Chapter 295: The Quicksand Domain
Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Finn quickly informed Professor Rowan of the situation between Basalt and Hippowdon. Hearing this, the professor's expression became incredibly complex.
When President Mogan had insisted on inserting Basalt into the team, Professor Rowan had strongly resisted. In his view, Basalt was not only useless but would be dead weight.
But now, Basalt had not only defeated Diana, proving his skill, but he could also soothe and care for Hippowdon?
Hippowdon was the most unpredictable factor in the team. If it cooperated, the experiments would run smoothly. If it refused to cooperate, everything would be stalled, wasting precious time. With Basalt's calming presence, the benefit was obvious.
Basalt's value had just been proven.
After questioning others about the full sequence of events, Professor Rowan thought for a moment and finally made a decision. He loudly reprimanded Diana and then banished her from the research outpost, ordering her to return to the oasis camp for self-reflection.
Basalt frowned slightly. He saw through this immediately. Professor Rowan was simply giving Diana a light punishment. Exiling her was, in fact, a form of protection. Since Diana had just been humiliated, returning to the camp was the best way for her to avoid further trouble.
"Basalt, come with me."
After dealing with Diana, Professor Rowan gestured to Basalt and turned back towards the rock hill. Basalt thought for a moment, then followed.
The largest cave in the rock hill served as Professor Rowan's living quarters. Although he was the leader of the team, his room was not much different from the others. It contained only simple furniture, and his desk was covered in neat stacks of research data.
Sitting down, Professor Rowan took off his glasses, took a deep breath, and rubbed his temples, looking a bit weary. Diana was the granddaughter of an old friend. If not for that personal favor, he would never have accepted her into the team.
Being a bodyguard for the Takla Desert research team was hard work, but the annual academic credit was high. Many students had competed for the slots. Crucially, the team's head trainer, Teacher Alvin, was a Gym Leader-level expert. An unwritten benefit of joining the team was the opportunity to receive guidance from Alvin, which was invaluable for boosting their skills.
But who would have thought that Diana would cause such trouble, abusing the privilege and his trust? Even worse, if it weren't for Basalt, he would still think Diana was a good, well-behaved girl. She was always obedient around him.
"You can soothe Hippowdon?" Professor Rowan finally spoke after a long silence.
"I can only offer sincere communication and patient care," Basalt said honestly, shrugging. "Hippowdon isn't my Pokémon, after all."
Professor Rowan nodded. He didn't expect a deep bond with Hippowdon. As long as the experiments could proceed normally and Hippowdon wasn't resistant, that was enough.
"In that case, the daily feeding and care of Hippowdon are now your responsibility," Professor Rowan said, opening his eyes.
"Mission accepted!" Basalt said, puffing out his chest.
Then he rubbed his hands, looking a bit awkward. "Professor Rowan, about the research results..."
"You mean my research findings?" Professor Rowan raised an eyebrow, knowing exactly what Basalt was hinting at.
"Yes, sir!" Basalt nodded sheepishly. "President Mogan said I could study your research findings and ideas."
"President Mogan did say that," Professor Rowan said, staring at him severely. "But he is him, and I am me. On my territory, you follow my rules. You've just arrived, you haven't contributed anything to the team, and you want to walk away with our research? That's impossible! You must prove your worth."
"I knew it," Basalt sighed, slightly disappointed. It wasn't going to be that easy to get the research and quickly boost his power.
"Professor Rowan, I can ensure Hippowdon cooperates with your experiments. Doesn't that count as a contribution?" Basalt said, trying to press the point.
"It counts, but it's not enough!" Professor Rowan countered. "Hippowdon is temperamental, but it generally cooperates. That's not enough. You must contribute in other areas to my satisfaction."
"Such as?" Basalt raised an eyebrow.
"Water." Professor Rowan looked at Basalt and said slowly, "Our outpost is severely lacking in water. Every person and every Pokémon has a water ration, and the supply is very tight. Since you can't help with the research, your main job will be to transport water. And the more the better, until you meet the needs of our team's daily life and experiments."
"Trans... transporting water?" Basalt's mouth twitched. His value was just in fetching water?
"If you can complete the task and guarantee the outpost's water supply for one month, I will give you the secrets to the principles and application of quicksand movement." Professor Rowan stated his condition.
"The principles and application of quicksand movement?" Basalt's eyes lit up. Wasn't that exactly what he had come here for? And a month wasn't too long.
"How much water is required daily? I need a clear number," Basalt asked, worried Professor Rowan would later change the requirement.
"One ton minimum, every day."
"Done. You have my word." Basalt nodded, striking a verbal agreement with Professor Rowan.
Watching the excited Basalt leave, Professor Rowan's cloudy eyes suddenly became sharp. One ton of water. It didn't sound like much, but it was a daunting task.
Professor Rowan had planned to give Basalt the results eventually, but the young man was too restless and had already caused trouble. He couldn't let him off too easily. This was a good way to temper his personality. Transporting water was hard labor, especially for a month straight.
"After I finish this project, I deserve a good retirement." Professor Rowan's face was lined with wrinkles, and he leaned back in his chair, half-closing his eyes. He was 65 years old and still working in the middle of the desert. He was undeniably dedicated. But the Alliance was weak in desert research. This was his job, and age was no excuse.
But truthfully, the research conditions were harsh. Six days without a shower was terrible. "I haven't been to a hot spring in ages. After this, I'm going to a resort and soaking until I'm pruned." Professor Rowan's face showed a flicker of longing, but it quickly passed. He immediately refocused on his notes, analyzing the various parameters of the experiment.
...
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, Basalt woke up early to feed Hippowdon its Pokéblocks and calm it down, ensuring it would cooperate with the professor's experiments. With Basalt's presence, Hippowdon was much more docile.
On a dune near the rock hill.
"Hippowdon, Quicksand Domain!" At the researcher's command, Hippowdon stomped its massive hooves. The sand dune immediately began to ripple outwards like a wave.
At the same time, a sandstorm, which had appeared out of nowhere despite the clear sky, swirled around Hippowdon, covering a radius of over a hundred meters—about 30,000 square meters.
Basalt's sharp eyes noticed that the sand dune around Hippowdon was spinning, and the sand was swirling inwards, consuming everything.
"Quicksand Domain?" Basalt's eyes widened. "A super version of Sand Tomb?"
To Basalt, the "Quicksand Domain" Hippowdon created looked exactly like Sand Tomb, but the range and consumption power were qualitatively different. Even Excadrill's Sand Tomb only covered a radius of ten meters. Hippowdon's, Basalt estimated, was no less than fifty meters. Excadrill's area of effect was only one twenty-fifth of Hippowdon's. As for the power... it was incomparable.
Seeing Basalt's shocked expression, Professor Rowan's lips curled up slightly. "This Quicksand Domain is a unique technique I derived from our quicksand research. You want to learn it? Then go fetch me some water first!"
"Finn, since Basalt is in your group, take him to fetch the water." Professor Rowan gave Finn a look, and Finn immediately pulled Basalt away. Basalt's water-fetching task was urgent; they couldn't waste time.
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