Pokémon: Sandstorm Sovereign

Chapter 65: The Sandscale Berry

The next morning.

As much as he wanted to sleep in, Basalt and his Drilbur were creatures of habit. Their internal clocks woke them naturally just before seven.

The problem was, Basalt's flight wasn't until the afternoon. With everything already packed, he found himself with nothing to do. He plopped down on the sofa, mindlessly petting Drilbur while watching TV, but a sense of boredom quickly set in.

I guess I'm just too used to the constant grind, he thought with a wry smile. The moment I get some downtime, I don't know what to do with myself. The thought was so absurdly diligent it almost made him laugh.

"Alright, no point in wasting time," he declared, snapping his fingers. "Let's get that Sandscale Berry into you, buddy!"

He opened his dimensional backpack and retrieved a small wooden box. Inside, nestled on a soft cushion, was a fruit that resembled a cactus. It was about the size of a fist, with a bumpy, uneven surface and a small yellow protrusion on top.

This was the Sandscale Berry.

According to what he'd read, this fruit was incredibly rare. It had demanding growth requirements, only thriving in locations saturated with natural Ground-type energy, and each plant produced very few berries.

It was nothing like the common Oran Berry, which could grow in any reasonably fertile soil and was produced in abundance, making it cheap and readily available.

Poor Oran Berries, Basalt mused. They get no respect at all.

"Dril! Drilbur!"

At that moment, Drilbur was completely preoccupied, hugging its Ground Gem tightly. Even when Basalt held the Sandscale Berry right under its nose, the little Pokémon couldn't be bothered to open its mouth. The allure of the gem was simply too strong.

With a sigh, Basalt seized an opportunity. While Drilbur was distracted, he snatched the Ground Gem away. Holding it behind his back, he grinned. "Come on, Drilbur. You can't just live off of mineral supplements. A balanced diet is important! Here, just try this!"

"Drilburrr…"

Drilbur grumbled in protest but obediently sniffed at the Sandscale Berry with its large, red nose. It could sense an energy radiating from the fruit, a beneficial power that felt nearly as potent as its beloved gem.

Very well then, Drilbur seemed to think. I, the great Emperor Drilbur, shall deign to consume it!

Nom, nom, nom…

Drilbur grabbed the Sandscale Berry and began devouring it with gusto. Juice immediately squirted everywhere, dripping down its face and claws.

"Eat all of it! Don't waste a single drop of that juice!" Basalt urged, his heart aching at the sight of the precious liquid being spilled.

"Dril!" (0ДQ)

The moment it finished, Drilbur felt a wave of warmth spread through its body. A fire seemed to ignite in its stomach, and it felt as if every pore on its body had opened up. Sweat began to bead on its head as it started to feel incredibly hot.

Seeing Drilbur's confusion, Basalt quickly knelt to reassure it. "Don't worry! This is just the Sandscale Berry taking effect. Once it passes, your speed should be much greater."

The staff at the government repository had explained the berry's effects when he collected his prize, so Basalt wasn't surprised. According to them, 80% of the berry's power would activate within two hours. The remaining 20% would be stored in the Pokémon's body, providing a slow, steady boost over a long period.

"Dril…bur…"

Drilbur wiped the sweat from its brow. Its face was flushed, and its legs felt unsteady. It began to wobble back and forth like a drunken sailor.

"You should lie down and rest."

Basalt gently picked up Drilbur and placed it on its custom-made sand bed. The little Pokémon was asleep almost instantly.

Half an hour later, the heat radiating from its body began to subside.

An hour later, its breathing became calm and steady, its body temperature returning to normal.

Two hours later, Drilbur's eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Drilbur!" (～￣▽￣)～

Waking up, Drilbur felt fantastic. Not only was its mind clear and refreshed, but its entire body felt as light as a feather. All the earlier discomfort had vanished without a trace.

"Alright, let's go outside and test it out!" Basalt said, his face alight with anticipation. He was overjoyed to see his partner awake and well. Please, let this have been a big boost!

The first step in his plan to raise a hyper-offensive Excadrill was maxing out its speed.

"Dril!" Drilbur nodded, eager to try.

