Chapter 315: Advising Amuyar
Waking up late the next afternoon yet again, Basalt was greeted by the familiar sound of "Tsk tsk." Reya's face clearly said, You lightweight.
Basalt's face flushed. He'd been looked down on again.
"I'm never drinking again," Basalt swore to himself, then quickly amended it. "Even if I do, I'm never drinking with the Roba people again."
After splashing some water on his face and getting dressed, Basalt had just stepped out of his room when he ran head-on into Alim.
Seeing Basalt, Alim's face lit up with a fawning expression. "Young Master Basalt, you must have had a lot to drink last night! Our Tribal Chief is just that hospitable. When an honored guest visits, he won't let you leave without downing three big bowls."
Basalt was about to respond when Reya's voice cut in mockingly from the side, "Three big bowls? Heh, I seem to recall someone didn't even finish one."
"She's a beautiful girl, why does she have to be so annoying?" Basalt thought, glancing at the snickering Reya. "This girl is just not likable!"
"Hey, where's Amuyar?" Basalt looked around the courtyard but couldn't find his good friend.
Having caught a Sand Stream Pokémon and earned the title of "Warrior," Amuyar had naturally been invited to the feast and was already being singled out for special training. Alim, on the other hand, hadn't been qualified to attend, which was a major reason he had been so bitter last night.
"Amuyar went outside the city to train. The Tribal Gathering starts tomorrow, and he wants to get in some more practice with his Cacturne," Reya said, toying with a lock of her hair. "As for my brother, he's off organizing all the events for tomorrow."
Although Adil was a new-generation trainer, his strength was so great that, besides the Tribal Chief, almost no one could defeat him. His status was unique. He held no official title, but his prestige was greater than most of the minor tribal chiefs. If he spoke, even the Council of Elders had to consider his words carefully.
"Where outside the city? I need to warm up too." Basalt rolled his shoulders, raring to go.
Tomorrow's Tribal Gathering was a significant event for him as well. If he couldn't make it into the top eight, he wouldn't be eligible to enter the Ancestral Secret Realm.
Hearing this, an imperceptible glint flashed in Alim's eyes. "Young Master Basalt, I'll take you there! Follow me," he said excitedly.
"That'd be great!" Basalt nodded.
Alim grew even more excited and turned to leave.
"I'll go with you," Reya said, pulling on her headscarf until only her eyes were visible. She sighed dramatically. "My brother ordered me to take good care of you, so wherever you go, I have to follow. That's just how we Roba people show hospitality."
The subtext was: Just so you know, it's not like I want to follow you.
Alim, who had been fawning over Reya, immediately said, "Reya, if you don't want to go, you don't have to. I'll be there. I can take good care of Young Master Basalt. You and Big Brother Adil don't need to worry."
"It's fine. I'm bored anyway. I might as well go and watch." Reya locked her door, her mind made up.
Alim's face fell. After a pause, he forced out, "Well... alright then."
Reya's expression immediately soured. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean? You don't seem very happy to have me along."
"No, no, not at all!" Alim quickly waved his hands and apologized, but Reya was still upset. She shot him a glare, then grabbed Basalt and started walking out of the city.
Walking alongside Reya, Basalt rubbed his chin, frowning slightly.
"What are you thinking about?" Reya noticed his strange expression.
"Nothing." Basalt waved his hand. "It's just... Alim seemed a little off today."
"What do you mean, 'off'?" Reya crossed her arms, a look of disdain on her face. "That guy is always that shameless, sucking up to you and my brother. Does he think I can't see it? You know, he was waiting at the gate at 8 AM this morning. If I hadn't stopped him, he would have barged right into your room to serve you tea."
It had to be said, Reya was a sharp judge of character. But she was still missing one thing.
Although Alim was sucking up to Basalt and Adil, the person he was most obsequious to was Reya herself. His intentions were obvious.
But today, he had acted like a brainless idiot and managed to annoy her. That didn't seem like something Alim would do.
Of course, Basalt didn't dare say any of this out loud, for fear of getting an earful from Reya.
Soon, the three of them arrived outside the city, and Basalt immediately put the matter out of his mind.
On the grassy outskirts of Roba City, Amuyar and his newly evolved Cacturne were in the middle of special training.
The scarecrow-like Cacturne had extended countless roots from its legs into the ground, and a stream of verdant green light was flowing from the earth into its body.
"Amuyar, are you practicing Ingrain?" Basalt asked with a smile. He was all too familiar with this routine.
"Yeah!" Seeing Basalt and the others, Amuyar scratched his head and grinned. "I found out that after evolving, Cacturne's Water Absorb ability improved by leaps and bounds. Nutrients plus water... that's all a plant needs to grow. Its root system is spreading wider, and its recovery is getting stronger and stronger. It's way better than I expected." Amuyar's face was full of pleasant surprise.
With its enhanced Water Absorb, Cacturne now had plenty of moisture, which was beneficial for root growth. As the roots grew, they expanded their range, allowing them to absorb even more nutrients and water, creating a positive feedback loop. The boost in strength from its evolution was clearly beyond the norm.
And this was all thanks to Basalt.
Amuyar looked at Basalt, his eyes filled with gratitude.
"With Cacturne's defenses, Ingrain alone isn't enough. You have to find a way to incorporate Photosynthesis and Giga Drain to maintain its health," Basalt advised. He was clearly an authority on root-based strategies. "Also, your Cacturne needs to learn 'Spiky Shield.' And if you can, combining it with Grass Whistle and Poison Sting would be even more effective."
Although Cacturne wasn't a Poison-type, as a cactus Pokémon, it was still covered in spikes and could learn Poison Sting. If it could condense poison onto its body's spikes, it would be as if it had the "Poison Point" ability, poisoning any opponent that made physical contact. In a way, this was another method of boosting Cacturne's defenses.
Amuyar was deeply enlightened by Basalt's words and quickly committed them to memory. Unfortunately, with the Tribal Gathering so close, he didn't have time to implement them now.
After giving Amuyar some pointers, Basalt began his own training.
Since the gathering was about to start, the outskirts of the city were filled with people training. He even saw a few minor tribal chiefs coaching their own youths, hoping for a good result tomorrow.
Alim just paced back and forth nearby, looking anxious, but didn't join the training.
As the sun began to set, Adil also arrived, causing a small commotion.
But when Alim saw Adil, his face paled, and he immediately turned and left without so much as a greeting.
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