The next day.
After a brief stop in Ironvale City.
Ethan Black returned to the Secret Kingdom of the Pokémon University of Ironvale City together with his three Pokémon.
At the entrance of the Secret Kingdom, Professor Harris was waiting with a smile. His face showed very good spirits.
During that morning's call, Professor Harris had already been quite mysterious, hinting that he had something valuable to show him, which had completely stirred Ethan Black's curiosity.
"Professor Harris, did you make any progress in the research on the move Sandstorm?" asked Ethan Black as soon as he saw him, impatient.
"Progress? That's not so easy," said Professor Harris, shaking his head with an enigmatic air, and then he opened the entrance to the Secret Kingdom to enter with Ethan Black.
Escorted by the professor's Pokémon, Ethan Black arrived at the villa where Professor Harris lived.
But suddenly, his eyes widened slightly in surprise, as he saw in the distance a clearing completely covered by a sandstorm.
"Could it be that some Pokémon managed to master the move Sandstorm?" asked Ethan Black excitedly.
"It's not that a Pokémon learned it. It's that the resource I requested has arrived," replied Professor Harris, shaking his head. Then he clapped suddenly, and they saw how the storm slowly dissipated.
From within the sand emerged the silhouette of a Pokémon resembling a hippopotamus.
It was earth-colored, with a large head, big nostrils, spots and holes all over its body, and a short tail. Its skin looked like camouflage.
"Hippopotas!" exclaimed Ethan Black when he clearly saw which Pokémon it was.
"Hahaha, exactly! It cost me a great deal to obtain this Pokémon," said Professor Harris with a satisfied expression.
"A great deal?" Ethan Black was stunned. Was Hippopotas really such a rare Pokémon?
He remembered that in the anime there were lots of them.
But in reality, he hadn't seen a single Hippopotas, nor Torkoal, nor Vulpix... Pokémon specialized in manipulating the weather. He had only seen one Pelipper in the Professional Trainer League, outside of that, they were extremely rare.
Also, in the list of Fire Stone evolutions Lucas Silver had given him, Vulpix hadn't appeared either, which had already surprised him. As if there was some secret behind it.
"Of course! These Pokémon known as beasts of disaster are strictly controlled by the League. Getting one is no easy task!"
"And this Hippopotas isn't just any Hippopotas. It was specially raised by the League for studies on sandstorms. It's different from the normal ones!"
Before Ethan Black could respond, the professor was already proudly explaining how difficult it had been to obtain it.
"Beast of disaster?" Ethan Black repeated, somewhat confused. Then the spark lit up.
Could he be referring to... abilities related to weather?
"Eh... I think I've said too much," said the professor, scratching his head, but then added: "Anyway, I'll tell you what beasts of disaster are. But don't tell anyone."
And just as Ethan Black suspected, the so-called "Beasts of Disaster" were Pokémon like Hippopotas or Pelipper, that have a special ability related to weather. They are capable of altering meteorological conditions naturally.
That's why the League classified them under that name: beasts that can cause natural disasters.
However, not all Pokémon have these abilities developed from the beginning. Many abilities need to be stimulated or trained.
But if many of these Pokémon are gathered, they can automatically change the weather, which represents a danger and is the main reason they are under strict control.
So, for Professor Harris to obtain one with the Sand Stream ability activated, he had to prove significant previous achievements in climate research. Only then was it approved.
"Come see the abilities of this Hippopotas. Compare them with your Sandslash," said the professor enthusiastically, taking him to the clearing, ready to demonstrate the ability again.
"Come on, Hippopotas, activate Sand Stream!" he ordered.
The Pokémon let out a growl, and a mysterious force welled up from inside it. Immediately, a cloud of sand began to surround it, which soon turned into a storm that covered the entire area.
Ethan Black watched that familiar scene, somewhat dazed. So his Sandslash's ability really was Sand Stream, though obtained by special means...
Researching abilities to develop techniques or tools wasn't uncommon. For example, the item Safety Goggles was developed from the ability Overcoat.
"What do you think? This is Hippopotas's special ability: Sand Stream!" said the professor proudly.
"Ability?" Ethan Black narrowed his eyes. To him, that term was very familiar, but it was the first time he had heard it from someone else in this world.
"That's right. These special capabilities that Pokémon have, the League calls them abilities."
"After exploring the Secret Kingdom and through the research of Pokémon scholars, we discovered that each Pokémon can have a special hidden ability."
"For example, some Rhydon have a horn that attracts electric energy. Or your Cacturne can become invisible during sandstorms..."
"So, based on what was found in the Secret Kingdoms, the League defined these capabilities as abilities."
"Rhydon's ability is called Lightning Rod. Cacturne's is Sand Veil. And Hippopotas's is Sand Stream."
The professor explained everything in detail. It was confidential information, leaked only to scholars like him.
"So, they're already revealing abilities?" thought Ethan Black. It was clear that the League and the great families possessed many secrets not revealed to the public.
"And those Secret Kingdoms... could they really be the Pokémon world I suspect?"
With so much information all at once, Ethan Black was left pensive, feeling more than ever that this world hid many mysteries.
(End of chapter)