Beldum spun and spun, then froze as if someone had pressed pause, hovering right in front of Tyrunt. The red crystals that served as its eyes sparkled with eagerness.
Its little body leaned forward; clearly it wanted to butt heads with Tyrunt again and see how much stronger its newly mastered Zen Headbutt had become.
At the sight, Tyrunt shook its head like a rattle and scooted backward, both tiny claws clamped protectively over its brow.
The dull ache from their last head-clash hadn't quite faded, and it had no desire to suffer again on a full stomach.
It gave a plaintive wag of its tail, rubbed against Lionel's trouser leg, and let out a soft whimper—an unmistakable plea for help.
Lionel laughed, reached out, and nudged Beldum aside.
"All right, leave Tyrunt alone. Go play with Feebas for a while."
Feebas had already returned to the tank, flicking its tail gracefully through the clear water. A faint ring of liquid rippled around its body—the first hint of Aqua Ring.
Every so often it rose to blow a bubble, then sank to the bottom and swished its tail, clearly enjoying the constant, gentle recovery the move provided.
Beldum, obediently shoved aside, fluttered to the edge of the tank.
Its red eyes fixed on Feebas; it tentatively tapped the water's surface, sending out little ripples.
Head cocked, it seemed to wonder what "being in water" felt like.
With Beldum's attention diverted, Tyrunt scrambled up at once, grinding its teeth and rolling its round eyes—obviously hatching some new mischief.
Lionel saw through the little rascal in a glance and gave its rump a light kick. "What are you plotting now? Go play by yourself and don't disturb them."
Exposed, Tyrunt yelped in embarrassment, lashed its tail, and trotted to Lionel's feet.
It nuzzled him affectionately, craning its neck and whining for a cuddle.
Chuckling, Lionel scooped Tyrunt up and rubbed his chin across the top of its head, feeling the little one's warm body and slightly hard skull.
Cradling Tyrunt, he opened his phone; the map clearly marked shops in Mauville City that sold desert essentials.
The outdoor-gear store lay east of Central Park, the pharmacy bordered Foodie Street, and the supermarket sat beside the arcade—nice and compact.
"Tomorrow I'll get the tent first, stock up on Potions and Antidotes, then we can set off." He tapped the screen and murmured to himself.
With that he swiped to the detailed desert map he'd downloaded from Devon Corporation's database and slowly studied the marked desert zone.
Only then did he realize how vast the Route 111 desert actually was.
From the semi-grassy fringe to the deep dunes, the map color-coded danger levels.
Pale yellow meant low Sandstorm risk; orange-yellow sectors had frequent small Sandstorms and required caution.
A crimson zone was scrawled in red: "High Sandstorm probability; many wild Pokémon present—enter at your own risk."
He'd have to train in the safer yellow areas first. Once Tyrunt adapted to the desert, he could consider pushing deeper.
He traced several spots marked "oasis" with a fingertip, turning the plan over in his mind.
Besides a tent, Potions, and Antidotes, he'd need goggles against sandstorms; otherwise a single storm could blind him completely.
Lionel opened his memo and listed everything to buy, ready to check each item tomorrow.
With every entry he pictured its use; the desert was unforgiving—better preparation meant greater safety and smoother training.
By the time he finished, night had fallen outside.
Mauville's nightscape was livelier than its daytime face. Neon signs flashed in tandem with the arcade's colored lights, turning the city into a sleepless blaze.
Lionel walked to the window and eased it open; the evening breeze carried Mauville's unique vitality.
Below, lights blazed and streams of people mingled with Pokémon:
a Trainer strolling leisurely with Poochyena, and a couple holding a camera while teasing the symbols of their love—Plusle and Minun—in their arms.
The two tiny Electric types nestled together, glowing faintly blue while shutter clicks and laughter rang out crisp and bright.
Not far away, a street vendor pushed a food cart, grilling skewers that sizzled. Aroma mixed with sweet berry drinks drifted in through the window.
Lionel inhaled deeply; the warm air carried food scents, a faint grassy or electric smell from Pokémon, and the city's unmistakable life—comforting and heart-warming.
Behind him the room had already erupted into chaos.
While he'd been absorbed in gear lists and desert maps, Tyrunt had slipped from his arms to play on its own.
Now it was chasing Beldum around the room.
Beldum seemed to enjoy the game, using Confusion to accelerate, darting onto the table one second and behind the curtain the next, while Tyrunt yapped in hot pursuit.
In high spirits, Beldum suddenly lifted Tyrunt with Confusion, leaving it hovering a few centimeters above the carpet.
Tyrunt squealed in surprise, then waved its stubby claws and howled joyfully, clearly finding the sensation of floating amazing.
The moment Beldum released Confusion, it plopped onto the rug, scrambled up, and butted Beldum again, begging for Encore.
Not to be outdone, Feebas swished its tail, sending up sprays of water and using the current to propel itself into the romp.
When Lionel finished the list and looked up, his smile deepened. He walked over and patted each of their heads:
"All right, that's enough. Tomorrow at dawn we'll shop for desert gear, then head for the Route 111 desert. Tyrunt, you'll have plenty to keep you busy there."
Tyrunt seemed to catch the word "desert," yelping excitedly and wagging its tail even harder, already eager for the coming training.
Beldum didn't know what Tyrunt was happy about, but it spun its body anyway, red eyes gleaming as if to say, "I'm ready too."
Lionel added a warning: don't get so carried away that they wreck the hotel room… When bedtime came, he switched off the ceiling light, leaving only a soft night-lamp glowing.
Warm yellow light spilled across the carpet; Tyrunt yawned hugely, curled up, and within moments was snoring gently.
Feebas rested on the tank's bottom, a veil of water covering it like a liquid blanket.
Beldum drifted to Lionel's pillow, blinked its red eyes to make sure he was there, then settled quietly beside him.
The room gradually quieted until only the even breathing of the three little Pokémon mingled faintly with Mauville's neon hum outside.
Lying in bed, Lionel listened to the tiny sounds around him, a smile still on his lips.
Once shopping was done tomorrow, they would step into that golden desert. Everything was moving exactly as he hoped.
۞۞۞۞
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