The Desert Resort was home to one of Unova’s most famous historical sites: the Relic Castle.
Researchers, archaeologists, and history enthusiasts regularly traveled there to study and explore the ancient ruins.
Even more enticing was the belief, supported by various surveys and research reports, that countless other ruins might still lie buried beneath the surrounding desert.
Naturally, that possibility attracted a steady stream of Trainers and amateur archaeologists hoping to make discoveries of their own.
Over time, a full-fledged desert resort had sprung up around an oasis in the area.
Visitors could take boats out across the lake, watch local Maractus performances, sample regional desert cuisine, and enjoy all the other attractions that had grown alongside the archaeological tourism industry.
Which was why both Nimbasa City and Castelia City had direct bus routes to the Desert Resort.
Aiden slumped back in his seat.
“What a screwup.
I made myself look like a complete idiot.”
Once again, he was being reminded just how important good information was.
Not only had he wasted a ridiculous amount of time, he had spent most of it walking beneath the blazing sun for absolutely no reason.
Snivy had been so annoyed by the whole ordeal that she now refused to come out of her Poké Ball.
As the bus continued onward, the scenery outside gradually became more characteristic of the desert.
Golden sand stretched in every direction, and the little greenery that remained consisted mostly of scattered patches of cactus.
Eventually, the bus slowed to a stop.
Aiden immediately straightened.
“We’re here?”
“Not yet.”
Apparently having overheard him, the driver shook his head.
“This is just a rest stop.
You can stretch your legs, use the bathroom, that sort of thing.”
“Oh.”
Aiden nodded in understanding before turning back toward the window.
He was beginning to get bored.
More importantly, he was starting to worry that the video itself was becoming boring.
‘If this keeps up, is anybody actually going to watch it?’
He stared at the endless yellow sand and sighed.
‘Guess I’ll have to put more work into the narration…’
Then something moved in the distance.
Across the seemingly endless desert, a large patch of green suddenly appeared to be traveling through the sand.
Aiden leaned closer to the window.
“Oh, wow.
Maractus…
Huh?”
He rubbed his eyes.
“Why does that one look…”
His expression abruptly changed.
“No freaking way!”
Aiden immediately grabbed the binoculars he had conveniently acquired from Officer Jenny and focused on the distant herd.
His eyes widened.
“That’s a Shiny!”
There was no question about it.
He might not possess the supernatural eyesight of a hardcore Scarlet and Violet player who could somehow spot a slightly off-colored Pokémon from half a screen away, but the distinct purple coloration on that Maractus stood out clearly enough from the others for even him to be certain.
The other passengers soon noticed the migrating group as well.
More importantly, they noticed the unusually colored individual among them.
“Holy crap, that’s a Shiny Maractus!”
“Driver, don’t wait for me!
I’m not coming back!”
“Same here!”
“Move, move!
That’s a Shiny!”
“Hurry up before somebody else gets there first!”
The previously quiet bus exploded into activity.
A crowd of Trainers poured through the doors and sprinted into the desert after the Maractus.
Aiden remained seated for a moment, watching them go.
‘Should I follow them?’
As someone aiming to become a major online personality, Aiden had already given plenty of thought to what made a content creator memorable.
Getting attention wasn’t enough; people needed some distinctive trait they could immediately associate with you.
At first, because of Sprigatito and Snivy, he had considered branding himself as the Trainer who only used especially attractive or elegant Pokémon.
But the more he thought about how the internet worked, the less certain he became.
People loved attaching stereotypes to everything.
Dark-type Trainers were supposedly shady.
Fire-type Trainers were all hot-tempered and inexplicably good cooks.
And if a Trainer showed up with an entire team consisting of Meowscarada, Serperior, Gardevoir, Lopunny, Primarina, Milotic, and Pokémon along those lines…
Well.
People were definitely going to have opinions.
Aiden rubbed his chin.
“Having a Shiny as a signature Pokémon wouldn’t be bad either…”
Still, he hesitated.
He already had two Grass-types.
Rather than specializing in one type, Aiden ultimately wanted to build a diverse team capable of covering multiple types and battle styles.
Before he could make up his mind, Sprigatito—who had long since grown sick of being stuck inside the bus—patted his arm.
The fresh floral scent drifting from her fur seemed to clear the heat-induced fog from his brain.
Aiden’s eyes widened.
“Wait, what am I even thinking about?
Whether I catch it or not doesn’t matter!
A chase after a Shiny Pokémon is exactly the kind of thing people will click on!”
Remembering at last why he had come out here in the first place, Aiden shot to his feet, grabbed his backpack, and rushed toward the door.
“Driver, I’m not coming back either!”
The driver watched him vanish into the desert, and behind his sunglasses, his eyes curved with quiet amusement.
“Another batch…”
Aiden, completely unaware that the driver seemed to know more than he was letting on, was already running after the crowd with his phone held up and recording.
“Guys, we just ran into a Shiny Pokémon on the way to the Desert Resort, and we’re currently in pursuit!”
Unfortunately, most of the other Trainers had already released Pokémon better suited for the chase.
Some mounted Pokémon such as Rapidash, while others sent Flying-types overhead to track the herd from the air.
Aiden had started later than everyone else and possessed nothing more advanced than his own two legs.
The distance between him and the others steadily increased until he could barely see their backs.
“I am absolutely getting a ride Pokémon someday!”
He kept jogging while talking into the camera, half to fill the silence and half to distract himself from the fact that his lungs were beginning to hate him.
“Seriously, guys, this is exactly when not having a mount screws you over.
Even having a Pokémon that can fly overhead and keep track of the target would make a huge difference…”
While he rambled, his mind had already wandered toward potential future team members.
What would make a good-looking ride Pokémon?
Gogoat?
Arcanine?
Or maybe one of Paldea’s legendary bikes—Miraidon or Koraidon?
‘Wait, Paldea has Naranja Academy, right?
Then I guess that would mean Koraidon…’
He frowned while continuing to run.
‘But doesn’t Naranja Academy exist in the anime continuity too?’
Then there was the question of a flying Pokémon.
What would be a good choice?
Although, technically, it didn’t even have to be a Flying-type.
Plenty of Pokémon could fly without actually having the type.
Still, whatever he chose would need to be reliable.
If he was going to trust something with his life several hundred feet in the air, this probably wasn’t the place to prioritize looks over competence.
His legs kept moving while his overheated brain wandered through one pointless thought after another.
Then—
“SPRIGA!!”
Sprigatito’s alarmed cry finally snapped him back to reality.
Aiden blinked.
‘Wait.
I’m zoning out while sprinting through a desert.
That’s an amazingly stupid way to eat dirt.’
Unfortunately, by the time he realized just how dangerous that was, the warning had come a little too late.
The ground disappeared beneath his foot.