Chapter 326: The Sand Drizzle
The sand rain continued to fall, "plip-plop," creating a dense, honeycomb-like pattern on the dunes. But the holes were quickly filled in by more sand, an endless cycle.
This "rain" was both a barrier to stop their progress and a relentless demonstration, an endless tutorial for any Pokémon willing to learn.
Using their elemental affinity, Excadrill and Larvitar continuously sensed the operational patterns of the sand rain. Both Pokémon had consumed the Smooth Rock Crystal, giving them a natural affinity for the Rock type. Although the sand rain was difficult to learn, it wasn't enough to stump them.
By the time the sky began to grow dark, Larvitar finally opened its eyes again.
"Yuji~" (￢_￢)
Seeing that Excadrill was still deep in concentration, Larvitar's face lit up with even more excitement.
When it comes to sand control, even Big Bro is no match for me! Happy!
It couldn't be helped. Larvitar was, after all, a Rock-type Pokémon. Its body was naturally more attuned to Rock-type energy than Excadrill's. So, although its overall strength was far inferior, its sand-control ability had already surpassed its senior.
"Yuji~" o(^｀)o
Looking at the torrential downpour, Larvitar puffed out its chest and strode proudly into the sand rain.
At the same time, its sand-control power activated.
The sand raindrops that had been falling rapidly from the sky, aiming straight for Larvitar, were suddenly affected by an external force. They shifted their trajectory, just slightly.
It wasn't a large shift, but it was just enough to create a perfect "vacuum" right where Larvitar was standing.
Not a single raindrop landed on it.
"It worked!"
Basalt pumped his fist, excited.
"Dro-lisk..."
At that moment, Excadrill also opened its eyes. Seeing its little brother surpass it, it let out an imperceptible sigh, then closed its eyes again.
Talent isn't enough, I'll make up for it with hard work! It's just extra training, right? Let's do this!
Coming back from the rain, Basalt had Larvitar demonstrate it again in the calm zone.
"Yuji!"
Larvitar gave a strange cry. Its Sand Stream power flared, and a small sandstorm kicked up in the air.
Once the sandstorm formed, Larvitar continued to push its power, its face showing a bit of strain.
At the same time, the sand at the top of the storm began to congeal, quickly forming countless raindrops that began to fall.
But... compared to the trial's sand rain, Larvitar's version looked like child's play. Not only were the drops sparse, but the area of effect was tiny, covering only about three or four square meters.
"Well... it's a start, I guess," Basalt scratched his head.
Although the power of its sand rain was a bit pathetic, Basalt was generally satisfied. At least the prototype was there. As for strengthening it, that would just take more practice. It couldn't be rushed.
"Sand-heck!"
Just as Basalt was feeling pleased, another Pokémon emerged from the sandstorm behind them. It was another Hippowdon.
And behind it was a dark-skinned, honest-looking youth.
"Amuyar?"
Basalt was shocked. He pointed at the Hippowdon. "Your Hippopotas... it evolved?"
"Yeah!" Amuyar scratched his head sheepishly. "That sandstorm was just too strong. Even though my Hippopotas could control the sand, it got trapped in the last few hundred meters and couldn't pass. But the environment here is amazing, so rich in energy. After holding out in the storm for so long, it finally broke its limits and evolved."
With his Hippopotas evolving into a Hippowdon, Amuyar's strength had instantly skyrocketed.
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
Basalt clapped him on the shoulder, then shared what he had figured out about the second trial.
"Learn the sand rain?" Amuyar's eyes lit up. That was an excellent idea, and Larvitar had already proven it was possible. We can do this!
And so, Amuyar also decided not to rush through, but to settle in and have his Hippowdon sense the sand rain.
...
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, the three Pokémon were still hard at work. No one else had passed the first trial.
"Is the first trial really that hard for everyone else?" Basalt scratched his head, finding it hard to believe.
It was only the second day, but the Roba Tribe were desert people, and these eight youths were supposedly their elite.
By noon, Hippowdon had also gradually mastered the trick to the sand rain, and was able to make minor adjustments to the falling drops.
As for Larvitar, its talent for sand control was far greater than Hippowdon's. Its progress was divine. By now, it could already venture hundreds of meters into the sand rain to train at a deeper level, a sight that made Amuyar incredibly envious.
Only Excadrill was still sitting with its eyes closed.
Seeing this, Basalt frowned and sighed softly.
Excadrill was talented and hardworking, but it also had a strong competitive streak. As the "big bro," it definitely didn't want to be surpassed by its little brother, Larvitar.
But as Pokémon of different species, their natural talents were different. For Excadrill to compete with two Sand Stream Pokémon in sand control... wasn't it just asking for trouble?
After Amuyar and his Hippowdon had moved on, Basalt went and sat down next to Excadrill. He patted its head and said softly, "Excadrill, you don't need to put so much pressure on yourself. You don't have the Sand Stream ability. You're at a disadvantage trying to compete with them. Your talent lies in your Ground-type power, in digging and piercing."
"Dro-lisk..."
Excadrill suddenly opened its eyes. It glanced at Basalt, and the deep frown on its "face" slowly relaxed.
What Basalt said... makes a lot of sense!
I'm not a Rock-type, and I don't have Sand Stream. Why am I competing with them?
If we were competing in piercing power, Amuyar's and Bator's two Hippowdon, plus Larvitar, all strung together, probably still wouldn't be my match.
That's my strength.
No wonder I haven't been able to figure it out. It's not because I'm not good enough!
"Dro-lisk~"
But, looking at the rain of sand, Excadrill frowned again.
But... I still have to pass the second trial. How do I do that?
"Use a Sand Shield," Basalt said with a smile, laying out the plan he'd already prepared. "A Sand Shield is a cruder method, so the requirements for sand control are much lower. You've absorbed the Smooth Rock Crystal. Even if you're not on the same level as a Sand Stream Pokémon, you're not that far off. You can definitely do it."
"Dro-lisk~"
Excadrill nodded. It began to manipulate the sand, copying Bator's Hippowdon, and formed a canopy over its head.
Stepping into the sand rain with its shield, Excadrill easily overtook Amuyar and his Hippowdon.
"Excadrill can do that too?" Amuyar was shocked.
Having Sand Stream or not made a qualitative difference in sand control. It was like night and day.
In the Roba Tribe's history, many Pokémon had passed the first trial. But to pass the second, you had to have a Hippowdon, and it had to have the Sand Stream ability.
Because other Sandstorm Pokémon, at best, could only kick up a storm. To manipulate sand to form a shield... it was unheard of. A non-Sand Stream Pokémon just couldn't do it.
"This isn't logical," Amuyar muttered, scratching his head, still finding it hard to accept.
He had no idea that after absorbing the Smooth Rock Crystal, Excadrill's body had changed. Even without the Rock-typing, it had an extremely high affinity for it. So, if you really wanted to be precise, Excadrill was basically a demi-Sand Stream Pokémon, somewhere between a normal Sandstorm Pokémon and a true weather-setter.
Excadrill, protecting Basalt, continued forward. After another two hundred meters, they finally caught up to Larvitar.
But by now, the intensity of the rain had nearly doubled. Even Excadrill's Sand Shield was having trouble, being eaten away by the downpour, on the verge of collapsing.
Basalt looked ahead, but he couldn't see any sign of Bator.
His eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me... he's already passed the second trial?"
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