Basalt had been meticulously recording Drilbur's speed using a simple method: a 100-meter dash.

After Drilbur completed a full lap around the open space in the yard and crossed the finish line, Basalt slammed the button on his stopwatch.

"Under 10 seconds?!"

He was ecstatic. The stopwatch read 9.83 seconds!

Before eating the Sandscale Berry, Drilbur's personal best had been 12 seconds flat.

This one berry had boosted its speed by over 20%!

And that was just its base speed. Once its Sand Rush ability activated in a sandstorm, its speed would be amplified even further. The overall increase would be massive.

"A single Sandscale Berry gave it a nearly 30% boost in a real battle scenario? If I could get two or three more, its speed could double!"

Basalt's eyes gleamed as he unconsciously licked his lips. If winning the Seaside County tournament got him a prize this rare, what kind of rewards could he get for becoming number one in Metro City?

Okay, new goal: win the Metro City qualifiers!

Basalt and Drilbur shared a look, their fists (and claws) clenched with determination. Why bother with grueling training when you could get stronger by eating rare treasures? Ever since Basalt had fed it the Smooth Rock, Drilbur's worldview had expanded considerably.

But wait, Basalt thought, a dose of reality setting in. You can't just keep eating these berries, right? The effects of the same type of item diminish with each use, eventually becoming useless.

Besides, the dramatic 20% increase was likely because Drilbur was still young and its base speed was relatively low. If a fully evolved Excadrill consumed a Sandscale Berry, the speed increase would probably be less than half of that.

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

His Pokédex rang. Basalt answered the call and saw Ms. Anya's face on the screen.

"Basalt, I just sent you a file on the learning method for the move 'Bulldoze,'" she said immediately. "The headmaster heard you won the championship and specifically asked me to give this to you."

Basalt was stunned.

Bulldoze?

He had been dreaming of an area-of-effect move like Bulldoze, which could hit multiple opponents at once. On top of that, it lowered the target's speed. As a Ground-type move, it would also receive a same-type attack bonus from Drilbur. The combination was practically perfect.

But something else she said caught his attention more. "Ms. Anya, the headmaster knows I won?"

Basalt was secretly amazed.

The headmaster of his school, a man named Albright, was a living legend. He had been the principal at their high school for thirty years before retiring, only to be brought back as a consultant. By age, he was a contemporary of Granny Shu. He had taught countless successful students over the years—even Dr. Martin of the Metro City Institute was one of his former pupils.

Due to his advanced age, Headmaster Albright rarely appeared at the school anymore, but his reputation preceded him, and he still commanded immense respect.

"Of course he knows about something this big! You, young man, are the first person in ten years to break the No. 1 High School's monopoly on the championship!" Ms. Anya said, a proud smile on her face. "You have no idea. When the headmaster heard the news, he made an exception and had a celebratory drink, then called me and told me to make sure I guide you well."

She was incredibly proud to have a student like Basalt.

"Are you free tomorrow?" she asked. "If so, you should come with me to visit the headmaster. He gave you such a wonderful gift; it's only right that you thank him in person."

"Ah! Ms. Anya, my flight to the Savanah Region is this afternoon. I won't be back for five days," Basalt explained, feeling a bit conflicted.

Paying his respects to the headmaster was the proper thing to do, but his desert expedition was set in stone. The wheels were already in motion.

"That's fine. Just let me know when you get back," Ms. Anya said, not pressing the issue. Instead, she offered some advice. "With Bulldoze, Drilbur's moveset is essentially complete for now. For the future, you should focus your time on deeply developing the moves it already knows. If you have any questions, ask Coach Miles or me. We'll give you our full support."

She added sternly, "Remember, don't bite off more than you can chew. When it comes to moves, mastery is more important than variety."

Basalt nodded, taking her words to heart. "Don't worry, Ms. Anya. I understand."

Learning too many moves could spread a Pokémon's training time too thin. It was far better to master a few key skills. It was the same principle behind why the most powerful trainers often specialized in a single type.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Ms. Anya ended the call.

Basalt slung his dimensional backpack over his shoulder, ready to go. Although his flight was at 1:00 PM, the trip from his house to the airport would take over an hour. It was the perfect time to leave.

"The desert awaits…"