The moment the Cacnea got angry, Angie shouted, "Run!"
Espathra and Flareon took off running at his command.
Just as the two Pokémon dashed away, a barrage of Pin Missiles rained down like a storm.
Looking back at the sandy ground riddled with holes, Angie said with lingering fear, "Good thing you two ran fast."
"Espathra~ Espathra~"
"Flareon~ Flareon~"
Espathra and Flareon also showed signs of relief.
"We better get going." Angie patted Espathra's neck.
"Espathra~"
Espathra responded, stretching its long legs and dashing in the direction Angie pointed.
"Flareon~"
Flareon quickly followed.
After running for an unknown amount of time, Angie suddenly heard a beautiful melody.
Confused, he asked Espathra and Flareon, "Did you hear that? Singing!"
"Espathra~"
"Flareon~"
Both Pokémon nodded.
The song was enchanting, a graceful female voice filled with an alluring charm.
"Let's go check it out," Angie said to Espathra and Flareon.
The two Pokémon nodded and followed the direction of the sound.
After about ten minutes, a sandstorm appeared in their line of sight.
A shadow flickered within the center of the storm.
"Could it be... Lucario?" Angie felt a surge of excitement.
In the photo sent by a friend, Lucario's silhouette had appeared amidst a sandstorm.
Angie quickly urged Espathra to charge toward the sandstorm.
But as they got closer, he noticed someone inside the storm.
"Solrock, use... Flamethrower!"
A man's fragmented voice drifted through the sandstorm.
"Krookodile~ Krookodile~"
Alongside the human's voice, there were Pokémon cries.
"Let's go take a look." Angie spoke to his two Pokémon.
At that moment, Doublade, sensing the commotion outside, unwrapped its cloth covering and floated above Angie's head, fully alert.
This was exactly when Angie needed its protection.
As Angie stepped into the sandstorm, he saw a battle unfolding.
On one side was a man in white clothing, wearing a red cape and hat, commanding a Solrock; on the other side was a Krookodile.
Solrock controlled raging flames aimed at Krookodile, but it easily dodged using Dig.
With sand everywhere, the desert was the perfect terrain for Dig.
Krookodile disappeared underground, leaving the man and Solrock cautiously scanning their surroundings.
"Krookodile~"
Suddenly, Krookodile leaped from the ground, ramming Solrock hard.
Caught off guard, Solrock was sent flying.
Krookodile wanted to continue attacking, but the man quickly commanded, "Solrock, Iron Head!"
Stabilizing itself with psychic power, Solrock gleamed with metallic light and charged at Krookodile.
Without hesitation, Krookodile used Dig again to escape underground.
Boom!
Solrock's attack missed, leaving a large crater in the ground.
This time, the man didn't wait passively. He ordered, "Solrock, Earth Power!"
As his words fell, Solrock radiated dazzling golden light.
The light surged into the ground, causing violent tremors. With a pained cry, Krookodile was forced out of the sand.
Just as Solrock was about to press its advantage, another figure emerged from the sandstorm.
It darted beside Solrock, raising its tail to strike with Dragon Tail.
Solrock was entirely focused on Krookodile and couldn't react in time to the ambush.
As the Dragon Tail was about to land, Angie's voice suddenly rang out.
"Doublade, Sacred Sword!"
With his command, Doublade's twin swords flashed out of their sheaths, two cold gleams slicing through the air, sending the ambushing Pokémon flying.
The Pokémon let out a cry of pain and crashed to the ground as the sandstorm slowly dissipated.
It turned out the attacker was a Flygon, the creator of the sandstorm.
Flyon, the Mystic Pokémon, Ground/Dragon-type, uses its wings to vibrate and create sandstorms while emitting sounds resembling a graceful female song, earning it the title "Desert Spirit."
So the song that Angie and the others heard was actually coming from Flygon.
When Angie entered the sandstorm, he had already sensed through aura that a Pokémon was hiding in the shadows, but he hadn't expected it to be a Flygon.
He hadn't planned to interfere in the battle between Krookodile and Solrock, but if the hidden Pokémon made a move, he would have to step in.
Angie's sudden appearance caused a flicker of surprise on the man's face, but when he realized Angie had saved Solrock, he gave him a grateful look.
The two didn't exchange many words, as the battle wasn't over yet.
Flygon had already taken to the sky again. Its eyes flashed with anger as it glared at Doublade.
With its wings vibrating rapidly, Flygon flickered through the air and appeared beside Doublade. It opened its mouth, black light gleaming within.
It used the move Crunch, biting down on Doublade.
Angie didn't command Doublade to dodge because it would be useless.
Doublade's ability is No Guard, which means its attacks always hit the target regardless of evasion, and conversely, any attack from an opponent will also always hit.
In this situation, it was either defend or counterattack.
Angie chose to defend.
"Doublade, Iron Defense!"
At Angie's command, Doublade's entire body shimmered with a metallic glow.
