Boom!
Facing the Ursaring that charged straight through the Sandstorm, Sandshrew was clearly caught off guard, reacting a bit too late and being sent flying by a punch from Ursaring.
"Sandshrew, use Sand Whirl!" shouted Ethan Black, narrowing his eyes at the scene. It felt strangely familiar to him.
Ruuuumble!
Immediately, Sandshrew's body began spinning in the air and released sand, which soon turned into a whirlwind that wrapped around him completely.
Just then, the bloodshot-eyed Ursaring rushed forward. With a white glow enveloping its fist, it struck the whirlwind directly—just as it had done in the past.
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed.
Although Sandshrew's power had improved greatly, Ursaring was now in a frenzy state, and that punch was several times stronger than before. As expected, Sandshrew was once again sent flying.
"Use Gyro Ball to defend yourself!" ordered Ethan Black.
But Sandshrew was no longer the same as before. While being knocked away, he managed to activate Gyro Ball in time, wrapping his body in steel-type energy, greatly increasing his defense.
"That's it! Remember how it felt before... release the Sandstorm!" Ethan Black shouted excitedly.
"Shaaaa!!" screeched Sandshrew, quickly getting up from the ground. Suddenly, his eyes emitted a strange glow.
The sand whirlwind, which was about to dissipate, gathered once more, and under that mysterious energy, it suddenly exploded, transforming into a full-fledged Sandstorm that engulfed the entire battlefield!
"A sandstorm?! Sandshrew really managed to use the move Sandstorm!!" Alex Baxter cried out from the VIP lounge, visibly thrilled at seeing the storm form on the field.
"Quick, quick! Record all the data!" ordered Professor Harris. "Especially his eyes! That energy might be the key to forming the move Sandstorm."
The professor was completely ecstatic, operating instruments and generating graphs and data at high speed on his computer.
"Yes, yes!" Alex Baxter nodded, working nonstop. He felt that they were finally close to uncovering the key to the phenomenon.
"Cameraman, cameraman! Cut the previous footage. I want 360-degree shots, no blind spots!" the owner of the Pokémon Island Adventure Club ordered upon seeing the researchers' commotion.
Meanwhile, the battle on the field continued.
After covering the entire stadium, the Sandstorm completely reduced Ursaring's visibility. The enraged Pokémon roared incessantly and struck the ground repeatedly.
"That's it, Sandshrew! Keep using Sand Attack!" Ethan Black ordered with a smile, watching Ursaring fall into confusion.
Taking advantage of the storm, Sandshrew once again flung sand that combined with the wind, forming another whirlwind that headed straight for Ursaring.
This technique of transforming Sand Attack into a whirlwind was something Professor Harris's Pokémon had easily mastered. Ethan Black had learned it directly from the professor, allowing Sandshrew to master it as well.
However, Sandshrew's power was still limited. He couldn't freely create a whirlwind on his own; he could only manage it within a sandstorm climate.
Ruuuumble!
The sand whirlwind roared across the ground.
Ursaring, blindly attacking, saw the whirlwind coming at him and, without hesitation, met it head-on with a punch.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Amidst the storm, Ursaring pummeled whirlwind after whirlwind as if they were punching bags, breaking them apart one after another without showing any sign of fatigue.
A full minute passed like that, and little by little, the strength in Ursaring's fists diminished, and the red glow in his eyes faded away. After shattering the last whirlwind, his body slowly came to a halt, staring intently at Sandshrew, who was just beginning to emerge from the sand.
Finally, the Sandstorm dissipated. Sandshrew and Ursaring stood facing each other.
Sandshrew panted heavily. It was clear he had drained all his energy maintaining the storm and unleashing so many whirlwinds.
Ursaring, on the other hand, stood completely still, as if frozen.
"It seems that being called a genius for so long... has also made me arrogant," Ryan Grant muttered.
"In nature, arrogance is a fatal weakness. That saying about the lion hunting the rabbit... incredible that I had forgotten it!"
Seeing Ursaring immobile and unable to continue fighting, Ryan Grant closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze toward Ethan Black was filled with respect.
Just a month ago, Ethan Black had been a weak rival whom Ursaring could crush effortlessly. But now... he had grown to this level!
That he lost this battle had much to do with his own recklessness, but no one could have imagined that his opponent's growth would be this fast.
And that move, Sandstorm... As a Pokémon hunter, Ryan Grant knew perfectly well the value of a Pokémon that could control the weather. Having a weather controller in an exploration team could prevent countless problems.
Moreover, an entire team strategy could be built around a weather-type move, drastically increasing combat capability.
"All I can say is... well done."
"I hope you keep growing. Maybe one day we'll fight side by side," Ryan Grant said, taking a deep breath as he returned Ursaring to its Pokéball. Then he cast one last glance at Ethan Black and walked away down the participants' corridor.
"Eh...? Ursaring lost?" exclaimed the audience, only now reacting. One after another, the spectators burst into shouts of astonishment.
Although Ursaring had rarely appeared in battles, every time he did, he crushed his opponents effortlessly.
But today, even fighting seriously, he had been defeated by that Sandshrew!
"Looks like that Ursaring wasn't Ryan Grant's main Pokémon after all..."
"And that wild behavior... it wasn't from exploring a Secret Kingdom, but because he had only just captured it."
Watching Ryan Grant's back as he departed, Ethan Black fell into deep thought.
During this time, Sandshrew's strength had increased far too quickly, and that had also made him a little arrogant.
However, compared to Ryan Grant and the true geniuses, what he had achieved so far was still insignificant.
Perhaps, only upon becoming a true Pokémon hunter does one truly begin to step into this world.
(End of Chapter)