"Come out, Sandshrew."
Stealthily, Ethan Black reached a sandy area at a construction site and threw the Poké Ball, releasing Sandshrew.
"Sha!"
Upon seeing the bright sand in front of it, Sandshrew's eyes sparkled as well. It rolled on the ground as if wanting to bury itself completely in the sand.
Ethan Black smiled as he watched it so happy, and noticing how much it loved playing in the sand, he decided not to disturb it. Instead, he sat on a rock and took out his notebook to refine the day's training plan.
He had brought Sandshrew to this place with the intention of teaching it the move Sand Attack. And the starting point of training was precisely that: playing with the sand.
He remembered that, in a special episode of the Pokémon anime, the move Sand Attack had been translated in his country as "Sand Kick," so he decided to start by teaching Sandshrew to stir up sand with its hind legs.
The idea was that, by learning to lift small clouds of sand, it could eventually master the move.
"Sandshrew, we're going to start training to learn the move Sand Attack."
After finishing adjusting the plan, Ethan Black called his Pokémon, which was still happily rolling around.
Upon hearing that it was time to train, Sandshrew showed no rejection. On the contrary, it ran excitedly toward him and raised one of its little paws, pointing at him mischievously.
Ethan Black frowned, guessing what was coming, but still gritted his teeth and said: "If you learn the move Sand Attack today, tonight there'll be extra dinner."
He emphasized the word today. Very strongly.
"Sha!" Sandshrew's little eyes shone like stars.
And then, Ethan Black deeply regretted having opened his mouth...
Perhaps motivated by the promised dinner, Sandshrew learned the move Sand Attack at an astonishing speed.
One hour later, it could already use the move on sand. Three hours later, it was capable of stirring sand even on solid ground. And five hours later, it could create a small sandstorm with the move.
"Sha sha sha!"
Sandshrew strutted proudly in front of Ethan Black, raising a finger to remind him of his promise.
Ethan Black's face was completely dark. He was already beginning to suspect that Sandshrew already knew the move and had just hidden it to trick him!
With tears in his eyes, Ethan Black muttered: "How did you end up like this, Sandshrew...?"
That extra meal cost him about 300 Pokédollars, and Ethan Black couldn't help but regret it.
"I'm going to have to find a way to earn money," he sighed resignedly.
...
After dinner, Ethan Black returned to the Pokémon Nightstar Club with Sandshrew.
But it was only 6 in the evening, and there were still a few hours left before the night fee began (from 10 p.m. onwards).
Upon entering, his attention was suddenly caught by the commotion in the free battle area.
"Doesn't anyone else want to challenge my Charmeleon!?"
At one end of the battlefield, a young man in sportswear loudly challenged the spectators. In front of him stood a red bipedal dinosaur-like figure, with a flame burning on the tip of its tail.
It was a Charmeleon, one of the most popular starter evolutions, whose final form is the super-famous Charizard!
"A Charmeleon? This guy is either rich or has good connections!"
Ethan Black observed the Pokémon with some astonishment. The gap between rich and poor also existed in this world: if you had money, you could start with much stronger Pokémon, putting you at an advantage from the very beginning.
"Is there really no beginner-level trainer who wants to face me?" the young man insisted.
"If you beat me, these 500 Pokédollars are yours!" he shouted while pulling out a wad of bills and waving them disdainfully.
"Earn 500 Pokédollars just for beating him in battle?"
Ethan Black's eyes lit up instantly. From the young man's words, it was clear that he too was a beginner-level trainer.
And if it was a battle between beginner trainers, Ethan Black had some confidence. Besides, Charmeleon is Fire-type, and both Ground and Rock-type moves have a natural advantage.
"I'll accept the challenge. I'd just like to know: are there any rules?"
Without hesitation, Ethan Black stepped out from the crowd and positioned himself on the other side of the battlefield.
"There are no special rules. As long as you're a beginner-level trainer, you can participate," said the boy with a defiant smile.
"Alright, then here's my beginner-level trainer ID..."
"No need to show me. You're the same age as me, so it's impossible for you to be intermediate level. Just bring out your Pokémon and let's get started already!"
The young man impatiently interrupted before Ethan Black could finish.
"Very well. Let's go, Sandshrew!"
Without minding, Ethan Black nodded and threw the Poké Ball, from which his ground-type partner emerged.
"A Ground-type Sandshrew?"
"Don't think that just because you have Ground-type moves you'll be able to beat my Charmeleon. I'm invincible among beginner-level trainers!" said the young man arrogantly.
"Then let's test that. As the challenger, I won't hold back."
"Sandshrew, use Rollout!"
With a faint smile, Ethan Black gave his first command.
"Rollout, a Rock-type move?"
"That'll only work if you manage to hit! Charmeleon, dodge and then use Flamethrower!"
Charmeleon made an agile leap, dodging Sandshrew's spinning charge with surprising speed. As soon as Sandshrew rolled past its side, the Fire-type Pokémon opened its mouth and fired an intense blaze toward its rear.
"Stop on a dime and turn around!"
Ethan Black frowned. Although Sandshrew could defend well against frontal attacks with Rollout, it had no way to guard against an attack from behind, so the only option was to dodge.
Sandshrew reacted immediately. At Ethan Black's command, it braked sharply, generating strong friction with the ground, then spun its body abruptly, changing direction to evade the fire attack and head back toward Charmeleon.
"Oh? It can even turn like that?! Impressive!"
The young man's eyes lit up. As the son of a wealthy family, he had driven many sports cars, so seeing Sandshrew perform such a precise turn seemed worthy of praise.
But he also reacted quickly, ordering Charmeleon to fire another blaze, this time from the front, striking Sandshrew directly.
The intense flames created a shockwave that began to slow down its spinning attack...
(End of chapter)