hammered with a mixture of anticipation and awe. It was a sign. My newly empowered Marshtomp, my steadfast Golduck, and the rest of my team in their Poké Balls felt the shift in my demeanor. They were ready.
I began to walk towards the Ruins, each step weighted with the significance of what lay ahead. The air, though still holding the scent of fresh rain, now also carried a faint, earthy musk, an ancient aroma that spoke of forgotten ages.
The silence of the desert, briefly broken by the downpour, returned, profound and heavy with history. The closer I got, the more the structure revealed itself.
Massive, weathered stone blocks, inscribed with patterns I couldn't decipher from this distance, jutted from the sand. It looked less like a ruin and more like a colossal, half-buried monument of a forgotten civilization.
A faint, almost imperceptible tremor ran through the ground, a heartbeat deep beneath the earth. This wasn't just a battle; it was an archaeological expedition of the soul.
My pursuit of strength and experience often led me to these ancient powers, not to conquer them, but to understand them, to test myself against the very fabric of the world. Regirock. One of the legendary golems, a creature of pure, unyielding earth.
I approached the closed entrance, a gaping maw in the colossal stone façade. The air grew colder, heavier, even as the sun began to peek through the clouds.
My steps slowed as I reached the threshold, the shadow of the ancient structure falling over me like a cloak. Deep within, I could feel it…
A presence. Immovable. Unyielding.
A silent challenge, echoing through the millennia. This was it…
The Rock Titan awaited. And I, Azure Sky, was ready to meet it.
Grinning excitedly, I began to do the motion needed to unlock the rock seal. Originally, in the games, to get to the Regi's you need to solve the Sealed Chamber's puzzle to unlock the other chambers.
In Pokémon Adventures, the inscription in the chamber is instead on a damaged stone tablet to activate it. But in my case, I can't force my way through as the Elite Four of Hoenn, former Champions in their own right, couldn't break through these seals.
But as I studied the entrance, I knew the traditional method of entry. The ancient runes spoke of a Relicanth and a Wailord, their unique cries and movements supposedly the key to unlocking the titans' seals along with that tablet.
I didn't have a Wailord, and while Sapphire had both, I hadn't wanted to involve her in this challenge, not yet. This was my personal quest.
I needed an alternative. A different way in.
And as I ran my hand over the unyielding stone, an idea formed, though it was certainly… brutish by my usual standards. My methods usually relied on precision, strategy, and the honed skills of my Pokémon.
This, however, was going to be raw power. Controlled, yes, but raw nonetheless. I said coolly, pulling out her distinctive Poké Ball, "Gardevoir. I need your strength, girl."
*Pop*
She appeared in a flash of light, her elegant form contrasting sharply with the rugged desert sand surroundings. Her calm, intelligent eyes met mine, understanding already beginning to dawn.
I explained calmly, gesturing to the sealed entrance of the Desert Ruin, "I need to breach this wall, Gardevoir. It's sealed by ancient people from the past, but I believe your Psychic power, amplified, can overcome it."
I took out her Mega Stone, the Key Stone on my glove, thrumming in anticipation. Grinning excitedly as she held her Mega Stone, "Let's do this, Gardevoir. Mega Evolve!"
*SHIII*
A blinding light enveloped Gardevoir as the Key Stone on my glove resonated with her Mega Stone. Her form shifted, lengthened, her gown-like lower body expanding, her arms becoming more ethereal. Her strength, already immense, magnified tenfold…
*CRACK*
Emerging from the rainbow sphere of evolution, Mega Gardevoir stood before me, radiating an aura of incredible psychic power, her face serene yet focused. I commanded, my voice firm, "Gardevoir. Concentrate your power. Create a spatial distortion. A small black hole, just enough to destroy this entrance. We must contain the destruction, preventing any wider damage."
*SHIII*
Her eyes glowed an intense blue. She lifted her hands, her fingers splayed, and the air in front of the sealed entrance began to shimmer, distort. A vortex of energy, dark and impossibly dense, started to form.
It wasn't uncontrolled chaos; it was a perfect, contained sphere of nothingness, pulling at the very fabric of reality. The ancient stones of the entrance began to groan, to crack, to crumble, not outwards, but inwards, into the void.
*CRACK*
The destruction was absolute, yet strangely silent, swallowed by the distortion. The massive stone entrance, which had stood for millennia, was not blasted apart but simply… ceased to exist, pulled into the singularity…
*BOOOM*
The black hole pulsed, then with a final, implosive sound, it vanished, leaving behind only a gaping, dark maw where the sealed entrance had been. The air around it rippled momentarily before settling.
Before me lay a shadowed passageway, leading into the heart of the ruins. The air pouring out was cool, ancient, and heavy with the scent of undisturbed earth.
My heart pounded with a mix of awe and anticipation. This was it.
The lair of Regirock. I said thankfully, recalling her as her Mega Evolution faded, leaving her slightly breathless but victorious, "Thank you, Gardevoir. You've outdone yourself."
I took a deep breath, adjusting my bag. This was why I'd come. This was the challenge. And I was ready.
/////
A/N: Reach the goal of 150 PS to get a Bonus Chapter!