Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the seven days were gone.
On the last day of the National Day holiday, Ethan Black was lying on the grass, jotting down with a pen everything he had learned during that time.
First, thanks to already having the breeding method for the Sandshrew line, and with the help of Professor Harris's resources, Sandshrew's physical condition had improved remarkably. According to the professor's measurements, he had already firmly reached the intermediate strength level.
It could be said that, at present, Sandshrew could face the Ring Leaders of the Pokémon Club using only his physical strength, without relying on moves.
Next, with Dugtrio's instruction and the energy of the Secret Kingdom, Sandshrew had finally mastered the move Dig. Although still a bit unrefined, he had fully learned it; now it was just a matter of continued practice.
In addition, under Professor Harris's guidance, Sandshrew had also become much more skilled at using Sandstorm, achieving nearly one hundred percent effectiveness.
Thanks to mastering Sandstorm, Professor Harris managed to collect a complete set of data, through which he established the basic parameters for using the move: the necessary power output, the rotation speed, and the level of energy condensation.
However, even with all that, Professor Harris's Sandslash had not managed to successfully perform Sandstorm, leaving the professor completely frustrated.
Up until now, Professor Harris had been unable to identify the cause of the problem.
Seeing that his own Sandslash would not be able to execute the move anytime soon, the professor decided to leave the Secret Kingdom and drive the two of them back to Ironvale City.
They passed through the outskirts and soon entered the urban area, until, to Ethan Black's surprise, the car stopped right in front of the Pokémon Island Adventure Club.
Half an hour later, Ethan Black stood somewhat dazed on the club's duel platform.
In front of him, Ryan Grant held a Pokéball, his face dark and grim.
That very morning, Ryan Grant had received a call from his father, who had forced him to return from the capital.
At first, he thought something serious had happened at home, but upon returning, he was informed that he was to take part in a Pokémon battle... and that he was required to use specifically his Ursaring, which was still in training!
And now, seeing his opponent, he discovered it was none other than that weak trainer with the green Sandshrew whom he had easily defeated in the past.
"It seems Professor Harris wants Sandshrew to face that Ursaring again, to see if this time it manages to activate Sandstorm in the same situation," Ethan Black thought, glancing at Ryan Grant, who also wore an unpleasant expression.
"Are these experts so desperate for research that they're even betting on such a slim probability? Not even a trace of doubt holds them back?"
"Since you've gone so far to force a battle with me... prepare to endure my fury!" growled Ryan Grant, throwing his Pokéball.
Ursaring appeared once again—the very same one that had easily defeated Sandshrew before.
"I had no intention of fighting you, but since we're here... let's battle!" Ethan Black replied firmly. "I'll take this as a test of all the training we've done these past days."
He took a deep breath, and his eyes turned sharp.
Thanks to constant training and spending his days alongside Professor Harris's Pokémon, Ethan Black had gained some experience in assessing Pokémon levels.
In his opinion, that Ursaring of Ryan Grant's was not that strong; its level was on par with the Sandslash Professor Harris had shown them: among the stronger of the intermediate level group.
Clearly, this Ursaring was not one of Ryan Grant's main Pokémon. If it were, given that Ryan was a professional Pokémon hunter, his partners would at least be at the advanced level.
"Go, Sandshrew!"
After gauging his opponent's strength, Ethan Black felt more confident. He threw his Pokéball, and Sandshrew's green figure appeared immediately.
The moment he appeared, Sandshrew recognized his old opponent. His pupils contracted, and his expression grew serious.
"Sandshrew, show him how much we've grown during this time!" Ethan Black shouted. "Use Sand Attack!"
As soon as Sandshrew came out, he kicked up a cloud of dust and sand that completely obscured Ursaring's vision.
"To avoid Ursaring's Leer?" Ryan Grant remarked. "You've improved somewhat. Ursaring, use Slash!"
In response to Sand Attack, Ursaring's arm glowed white, and with a fierce slash, he unleashed a gust of wind that completely scattered the sand.
But hidden right behind the sand cloud, Sandshrew had already begun spinning at high speed. As Ursaring cut through the dust, Sandshrew shot forward and rammed into him with force.
Boom!
The strike caught Ursaring off guard, causing him to stagger back a step. However, thanks to his incredible endurance, he managed to remain standing. His fist began to glow: he was about to use Hammer Arm.
Sandshrew reacted quickly. While Ursaring charged his strike, Sandshrew had already activated the combined move Sand Whirl. The gusts made Ursaring falter, causing his attack to miss completely.
Zzzrrrip!
In that moment of distraction, the sand whirlwind took form, trying to pull Ursaring's massive body into its center.
"Use Thrash!" Ryan Grant suddenly ordered.
Boom!
Ursaring's eyes turned red. He immediately steadied himself by sheer force and threw a powerful punch straight into the fully formed whirlwind.
Fssh!
Fsshh!
Unlike the last time, this time Sandshrew's combined move Sand Whirl, strengthened through training and Professor Harris's guidance, withstood the first blow instead of scattering.
But Ursaring's second strike came right after, crashing into the whirlwind and lunging straight toward Sandshrew.
Although, due to the force of the winds, the strike barely grazed Sandshrew's body without landing directly.
"Sandshrew, use Sandstorm!" Ethan Black ordered, not waiting for the whirlwind to complete.
In the middle of the process, he had Sandshrew detonate the whirlwind, spreading a sandstorm in all directions. Ursaring, just a few steps away, was completely engulfed.
Tatatata!
Despite his enormous strength, Ursaring was forced several steps back until he finally managed to steady himself. Then, with a furious roar, he charged forward at Sandshrew once again instead of retreating!
(End of Chapter)