Pop pop pop!
Along with the sound of sand and stones striking the walls, the sand vortex burst into a rain of rocks that punched small holes into the laboratory walls.
At that critical moment, the Rhydon that had already been released stomped heavily, causing a stone wall to rise from the ground, blocking a wave of sand and rocks that was coming straight at them. Thanks to this, the three present and the instruments were kept safe.
"Was this... a failure?" said Professor Harris, looking at the dust beginning to dissipate in the place and the sand piling up in the corners. He frowned slightly.
Rhydon also roared in response, confirming that this time the attempt to use the move Sandstorm had failed.
"Well... my Sandshrew isn't strong enough yet, that's why it can't control that power properly," explained Ethan Black quickly, his eyes shining as if he were already planning something.
"Lack of strength, huh?"
"Yes, that energy was too strong, clearly beyond Sandshrew's control," said Professor Harris, frowning as he opened the energy log and converted it into a data chart.
When he saw the energy spike in the data, he was momentarily stunned, surprised at the magnitude of the energy.
"This sandstorm was generated entirely with ground-type energy?"
After carefully checking the energy composition, the professor's eyes widened in astonishment. He quickly began typing and splitting the record into several segments.
Ethan Black blinked, feeling a little dizzy from seeing so much data. When he turned, he noticed Alex Baxter watching the instruments with an ecstatic expression.
Ethan Black shook his head. This definitely wasn't for him. Being a researcher was way too complicated. He preferred to focus on being a trainer.
With that in mind, he left the duo of researchers who were eagerly analyzing the data, and went over to his Sandshrew with a nutritional juice. After all, his Pokémon was the most important thing.
About fifteen minutes later, Professor Harris and Alex Baxter finally left the instruments. Looking at Sandshrew, their eyes were shining with so much enthusiasm it was as if they were staring at their favorite prey.
"Uh..."
"Let's try one more time!"
Ethan Black finally understood, after an entire day, how terrifying researchers could be. Their work could be perfectly described as tireless labor, with no rest and no food.
Throughout that whole day, Sandshrew used the move Sandstorm a total of ten times. Only once was it successful, but that was enough for Professor Harris to gather a lot of valuable data.
Although they still didn't understand how Sandshrew could use a typically rock-type move only with ground-type energy, they knew that with further research they might find answers. That uncertainty was precisely what made research so exciting.
That night, Ethan Black received his second benefit from Professor Harris.
"Is this... Pokémon food?" he asked, curiously examining the meal in front of him.
What he had before him looked exactly like the Pokémon food he remembered from the world of video games or anime: small balls similar to dog kibble. In the shows, characters like Brock or Cilan were experts at preparing this kind of food.
Apparently, the formula for making this food also came from the Secret Kingdoms.
What kind of places were those Secret Kingdoms really?
Thanks to Alex Baxter's explanation, Ethan Black understood how valuable this food was.
Just as he suspected, Pokémon food came from recipes from the Secret Kingdoms. Furthermore, depending on its function and effects, it was divided into: common food, energy food, specialized food, and special food.
Common food: used in the daily life of Pokémon. It helps their general physical development and is the most basic.
Energy food: contains energy of a certain type. Besides improving the Pokémon's physical constitution, it also helps strengthen its affinity with that type.
Specialized food: designed for specific species. For example, for a Rock/Ground-type Rhydon, both rock and ground energy are mixed, along with other ingredients according to its unique characteristics. It's the most suitable food for a particular species.
Special food: prepared for a single specific Pokémon, with unique effects such as boosting its speed, defense, attack, etc.
The food given to Ethan Black was precisely an energy food for ground-type Pokémon, clearly prepared by Professor Harris with the intention of aiding his research on the move Sandstorm.
"Looks like Professor Harris hasn't spared any expenses to investigate the origin of this move," commented Alex Baxter upon seeing the food.
"This kind of food can only be obtained by people at the professor's level. Even if someone has money, they can't necessarily buy it."
A priceless treasure.
Since it was beneficial for Sandshrew, Ethan Black didn't hesitate at all. He released his Pokémon and offered the food with both hands.
He thought that, because of its appearance similar to dog kibble, Sandshrew wouldn't be very interested. But to his surprise, it loved it! It began eating enthusiastically, crunching the little balls with a satisfying sound.
"Looks like the best thing for a Pokémon really is food designed especially for them..." thought Ethan Black.
Very soon, Sandshrew finished the entire contents of the jar. Its body began to emit a faint brown glow: it was absorbing the ground-type energy from the food.
Seeing this, Ethan Black returned it to its Pokéball so it could calmly digest that energy.
"I think I've been too focused on training moves... but at the end of the day, the Pokémon's body is the foundation of everything," reflected Ethan Black.
He pulled out his notebook and looked at his previous training plan. Then he gently crossed it out.
With the nutritional juices and Pokémon food provided by Professor Harris, Sandshrew was facing a great opportunity.
And as its trainer, his mission was to make the most of those resources to help his partner build a solid foundation.
(End of chapter)