Doublade had outstanding defense, and with an Eviolite equipped, its defenses were even higher. Now, using Iron Defense, even though Flygon was using a Dark-type move that countered Doublade, it couldn't easily defeat it.
Sure enough, Flygon's bite produced a grating sound, but it failed to do significant damage to Doublade.
The moment Doublade was bitten, a dark shadow extended from its back, striking Flygon hard and knocking it to the ground.
Doublade had used Shadow Sneak.
"Doublade, Sacred Sword!"
Under Angie's command, both of Doublade's blades slashed simultaneously. Flygon, just as it was trying to lift off again, was struck down once more.
This time, it couldn't get back up.
Shortly after Angie defeated Flygon, the man also defeated Krookodile with Solrock.
After recalling Solrock into its Pokéball, the man walked over to Angie and gratefully thanked him.
"Thank you so much for your help just now."
Angie waved his hand dismissively. "No need to thank me. I just happened to see what was going on."
The man introduced himself, "My name is Baraz. Nice to meet you!" He extended his right hand.
"I'm Angie," Angie replied, shaking Baraz's hand.
"Mr. Baraz, what happened between you and Krookodile?" Angie asked curiously.
"Just call me Baraz," he replied.
Then he explained the situation to Angie.
It turned out that, like Angie, he had been drawn in by Flygon's song.
He had thought someone might be trapped in the sandstorm, so he entered to help, only to be ambushed by Krookodile hiding in the sand.
That's how the battle began, lasting until Angie appeared.
Baraz had no idea that Flygon had been hiding in the sandstorm.
"It seems Flygon and Krookodile deliberately lured people here," Angie mused.
"But why?" Baraz asked, puzzled.
"I don't know," Angie shook his head, then added, "But we can just ask them!"
With that, he took out a Pokéball and released a Sliggoo that knew Life Dew.
"Sliggoo, could you please use Life Dew to heal them?" Angie said, pointing to Flygon and the Krookodile.
"Sliggo~ Sliggo~"
Sliggo nodded and looked up, forming a blue water orb the size of a fist and tossing it into the sky.
The water orb burst mid-air, transforming into droplets that rained down on Flygon and Krookodile, as well as Angie and Baraz.
In an instant, Angie and Baraz felt all the fatigue from traveling through the desert vanish.
"That feels amazing!" Baraz couldn't help but exclaim.
Not only was it refreshing, but it also cooled them down.
After being treated with the Life Dew, Flygon and Krookodile soon regained consciousness.
Seeing this, Angie quickly recalled Sliggo back into its Pokéball.
Although Sliggo's Life Dew could relieve fatigue and were refreshing, the scorching sand, dry air, and blazing sun were quite uncomfortable for it.
Angie couldn't bear to let his Pokémon suffer.
Upon waking, Flygon and Krookodile looked at Angie and Baraz with wary eyes.
Angie asked, "Tell me, what were you trying to do by luring people here with your song?"
The two Pokémon remained silent.
Angie then threatened, "If you don't speak, we won't be so polite!"
As his words fell, Doublade slashed out a blade of light, leaving a deep sword mark in the sand right at the Pokémon's feet.
"Espathra~"
Espathra's eyes flashed with an intense, oppressive glow.
Flareon glanced at Doublade and then at Espathra, feeling it should contribute as well. It began pawing at the sand with its front paws, baring its teeth in an attempt to intimidate Flygon and Krookodile.
Flygon: ...
Krookodile: ...
Flareon looked way too adorable, lacking any real intimidation.
With some hesitation, under Angie's threat, the two Pokémon finally confessed the truth.
They had been using their song to lure travelers in the desert with the intention of stealing their food.
The harsh desert environment made finding food extremely difficult, and both Flygon and Krookodile had tribes to feed, which led them to target travelers.
After hearing this, Angie sternly reprimanded them.
"Did you ever think about what happens to those travelers after you steal their food? You live in the desert and can rely on your own strength to find food.
But those travelers depend solely on the supplies they carry. If you take that away, aren't you leaving them to die in the desert?"
Angie's words made the two Pokémon realize the severity of their actions, and they lowered their heads in shame.
Seeing their remorse, Angie's expression softened. "Don't do this again, okay?"
The two Pokémon nodded solemnly.
"As long as you know it was wrong," Angie said with a satisfied nod, then added with a smile, "To reward you for realizing your mistake, I'll give you a little gift!"
Flygon and Krookodile looked at Angie in shock.
Angie pulled out several jars filled with Pokémon food.
These were originally emergency supplies for his own Pokémon, but now he decided to give them to Krookodile and Flygon since he likely wouldn't need them.
"Flygon~"
"Krookodile~"
The two Pokémon were so excited that Krookodile even shed tears of gratitude.
Considering that they wouldn't be able to carry all the jars back, Angie said, "Where do you live? I'll help you carry them."
