The winds and sand of the great desert were very welcoming to Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon. Apart from Yong, a human who struggled to adjust, Steelix and the others loved it here. At night, they could venture deep underground and absorb rocks and minerals to their hearts' content without worrying about damaging human buildings.
With Trapinch joining them, they also had someone who knew the surrounding area inside out. She could lead her seniors to various high-quality resource deposits for lavish mineral feasts, greatly reducing the supplies Yong needed to provide. After all, the ore sent from home was limited, and there was no Pokémon Center here where he could receive further support.
Steelix currently stood alone in the team's strongest tier. Having enjoyed exclusive access to the Primordial Stone Milk for so long, its aptitude and potential had improved enormously. The supply of quality minerals and steel put its physique, strength, and defense far ahead of its three companions, and its current move coverage was more than sufficient.
Marshtomp and Aron occupied the second tier. Both were gifted Pokémon with solid aptitude. Marshtomp had started from a much higher baseline than Steelix, and its ability to grasp moves in particular ranked among the very best.
Its earlier insight into the ocean's power had given it a deeper understanding of Water-type energy. As it gradually matured, it had lost the childishness it had shown when they first met and could now hold its own.
Aron's talent came from its powerful father, having perfectly inherited Aggron's excellent genes. Although it had joined the team later than Marshtomp, the abundant resources Yong supplied had helped it make great progress in every area. Its current shortcomings were its narrow move coverage and lack of experience. Of course, a little one still in its