After recording the approximate location of the Secret Kingdom, Ethan carefully put away the map.
He looked into the distance. At that moment, Gengar had already explored the entire area and, after confirming that there was no danger, floated back.
Seeing this, Ethan decided to rest for a while so his Pokémon could recover their energy.
Don't be fooled by the fact that they were merely traveling: along the way, his Pokémon had been training nonstop.
Meltan focused on sensing spatial magnetic fields and, through them, locating possible entrances to Secret Kingdoms along the path.
Vibrava trained sonic moves, airflow perception, and vibration detection. Many of the dangers they encountered during their journey were found thanks to his detection.
Charizard's training was simple: improve his flying skills. Occasionally transporting people was the best way to test his progress.
Riolu worked on his psychic power. Although he still couldn't learn the move Calm Mind, he could still train his mental strength with similar methods. Moreover, the bond between Ethan and Riolu grew rapidly through daily interaction, which was also one of the most important aspects of his training.
Shuckle, for his part, appeared to be asleep with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was controlling the nutrient juice inside his body, compressing it little by little to form cubes, preparing materials for making Pokéblocks.
"Zzzt!"
At that moment, Meltan sensed a change in the magnetic fields around them: it seemed to have found something else.
Ethan quickly called Vibrava to guide him, moving nimbly between the trees as they followed Meltan closely.
Soon, Meltan stopped in a clearing, fully releasing its Magnet Pull ability. Spatial waves began fluctuating in the air, and a new portal to a Secret Kingdom opened.
"Very well done, Meltan."
Ethan smiled in satisfaction. After storing Charizard, Shuckle, and Riolu, he entered the Secret Kingdom directly.
Facts showed that there was no pattern whatsoever to the appearance of these portals.
After having previously entered a barren and desolate Secret Kingdom, this time he found himself in a Secret Kingdom full of green mountains and crystal-clear waters, inhabited by countless Pokémon and overflowing with life.
"This place is truly a gem."
Ethan smiled lightly and released all his Pokémon to begin the exploration.
Gengar floated behind him, glancing sideways at Meltan, who could open portals to Secret Kingdoms with such ease. His eyes flickered for a moment.
Ethan didn't mind. He had already shown that ability of Meltan in front of Gengar, so he had no intention of hiding it.
In reality, the technology to locate and open Secret Kingdoms was already very advanced in the League. However, those devices could only be acquired by large organizations, as they were extremely valuable.
On the other hand, Pokémon like Absol, extremely sensitive to changes in environmental energy, could also detect entrances to Secret Kingdoms—and that wasn't a secret among the League's elite.
For that reason, Ethan wasn't afraid of showing Meltan's ability. The League wouldn't go so far as to try to take it from him.
"Viiibbrraa!"
As they moved forward, Ethan heard Vibrava's warning cry.
"Did you find something?"
He stopped and looked ahead.
"Bzzzzzzz!"
Suddenly, from between the trees, a swarm of Beedrill burst out, flying toward them with strong hostility.
"Beedrill, huh?"
"Charizard, Flamethrower!"
Ethan didn't seem concerned.
Charizard moved forward, his reddish body radiating fierce heat.
With a low roar, he released a massive blazing Flamethrower that completely engulfed the Beedrill swarm.
"If there are Beedrill, then there must be Beedrill honey nearby, right?"
Ethan smiled and licked his lips, walking in the direction the Beedrill had come from.
"Shuck!"
As they approached the nest, Shuckle suddenly stirred, visibly excited.
Not long after, Ethan saw an enormous forest of Berry trees, all loaded with fully ripe Berries.
"So many Berries!"
Ethan was astonished.
In previous Secret Kingdoms he had found Berries, yes, but usually only a few trees, maybe a dozen at most. Here there were hundreds, and the Berries were countless.
Berries were a valuable resource. They were used to prepare nutrient juices and Pokémon food. Over the past few weeks, Ethan had consumed a huge amount. If he sold all these Berries, he would make a fortune.
"Bzzzzzzz!"
Just as Ethan was about to start collecting them, a huge group of Beedrill emerged from the forest, flying toward him with stingers glinting coldly.
Charizard prepared to use Flamethrower, but Ethan stopped him.
With so many Berries around, it would be a waste if a fire attack burned them.
"Vibrava, Supersonic!"
Vibrava released sound waves that spread in circles, crashing directly into the Beedrill.
The swarm staggered, dizzy, and fell haphazardly from the air.
"Vibrava, use Sand Tomb and bury them!"
Ethan ordered Vibrava to move toward the fallen Beedrill. Ground-type energy gathered in his claws, and he stomped the ground hard.
The ground beneath him turned to sand, forming a large vortex that trapped the stunned Beedrill.
"Well done. Even though he evolved from Trapinch to Vibrava, the Ground-type moves he trained before haven't lost any of their power."
Ethan smiled in satisfaction. Even though Vibrava now trained mainly in wind control, Levitate, and sonic moves, he hadn't abandoned his Ground-type techniques.
Now he just had to think about how to balance his training to develop all his abilities at once.
As he pondered this, the battle was already over.
Thanks to the combination of Supersonic and Sand Tomb, a large number of Beedrill ended up buried in the sand.
(End of chapter)