EPISODE 72: The Sand Dragon!

"Wake up Kalem! Wake up!" Elly, the six-year old daughter of Mr. Florence knocked on my door.

"Not now Elly... I'm still sleepy." I uttered with a drowsy voice.

"But Kalem! Did you promise to come with us remember? We're going to the Dojo Tower and the Ruins!" Elly beamed with excitement.

"Alright fine... I'm up!" I uttered with a drowsy voice while stretching my arms.

You might be wondering where Zhery, Glade, and Camellia are? Well the truth is, we got separated. They're on the western reaches of the Silvent Desert. While I'm in the Eastern Reaches with Mr.Florence and his daughter. I'm pretty sure that you know the reason why me and my friends got separated. Now, I'm going to them but first thing's first! I promised Elly and Mr.florence to come with them to the Dojo Tower and the Ruins.

Riolu was still sleeping heavily after that tiring event yesterday. Before I left the room, I checked on the egg if it was fine or if it had any cracks because of what happened yesterday.

"Alright Gardevoir! Take care of the egg." I sent out Gardevoir since she likes to babysit the egg all the time. Gardevoir was so happy when she saw the egg. She hugged it tightly just like what a mother would do with her newly born child.

I and Gardevoir walked out of the room while my little Riolu was still having his good dream. Elly was shocked to see a Pokemon like Gardevoir.

"What kind of Pokemon is that Kalem?" Elly queried with confusion.

"This is Gardevoir... She's one of my Pokemons!" I smiled and uttered with respect towards the little toddler, while Gardevoir smiled back at the child.

"Goodmorning Kalem, breakfast is ready... have a seat!" Mr. Florence uttered as he placed the omelet on the table.

"Goodmorning to you too Mr. Florence, thanks for the breakfast." I greeted and smiled as I sat down on the chair.

Meanwhile, at the Western Reaches Desert Hotel Department, my friends were planning to meet me at the Dojo tower.

"Alright, it's gonna be a long journey towards the Dojo Tower, we may have to bring our tents," Glade suggested.

"You're right, the Silvent Desert is the largest desert in the world. Who knows what we may come into." Zhery agreed.

"We have to make it to the Dojo tower before Kalem does. He doesn't know this plan of ours since we don't have a signal to call him."Camellia uttered with worry as she took a sip on her hot choco.

"Don't worry Camellia, Kalem is fine, as long as he's with an adult-like Mr. Florence, nothing could possibly go wrong!" Zhery comforted.

While I was eating breakfast, Elly and Mr.Florence decided to join me. I was shocked when Mr.Florence showed me the map of the desert.

"We are currently on the Eastern Reaches of the Silvent Desert, and as we all know... Your friends are on the western reaches of the Silvent Desert. The center between these two points is no other than the Dojo Tower and the ruins. We're closer to the ruins, while your friends are closer to the Dojo tower. So, we could estimate that the given..." Mr. Florence's explanation was too hard to understand with all these estimates, decimals, and probability stuff.

"Um dad, I think Kalem doesn't understand what you're talking about." Elly hunched.

"Sorry Mr. Florence, I'm not good at Math nor Physics so I don't really understand what you're saying," I uttered with respect.

"Oh? Sorry Kalem... I didn't know you were a slow learner." Mr. Florence apologized and smiled.

"Dad is a Mathematician! That's why you can't understand him." Elly uttered with a big smile. Riolu woke up and went out of the room looking for me.

"Oh! Goodmorning Riolu!" I called and smiled at the late bloomer. Riolu rushed towards my leg, looking scared and frightened.

"Don't worry Riolu! They're good people! This is Mr.Florence, and this is his daughter Elly! That sleeping Pokemon there is Krookodile, he's the one who saved us." I introduced.

"Riolu is awake! Can I play with him Kalem? Please?" Elly begged with her baby doll eyes.

