https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-388-The-Part-Time-Job-of-a-Mantyke/12537550/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-390-The-Lost-Underground-Nation-Mysterious-Fossils-Are-they-Pokemon-/12537552/
Chapter 389: Beneath the Sand, an Intense Chase in the Desert!
Chapter 389: Beneath the Sand, an Intense Chase in the Desert!
On July 23, 199, two days before Naoki set off to explore the ancient ruins, he began inspecting the progress of Motoslug and the Hakutons, who had been undergoing special training with Gorenton.
The Hakutons, having fun while they trained, had each learned one to two new moves over the past half month.
Motoslug, on the other hand, had been diligently pushing itself.
When Gorenton first offered to teach it, Motoslug was surprised. Gorenton had always maintained a distance, neither approaching nor actively avoiding it.
Motoslug thought Gorenton was joking, but when it saw how earnest Gorenton was in teaching, it set its heart at ease and eagerly followed, determined to learn.
Now, a significant amount of time had passed since its special training began.
Standing on the grassy pasture of the ranch, Motoslug confidently demonstrated the moves it had learned from Gorenton.
It charged at its imaginary opponent, leaping high and crashing down with its body to deliver a powerful blow.
"Looks like a Normal-type Hyper Beam," Naoki mused, observing Motoslug's actions.
As he watched it perform Hyper Beam, he noticed a resemblance between the move and Gorenton's Full-Force Crash—both involved a high jump followed by a crashing tackle.
"Well done. Continue," Naoki said, jotting down the new move in his notebook under Motoslug's profile.
Motoslug proceeded to showcase its next move.
Time ticked by, and the demonstration lasted for about ten minutes.
By the time Motoslug finished displaying its final move, several more lines had been added to the page documenting its progress.
[Name: Motoslug
Disposition: Cute, immature, naive, a bit foolish. Recently, it seems to yearn to become stronger like Aerodactyl and Bubo.
Hobbies: Sunbathing, chasing butterflies in the grass, and happily assisting me with work.
Favorite Foods: Pan-fried Meat Patties, Naoki's Special Sandwiches, Fruit Juice Milk
Known Moves: Tackle, Roar, Agility, Dragon Tail, Speed Up, Wide Guard, Spark, Acrobatics, Brave Bird, Hyper Beam, Tail Whip, Shift Gear, Dragon Pulse, Dragon Dive, Anger Point, Iron Head, Extreme Speed]
"Shift Gear... Speed Up..."
Looking at these two speed-boosting moves, Naoki wondered just how fast Motoslug could go when it put its mind to it.
An idea struck him, and he instructed Motoslug, "Show me what you can do with Shift Gear."
"Gao!"
Motoslug nodded, and the tire-like feature on its chest began to glow white. It spun rapidly, like a high-speed motorcycle, and took off.
"Now, run!" Naoki commanded.
Motoslug sprinted across the grass, its speed noticeably increased.
"Indeed, your speed has improved significantly," Naoki remarked, signaling for Motoslug to stop. He then instructed it to use Shift Gear in conjunction with Speed Up to maximize its velocity.
Motoslug applied the buffs diligently.
Once the effects were fully stacked, it ran again as per Naoki's request.
In a flash, Motoslug's figure disappeared from Naoki's sight, leaving only a fleeting afterimage.
Naoki was astonished.
Incredible speed!
The Pokedex entry stating that Motoslug could reach speeds of up to 120 km/h was no exaggeration!
With this ability, Motoslug could fully utilize its speed advantage in battles.
It could dodge attacks, close the distance with opponents, and then strike with moves like Dragon Tail and Iron Head.
Satisfied with Motoslug's performance, Naoki called it back and carefully explained his thoughts. "Speed is your strength. In battles, you must learn to utilize your speed and high mobility to create distance and kite your opponents."
"Gao?" Motoslug listened, only partially understanding.
Naoki was about to explain further when he noticed Gorenton yawning lazily beside them.
Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea.
Instead of explaining it word for word, why not put it into practice with a sparring session?
"Gorenton," Naoki said, "I'd like you to spar with Motoslug. I'll be directing Motoslug's moves for this battle."
