Boom!
Under Slowking's psychic force, the entire rock exploded into pieces.
Just as expected, a Gengar floated out from within the debris, looking at Slowking with doubt and caution.
"So you really were a Gengar?"
"But it seems your strength isn't very high. So... get out of here and go protect the others."
Hearing Ethan's words, Gengar's eyes flashed for an instant. Then it nodded, and its figure sank into the ground, disappearing.
After watching Gengar leave, Ethan nodded slightly. He had forced it out because, on one hand, Gengar's strength wasn't enough to pose a threat; Slowking was more than enough to protect him. On the other hand, Ethan carried far too many secrets. Since he suspected that Gengar served a surveillance role, he preferred to get rid of it.
Once Slowking confirmed that Gengar was gone, Ethan nodded as well and began seriously preparing for his survival test.
"Meltan, try to find the area where the spatial magnetic field is strongest."
Ethan turned toward Meltan. Inside the Secret Kingdom, a compass was useless; the only thing he could use to orient himself was Meltan's ability to sense the spatial magnetic field.
"Zzzt!"
Meltan nodded and began levitating slowly.
Its body trembled and transformed into a kind of long needle, whose tip began swaying gently.
Before long, the tip of the "needle" stopped, pointing toward a certain direction. According to its senses, that was where the spatial magnetic field was strongest.
"Perfect."
"After absorbing so much magnetic energy from the Secret Kingdoms, Meltan's magnetic-field-related abilities have improved immensely." Ethan nodded, satisfied.
Many of Meltan's current powers relied on its magnetic attributes, so Ethan had always paid special attention to helping it develop them.
Every Secret Kingdom had its own magnetic field, present in every corner. According to Ethan's observations, the spot where the field was strongest almost always coincided with the location of the exit.
After several trials, his hypothesis had been confirmed. Meltan could now roughly detect where the exit was based on the strength of the magnetic field.
Although this method wasn't as straightforward as Absol's—who could sense environmental changes to locate Secret Kingdom entrances—it was equally effective: Meltan had to first identify the Secret Kingdom's magnetic energy, then compare its strength at different points, and finally determine where it was strongest.
The reason Meltan was able to find the exit so quickly this time was because it had already entered and exited this same Secret Kingdom several times, so it was very familiar with its magnetic field.
In an unfamiliar Secret Kingdom, simply sensing the magnetic field would take a lot of work—much more so locating a portal quickly.
However, the technique had a major advantage: once Meltan detected the Secret Kingdom's spatial magnetic field, it could locate the exit from anywhere, and also pinpoint its own position with precision.
"So it's that way?" Ethan murmured.
Although he didn't know exactly where he was, at least he knew the direction toward the exit, which was extremely helpful.
"Meltan, go rest."
Once the direction was determined, Ethan returned it to its Poké Ball.
He did so to conserve its energy and maintain its combat capability. In the dangerous wild environment, finding food and water was crucial—but managing energy was just as important.
And Meltan's "food"—metals and electricity—was extremely scarce in nature. Unless they found an iron mine, it could go days without eating.
"Maybe capturing an Electric-type Pokémon and letting Meltan absorb its energy could be a solution."
Ethan pondered. He didn't know whether this forest had Pikachu or other Electric-type Pokémon.
After putting Meltan away, Ethan looked at his other Pokémon and, after considering for a moment, returned the gluttonous Sandslash to its Poké Ball as well.
Unless he faced a life-threatening danger, he didn't plan to use either Sandslash or Meltan. Saving their energy was the priority.
The other four Pokémon, however, would not be returned; they would accompany him.
Slowking was his main defense—both due to its psychic power and protective ability—and it could also sense water, which would help locate water sources.
And the other three—Vibrava, Charmeleon, and Shuckle—were the ones he would train especially during this survival test.
After all, this forest was not truly dangerous, but a scenario prepared by Ironvale City's Pokémon University, so there would be no truly lethal Pokémon like wild, out-of-control Arbok.
Under those conditions, Ethan believed that Vibrava, Charmeleon, and Shuckle were enough to handle the challenges, while Slowking would act as backup and protector.
Hearing their roles assigned, the three young Pokémon became excited. They were more than ready to show what they could do.
Ethan smiled and let Vibrava cling to his back with its claws, holding on tightly. From afar, it looked as though he had grown a pair of wings.
The moment Vibrava clung to him, Ethan felt the weight... but it disappeared instantly when Vibrava activated its Levitate ability, making him feel light.
"Very well done, Vibrava."
Ethan moved his body a little and felt incredibly light, as if he could run effortlessly.
Then he picked up Shuckle in his arms; in the wild, Shuckle's speed was far too slow, so there was no other choice.
Charmeleon watched from the side, his eyes shining as Ethan held Shuckle. It was obvious he wanted to be carried too.
(End of chapter)