Pokémon BW: Rise of Clarity (book 3 of the HBoD series)

Chapter 27: Rage of the Darmanitan

"Feel that!" Robert held out his arms. "That's some good des-URK!" He began coughing violently on the sand being blown in the wind.

Alex snorted. "I miss the cold already."

"At least it has a road," Zeno said, sounding optimistic. "Does it connect all the way to Nimbasa?"

The three of them had just left Castelia City behind and entered the desert Route 4. A paved road stretched onwards, turning to the left so as to not run straight into what had once been a construction site. Now-

"That's weird," Robert choked out, coughing a couple more times. He peered ahead. "It looks like the construction sites have been taken down. But the fences are still there..." He began jogging down the road, Alex and Zeno following him. His eyes widened when he reached the bend in the road as he peered down into what could only be a giant excavation site.

"That's amazing!" Robert exclaimed as he surveyed the ancient buildings half buried in sand in the manmade valley. It was easily bigger than many small towns, with sandstone roads going this way and that. From up here Robert could see many archeologists digging and making their way through the ruins.

"I gotta get in on this," Robert took off down the road just as Alex and Zeno had caught up to him.

"Oh come on!" Alex yelled after him. "Wait up for us!"

Robert raised a thumbs-up, but kept going. He turned right and came to the end of the road. A staircase led down into the excavation site and onto a path that led to the other side with more stairs. But Robert had no intention of leaving the ruins once he got down there. 

Practically flying down the steps, he landed on the sandy ground, blowing up a small cloud. A warning fence blocked the way into the ruins, which Robert frowned at.

"So that's it then," Alex mused as she and Zeno finally caught up. "Unless you're able to use your authority as the Professor's assistant?"

Robert shook his head. "It could, but that job title doesn't include archaeology in it." He groaned in defeat. "Looks like I'm out of lu-" His eyes widened and he straightened, peering at a man walking thirty feet beyond the fence, his faded blonde-gray hair glinting in the harsh sunlight. He seemed to be murmuring to himself as he examined a piece of something in his hand. 

"Yellow striped shirt, check," Robert's surprised expression slowly morphed into a grin. "Brown pants, check. C'mon, at least change your outfit once in a while you old man."

"Wha-?" Zeno looked very confused.

"HEY!" Robert yelled, frantically waving both arms. "Professor Juniper! Over here!"

"Professor Juniper?" Alex gave Robert a concerned look. "When did you hit your head? I must've missed it."

"Could be all the times you've hit him," Zeno suggested.

Alex frowned. "Maybe I do hit him a bit much in the head."

While the two had that exchange, the man had taken notice of Robert's shouting and his dark, bushy eyebrows shot up. He grinned widely and jogged over. "Well if it isn't Robert! I wasn't told you were back in Unova." He wiggled his brows. "You come back to see the dig site?"

"Would have been a motivating factor for sure if I knew about it," Robert shot back with a grin. "But nah, I came back to get back to working with your daughter. I ain't gonna become a real professor if I don't do the work for it."

"Well no time like the present," the man picked up one of the gates and tossed it aside. "Come on in! Your friends can come too!"

"Thanks," Alex said. "By the way, by daughter, does that mean..."