"It seems there's still a long way to go..."
Ethan Black took a deep breath and then picked up the informational brochure about the Pokémon Club's training hall to read it.
In that hall, one could still see some influence from the traditional concept of a gym. Most of the equipment was designed to improve a Pokémon's physical condition.
If one wanted specialized training in moves, the brochure recommended hiring a specialized trainer, who would teach according to the move being developed. But of course, the price was exorbitant.
Ethan Black also flipped through the trainer brochure. There were entries like Electric Beast's or the leader who owned a Scyther.
Electric Beast specialized in Electric-type Pokémon, and his signature moves were Thunder Punch and Thunderbolt, moves that Ethan Black had already witnessed, and which had certainly been pushed to their maximum potential.
The leader with a Scyther, on the other hand, specialized in Bug-type Pokémon, with great speed as his main trait, mastering moves like Quick Attack, Double Team, and Agility.
Moreover, there were trainers for almost every type. In the case of the Ground type—the one that interested Ethan Black the most—the featured trainer had a Rhydon as his partner.
"Rhydon, huh?"
"A trainer focused on strength and defense doesn't suit Sandshrew at all..."
Ethan Black shook his head while thinking about the next training plan for his Sandshrew.
One of the moves he had been clear about for some time was Sand Attack, but for that he needed a sandy terrain, which he had already planned ahead of time.
In addition, he planned for Sandshrew to learn Rapid Spin. Since that move and Rollout share certain fundamentals, he trusted it could be learned in a short time.
In fact, when checking the equipment in the training hall, he had seen an automatic spinning disk designed precisely for training the move Rapid Spin.
"It's almost ten o'clock at night... I'll stay overnight at the Pokémon Club. I'll take advantage of the equipment and train Sandshrew a little more," Ethan Black thought, already decided.
About fifteen minutes later, the doctor came out with Sandshrew's Poké Ball in hand. Ethan Black hurried over to receive it.
"Your Sandshrew is fully recovered now. But its physical development is not optimal. I recommend you buy nutritional supplements. Miltank milk, for example, is an excellent option," the doctor explained as he handed him the Poké Ball, speaking seriously.
Ethan Black nodded repeatedly.
When he released Sandshrew and saw him, he noticed that—aside from looking a little tired—he no longer had any serious injuries, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. He thanked the doctor and left the medical center.
"His physical development isn't good...?"
"Then the focus now must be on improving his physical foundation. He has to make up for what he missed in his earlier growth, or that will greatly limit his evolution later on."
As he walked, Ethan Black was already thinking about how to strengthen Sandshrew's physical basics.
Without realizing it, he had arrived at a large Pokémon Shop. Remembering the doctor's recommendation, he decided to go in to buy nutritional supplements for his partner.
He set aside his worries for the moment and entered the shop.
"Devon Pokémon Shop...?"
Seeing the name, Ethan Black felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had heard that name somewhere before.
And when he saw that the logo was a Beldum, his eyes opened wide.
"Isn't this the same Devon Corporation that belongs to Steven Stone in the anime?"
"Do they just have the same name...?"
"No, it can't be such a coincidence... Most likely this shop inherited something from the Devon Corporation within one of the Secret Kingdoms, and that's why they kept the name."
The thought left him even more confused.
He already knew that the Pokémon civilization of the current world largely came from the Secret Kingdoms, and that inside them, structures like Pokémon labs, Pokémon Centers, and other mysterious facilities had been discovered.
But then... why were structures clearly made by humans found in such a place?
Who built them? And where are they now?
What is the relationship between the Secret Kingdoms and the Pokémon world?
And more importantly: is that Pokémon world the same one he knew?
Could it be that one day Ash, Misty, or Brock would also appear in those Secret Kingdoms?
"Bah, thinking too much won't get me anywhere. What I need to do now is become strong as quickly as possible and become a Pokémon Hunter. Maybe one day, I'll be able to find the answers myself."
Ethan Black shook his head slightly to clear away all those doubts, and went straight into the Devon Pokémon Shop.
Inside, they sold exclusively Pokémon-related products. Most were foods or nutritional supplements, although there were also some battle items and books on Pokémon training.
Ethan Black didn't go straight to look for the Miltank milk. Instead, he first headed to the section with books on Pokémon training.
As expected, all the books were completely sealed, and apart from the cover, nothing could be read inside.
He took a general look. These books were guides written by different authors who shared their experiences in training Pokémon. Some talked about daily care, others about how to learn or improve certain moves.
It was clear: these books were the real equivalent of TMs in the Pokémon world, but not like in the video games, where a disc was inserted, and the Pokémon learned the move instantly. Instead, they explained how to train and learn the move, and it depended on the Pokémon to understand it by itself.
He looked at the move books for sale and noticed that prices started at around ten thousand Pokédollars or more. He shook his head.
They were good materials, no doubt, but far too expensive. Besides, none were suitable for Sandshrew.
He left the bookshelf section and headed toward the Pokémon items section.
(End of chapter)