"Let Riolu eat first, then you can play!" I said with a big smile. Riolu ran to my shoulder and sat on it. I gave Riolu his Pokemon food and he began to eat with my other Pokemons.

"So Kalem, who are your other Pokemons?" Elly wondered.

"Well, you've already met Riolu and Gardevoir... Then, this little green cutie is Treecko, while the one with red hair is Zorua, the green Pokemon with two sharp scythes is my Scyther, and lastly I have a Pokemon egg which hasn't hatched yet." I pointed and introduced my Pokemon while they smiled back at Elly.

"Cool! I want to become a Pokemon trainer just like you and my brother!" Elly hoped.

"Well, never stop dreaming and your wish will come true!" I quoted.

"Tell me Kalem, is being a trainer hard?"

"Of course Elly, you have to strengthen your bond with your Pokemons! You also have to travel across cities to collect gym badges." I explained.

"One day, I'll become a regional champion!" Elly wished as she stared at the ceiling.

"Regional Champion? Why be a regional champion if you can be a world Champion? Why be a world champion if you can be a Pokemon Master? Dream big Elly, and a lot of victories will come upon you!" I inspired and quoted.

After eating breakfast, it was time to fix my things. I made sure that I had my badge case and my potions, my Z-ring and my mega ring, and also... I almost forgot my sleeping bag and Go Go Goggles!

"Are you set Kalem? We won't be coming back, it might take days for us to reach the Dojo tower and Ruins." Florence reassured.

"Yup! Me and my buddy Riolu is all set!" I beamed with excitement while Riolu wore his Go-Go Goggles.

"Kalem, won't Riolu be staying at his Pokeball?" Elly wondered.

"Nah, Riolu loves to stay with me, he hates Pokeballs," I explained. Krookodile came with us as we left the hotel! I might not have my friends with me, but on the brighter side, I have Elly and Mr.Florence with me.

We started to walk through the desert, it wasn't stormy, unlike yesterday. It was hot, and the sand dunes were calm. There were no winds, there were only pure sand grains.

"This sand is fluffy, right Kalem?" Elly queried.

"I agree with yah! This sand is really fluffy!" I agreed and jumped on the fluffy sand.

"Kalem stop jumping! I might fall from your shoulder!" Riolu begged as he tightened his grip on my shoulder.

"Sorry Riolu! This sand is really fluffy."

"You're acting like a little kid you know?" Riolu teased.

"I may grow old, but my childish attitudes are immortal!" I teased back while rubbing Riolu's chin.

The day was getting brighter and hotter, good thing we have a whole stack of water bottles for our journey.

"Hey Kalem! Look at that hole!" Elly pointed.

"Huh? That hole seems odd!" I grew curious about the small hole we found. Suddenly, out of nowhere... A Pokemon appeared from the dunes! It had an orange body and its head was an oblong.

"Hey dad! What kind of Pokemon is this?" Elly wondered while pointing at the Pokemon which appeared from the whole.

"That must be a Trapinch! It is known as the Ant Pit Pokemon! It belongs to the ground type category. Trapinch is a patient hunter. It digs an inescapable pit in a desert and waits for its prey to come tumbling down. This Pokemon can go a whole week without access to any water." Mr. Florence explained.

"Woah! Hey Trapinch, I'm Kalem and this is Riolu!" I smiled at the Pokemon. Trapinch didn't seem friendly after using a sand attack on me. Sand-Attack is a Pokemon move, wherein the target's eyes are covered with sand.

"What was that for!?" I badgered. Trapinch was a brave Pokemon, he proved that to me when he stepped outside from his home and glared at Riolu.

"Oh? It looks like Trapinch's ability is the Arena Trap." Mr. Florence concluded.

"Arena trap? What's that supposed to mean dad?"

"Arena trap forces the foe to battle it without escaping or fleeing. Meaning, no matter what Kalem does... He has to battle Trapinch." Mr. Florence explained.

"Yay! Kalem, battle Trapinch, I haven't seen Riolu battle yet." Elly begged.