"Agghhh..." Gorenton blinked, looking a bit exasperated, but it agreed to Naoki's request. It rose to its feet and stood on the grass, ready to face its former self.
Motoslug's face lit up with determination as it faced Gorenton.
The battle commenced!
Motoslug, with its speed maximized through consecutive uses of Shift Gear, versus Gorenton!
Naoki instructed Motoslug to start with the Dragon-type move, Wide Guard.
The move connected, and Naoki immediately called out, "Create some distance! Don't give your opponent a chance to grab you!"
Motoslug immediately withdrew, taking advantage of its speed to maneuver around Gorenton.
"Again, this time use Dragon Claw, and then quickly retreat!"
Motoslug charged at Gorenton once more, and after landing the Dragon Claw, it leaped back.
These brief exchanges gave Motoslug a newfound understanding.
"Do you understand now? This is the kiting tactic! Speed is your advantage, and you need to learn to utilize it to maximize your strengths in battle," Naoki explained.
"Gao!"
Motoslug wasn't foolish; it quickly grasped the concept.
"Want to give it a try yourself?" Naoki asked.
Motoslug nodded, and when the opportunity arose, its figure flashed, bringing it in front of Gorenton.
It raised its shimmering Dragon Claw high and swung it towards Gorenton.
However, this time, Gorenton moved.
Motoslug was fast, but Gorenton was evidently faster.
Before the Dragon Claw could land, Gorenton grabbed Motoslug's arm and tossed it away.
"Gorenton's speed is incredible!" Naoki exclaimed, astonished. He had never seen this side of Gorenton before, witnessing it giving its all in a fight.
But upon further reflection, he realized that while Motoslug's Speed stat was 121, a number surpassing a large portion of Pokemon, it still fell short of Gorenton, a legendary Pokemon.
If he recalled correctly, Gorenton's Speed stat was an impressive 135.
"That's enough for now; let's call it a day!"
Naoki called off the spar, and Motoslug returned, looking a bit disheveled.
"Gao... " It still couldn't beat Gorenton...
Naoki patted Motoslug's head reassuringly. "It's okay. You're only one and a half years old, not even two yet. You have plenty of time to get stronger."
"Gao~" Motoslug felt comforted and happily rubbed its head against Naoki's palm, its eyes filled with determination as it looked towards Gorenton.
"Agassi..." Gorenton felt a mix of emotions within.
After a moment, it spoke to its past self, "Agassi!"
Motoslug paused, taken aback.
Standing between the two Pokemon, Naoki looked at one and then the other, a smile on his face as he said, "That's the spirit! You two should get along from now on!"
Thinking about how Gorenton had been diligently guiding it lately, Motoslug happily nodded, "Gao!"
Although Gorenton looked intimidating, Motoslug could sense the kindness in its heart, just like its own.
Motoslug had wanted to be friends with Gorenton for a long time, but Gorenton had always been fierce towards it, only recently starting to soften a little.
Gorenton glanced at Naoki and then at Motoslug, finally nodding in resignation, "Agassi..."
Naoki had never robbed a tomb or explored the underground ruins before.
So that evening, when he logged into the forum, he specifically sought advice from Lei He, who had extensive experience in tomb raiding.
[Winged King: Only two days left until the appointed time. Is there anything I need to prepare?]
Lei He happened to be online, and Naoki soon received her reply.
[Ancient Explorer: Nothing, I've got everything ready. You just need to bring your ace Pokemon with you.]
[Winged King: Alright, where will we meet?]
[Ancient Explorer: We can meet in Bottle City. According to ancient literature, the royal capital of the Padia Empire lies buried beneath the sands of the Honghong Desert.]
Honghong Desert?
That's south of Zhiqin Town!
In the game, it's a vast and expansive desert where the Ground-type bosses, Xiong Yaxiu and Tietieji, fled after breaking through the Padia Great Pit's defenses.
But at this point in time, those two paradoxical Pokemon are probably still trapped within the Great Pit.
[Winged King: Alright, I understand. I'll wait for you in Bottle City.]
With their plan set, Naoki logged off.
The desert was a harsh environment, and although Lei He had mentioned her preparations, Naoki wanted to be extra cautious. So, before their departure, he made a special trip to the town to purchase supplies for their expedition.
