After collecting all the treasure chests scattered throughout the forested area, Aoki finally left the dense woodland and made his way into a nearby desert wasteland.
The wasteland stretched endlessly before him. There was no grass, no water sources, no signs of civilization—just scorching sun and cracked earth. Even Pokémon activity was sparse.
Aoki's only thought now was to cross the desert as quickly as possible. His next destination was a nearby city with a Gym, where he intended to obtain another badge for his rising reputation as a trainer.
Worth mentioning was the unexpected but surprisingly useful skill Aoki had acquired just three days ago—advanced hacking techniques. He hadn't anticipated their relevance in the Pokémon world, but the interconnected nature of global networks made them invaluable.
Using this skill, Aoki accessed obscure corners of the Pokémon World Net, searching for information about Mega Evolution stones. Through encrypted market links, he managed to secretly purchase several Mega Stones. The prices weren't outrageous, but they weren't cheap either—especially for rarer stones like Metagrossite or Garchompite. Still, Aoki was investing not only for himself, but also for trusted allies.
As he and Kamizrai made their way through the desert, Aoki had Greninja walking silently beside them. With his keen senses and powerful Water- and Dark-type techniques, Greninja was a perfect bodyguard in such harsh terrain.
After walking for hours under the blazing sun, Kamizrai wiped the sweat from her brow.
"This place… it's too hot," she muttered, shielding her eyes.
"It's not ideal," Aoki agreed. "Let's find shade. There's a rock formation up ahead—we can take a break there."
They found a wind-carved sandstone outcrop and sat behind it, sheltered from the worst of the sun. Aoki quickly set up a portable cooker and began preparing food with practiced hands.
Kamizrai smiled as the scent filled the air. "Honestly, eating your food every day feels like living in a gourmet dream."
Emolga, her playful Electric/Flying-type, fluttered down and perched on Aoki's shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately. It clearly shared Kamizrai's opinion.
Nearby, Greninja and Flame (Aoki's Charmeleon) stood silently, staring daggers at Emolga. From their perspective, the little rodent was being way too familiar with their Trainer.
Emolga seemed to realize this too late and quickly backed off, pretending to be focused on a nearby cactus.
After their meal and a short rest, they resumed their journey.
"Aoki, why are there so many large pits around here?" Kamizrai asked, her voice curious.
Aoki halted. His eyes narrowed as he studied the terrain. Large, deep, symmetrical pits pockmarked the desert floor. Then it hit him.
"This place… it's Dream Lake," he muttered. "The Trapinch nesting grounds."
Kamizrai blinked. "Trapinch?"
"Yes. They're Ground-types that dig deep cone-shaped pits to trap prey. Eventually, they evolve into Vibrava, and finally into Flygon—Dragon-types. I remember this from a special side chapter in the Pokémon Adventures: Emerald arc. Trapinch colonies like this are rare but incredibly valuable."
Aoki's mind raced. He had a full unit of Boss Lairon under his command, but they were few in number and not very mobile. A whole colony of Trapinch, however, could be trained into a powerful army. Vibrava were versatile, and Flygon—with their Dragon typing and immunity to Ground attacks—could serve as aerial scouts or frontline attackers.
Cynthia had even promised to give him a Gible soon. With both Flygon and a future Garchomp on his side—both capable of Mega Evolution—he could cover multiple strategic roles.
Just then, an orange head poked out of a nearby pit. Big eyes, blocky jaws—it was unmistakably a Trapinch.
Kamizrai blinked. "That was fast…"
Aoki grinned. "Perfect timing. Even if I don't use them all myself, I can train and distribute them to others—May, Naqi, Kamizrai, Shelly. Let's go!"
But before they could act, the Trapinch scuttled back into its hole.
"No time to lose."
Without hesitation, Aoki grabbed Kamizrai's arm. "Hold tight."
A second later, they vanished, reappearing deep underground. Kamizrai didn't even flinch—she had long since grown used to Aoki's sudden Teleports, thanks to his powerful Psychic-type Pokémon like Gardevoir or Alakazam.
They followed the Trapinch quietly through a winding tunnel until it opened into an enormous subterranean cavern. The place was lush and alive—unexpected in such a dry region.
At the center of the underground world was a shimmering, spring-fed lake. Bioluminescent moss clung to the rocky walls, and glowing crystals provided a soft light. Dozens of Pokémon milled around the lake, many of them unique to Hoenn—Lotad, Barboach, Corphish, and of course, Trapinch.
Kamizrai's eyes widened. "It's… beautiful. I had no idea something like this could exist under the desert."
Aoki scanned the area. "Look over there. The Trapinch colony—at least fifty strong, maybe more. Vibrava too. Possibly a few Flygon acting as guardians."
Kamizrai asked, "Isn't this a conservation zone?"
Aoki opened the PokéMap and checked. "It's a protected environment, but capturing wild Pokémon isn't prohibited unless posted. There's no restriction here."
That was all the confirmation he needed.
"If I can catch enough with good IVs or Champion potential, I could shape a specialized desert squad. Let's get started."
He expanded the traditional treasure map overlay—there was only one golden chest nearby, suggesting the absence of Elite- or Champion-tier Pokémon. That made this mission much easier.
"Greninja, use Psybeam. Stormdragon, Dragon Pulse. Flygon, control the aerial perimeter."
His team sprang into action. Boss Lairon remained at his side, a silent sentinel.
Greninja's Psybeam tore through the approaching Vibrava, while Stormdragon—the evolved form of his Bagon—blasted enemies with focused Dragon Pulse attacks.
Within ten minutes, the area had been secured. Many of the Trapinch were subdued but unharmed. Aoki would begin sorting them based on strength, nature, and potential.
Kamizrai stood at his side, smiling. "You really don't hold back."
Aoki smirked. "When opportunity knocks, you catch it—in a Poké Ball."
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