"Alright, what do you say Riolu? Let's battle the Trapinch!" I beamed with determination as Riolu jumped down my shoulder. Mr. Florence took out a notebook from his bag, but why would he be so eager to observe my battling skills?

Riolu[300]

Trapinch[100]

"Alright! Riolu, use Force Palm!"

Trapinch curled itself up and used Bulldoze!

*Riolu was able to intercept Trapinch's Bulldoze!*

Riolu[300]

Trapinch[50]

"Alright, Riolu use metal claw!"

Trapinched used bite on Riolu's paw!

*Riolu's attack missed!*

Riolu[280]

Trapinch[50]

"Riolu, that's it... Use quick attack!"

*Trapinch tried to dodge but failed miserably.*

Riolu[280]

Trapinch[20]

"Riolu! Finish Trapinch with seismic toss!"

*Riolu threw Trapinch to the sky!*

Riolu[280]

Trapinch[0]

"I see, so Riolu knows Force Palm, Seismic Toss, Quick Attack, and Metal Claw... Hmm, not bad." Mr. Florence uttered on his mind and listed Riolu's moves on his notebook.

"Wow Kalem! Riolu is super duper strong!" Elly complemented.

"Thanks, Elly, we may look strong to you but we're nothing when it comes to battling other trainers!" I smiled and explained.

"Kalem is right, there are a lot of strong trainers out there, but you must remember Elly... As long as the Pokemon and trainer have a strong bond they can become undefeatable." Mr. Florence explained.

"I'll surely remember that daddy! I'm going to battle Kalem when I grow up!" Elly uttered with passion and determination.

"And me on the other hand? I will be waiting for you Kelly! I'll meet you in future Pokemon leagues." I smiled and promised at the toddler.

Trapinch went back to his hole and finally, I and my Riolu are free from the Arena trap ability. We can now move on to the Dojo tower and the ruins.

The sun was at its peak, as it glamours over the cerulean sky, and that was when we saw an oasis! We were tired of traveling and decided to take a nice little rest. The Oasis, had two palm trees which can serve as a shade for our aching skin. The water in the Oasis was warm and pure for Riolu to drink in.

"That was a tiring walk indeed!" Mr. Florence uttered as he sat down beside the palm tree.

"Well, a nice rest could give us an energy boost!" I uttered with positivity and optimism.

"Kalem is right daddy! Oh... by the wat dad... Where are we now?" Elly, the little child queried.

"According to the map, we're currently on route 19, but it seems to be that we're really close to the ruins already." Mr. Florence answered.

"Yay! Ruins! Ruins! I wanna go to the ruins!" Elly beamed with joy.

"Oh, yeah? What's in the ruins anyway Mr. Florence?" I queried with eagerness.

"Oh... The ruins of the Silvent Desert is home to the oldest scriptures of the Pokemon world. I decided that it would be best to check what scripture lies in the ruins." Mr. Florence answered.

Riolu enjoyed playing with Elly at the Oasis. They would sometimes play tag together and sometimes, they would throw sand for no reason! It was fun to watch them play until Elly saw a cute Pokemon.

"Hey daddy! What Pokemon is this? It has two tiny wings with a yellow body and green eyes." Elly described.

"That Pokemon is also known as Vibrava. Some people call this Pokemon the 'Vibration Pokemon.' It is a ground and dragon type, and the evolved form of Trapinch. To make prey faint, Vibrava generates ultrasonic waves by vigorously making its two wings vibrate. This Pokémon's ultrasonic waves are so powerful, they can bring on headaches in people." Mr. Florence explained.

"Yay! Kalem, battle Vibrava please, but this time use your cool Treecko!" Elly begged.

"Yeah sure Elly! What do you say Vibrava? Do you accept my challenge?" Vibrava smiled and glared at me. Our challenge has been accepted.

"Alright! Treecko! I choose you!" Both Pokemons glared at each other, none was either intimidated or frustrated. Their determination was stronger than a sand storm!

