In the vast Hoenn Desert, everything was a monotonous yellow as far as the eye could see. There wasn't 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 hadn't been in the desert for long, but the surroundings had a profound psychological impact on them.
It was Terrance's first time traversing a desert, so he found it both novel and overwhelming. Aside from the Pokémon Regirock, this desert didn't 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.
"How much further?" 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.
"I... I can't hold on any longer..." 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.
"These four beasts..." Both Albert and Murasakibara's 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, didn't show any of the pain or helplessness that they felt.
"I give up!" Murasakibara took a gulp of water, his vision suddenly blurred, and he quickly said: "Look, a tree... a tree..."
"What tree—" 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, "That must be the Grass-type Pokémon, Cacnea. Look, is it moving?"
They looked again and saw that the green spot was indeed moving through the desert, with a yellow spot on top... It was Cacnea's signature.
"It's not a tree..." Murasakibara said disappointedly; he was hoping to see something more interesting, but it was just a Pokémon.
"Haha..." Ishi said, "Encountering a Cacnea in the desert is actually something to be happy about."
"Why?" Albert and Murasakibara asked, puzzled.
Both were ordinary Trainers and didn't have as much experience in the wild as Ishi and the others. So, they were immediately curious about this statement.
"Hey?....Terrance, aren't you curious?" Arvin asked, noticing that Terrance was indifferent.
Terrance adjusted his goggles. "I know, but since we brought enough water, Cacnea won't be much help to us."
"Huh?" Albert and Murasakibara were still confused.
"Oh...Terrance, you know quite a bit," Maki said in surprise, then explained to the other two, "Due to Cacnea's unique body structure, they are very good at storing moisture."
"Even without any water, they can live in the extremely hot desert for at least a month using their internal storage."
"So, 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."
"Also, Cacnea appearing in large numbers in the desert indicates they have sufficient water resources," Terrance added.
"However, you can't just ask Cacnea for water. Water is crucial for their survival too. Unless you encounter an exceptionally friendly Cacnea, you'll need to capture them first and then negotiate," Ishi explained.
The Adventure Team's 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.
"We're almost there..."
Looking at the map, Maki traced a route and exclaimed, "Ahead is the 'Desert Ruins'!"
"Really?!" 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.
"Is this the place?" Ishi asked.
"Not sure... but based on the ancient texts we found in those two locations, we've outlined four possible routes. This is one of them!"
"A one-in-four chance, huh..."
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.
"Whoosh—"
As they reached the entrance of the ruins and before they could enter, the group, including Terrance, jumped as a shadow suddenly darted past.
"It's a Sandshrew, don't worry," Terrance said, recognizing the strange pattern in the sand.
"I knew...it was a Pokémon..." Murasakibara scratched his head; he was still clearly brooding because of the earlier matter.
"Stay vigilant—next, we all need to release a small, agile Pokémon to ensure our safety."
"The ruins are very dark, and we must be careful. Moreover, most wild Pokémon in the desert inhabit these ruins, so we cannot be careless. We are intruders, and some Pokémon won't be very friendly!" 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.
"My Pokémon is Machop... Don't underestimate it. We specially trained it to destroy obstacles... Whether we can pass unimpeded depends on it," Ishi said.
Terrance noticed that Machop's 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.
"Come out, Xatu." Maki also called out her Pokémon. "My Xatu can foresee danger. Our safety will depend on it."
"Hehe... Although I'm an Adventure Team Trainer, my Pokémon is this... Volbeat." Arvin held a plump bug, saying, "The path ahead is not going to be easy, and holding a flashlight isn't convenient... but with Volbeat's help, our path will be bright—"
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