Ten days later, at the exit of the Secret Kingdom.
After successfully helping Cacturne learn the move Sandstorm, Ethan decided it was time to leave the cave with his Pokémon.
The main reason for leaving the Secret Kingdom so soon was simple: his food supply had run out.
Originally, he hadn't planned to stay outside for long, so his backpack only contained food for half a month, and it was now completely consumed.
Moreover, in this Secret Kingdom, there was sand everywhere, with no plants or animals, and only Pokémon like Tyranitar or Onix, which could live off rocks, could survive there normally.
"What a pity... only Cacturne managed to learn Sandstorm."
"Shuckle and Vibrava couldn't even get started with the move. This shows that Professor Harris's Sandstorm training method has certain limitations."
"All the learning depends on Sandstorm energy. Only Pokémon like Sandslash and Cacturne, which possess the ability Sand Rush or Sand Veil, can master the move Sandstorm and learn the move through this method."
Ethan quickly understood the key point of Professor Harris's method, but even so, the results were astonishing to the academic community.
"Tyranitar, remember our deal!"
"When the time comes, I'll return for the Smooth Rocks. And, of course, I'll also bring the rare stones I promised you."
At the exit of the Secret Kingdom, Ethan gave Tyranitar instructions and shook his Poké Ball, which caused Tyranitar's expression to change slightly.
During this time, he would store it in the Poké Ball at night and release it during the day, which made Tyranitar deeply resent the Poké Ball.
Satisfied, Ethan nodded and gave a few final instructions, making sure Tyranitar would protect the stone gate, and then had Meltan open a spatial channel.
Activating its Magnet Pull ability, Meltan slowly deployed a spatial tunnel, emanating a powerful aura that made Tyranitar narrow its eyes and show respect.
After opening the channel, Ethan mounted Absol and entered it, disappearing instantly.
Upon exiting the Secret Kingdom, he was surprised: he was no longer in the previous sandstorm field but on top of a sand dune.
"This..."
"Could the entrance to the Secret Kingdom move regularly?"
His expression turned serious and he asked Absol to detect the Secret Kingdom's energy.
Absol's horn could sense changes in heaven and earth, giving it the ability to detect natural disasters. By carefully analyzing the environment, Absol located the Secret Kingdom's position, close to where Ethan was standing.
"The Secret Kingdom is still..."
Ethan looked around and asked, "Cacturne, do you know where we are?"
Cacturne looked around and couldn't answer, which made Ethan a bit worried.
In the desert, the biggest fear is getting lost, but thanks to Meltan functioning as a natural compass and magnetic detector, he was able to relax a little.
During the following time, Ethan sent Cacturne to explore the surroundings while he stayed in place, having Absol continue detecting the Secret Kingdom's energy.
After a while, Absol sensed that the entrance to the Secret Kingdom had moved, shifting westward a great distance, almost outside its detection range.
"As expected, the position of the Secret Kingdom changes over time."
This meant that the next time he wanted to enter, it would depend entirely on luck. If he was unlucky, he might never access this Secret Kingdom again.
"I still have food for two more days..."
Ethan observed the rule governing the Secret Kingdom's movement. After some time, the Secret Kingdom indeed shifted eastward. Absol located the new position, and they noticed that the distance traveled wasn't very different from before.
"If that's the case, there must be a pattern that can be discovered."
Ethan took out his notebook and marked the position on a map, drawing a circle indicating where the Secret Kingdom would appear next time.
After half a day, the Secret Kingdom moved again and appeared within the circle as expected. Ethan drew another circle and again, the Secret Kingdom appeared inside it.
"It seems we're close... this must be the movement pattern of the Secret Kingdom." He smiled: finding the Secret Kingdom next time would be much easier.
Afterward, he had Meltan carefully record the position of the Earth's magnetic field. Meltan, with its natural magnetic ability, functioned as a compass and magnetic recorder, allowing precise positioning.
"Is the recording ready?" Ethan smiled and looked at Meltan.
"Zzzt!" Meltan nodded and patted its chest, assuring him it was ready.
"Then, let's go home."
Ethan smiled and mounted Absol. Meltan floated using its magnetism, spinning slightly like a compass, locking onto a direction and advancing in a straight line. Absol followed immediately, sprinting swiftly across the sand, training its running skills in the desert.
Along the way, Ethan encountered many high-level Pokémon, which indicated he had reached a deeper area of the desert.
However, thanks to Cacturne's strength, none of them could stop them, and they crossed the desert without issues or dangers.
(End of chapter)