Treecko[300]

Vibrava[200]

"Treecko! Use Razor Leaf!"

Vibrava tried to dodge but failed! Razor Leaf was super effective since ground type Pokemons are weak to grass types.

Treecko[300]

Vibrava[130]

"Alright Treecko! Follow it up with another Razor Leaf!"

Vibrava dodged the attack and used Dragon Breath! (A move which unleashes purple flare to the foe.)

Treecko[210]

Vibrava[130]

"Alright! Treecko, we ain't giving up right away! Use quick attack!"

Vibrava was unable to dodge! Critical Hit!

Treecko[210]

Vibrava[70]

"Treecko! Use Razor Leaf!"

Vibrava dodged the attack and used dragon breath once more!

Treecko[160]

Vibrava[70]

"Let's use Razor Leaf one last time!"

Vibrava was unable to dodge!

Treecko[160]

Vibrava[0]

Vibrava looked frightened and left the oasis right away, however... Mr. Florence listed Treecko's moves and Treecko's advantages and disadvantages but for what cause?

"Amazing Kalem! You defeated that Vibrava like it was a piece of cake!" Elly smiled and uttered.

"Thanks Elly... but it's Treecko who you should thank! Treecko was the one who did everything, I only commanded it." I smiled with joy and returned Treecko to his Pokeball.

"Say Kalem, is Treecko your starter Pokemon?" Mr. Florence queried.

"No sir! Treecko is my fifth Pokemon, I saved it from two chubby men trying to abuse it back in route seventeen!" I explained.

"Wait? You can become a trainer without a starter Pokemon?" Elly queried.

"Yup! That's correct, a trainer needs at least one Pokemon of any kind to start a journey. If a trainer already has a buddy, he doesn't need a starter Pokemon but he could catch one if he prefers." Mr. Florence explained.

After that long rest under the oasis, I and my two new friends continued our journey. Then, from a high sand dune... we started to hear commotions. We looked at the lower ground only to see men wearing a black cape with their identities hidden with the help of their glasses.

They were circling a Pokemon I wasn't familiar with. They also threw stones at it using their slingshot.

"Those are the Blind Bandit Society!" Mr. Florence introduced with an angry face.

"The Blind Bandit Society? What kind of organization is that?" I queried with anger as I saw them hurting the green Pokemon with wings, it also had red lenses covering its eyes. Locals call that Pokemon "The Sand Dragon"

"The Blind Bandit Society is a group of bad people who would harm Pokemon then sell them to the black market! Those people are meanies!" Elly explained angrily and with frustration.

"Grr! They make me angry! Something must be done to save that Pokemon!" I badgered.

"By the way dad, what kind of Pokemon is that anyways?" Elly queried.

"People refer that as the sand dragon or Flygon. Flygon is a ground and dragon type! Some locals call Flygon as the Mystical Pokemon as well, it is the evolved form of Vibrava. Flygon whips up a sandstorm by flapping its wings. The wings create a series of notes that sound like singing. Because the "singing" is the only thing that can be heard in a sandstorm, this Pokémon is said to be the desert spirit." Mr. Florence explained.

"What!? That Pokemon could make a sand storm!?" I wondered in shock.

"Yes it can! That's why its called the Sand Dragon.

The Blind Bandit Society then tied the poor sand dragon. Flygon was crying for help and I had to do something.

"I'll go rescue that Flygon!" I uttered with determination.

"Don't do it Kalem, you might hurt yourself. The Blind Bandit Society is a strong evil group!" Elly warned.

"Well yeah? I've defeated Chaos grunts a whole bunch of times! Of course I could win against these bandits as well!" I uttered with determination as I gushed down towards the Blind Bandit Society.

"Hey! Stop that!" I shouted. They continued to circle Flygon while riding their Mudsdale. Mudsdale is a ground type Pokemon that looks like a horse. It has a black mane and a brown body.

