After returning to the Pokémon University of Ironvale City, Ethan Black lay on his bed with an expression of total satisfaction.
On this eve of 11/11, he had finally managed to obtain the Protector, an extremely rare item. Now all that remained was to catch a Rhyhorn.
With the Rhydon lineage breeding method that Professor Harris had developed, and after some training, he could easily obtain a powerful Rhyperior.
Moreover, once he had that Rhyperior, he might even use it to create some media attention. Ethan Black believed that trainers like Professor Harris, who already owned a Rhydon, would do anything to obtain from him the method to evolve it into a Rhyperior.
"Maybe I can even take advantage and hoard stock. The Protector only costs a million, but if I resell it later, I'll surely make more than investing in real estate!" he thought with a happy smile, letting himself dream of wealth.
If he had money, what would he do?
Buy a few starters? Or better yet, a pseudo-legendary?
"Ethan, hurry up and get going! I have the materials ready; in a moment we'll report to Professor Harris," Alex Baxter's voice pulled him out of his daydream.
"Ah! Yes, I'm coming!"
Ethan Black quickly hid the Protector in the deepest compartment of his backpack. Then he opened the door and followed Alex Baxter to the laboratory.
"Cac Cac Cac!" As they approached the lab, a cheerful voice greeted them. It was Cacnea, running excitedly toward him.
"Long time no see, Cacnea!" exclaimed Ethan Black happily, picking it up in his arms.
During these days, he had been participating in the 11/11 coupon tournament, while Cacnea had stayed in the lab helping Professor Harris research the Sand Veil ability. He had missed it.
"Professor Harris, here is all the data on Sandslash from the tournament," said Alex Baxter, handing over the information.
"Well done. Please, come in."
Professor Harris's face showed signs of fatigue; he had probably been working day and night researching Cacnea's ability.
"Ethan, now that you're back, have Sandslash use the Sandstorm move again. I need to verify this data," said the professor quickly.
"Alright," Ethan Black replied without hesitation and called Sandslash.
Shortly after, the sandstorm weather began forming inside the laboratory. Cacnea immediately leapt into the storm, activating its Sand Veil ability with all its strength. Its figure blurred for a moment and then disappeared instantly.
Seeing Professor Harris and Alex Baxter so focused, Ethan Black smiled slightly. Then he approached the professor's desk, took one of the books on the Rhydon lineage, and began to read.
He already had the Protector; all that was left was to get a Rhyhorn.
Thinking about Rhyhorn, Ethan Black suddenly glanced at Professor Harris's Rhydon. He remembered that Rhydon had a baby Rhyhorn, right?
Recalling the little Rhyhorn he had seen in the Secret Kingdom, his eyes lit up. If he wanted to catch one, that would undoubtedly be an excellent choice.
But... how could he convince Professor Harris to give it to him?
Ethan Black thought intensely. Then he looked at Professor Harris's Rhydon, hesitated for a moment, and approached cautiously. He took out the Protector and waved it in front of the Pokémon.
Rhyperior: (?)
Seeing that the Pokémon showed no reaction, Ethan Black scratched his head and put the Protector back, visibly confused.
According to the information, Rhydon should love this item, right?
Could this Protector be fake?
Or do the Rhydon of this world... have different tastes?
...
"Ethan, are you alright? Don't you have an appetite?"
During lunch, Alex Baxter looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Ah, no, it's nothing," Ethan Black replied with a forced smile. He was still thinking about why Rhydon hadn't shown any interest in the Protector and had remained absorbed.
"Are you thinking about the spot to adopt a starter?"
"I already talked to Professor Harris about that; he'll surely help you get it," said Alex Baxter with a reassuring smile.
"Although that spot is only a pass to participate in the competition. To actually earn the right to adopt one, you have to compete against the other novice trainers."
"Also, to evaluate our skills as trainers, this tournament requires using two Pokémon. You just caught Cacnea, so you'll need to train it well."
Ethan Black nodded with a serious expression. It had been a while since he caught Cacnea, but since he had been focused on training Sandslash for the tournament, he would now have to focus on his new Pokémon.
"Alright, alright, don't get so tense."
"Based on previous years' experience, the competition for starters happens right after the new students graduate, which would be around July next year."
"We still have plenty of time to prepare," added Alex Baxter with a smile.
"Previous years?" asked Ethan Black, catching a key word.
"Of course. This kind of competition happens every year and is basically a tournament among novice trainers."
"And after the event, the league selects a new batch of starters, discarding some and adding others."
"I remember that two years ago there were more than thirty species available, last year only about twenty remained. This time, there will surely be fewer," explained Alex Baxter while taking a spoonful of soup.
"After all, starters determine the future potential of a country's trainers. Developed countries have invested years of research to select a few viable species for mass breeding."
"Our country started later, and Pokémon popularization is relatively recent, so we are still in the selection phase."
Ethan Black nodded in understanding. Every country had its own conditions; therefore, their decisions also varied.
Mass breeding of a species requires considering many factors: the environment, breeding method, training techniques, etc. Everything must adapt to local conditions.
(End of chapter)