"Krookodile~ Krookodile~"
"Flygon~ Flygon~"
Overjoyed, Krookodile and Flygon eagerly offered to lead the way.
Seeing this, Baraz said, "I'll help too."
He stepped forward to assist Angie in picking up the jars of Pokémon food, cradling them in his arms.
And so, guided by Flygon and Krookodile, the group set off toward their home.
On the way, remarked in surprise, "Angie, I didn't expect you to understand Pokémon language."
Angie replied, "Just barely."
Baraz didn't press further but expressed concern, "You gave all your Pokémon food to Flygon and Krookodile. What about you?"
Angie smiled, "Don't worry. I have spares."
In reality, Angie carried plenty of ingredients and could cook his own meals anytime.
Moreover, he could teleport Diancie at home to restock supplies whenever needed, so there was nothing to worry about.
Hearing this, Baraz breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Looks like I was worried for nothing."
Angie chuckled, "Thanks for your concern." He knew Baraz meant well.
Baraz asked again, "Angie, did you come to the desert for an adventure? You seem like a very strong Trainer."
Angie shook his head. "I'm not a Trainer, just a chef. I came to this desert to capture a Lucario. Someone has seen a Lucario wandering around here."
Baraz was surprised to hear that. Angie was so strong, yet he wasn't a Trainer!
"Baraz, have you seen a Lucario in the desert?" Angie inquired.
Baraz shook his head. "Actually, I haven't been in this desert for long, so I haven't encountered a Lucario."
The truth was, he was also here searching for something.
"I see..." Angie looked a bit disappointed.
Just then, the Krookodile who had been listening to their conversation suddenly cried out excitedly.
"Krookodile~ Krookodile~"
Angie was pleasantly surprised. "Krookodile, have you seen a Lucario?"
"Krookodile~ Krookodile~"
Krookodile nodded, then pointed towards a distant hill, indicating that Lucario had appeared there before.
Angie was thrilled. "That's great, Krookodile! Thank you for the information!"
Krookodile scratched its head, looking a little embarrassed.
They had attacked Angie, but Angie still gave them so much food. Now it was just providing a bit of information in return.
Soon, Angie and the others arrived at the place where Krookodile and Flygon lived.
Staring at the sand dune in front of them, Angie was surprised. "You live here?"
It didn't look like a nest at all!
"Flygon~"
Flygon let out a long cry, and to Angie and Baraz's astonishment, a quicksand whirlpool appeared on the sand dune. After a moment, a passageway opened before them.
"Amazing!" Baraz exclaimed.
Angie nodded. "Pokémon are the most wondrous creatures in this world. Nothing is surprising when it comes to them."
"Flygon~"
Flygon called out and dove into the passage first.
"Krookodile~" Krookodilefollowed closely behind, jumping in.
Angie and Baraz exchanged glances, then jumped in one after the other.
"Doublade~ Doublade~" Doublade saw Angie go in and rushed in without hesitation.
Espathra and Flareon quickly followed suit.
Sliding down the sandy path felt just like a slide—incredibly fun and thrilling.
"Flareon~ Flareon~~" Flareon's excited cries echoed through the tunnel.
After sliding for about ten minutes, they finally landed in a pile of sand.
Angie and Baraz patted the sand off themselves and stood up, taking in their surroundings.
It was an underground cavern. Unlike the scorching heat outside, it was refreshingly cool here, like a completely different world.
"Flygon~"
"Krookodile~"
With calls from Flygon and Krookodile, the sand in front of them began to stir. Soon, Trapinch and Sandile started poking their heads out of the sand.
"Trapinch~ Trapinch~"
"Sandile~ Sandile~"
Seeing Flygon and Krookodile return, they raised their heads and called out happily.
Looking at the young Trapinch and Sandile, Angie and Baraz finally understood why Flygon and Krookodilehad resorted to raiding.
Raising so many little ones was indeed a tough job.
With Flygon and Krookodile gathering the young ones together, Angie and Baraz helped distribute Pokémon food to them.
Watching the Trapinch and Sandile devour the food ravenously, Angie sighed, "Life isn't easy for anyone."
"Yeah!" Baraz agreed with a nod.
After delivering the food, Angie and Baraz prepared to leave.
Just then, Flygon called out to them.
"What's wrong, Flygon?" Angie asked curiously.
Krookodile walked over, carrying a pile of items, and placed them at Angie and Baraz's feet.
"Evolution Stones?" Angie asked.
"Krookodile~" Krookodile nodded.
These Evolution Stones were ones they had found in the desert, of various types: common Thunder Stones, Fire Stones... rare Sun Stones, Shiny Stones...
"Are these for us?" Angie asked.
"Krookodile~ Krookodile~"
"Flygon~ Flygon~"
Krookodile and Flygon nodded together.
"Thank you very much," Angie accepted them without hesitation.
"I'll pass. I didn't really help much," Baraz waved his hand, declining politely.
Seeing this, Krookodile and Flygon didn't insist.