Their outfits look similar to those in an Egyptian movie or something.

Their leader approached me with full confidence while riding his Mudsdale.

"Who do you think you are? How come you have the guts to mess with us?" Their leader queried.

"Leave Flygon alone! Abusing Pokemons is against the law! Let Flygon roam free!"

"Fine! We'll let Flygon go, but... you must defeat me in a battle first!"

"A battle? Fine then! A one on one battle is what I offer to you!"

"Alright then, shall we start kid?"

"Oh no dad! Kalem is going to battle their leader!" Elly panicked.

"Don't lose hope on Kalem, Elly. Kalem is a strong trainer after all."

"Alright Gardevoir, it's time to shine!" I sent out my Gardevoir from her Pokeball.

"Then I'll use Machoke!" Their leader uttered with determination as they circled the both of us with their Mudsdale.

"Daddy, what's a Machoke?" Elly queried.

"Machoke is the evolved form of Machop. Machoke's thoroughly toned muscles possess the hardness of steel. This Pokemon has so much strength, it can easily hold aloft a sumo wrestler on just one finger." Mr. Florence explained.

"Kalem is doomed! That Machoke looks intimidating!" Elly feared.

"Don't worry Elly, Fighting-types are weak against Psychic types. Kalem has the upper hands!" Mr. Florence comforted.

"Let's battle! Shall we? Machoke! Use Thunder Punch!"

Machoke[400]

Gardevoir[400]

"Gardevoir dodge then use Shadow Ball!"

*Gardevoir was able to dodge with her fast speed!*

Machoke[320]

Gardevoir[400]

"Machoke! Use Dynamic Punch!"

"Gardevoir, dodge then use Psychic!"

*Gardevoir was unable to dodge! Machoke was able to use Dynamic Punch! Critical hit!

Machoke[320]

Gardevoir[300]

"We ain't giving up yet! Gardevoir use Psychic now!"

"Machoke No!"

*Psychic was super effective!*

Machoke[240]

Gardevoir[300]

"Machoke, use Fire Punch quick!"

"Gardevoir, use Magical Leaf to intercept!"

*Magical leaf intercepted the attack!*

Machoke[150]

Gardevoir[300]

"Machoke, use Dynamic Punch one more time!"

*Gardevoir wasn't able to react quickly!*

Machoke[150]

Gardevoir[230]

"Gardevoir use Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge then use Dynamic Punch!"

*Gardevoir's attack missed! Machoke was able to use Dynamic Punch!*

Machoke[150]

Gardevoir[120]

"Gardevoir! You can do this! Use Psychic again!" Gardevoir glared at the Pokemon.

*Psychic was super effective!*

Machoke[60]

Gardevoir[120]

"Machoke, use dynamic punch again!"

"Gardevoir dodge it then use shadow ball!"

Machoke's attack missed! Shadow ball made Machoke faint!*

Machoke[0]

Gardevoir[120]

"Arghhhh! We'll come back for you kid! Come on boys, let's ride!" Their leader uttered and left the scene together with his gang.

Mr. Florence and Elly went to me to help me cut the rope on Flygon's feet.

"Electivire! Use Cut on the rope!" Mr. Florence sent out one of his Pokemon. The name of the Pokemon was Electivire. It had strong muscles and a yellow body.

Flygon was set free thanks to Mr.Florence's Electivire. Flygon thanked the three of us for saving him. The sand dragon offered Elly a ride! Elly was happy as it rode at the Pokemon's back as they flew through the desert.

"How was the ride Elly?" I queried.

"It was fun! Flygon is amazing!" Elly smiled.

As the sun sets, we waved goodbye at Flygon. Flygon left the area and went back to its turf. I didn't know that there was an evil organization lurking through the desert. I wasn't able to get the leader's name. One thing's for sure... They're coming back to get me. As long as I'm in the Silvent desert, the Blind Bandit Society will come and hunt me. We're now one step closer to the ruins, as the journey continues!