The next morning, Ethan Black woke up very early together with Sandshrew.
He released the Pokémon from its Pokéball, and it came out brimming with energy. Ethan Black didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Sandshrew had grown a little.
"Could it be because of the Pokémon food from yesterday?" he murmured, circling around it, examining it curiously.
To check if it wasn't just an illusion, Ethan Black took a measuring tape and measured its body, carefully writing down the data in his notebook.
From now on, Ethan Black planned to focus on Sandshrew's physical development as the main approach to its breeding, so recording its daily physical conditions was a fundamental part of the process.
After the measurement, he took out more Pokémon food that Professor Harris had left in the room and gave it to Sandshrew to enjoy a good breakfast.
Sandshrew: ≧ω≦
Once everything was ready, Ethan Black headed with Sandshrew to the laboratory building.
There, Professor Harris and Alex Baxter were already waiting for him since early morning, with all the scientific equipment ready. As soon as Sandshrew arrived, they started working enthusiastically, which made Ethan Black shake his head with a smile. They really did look like mad scientists.
After leaving Sandshrew in the care of the professor and Alex Baxter, Ethan Black sat in a corner with the books he had borrowed the day before, and continued absorbing knowledge.
Half a month passed like this.
During that time, Professor Harris gathered a large amount of data, and at the same time, Sandshrew became increasingly skilled at using the move Sandstorm.
Thanks to Professor Harris's dedicated teaching, the success rate of the move had already risen to 50%, meaning it managed to perform it correctly once every two or three tries.
On the other hand, just as Ethan Black had assumed, the constant consumption of specialized Pokémon food noticeably improved Sandshrew's physical development, who had visibly grown in size.
As for Ethan Black, he practically left Sandshrew in Professor Harris's care, while he dedicated himself completely to the library. Every day he immersed himself in the books, comparing, deducing, and gradually building a personalized breeding plan for Sandshrew.
One more morning, Ethan Black left the library intending to pick up Sandshrew so they could go have lunch together.
As he walked along the campus paths, he saw some banners hanging around, and his gaze lit up slightly.
Time had flown by. The Autumn Festival was almost here!
During this period, Ethan Black often talked with his parents on the phone, and just yesterday they had asked him if he was planning to go back home for the festivities.
Ethan Black thought about it for a while, but in the end he decided to tell them about his current situation.
The truth was, having obtained this opportunity to study at Ironvale City's Pokémon University was something extremely valuable, and he didn't want to waste a single minute. He wanted to make the most of every possible moment.
His parents, after hearing him out, understood his decision. In fact, it was clear they were genuinely happy for him. They told him he should continue to take full advantage of Professor Harris's guidance, since that would be crucial for his future.
"Hey, boss! What are you thinking about?" said Alex Baxter suddenly, appearing from a distance and giving him a pat on the shoulder with a smile.
"Nothing... I was just thinking that the Autumn Festival is almost here, and I felt a little homesick," replied Ethan Black, as he took Sandshrew's Pokéball from his hands. "And how was today's research?"
Hearing the question, Alex Baxter shook his head and sighed: "Even though we've already gathered a ton of information about the move Sandstorm, we still haven't managed to understand why Ground-type energy can activate that move. We don't have a single solid lead."
"Ground-type Sandstorm...?" repeated Ethan Black, also with a sigh.
Not even he, with his entire mental database on Pokémon, could imagine a logical reason.
After all, the move Sandstorm is typically a Rock-type move.
"Then why...?" wondered Ethan Black.
(End of chapter)