Eevee was able to build the sandcastle as wished, thanks to the Sand Attack move.
Beyond the specific effects in the game, Sand Attack also helped Eevee manipulate sand more easily, making the beach sand more "obedient."
This trip, besides deepening the bond with Eevee, could be said to have Sand Attack as its greatest harvest.
Up to now, little Eevee, who had just reached "9 days" of age, had already mastered four moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip, and Sand Attack.
Although Growl and Tail Whip had some effects, after having Eevee use them several times, Minato despaired. They were completely harmless, not threatening at all.
However, what comforted Minato was that he had already cultivated sufficient interest in Eevee. As for how long this enthusiasm would last, Minato didn't know, but in any case, Eevee's current state was very good, looking forward to the training methods Minato mentioned that could make it stronger.
Eevee also wanted to become strong, to be as impressive as the protagonists in movies and battle videos, to become the focus of attention in the battle arena.
Splash splash~~
After spending the entire day at the beach, Minato and Eevee immediately took showers upon returning to their room to refresh themselves.
Don't think that just playing all day meant they weren't tired. Both were exhausted, especially Eevee. Using Sand Attack to manipulate sand for long periods was very physically taxing.
By dinner time, Eevee drank two large bowls of warmed milk before finally burping satisfactorily. After entering the growth stage... its appetite had increased!
Knock... knock... knock...
Just as everything was wrapping up and Minato and Eevee planned to find another movie to watch, the room door was suddenly knocked on.
"Hey, Minato, Eevee, want to play cards?" Riku said from outside.
"Eevee?" Little Eevee was confused. What was that?
"Want to go see?" Minato said to Eevee.
Eevee nodded.
"Coming." As he spoke, Eevee jumped onto Minato's shoulder, and they followed Riku to the room across the hall.
"What's up? What did you and Eevee do today? You both look exhausted."
"You probably won't believe me if I tell you..." Minato smiled.
Upon arriving at the opposite room, Minato found the other three were already there. He explained the day's experiences to them, leaving them wide-eyed with shock.
"Just like that... you comprehended Sand Attack?" Upperclassman Yukari was dumbfounded.
She might be a fake Trainer.
"My Graveler wants to hit someone hearing this. I remember it learned it through special training," Shigenori said.
"You're too lucky," Ai said.
"Didn't expect it... the guy who wants to become a Professional Trainer actually has some skills," Riku sighed. He could see that, although they had only been together for a few days, Minato and Eevee's bond was truly strong.
"Accidental success." Minato remained calm.
"It's probably because Eevee and I are too in sync."
"Eevee!" Eevee nodded proudly.
"Showing off again."
"You're both showing off together. Little Eevee has been corrupted by you," Ai said. "Eh! Eh! Yukari, show him that promotional poster we found today."
"Uh, what poster?" Minato asked.
"The Little Ho-Oh Cup New Trainer Battle Tournament," Yukari said.
New Trainer... Battle Tournament?
Little Ho-Oh Cup?!
"It's a locally held tournament in Metropolis for prospective third-year students like you. The participants are all newcomers who just obtained their starter Pokémon. It's sponsored by Dawn Corporation, and the prizes are quite substantial," Riku said.
"What they mean is, they want you to participate and see you get crushed," Shigenori laughed heartily.
Minato: "..."
"A new Trainer participating in a tournament? I think I'd better forget it. Eevee and I haven't started... uh..."
Taking the promotional poster from Yukari, Minato's expression suddenly changed.
"Shocked, the champion prize is actually the Soothe Bell."
The Soothe Bell was a bell with a pleasant tone, a Pokémon-related hold item. The Pokémon holding it would be soothed, able to calm down and focus.
Most importantly, it could make a Pokémon more likely to grow close to its Trainer.
This was exactly what Minato needed. Only by cultivating a strong bond with Eevee could there be a chance for Eevee to evolve through Friendship in the future, without relying on evolution items.
"You know about this bell?" Yukari asked.
"I remember the bell's sound can make a Pokémon's mood more peaceful, right? Yeah, online it's jokingly called a sleep aid for Pokémon," Ai said.
"But this kind of bell is quite rare. Besides Dawn Corporation, I haven't seen it sold anywhere else," Riku said.
You guys don't understand...
Minato decided he absolutely had to obtain this bell and put it around Eevee's neck.
"Champion prize: Soothe Bell, 100.000 ₽ cash, Dawn Corporation membership card."
"These can all be obtained for free," Minato said.
"Wake up, if you want to participate, just go with Eevee to experience it. Participation is what matters. You actually think you can win the championship?" Upperclassman Yukari facepalmed, helpless.
"The Little Ho-Oh Cup is one of Metropolis's very famous tournaments. The number of participants will probably be many times more than all the students at Heiwa First Academy combined. Even the preliminaries won't be that easy to pass."
Minato also calmed down.
That made sense... a tournament in a major metropolis like Metropolis—if just anyone could win the championship, that would be ridiculous.
But...
The Soothe Bell, he wanted it.
100.000 ₽ cash... he also needed it.
The Dawn Corporation membership card offered discounts on Dawn Corporation products, which would make buying Miltank milk cheaper later. He couldn't pass that up.
This group was really evil, tempting him with a tournament like the Little Ho-Oh Cup. And the key was, he was actually taking the bait.
"The tournament is in mid-August, before school starts. I have about a month and a half to prepare..." Minato said. "If Eevee and I train hard during this month and a half, is it possible to achieve results? Even second place has a 50.000 ₽ cash reward, and the top sixteen all get prizes."
The Psychology Club members almost forgot that Minato's family conditions weren't very good. After thinking, Riku said, "It's not impossible, but other people preparing to register will definitely also be working hard to train their Pokémon's battle abilities during this time. If you really want to try, you'll have to seize every moment."
Minato nodded. He had already planned to train with Eevee after returning. Now, a goal right in front of him had appeared, which gave Minato even more motivation.
"Eevee."
Meanwhile, Eevee glanced at the silver bell pendant ornament on the poster, thought it looked quite nice, chirped, and indicated it was worth a try.
"Then it's decided?" Minato said to Eevee.
"Wait a minute, I think... we've gone off topic. What about the cards, are we playing or not?" Ai asked confusedly.
"Play what? Let's help Minato figure out how to train Eevee. After all, he's a member of the Psychology Club. It would be too embarrassing to get eliminated in the preliminaries."