"Look, this is it. This right here—I drew it down the moment I saw it."
Jack pointed at the sketch and spoke to Theo.
Theo took the paper, his fingertips brushing over the charcoal-drawn symbols as his brows slowly knit together.
These symbols—he suddenly felt they looked somewhat familiar.
In his memories, aside from the Mirage Tower, there seemed to be another forgotten miracle hidden within the desert.
That was the legendary rock cavern where the Rock-type Legendary Pokémon Regirock was said to reside. The walls of that cavern were engraved with ancient symbols very similar to these.
Could it be that the outline of this stone tower was connected to Regirock's habitat?
"It really is a pity. If Tyranitar had shown up a little later, you might've successfully captured that Larvitar."
Before Theo's words of regret had fully faded, Jack chuckled softly. His tone carried the clarity of someone who had seen much of the world. "If only it were that easy to capture. In wild Pokémon groups, offspring are precious to begin with—especially something as rare as Larvitar. There are almost always parents guarding them nearby.
"I was just blinded by greed in the moment and didn't think it through. How could I be that lucky, running into a lone Larvitar?
"With Tyranitar watching over it, forget trying to sneak-capture a Larvitar—even harboring the wrong idea means first asking yourself whether you actually have the ability to escape alive from Tyranitar's claws.
"The fact that I managed to come back in one piece this time—I'm already thanking the heavens!"
Jack's words made perfect sense.
A wild Pokémon's instinct to protect its young was carved into its very bones, let alone a being like Tyranitar that stood at the very top of the desert's food chain.
With a single roar, it could whip up a sandstorm that blotted out the sky. With one Earthquake, it could crack the ground and shift entire dunes.
Even veteran trainers within the League, hardened by countless battles, would have to put away all traces of arrogance when facing a Tyranitar protecting its young, carefully weighing the pros and cons before daring to act.
It wasn't as though Theo had never considered Tyranitar.
Its adorable appearance when young, followed by its awe-inspiring, tyrannical presence after evolution—the invincible aura of the desert overlord—was undeniably captivating. But he quickly suppressed that flicker of greed.
Not every powerful Pokémon needed to be brought under his command.
Within his current team, Tyrantrum already served as the core physical powerhouse. Both were Rock-type Pokémon, and if he truly did manage to capture a Tyranitar, their training methods and tactical roles would overlap heavily.
Both relied on Sandstorm setups, followed by Dragon Dance to stack boosts before launching overwhelming attacks.
Rather than overextending himself by capturing too many Pokémon and spreading his resources thin, it was better to focus on training his existing partners. Once the Pokémon he already had were fully trained, he could consider other possibilities later.
After all, the desert wasn't going anywhere—he would return someday.
The ruins of Regirock, the Mirage Tower… there were far too many unknown wonders he had yet to witness. Once his strength was sufficient, he would definitely explore all of these mysterious relics to their end.
As for the Tyranitar currently roaming the desert, he could always send a message to Steven later and see if he was interested in coming out to the desert to explore and mine.
If Steven happened to encounter them, he would most likely capture both mother and child together. That little Larvitar might even end up being raised at the Devon Corporation—after all, minerals were the one thing Devon never lacked.
"You're right. You can't just want to catch every strong Pokémon you see. There are so many Pokémon in this world—you'd never finish catching them all anyway. It's better to focus properly on your own partners."
Theo nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Jack laughed heartily and reached out to pat Theo on the shoulder. "You kid—at such a young age, you're even more clear-headed than I expected.
"That's right. A trainer's road is long, and the Pokémon world is vast. There's no need to fixate on a single Pokémon and miss all the scenery along the way. That would be the real pity."
He waved the sketch with the stone tower symbols in his hand, his fingers rubbing over the ancient-looking markings as a spark of exploration reignited in his eyes. "Still, I can't shake the feeling that this stone tower and these symbols are hiding something.
"When my equipment is ready and my strength is up to par, I'll definitely come back to investigate again.
"For now, I'll circle around the desert's outskirts and see if I can catch even a glimpse of the Mirage Tower."
At the mention of the "Mirage Tower," Theo gazed at the rolling dunes in the distance, a faint sense of regret passing through his heart.
He had originally hoped that this desert journey might give him a chance to encounter the legendary Mirage Tower and see for himself that mysterious structure that suddenly emerged from the sea of sand.
Unfortunately, his luck seemed to fall just a little short.
But upon second thought, the results of this training trip had already far exceeded expectations.
Tyrunt had evolved into Tyrantrum, Feebas's Water-type moves had grown increasingly refined, and Beldum had picked up quite a few new tricks as well. All things considered, there was little to regret.
He pulled out his phone, where a message from a Devon Corporation staff member was still displayed on the screen.
The special mineral required for Beldum's evolutionary growth had already been delivered to the Mauville City branch.
And the appointment date for his Gym battle against Wattson, the Mauville Gym Leader, was just three days away—it was indeed time to leave the desert.
"I'm planning to head back to Mauville City within the next couple of days."
Theo put away his phone and said to Jack, "My Gym battle date is coming up, and Mauville City is about to host a Pokémon Contest. This round of desert training can be considered complete—it's time to go back and test the results."
As he mentioned the results of his training, Theo's gaze unconsciously fell upon Feebas, resting inside the inflatable water tank nearby.
The little Pokémon seemed to sense his eyes on it and happily swished its tail. The purple scales covering its body shimmered softly under the sunlight, their edges faintly suffused with a delicate, rainbow-like sheen.
Upon closer inspection, the once-beautiful scale that had carried Milotic's distinctive multicolored tail-fin pattern had long since disappeared, leaving no trace behind.
In its place were Feebas's own scales—an increasingly pure shade of violet.
This was precisely the sign that it was on the verge of evolving into Milotic.
Theo knew this well. Feebas had already met the conditions for evolution—it was merely waiting for the right trigger.
Ever since watching footage of Wallace's Milotic performing on the Contest stage, this little one had been holding its breath, storing up determination.
It insisted on waiting until it stood on the Pokémon Contest stage itself, completing its evolution in front of everyone, and using its reborn form to reap a hall full of gasps and admiration.
Following Theo's line of sight, Jack looked over at Feebas, then glanced at Beldum nearby, which was playfully using its head to bump small stones around.
The little Pokémon was manipulating the stones with psychic power, making them spin in midair, clearly having the time of its life. Every so often, it would let out a sharp "ding" in Tyrantrum's direction, as if provoking it.
Meanwhile, Tyrantrum lay lazily sprawled across the sand, only occasionally lifting its eyelids. That utterly indifferent "not worth my attention" expression somehow carried the calm dignity of a true king.
"Your Pokémon aren't just growing stronger quickly—the bond between them is also really good. It's honestly enviable."
Jack couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
After a brief pause, he spoke frankly, "Alright, since you're heading back to Mauville City, let's travel together for a stretch. We'll split up once we reach a supply station.
"I also need to restock on water and compressed rations anyway. After that, I'll wander around the desert's outskirts and try my luck searching for clues about the Mirage Tower."
As he said this, Jack waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of lingering fear from having survived a close call. "As for the depths of the desert, I really don't dare go back in right now.
"If my luck turns bad and I run into Tyranitar again… or that Pokémon with the strange roar, who knows if I'd be lucky enough to make it out alive a second time.
"I'll just look for traces of the Mirage Tower around the perimeter. If I can find it, then this trip won't have been for nothing."
The two quickly reached an agreement and immediately began packing their gear.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, the small team of two people and their Pokémon finally set foot on the road back.
(End of Chapter)