He got dust-proof goggles to protect against the sand, ample drinking water and food, a compass for navigation, and warm clothing to withstand the desert's temperature fluctuations—the desert could be scorching during the day and bitterly cold at night.
After completing all the preparations, the appointed date arrived.
On July 25, 199, of the Pokemon League calendar, Naoki set off for Bottle City, known for its picturesque waterways, after making arrangements for the ranch. He rode on Gorenton, the former king of the skies.
When Naoki reached his destination, Lei He was already waiting for him.
She stood at the top level of Bottle City, leaning against a scenic fountain, holding a pair of binoculars as she gazed towards the distant Honghong Desert.
Naoki followed her gaze and saw a landscape of endless yellow sand stretching before them.
Lei He was dressed in a brown-yellow expedition outfit, complete with dust-proof goggles. She looked well-prepared for their journey.
"You're here!" Lei He smiled upon seeing Naoki and Gorenton, putting away her binoculars. "Are you ready?"
"We're leaving now?" Naoki asked.
Lei He gave him a once-over and then pulled out a set of expedition clothes from her bag. "Change into these first. We'll depart once you're ready."
Without a word, Naoki took the clothes and headed to a changing room nearby.
When he returned, dressed in the expedition outfit, he saw Lei He admiring Gorenton with sparkling eyes.
"A Wingull King from the past... I never thought I'd have the chance to see such a Pokemon in my lifetime!"
"Maybe you'll get to see even more ancient Pokemon in the future!" Naoki smiled.
After all, once the defenses of the Padia Great Pit were breached, ancient and paradoxical Pokemon would escape and enter the Padia region.
But Lei He didn't quite understand his implication. "What do you mean?"
"It's nothing," Naoki explained. "I was just thinking that if Gorenton could cross time and space to come to the Padia region, perhaps other Pokemon might do the same."
"I see," Lei He nodded slightly.
However, she didn't dwell on the topic for long, as the upcoming adventure was at the forefront of her mind.
Finding the lost royal capital of the ancient Padia Empire might provide them with more information about the Four Fiends of calamity.
With that knowledge, she could pinpoint the locations where the fiends were sealed and make them her own.
"Let's go!" Lei He said, her eyes gleaming with determination.
Then, to Naoki's surprise, she pulled out a black off-road beach vehicle that resembled a wild buffalo from an alley.
Naoki was almost stunned speechless. "Th-That... Isn't that a bit over the top?"
Lei He smiled, unperturbed by his reaction, and patted the back seat. "Hop in, you two!"
Naoki and Gorenton climbed into the vehicle, a little wobbly.
Lei He stepped on the gas, and the car roared out of Bottle City.
After traversing a stretch of paved road, they officially entered the desert.
The four-wheel-drive beach vehicle sped across the sand, its engine rumbling loudly, and its massive tires kicked up a dramatic trail of yellow sand behind them.
"This is too fast!" Naoki shouted, feeling a bit overwhelmed and worried that the car might flip over at any moment.
But Lei He merely grinned and said, "Relax and trust my driving skills!"
"Moo!"
Suddenly, in the distance, a cloud of dust rose as something charged towards them.
Naoki grabbed the binoculars and saw a group of sturdy, black-furred wild Pokemon with rough skin running wildly in their direction.
"Kentauros! They're Kentauros! And they're the fiery-tempered Fiery Kentauros!"
The Kentauros ran swiftly across the desert, quickly closing the distance between them and the vehicle.
These wild bull Pokemon seemed to view the roaring off-road vehicle as an intruder in their territory, and they were determined to flip it over.
"The Kentauros are catching up!" Naoki shouted, his heart pounding despite having Gorenton by his side. Dealing with a group of speeding bulls was unnerving.
Lei He glanced at the rearview mirror and then smiled. "Put on your goggles!"
Naoki quickly put on the dust-proof goggles for himself and Gorenton.
Lei He slammed on the accelerator and turned the steering wheel.
The engine roared like a monster, and the next second, the entire vehicle surged forward, quickly creating distance between them and the pursuing Kentauros.
(End of Chapter)
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