In the end, Steven and the old man left the desert on the back of his Skarmory. Before departing, Steven extended an invitation for Sieg to join them, but Sieg politely declined.
So Sieg continued leading his Pokémon across the desert. If all went well, it would only take a few more hours before they completely left this endless wasteland.
Naturally, there wasn't much room for training along the way. Crawdaunt in particular found the harsh, waterless environnt stifling and uncomfortable.
But Sieg treated this as training in itself.
"Crawdaunt, use Rain Dance!"
At his command, Crawdaunt raised its pincers toward the sky. In the distance, a few small clouds began to form.
Unfortunately, they dispersed within seconds, not even managing to release a drop of rain.
"As expected, summoning rain in the desert is difficult."
In normal conditions, Crawdaunt could conjure up a small rainfall entirely on its own. But the desert's climate posed extre resistance. As Crawdaunt struggled, Castform floated nearby, explaining the subtleties of the technique while encouraging it to continue practicing.
anwhile, Sieg kept Murkrow and Umbreon on alert nearby. Since Umbreon's evolution, her personality had shifted, no longer the mischievous, affectionate girl she once was. Sieg had to adjust to this change.
Still, it wasn't a bad thing. Most Pokémon changed drastically after evolution, and Umbreon's cold and aloof nature was a textbook example of it.
That said, Sieg's arms were always open for Umbreon. After a long bout of training or battling, Umbreon would forget her pride, snuggling comfortably against his chest.
"Umbreon, keep your eyes on the patch of sand ahead, sothing's coming up from below!"
Sieg noticed a small bump in the ground racing toward them.
"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!"
A dark sphere burst forth and shot toward them.
Boom!
Sand sprayed into the air, but before Sieg could see what lay beneath, countless stone spikes shot out, aid directly at him.
Murkrow reacted instantly, summoning Tailwind to boost everyone's speed. The Pokémon rushed to Sieg's side and raised a protective barrier.
"Looking for death, are you? Murkrow, scatter that sandstorm! Crawdaunt, Water Gun and follow with Razor Shell!"
Though Sieg was used to ambushes, anger still surged in his chest.
Murkrow's black wings stirred violently, blasting away the sand and revealing the attacker.
It was a Pokémon with a crocodilian face, standing on two legs. Apart from its pink underbelly, its body was almost entirely brown. Rows of jagged black ridges lined its back, and its dark eyes gave it the appearance of wearing sunglasses.
A Krokorok.
The mont Sieg recognized it, his heart sank. Krokoroks were rarely alone, usually living in packs. Which ant others were likely lurking nearby.
"Umbreon, keep watch around us!"
"Murkrow, be ready to support Crawdaunt at any mont."
While issuing orders, Sieg's gaze swept across the shifting sands, wary of more ambushes.
Crawdaunt clashed fiercely with the Krokorok in front of him. Thanks to his type advantage and excellent training, Crawdaunt quickly forced the wild Krokorok into retreat.
But before Sieg could feel relief, more mounds rose from the sand at frightening speed.
"Murkrow, use Astonish on that one!" Sieg pointed toward a burrow sneaking up on Crawdaunt.
Murkrow streaked forward and unleashed its cry, startling the hidden Krokorok. The ground split open as it leapt out, furious at being disrupted, pounding its chest with both claws.
The air surrounding it surged with power.
"Not good, it activated Anger Point!"
(Anger Point: When struck by a critical hit, the Pokémon flies into a rage, raising its attack sharply.)
Seeing the danger, Sieg imdiately recalled Crawdaunt and Umbreon, then seized Murkrow's talons.
"Murkrow, take us up!"
Though Murkrow wasn't yet large enough to carry a rider on its back, it could still haul Sieg into the air this way. Luckily, the Krokorok horde had no ranged attacks, and from above, Sieg finally let out a quiet breath.
Looking down at the furious Krokorok below, Sieg's thoughts turned.
"Krokorok usually bury prey in the sand as ergency rations. But there's another possibility…"
"They might have eggs hidden beneath the dunes, and they're protecting their young."
Sieg could think of three reasons: defending territory, safeguarding stored food, or guarding eggs and hatchlings.
"Alright, Murkrow, land us there."
Once they found a high sand dune, Murkrow descended carefully. With his lean build and Murkrow's strong body, carrying him wasn't too difficult.
The mont his feet touched the ground, Sieg released his Pokémon again, ordering them to keep watch while tending to Murkrow's wings and muscles. Yet his mind kept circling back to the Krokoroks.
"My current team, aside from Umbreon, are all weak to Electric-types. A Ground and Dark Pokémon like Krookodile's line would be perfect for defense."
Sieg had originally wanted to add a special attacker, since his lineup was entirely physical and dangerously unbalanced.
"But this opportunity is right in front of , I can't just let it slip by." His eyes glead with resolve.
After all, rembering the Pokémon ani, Krookodile was a true powerhouse in Unova.
If he could find a Krokorok with outstanding potential, capturing it as a key force wouldn't be a bad idea.
His current team, aside from Umbreon, was all checked by Electric-types. A Dark and Ground Pokémon like Krokorok could provide a vital shield, immune to Electric moves while also belonging to one of the strongest offensive types.
As for directly capturing an already evolved Krokorok? Sieg dismissed the thought at once. Wild Pokémon were already hard enough to ta, and a temperantal one like that would be even more difficult.
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