Chapter 298: Solving the Water Shortage Problem
The workday was over, and the research team members were exhausted. Professor Rowan, almost seventy years old, felt aches and pains everywhere.
As they returned to the outpost, they suddenly spotted a pool of blue water. They could faintly see two people inside.
"Hey? I think that's Finn and Basalt." Quentin, who had sharp eyes, adjusted his glasses. What in the world are those two up to?
When they got closer, they were stunned. It was a pool, about three meters square. Basalt and Finn had taken off their shirts and were soaking in it, enjoying themselves thoroughly. Besides them, two blue Pokémon were also in the water: a Quagsire and Marshtomp. Marshtomp was obvious, and Quagsire was Finn's Pokémon, looking goofy and adorable.
Cradily could draw the water, but to prevent the collected water from quickly seeping back into the sand, they needed a "Water Absorb" Pokémon to hold it in place. Finn's Quagsire had the Water Absorb ability and was quite proficient in water control.
"A pool? Are they just playing in the water to cool off?" Quentin was shocked.
Professor Rowan, on the other hand, frowned instantly, his anger flaring. "Look at what you've done!" Water was the most precious resource in the Takla Desert. And Basalt and Finn had used that precious water to take a bath? And look at the size of the pool. How much water did that waste? Two tons? Three tons? Five tons? It was a sin!
"Oh, Professor Rowan! You're done with the experiment?" Basalt turned around, quickly scrambling out of the pool in just his shorts. "Professor Rowan, seniors, Teacher Alvin, why don't you all come down and cool off? The weather is so hot today. I bet you're all drenched in sweat."
"Basalt, what about this water?" Quentin noticed the anomaly, his face puzzled. The dry well couldn't possibly have yielded this much water.
"Oh, this water?" Basalt pointed at the pool with a smile. "Professor Rowan and seniors, don't worry. I've already stored the required amount of drinking water. This is the excess."
"Excess water?" Everyone was astonished. Excess water? That was unscientific!
"Yes, sir!" Basalt nodded with a smile. He led them behind a pile of rocks, and when they saw the ice-lined pool, they were stunned. The pool was even larger, completely filled with clear water. By volume, it held no less than ten tons. That was almost a week's supply for the entire research team. Resting by the pool was a giant green Pokémon.
"Is that... Cradily?"
"Holy cow! It really is a fossil Pokémon, Cradily!"
The sight of Cradily shocked them even more than the abundant water. Especially Teacher Alvin, who felt a pang of jealousy. This was a fossil Pokémon he could only dream of owning.
Seeing this, Professor Rowan's anger instantly vanished. His gaze towards Basalt changed entirely. Clearly, this was Basalt's work.
He softened his tone. "Basalt, what exactly happened?"
Basalt's lips curved, and he slowly explained, "Professor Rowan, as you can see, this Cradily is mine." Although they had guessed it, the admission still surprised them.
Basalt continued, "I went to the Ghost City to fetch water this morning, but I realized the method was too primitive and exhausting. Conveniently, my Cradily has the 'Storm Drain' ability, and its water control is, well, slightly better than an average Pokémon's. So, I quickly fetched the required water."
"After returning, I had Excadrill scout the area. Thanks to its efforts, we discovered an underground flow about sixty meters below us. So I had Cradily use its Storm Drain ability again to draw the water up. And... this is what you see now."
Everyone was speechless. Although Basalt made it sound simple, they knew fetching water from sixty meters underground was incredibly difficult. That was an unimaginable level of water control. The professional Sand Shocker couldn't even manage it.
Looking at the enormous water supply and the energetic Basalt, Professor Rowan tried to speak several times but failed. Basalt had solved their water crisis, a huge contribution!
"Seniors, the temperature is still high. Why don't you all jump in and wash off the stench?" Basalt looked at the team with a smile.
They exchanged glances, clearly tempted, but they waited for Professor Rowan to speak.
"If you want to wash, then go. Why are you looking at me?" Professor Rowan said sternly.
The team members cheered, quickly stripping down to their shorts and jumping into the pool. The three-meter pool was suddenly packed.
Seeing Professor Rowan's hesitation, Basalt offered thoughtfully, "Professor Rowan, if you're worried about the cold, we've set up another pool next to it. We can have Senior Finn's Camerupt heat the water for you. You can have a hot spring bath."
Professor Rowan was the leader and an older man. Squeezing into the small pool with everyone else would be undignified.
"A hot spring bath?" Professor Rowan's eyes lit up, and his breathing became rapid. This was something he had longed for in the desert. Basalt could even manage that?
"Alright, then. I'll go organize my data first. I'll come find you after dinner," Professor Rowan said, satisfied, and left.
"Basalt, set one up for me too." Teacher Alvin looked a little embarrassed. Students usually sought him out, but today, he had to ask Basalt for a favor. Basalt was the only one who could do this.
"Don't worry, Teacher Alvin. I've already prepared one for you," Basalt said with a smile. Fortunately, besides Quagsire, the research team also had a Floatzel and a Vaporeon. They all had the Water Absorb ability, so maintaining the separate pools wouldn't be a problem.
Giving the seniors a comfortable bath and letting Professor Rowan and Teacher Alvin enjoy a hot spring instantly elevated Basalt's status in the team. After all, the difference between having water and not having water was the difference between heaven and earth in terms of quality of life. Six days without a shower? No one could stand that. Basalt had clearly mastered the "core technology."
After a comfortable hot spring, Professor Rowan's wrinkled face seemed to have smoothed out. His attitude towards Basalt made a complete 180.
"Tomorrow morning at seven, bring Hippowdon and your own Pokémon. I'll teach you the secrets of the Quicksand Domain." This was what Professor Rowan said to Basalt before returning to his quarters.
"Then I look forward to it, Professor Rowan." Basalt's face showed no emotion, but inwardly, he was ecstatic. His plan had been to wait a month; now he would get the secret in a single day. This was beyond amazing.
"If you encounter any problems in your training later, you can also come to me. I won't hold anything back!" Teacher Alvin also gave Basalt his promise before leaving, which was an unexpected bonus. Basalt had unintentionally cultivated a good relationship with Alvin.
But Basalt didn't know that Alvin's trust stemmed from seeing Cradily. Alvin now believed Basalt had very powerful backing. A master would surely want to invest in Basalt, especially after seeing his success with Professor Rowan's research. Alvin himself didn't even have the credentials to receive the quicksand research, yet Basalt did. This was a clear sign of his potential.
"Basalt has a fossil Pokémon. His backer is at least a Master. He's no worse than Diana. I wonder what expression Diana will have when she hears this news?" Alvin thought, remembering the arrogant Diana. She was only a student, but she often looked down on him, even pointing out flaws in his teaching, all because her uncle was a Master. Alvin had been annoyed with her for a long time. Now that she was banished, he was secretly thrilled. But it was a shame her exile was only temporary. He wished she had been kicked off the team entirely.
"This is fantastic!" Basalt rejoiced after Alvin left.
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