"Oh, I never expected to find a desert here!" After earning his third Badge, Liu Qing had set his sights on the Hearthome Gym in Hearthome City. Only a few days after leaving Veilstone City, he found a vast world of yellow sand stretching before him. Yet this sandy expanse lacked the unbearable heat of a true desert. Its climate was more comparable to Unova's Desert Resort.
After checking his navigation device and confirming his direction, Liu Qing headed onward. He had not gone far before a battle caught his attention.
Not far from Liu Qing, a boy wearing a red short-sleeved shirt, black shorts, and an orange baseball cap was battling a Hippopotas with a Burmy.
"Burmy, quick, use Protect!" Faced with Hippopotas's Bite, the boy swiftly gave his command. Burmy, whose body was cloaked in green leaves, immediately formed a pale green barrier around itself, successfully blocking the attack. Yet a moment later, Burmy suddenly fell to the ground, fast asleep.
Hippopotas followed up with Take Down, charging straight into the sleeping Burmy and sending it flying. As luck would have it, Burmy flew toward Liu Qing, who reached out and caught it. Hippopotas quickly used Dig and vanished amid swirling sand.
"Burmy!" The boy visibly relaxed when he saw Liu Qing catch Burmy. He hurried over and took it from Liu Qing's hands. "Hello, my name's Lemon. Thank you so much for catching Burmy!"
"It was nothing!" Liu Qing waved a hand and smiled. "I'm Liu Qing. Were you trying to catch that Hippopotas?"
"Yeah. I heard Hippopotas live in this desert, so I came here hoping to catch one. But the Hippopotas here are just too strong. I've been here a whole week with nothing to show for it!" Lemon looked thoroughly disappointed, then glanced at