"So that's the reason why Sandshrew's Gyro Ball was so powerful?"
After hearing Ethan Black's explanation, Alex Baxter's eyes shone with intensity.
"I think so. In theory, Sandshrew's Gyro Ball shouldn't have that much power," Ethan Black nodded, and told him everything he had observed during the battle.
The conclusion he reached was that the great power of Gyro Ball was due to the enemy Scyther's speed and an inherent counterattack principle in the move.
"Boss, I swear I admire you! You were born to be a researcher! You can even deduce principles like that!" exclaimed Alex Baxter with excitement, bringing back the nickname he used before, as if regaining his lost dignity.
"Hahaha, it was pure luck. I only thought of it because the Gyro Ball that Sandshrew used to defeat Scyther was incredibly strong... But I'm not completely sure it's really like that," Ethan Black quickly said, trying to downplay his discovery.
"Come on, come on! Let's test it right away!" said Alex Baxter, pulling Ethan Black enthusiastically, not caring that it was already midnight.
"Enough! Let's leave it for tomorrow," replied Ethan Black, rolling his eyes. "Your Charizard can't make any effort right now, and I don't have any other Pokémon to test with. We can't experiment like this, you get it?"
"Oh, right..." admitted Alex Baxter, lowering his head.
"Then... let's go to the library. Before doing tests, I want to understand in depth how the move Gyro Ball works."
At that moment, Alex Baxter was like a restless monkey, unable to stay still.
Ethan Black had no choice but to accompany him to the library to gather prior information on the move.
Fortunately, thanks to the extra points earned from the Sun and Moon New Challengers Tournament at the Autumn Festival, Alex Baxter had recovered the credits he had in the red. So he was able to enter without trouble to research.
In the library
As soon as they arrived, Alex Baxter went straight to the third floor, to the Steel-type moves section.
Ethan Black, on the other hand, went by himself to the Grass-type Pokémon section.
He now had in his possession both a Moon Stone and a Sun Stone, the tournament prizes. It was clear that the Moon Stone would be used to evolve a Nidorino or Nidorina.
But with the extra Sun Stone, he had to think more carefully.
If he wanted to firmly follow the path of a sandstorm team, then a Heliolisk with the ability Sand Veil would be one of the best options.
Heliolisk is Electric/Normal type, and would be ideal to balance the team's type distribution, offering many more offensive coverages.
However, just like Pyroar, Heliolisk was extremely rare in his country. Without resorting to special means, it was practically impossible to obtain.
That's why, if he ruled out Heliolisk, Bellossom could be a good alternative. Even if it didn't fully fit into the sandstorm team system, it did offer something no other team member had: strong support and healing power.
In particular, its hidden ability, Healer, allowed it to cure status conditions of its teammates, something very useful.
Moreover, the entire Oddish evolutionary line could learn the move Grassy Terrain, a team-healing type move. In dangerous wild environments, that move could make a huge difference.
And finally, obtaining an Oddish was quite easy. As a Grass-type Pokémon, it was docile and had little regulation from the League. In fact, many Pokémon breeding farms cultivated it in large numbers. It only took paying a bit to buy one at any specialized shop.
With a decision made, Ethan Black went directly to the shelf dedicated to the Oddish evolutionary line and began reading everything related to its breeding.
As a good Grass-type, raising an Oddish was very simple: with just soil and sunlight, they could grow healthy and strong.
Moreover, by their nature, they learned absorption-type moves from the very beginning, capable of extracting nutrients from other beings. For them, growing through battle was a natural way to become stronger.
(End of chapter)