In the moments that followed...
Professor Harris had each of his Pokémon attempt to use the move Sand Attack, but without exception, all of them failed.
"There's nothing else to be done for now. Focus on your individual training. I need to step out for a while," he finally said, sighing in resignation.
At this point, his only option was to go out and look for another Sandshrew or Sandslash.
However, finding a suitable one wouldn't be an easy task. The hardest part was the energy control while performing another move: a double-focus technique that not just any Pokémon could master.
"Great! I've got a free day!" exclaimed Alex Baxter, excited. "I'll use it to train Magneton and Donphan! If I can get them to learn the move Gyro Ball thanks to this place's rich energy, that would be perfect!"
After several days of research and Professor Harris's guidance, his project with the move Gyro Ball was already showing significant progress.
"Training moves?" thought Ethan Black. "I could also take this chance to keep working on the move Dig."
Thanks to Alex Baxter's reminder, Ethan Black reacted.
Soon, his eyes landed on Professor Harris's Dugtrio.
When it came to digging, Dugtrio was one of the top experts—a Pokémon literally born for that purpose.
Decision made, Ethan Black called Sandshrew and together they approached Dugtrio.
To his surprise, Professor Harris's Dugtrio was quite approachable. When Sandshrew offered to share some of his snacks, the deal was sealed and he became his teacher.
"Learn well! If you master the move Dig, I'll give you ten times more snacks as a reward!" promised Ethan Black, thrilled with the progress.
Sandshrew: ┗(＾0＾)┛
Indeed, the strategy worked. After the promise, Sandshrew raised his arms and struck a strongman pose, showing he would train with all his might.
Ethan Black smiled as he saw Sandshrew follow Dugtrio to an open field to begin training. Then, his gaze shifted and landed on the Rhydon family in the distance.
That morning he had skimmed through the breeding method for that evolutionary line, and now he wanted to see it in action, hoping to find something he could adapt for himself.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
In the distance, the young Rhyhorn was ramming into a huge boulder over and over, while Professor Harris's Rhydon supervised with arms crossed, taking on the role of a strict father.
At the side, the female Rhydon—with the face of a compassionate mother—watched uncomfortably, gritting her teeth, as if at any moment she might intervene to stop the training.
"Could this be the strengthening method mentioned in Rhydon's breeding manual?" wondered Ethan Black, fascinated as he moved closer to observe.
Though Rhyhorn's training looked simple and rough, upon closer inspection, its body emitted a characteristic glow of Rock-type energy.
According to the texts, Rhyhorn was using the move Smack Down.
In theory, that move involved wrapping an object with Rock energy and then launching it.
But, thanks to Professor Harris's development, Rhyhorn was now able to envelop its entire body in Rock-type energy, using direct charges to integrate that energy into its body.
"Incredible that he came up with this! Professor Harris really is a genius."
"Though it seems this method only works for the Rhydon line. Even if other Pokémon learn Smack Down, they don't seem able to replicate this effect..."
Ethan Black scratched his head, frustrated. Sandshrew couldn't even learn Smack Down. And even if he could cover his body with Rock energy, he wouldn't achieve the same results.
BOOM!
Another charge. Rhyhorn's body collided with the boulder once more.
Suddenly, its Rock energy flickered briefly, and at the point of impact, its gray skin took on a blackish tone for a moment before returning to its usual color.
"That black color...? Could it be... Rhyperior?"
"And could it be that Rhyhorn, through this method, is trying to awaken the hidden power in its own genes?"
Ethan Black's eyes gleamed as he saw that black flash on Rhyhorn's skin. In his mind appeared the image of Rhyperior, with its body covered in black and orange.
"Could that be the reason why this training method works specifically for this evolutionary line?"
An idea flashed through Ethan Black's mind like lightning.
"That's right! I remember that in the Alola region, Sandshrew has the Ice and Steel types."
"And if Sandshrew can transform into its Alolan form, does that mean it possesses latent Ice- and Steel-type genes?"
"Then... could I replicate what Rhyhorn is doing, but with Steel energy?"
"If I manage to cover Sandshrew's entire body with Steel energy, and use charges to integrate that energy, could I awaken that hidden power?"
Ethan Black could barely contain his excitement. If his theory was correct, Sandshrew could train its body in a similar way and gain incredible resistance thanks to the Steel typing.
"And to cover its body with Steel energy, moves like Iron Tail and Metal Claw could be very useful. Both are great for strengthening the body!"
"Also, if I want to envelop the entire body in Steel energy, the move Gyro Ball would be another great option."
"Although Gyro Ball is based on rotation to accumulate Steel energy, if I develop it properly, I could make that energy wrap around the entire body."
Ethan Black was becoming more and more excited.
However, according to the books, covering the body with energy wasn't enough. The key step was learning how to manipulate and absorb it effectively.
Even so, this already represented a viable direction. If he could fully develop this method, Sandshrew's strength could grow explosively!
"Phew... the idea sounds amazing, but putting it into practice will be very difficult."
"It's best not to get too carried away just yet. First, I need to strengthen Sandshrew's basic physical condition. And I already have some plans for that. Once he learns the move Dig, I can move on to the next phase."
Taking a deep breath, Ethan Black calmed his excitement. He knew he had to proceed step by step. Rushing would do him no good.
(End of chapter)