Chapter 203: The Desert Tyrant
The Qaidam Desert, located in the basin of the same name, is the fifth largest of the nation's eight great deserts, with an area of nearly 35,000 square kilometers. At an altitude of 2,500 to 3,000 meters, it is the highest desert in the country. The Hidden Land they were heading to was in the driest, most remote northwestern part of the desert, a place where Rock and Ground-type energies were incredibly potent.
As they entered the desert, a terrifying sandstorm began to swirl around them. But the Tropius and Golurk were no ordinary Pokémon. With a slight manipulation of their own energy, they created a protective barrier that kept the sand at bay.
"ROAR!"
As they flew deeper into the storm, the roars of wild Pokémon echoed from below, each one louder and more deafening than the last. The native Sandstorm Pokémon had detected their presence. But for the most part, they were land-bound and could do nothing but roar in defiance as the intruders flew high above.
BZZZZZZZ!
Suddenly, a powerful ultrasonic wave, so intense it made Basalt cover his ears, cut through the storm. And within the sound, he could hear something else, something that sounded like a beautiful, feminine song.
"Something's coming," Basalt said, a sense of pressure building in his chest. But with two Masters at his side, he wasn't afraid.
"It's just a swarm of Vibrava," the Director said, unconcerned.
A moment later, a massive cloud of hundreds of green, dragonfly-like creatures appeared before them. They were Vibrava, a dual Ground/Dragon-type.
"You two stay back. I'll handle this," Master Axel said. "Come on out, Flygon!"
"Flyyyy~"
With a soft, melodic cry, a large, green, dragonfly-like Pokémon with large, red, goggle-like eye covers appeared. As it flapped its wings, the beautiful singing sound grew clearer.
"When a Flygon flaps its wings, it kicks up a sandstorm to hide itself," Basalt recalled from the Pokédex. "The sound of its wings is like a beautiful song, earning it the nickname 'the Desert Spirit'." It was a Pokémon he had always wanted, a rare and powerful Dragon-type that was both cool and strong.
"Flyyyy!"
At a single cry from Axel's Flygon, the swarm of wild Vibrava immediately ceased their ultrasonic attack.
"That..." Basalt was stunned. "How did it do that?"
"My Flygon was once the king of this swarm," Axel explained with a smile. "They still respect its authority. Now, let's keep moving."
"Director," Basalt asked, a hopeful look in his eyes, "after I'm done here, could I stay for a few days and try to catch a Trapinch or a Vibrava?"
"You're not strong enough to survive in this desert on your own," the Director replied, his tone firm. "You already have three Pokémon, and you're about to get a fourth. You need to focus on raising them, not catching more."
Basalt knew he was right. Without the two Masters, he wouldn't last a day in this place.
After another half an hour of flying, they finally arrived at the entrance to the Hidden Land. The Director's Claydol opened the spatial gate, and they stepped through.
The world on the other side was not much different from the one they had just left, only the Sandstorm was even more intense, the visibility reduced to less than ten meters.
"ROOOOAR!"
A deafening roar suddenly cut through the storm, and even with the protection of the two Masters, Basalt felt a tremor of fear run through him.
"It seems we've been discovered," Axel said, a grim look on his face.
"What's going on?" the Director asked.
"That was the female Tyranitar," Axel explained with a sigh. "You've come a bit too early. She just laid her eggs. She hasn't even had a chance to see her children, and now we're here to take one of them away. She's... a very protective mother. Her emotions are unstable. I had to fight her the last time I was here to negotiate. Fortunately, she was weakened from laying the eggs. Otherwise, I'm not sure I could have subdued her."
"But the male, who is even stronger, is much more reasonable," he continued. "So if a fight breaks out, we only need to restrain the female. We must not harm her, or the situation could become irreversible."
As they flew deeper, the Sandstorm grew so intense that even the Director's Tropius began to struggle.
"ROOOOAR!"
The roar came again, and this time, the Sandstorm in front of them suddenly parted, clearing the air and revealing a massive, bipedal, dinosaur-like Pokémon. It was covered in armor-like green hide, with spikes protruding from its head, neck, and shoulders.
"The Desert Tyrant... Tyranitar," Basalt breathed, his heart pounding with excitement. This was the Pokémon he had dreamed of, the core of his future Sandstorm team.
It had cleared the storm, a seemingly good sign. But then, Basalt's eyes widened in horror.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Countless sharp rocks were materializing in the sky above them, hurtling down towards them.
"Crap! It's a Rock Slide!"
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