The Pokémon in the outer zone of the desert weren't very strong.
Throughout the entire journey, Ethan had let Shuckle and Charmander handle the battles.
Even as a Fire-type Pokémon, Charmander managed to defeat those Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon on his own thanks to the sheer power of his flames.
By this point, the little dragon had perfected his temperature control to an impressive level: his fire, compressed and refined under such control, reached an extreme temperature capable of eliminating most enemies in a single strike.
For example, an Onix that was hit by Flamethrower was left completely charred, with cracks along its body caused by the scorching heat.
Additionally, by raising the temperature of his flames, the probability of causing burns also increased drastically. If that status condition had been rare in his battles before, now it occurred frequently.
Fuuuh—
As they advanced farther into the desert, Ethan began to feel a wave of sand whipping against his face from a distance.
"Even though I've seen it several times... the power of a natural sandstorm is still impressive," Ethan said, smiling at Cacturne.
"¡Cac!" Cacturne responded, skipping happily before rushing straight toward the swirling sand, as if eager to explore it.
"Abbssss!"
At that moment, Absol—the one Ethan was riding—let out a couple of low growls.
The horn on its head began to glow faintly, as if it were sensing something.
"Could it be... an entrance to a Secret Kingdom?" Ethan murmured, narrowing his eyes.
Absol nodded firmly and pointed its glowing horn toward the interior of the storm.
"Are you saying there's a portal to a Secret Kingdom inside the storm?" Ethan asked, uncertain.
Without Sandslash—his main combat force—his strength had been greatly reduced. The most prudent choice would be to return, pick up Sandslash, and then come back to explore the portal.
However, there was no way to know how long that access would remain open. If it was like the cave where he had found Meltan, it could disappear at any moment.
Besides, Sandslash was in the middle of training to master the move Sandstorm, and interrupting him now would be counterproductive.
"If it's just a small Secret Kingdom, with the eight Pokémon I have, it should be enough," he decided after a moment of reflection.
Even if danger appeared, with Meltan and Absol he could locate exits quickly, and with Slowking and its Teleport, most risks could be handled.
Decision made, Ethan took out Meltan's and Kingdra's Poké Balls and released them.
"Zzzt!"
Meltan floated gently in the air, its eye spinning from side to side as it observed the storm, as if it sensed something special within it.
Kingdra, on the other hand, writhed uncomfortably. The heat and dryness of the desert were unbearable for a Water-type Pokémon.
"Hang in there, Kingdra," Ethan said to him. "It seems there's a Secret Kingdom ahead—we have to investigate it."
Kingdra nodded seriously, looking forward.
"Slowking, I'm counting on you for protection," Ethan instructed before advancing with his eight Pokémon toward the storm.
Fuuuh—
The wind roared fiercely, battering the bodies of Cacturne, Meltan, Vibrava, and Shuckle, although the sand energy dissipated upon contact with them.
On the other hand, Kingdra, Charmander, and Absol stayed close to Ethan, wrapped in the powerful psychic field of Slowking, which distorted the wind currents and diverted the sand around them.
"I definitely need to capture a Pokémon with the ability Overcoat or Magic Guard," Ethan thought with a frown. Depending only on Slowking's and Shellder's psychic power to withstand the storm consumed too much energy, and while they focused on protecting, their offensive power was greatly reduced.
"Abbssss!"
At that moment Absol let out a low growl: it had found something.
Ethan immediately ordered Meltan to activate its spatial magnetic field, and in an instant, a glow opened a floating portal in the middle of the storm.
"Cac!" Cacturne exclaimed happily, taking the lead. With Sandslash absent, he was the most experienced in the group and assumed the role of leader, entering the portal first.
He was followed by Kingdra and Vibrava, and finally Ethan, riding Absol, along with Slowking and Meltan.
Upon crossing, Ethan was stunned: the interior of the Secret Kingdom was also a desert.
His expression hardened.
The reason he dared to explore the Tarkaan Desert was because he had Cacturne, who had grown up there and knew the terrain.
But inside this Secret Kingdom, he was completely lost. Compasses and navigation equipment didn't work in these places, so without a guide, he was practically blind.
"Absol, can you sense the exit of the Kingdom?" he asked hopefully.
The Pokémon closed its eyes, sensing the surrounding energies, but after a moment shook its head.
Its detection ability had limits: it could only sense portals within a certain range.
"It seems we'll have to move forward step by step," Ethan murmured, looking at the blazing sun above their heads.
Determined, he pointed in the direction where the sunlight was falling. "We'll head toward the sun. With luck, along the way Absol might detect a fluctuation from the portal."
And so, riding Absol, Ethan advanced over the burning sand, followed closely by Cacturne and the rest of the Pokémon, all alert to any threat.
Fuuuh—
Suddenly, a new wind current filled with dust rose before them.
"Huh? Is this a Sandstorm weather condition?" Ethan said in surprise. "It seems we've unknowingly entered an area covered by this phenomenon."
After thinking for a moment, he decided to retreat to exit the area and see if he could find an alternative route.
(End of chapter)