Chapter 68: The Sand Dash Race
Chapter 68: The Sand Dash Race
The vast, rolling dunes of Dragon's Tooth Oasis were the perfect venue for off-road racing. The park had designed three separate tracks: Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced, and all visiting tourists were welcome to participate.
The Novice track was for new trainers who had received their first Pokémon within the last year.
The Intermediate track was for trainers with less than three years of experience.
The Advanced track was for seasoned trainers with more than three years under their belt.
After lunch, Basalt and his cousin Faye headed to the registration point. As for his uncle, Marcus was a big man who needed his afternoon nap, a daily ritual that was set in stone. His aunt had stayed behind to keep him company, so she didn't come along.
The registration area was already crowded with at least a dozen trainers, all around Basalt's age. He and Faye exchanged a glance and quietly joined the back of the line. Faye's Budew had short legs, so she wasn't competing; she was just there to support Basalt.
"Hey, did you hear? About two weeks ago, someone found a wild Aron deep in the dunes of Dragon's Tooth Oasis."
"An Aron? I didn't hear about that. But I do know that about a month ago, someone ran into a wild Solrock in the desert and actually managed to catch it."
Three teenagers in line ahead of Basalt were chatting about the latest news from the oasis.
"An Aron? A Solrock?"
The moment he heard those names, Basalt's ears perked up. He focused his attention, listening intently.
"I heard about the Solrock, too. Isn't that old news by now?"
"That trainer got so lucky. Solrock is a rare Psychic-type. I'm so jealous. I wish that had been me!"
"Pfft! You? What makes you think you'd be strong enough to catch a Solrock even if you found one?"
"Uh, well…"
"Speaking of which, aren't Aron supposed to live in mountains and caves with ore veins? What would one be doing in a desert? You think there's a hidden mine under Dragon's Tooth Oasis?"
"Who knows! Maybe it was a small migrating colony, or maybe they've been hiding here all along and no one ever found them."
"That's true. It'd be easy for a few Pokémon to hide in a desert this huge."
The group's conversation eventually drifted to other topics, but Basalt's mind was racing.
Aron, the Steel/Rock-type Pokémon. Its final evolution was the steel behemoth, Aggron. Not only was Aggron incredibly powerful, but it also looked awesome and was a highly respected powerhouse on any sandstorm team. Basalt would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted.
As for Solrock, the Rock/Psychic-type, its stats weren't as high, but it possessed the rare and valuable Psychic typing. For Basalt right now, it would be an excellent choice. After all, he came from an ordinary family. Pokémon like an Abra with its Magic Guard ability or a pseudo-legendary Beldum were completely out of his reach for now.
There's something special about this oasis, Basalt thought, rubbing his chin.
He had heard his aunt mention the Solrock sighting before. But from the sound of the teenagers' conversation, neither of these species were native to the area. If they were, the Sand Rangers—the park staff who patrolled the dunes like forest rangers—would have already discovered and documented them, and the park employees would have been notified.
The key was that both of these Pokémon seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
Before he could think any further, a sudden gasp from the front of the line broke his train of thought.
"No way! He's already a Novice-Rank Trainer?"
At the registration desk, the crowd stared in shock at a tall teenager who stood at least six feet tall.
Participants in the Novice race had to be 18 years old and have received their first Pokémon this year. But it had only been a little over two months. How could someone already have achieved an official trainer rank?
The gap between trainers was on full display.
"That guy looks familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."
"Oh, I remember now! That's Rex from Crimson City High!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"Rex?"
Hearing the name, Faye stood on her tiptoes to get a better look, her expression changing slightly.
"What's wrong?" Basalt asked curiously.
"It really is Rex!" Faye's eyes darted around. "He's one of the top three trainers in the senior year at my school. He's incredibly strong. I can't believe he's already passed the Novice-Rank exam!"
"The guy's a total celebrity at our school!" Faye added, her face blushing as she shyly stepped behind Basalt.
"Top three at Crimson City High? He must be good," Basalt nodded, though he didn't think it was worth all the shock.
A Novice-Rank Trainer? It's not like he's the only one here. o(^｀)o
After completing his registration, Rex gave the crowd a dismissive glance and turned to leave, not having said a single word the entire time. He seemed like an arrogant type.
The line moved forward, and soon it was Basalt's turn.
"Please present your Pokédex. We need to verify your information," the staff member said, holding out his hand.
Basalt smiled and handed it over.
Beep!
The scanner read the Pokédex, and Basalt's information flashed on the screen: Age 18, Trainer Rank: Novice!
"What the—! Another Novice-Rank Trainer!"
Instantly, the way the surrounding people looked at Basalt changed. Their expressions shifted from casual curiosity to awe and respect. For a moment, Basalt felt like he was radiating an aura of pure power. As he walked away, people in his path instinctively stepped aside.
His cousin Faye was completely floored, her admiration overflowing. "Basalt, you're so awesome!" she exclaimed, her vocabulary clearly limited when she was this excited.
"It's nothing," Basalt chuckled, following the signs to the racetrack.
Several contestants were already there, scattered around the starting area. Some had already let out their Pokémon and were warming up.
"Rhyhorn, Geodude, Sandshrew, Doduo, Ponyta, Tauros…"
Basalt scanned the competition. He saw three Ponyta, two Tauros, and two Doduo, along with one of each of the others. The most eye-catching of them all was a Ponyta with a magnificent, fiery mane that was noticeably taller than the other two. It occasionally snorted, making its presence known. Its trainer was, of course, Rex.
A tough opponent, Basalt noted.
Still, he wasn't too worried about Rex or his Ponyta. This was just a fun, amateur race; the prize wouldn't be anything too valuable. Winning would be great, but losing wasn't a big deal. He kept his mindset relaxed.
"Come on out, Drilbur!"
Basalt released his partner so it could warm up too.
"Drilbur~"
Drilbur nodded, spun its body, and instantly transformed into its drill form, boring a large hole in the sand. Digging was Drilbur's warm-up routine.
The surrounding crowd gasped again. They hadn't expected this unassuming Drilbur to have mastered Dig. As expected of a Novice-Rank Trainer!
But even so, they didn't see Drilbur as a major threat. It might be strong, but this was a race, and speed was a trait largely determined by a Pokémon's natural abilities. No matter how much you trained a Grimer, it was never going to outrun a Meowth.
Unless… you could break through the limits of your species.
But that was an incredibly difficult feat. Even a Gym-level Pokémon might not be able to do it. A Novice-Rank Trainer's Pokémon? In their dreams.
About ten minutes later, all 23 contestants for the Novice race had arrived and lined up their Pokémon at the starting line.
"See that little red flag in the distance?" the referee, a middle-aged man in a wide-brimmed sun hat and sunglasses, called out. "All Pokémon must start from here, run around that flag as fast as you can, and come back. First one to cross the finish line is the winner!"
He raised a finger. "One important rule: No moves are allowed during the race. Anyone who uses a move will be disqualified immediately. Understood?"
"Understood!" the crowd roared in response. It made sense; allowing moves would likely lead to a chaotic free-for-all.
"Alright then, everyone to their positions!" the referee said. He raised the starter pistol. "Ready!"
BANG!
Three seconds later, the gun fired. All the Pokémon shot forward like wild horses released from their reins.
But while they were all fast, there were clear differences in their speed.
Basalt looked out and saw the three Ponyta and the two Doduo pulling ahead, naturally forming the first pack. Right behind them were Drilbur and the two Tauros, followed by the rest of the Pokémon.
Seeing this, the referee raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What's with that Drilbur? How is it so fast?" As far as he knew, Drilbur weren't known for their speed.
He had no idea that at that very moment, Basalt was frowning in frustration, cursing himself internally.
Damn it! I forgot to tell Drilbur... it can use its Sand Rush ability!
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