The next day, after a night of rest—
Rachel Blake took Ethan on a trip to the Secret Kingdom. But when they arrived at the destination, Ethan was stunned.
He had imagined that this "Secret Kingdom" would be on some uninhabited island in the vast ocean.
However, to his surprise, the Secret Kingdom was inside Rachel's own house!
The Blake family was a clan specialized in Water-type Pokémon; their main business was the breeding of these Pokémon and the sale of Water Stones.
And this so-called Water Secret Kingdom was a secret space where Water Stones were produced. Inside it was a Supreme-quality Water Stone, and within the space, a complete vein of Water Stones had even formed.
Following Rachel deeper into the house, Ethan walked silently behind her while everyone looked at him with a certain strangeness.
First, naturally, Ethan went to greet Rachel's parents; after all, entering someone else's home without introducing himself would have been impolite.
"Are you Ethan?"
"This time, in the Club Tournament, we really owe it to you."
Rachel's father looked very young, and upon seeing Ethan, he praised him immediately.
"I heard you're only nineteen, is that true?"
"To have this level of strength at nineteen... and to already be an advanced-level Pokémon researcher, discovering the evolution methods of Slowking and Kingdra... You're truly a remarkable young man."
Rachel's mother examined him from head to toe, nodding in satisfaction, making Ethan feel quite uncomfortable.
The atmosphere was strange... Why did he feel like they were evaluating him as if he were the future son-in-law?
Rachel also noticed and, slightly blushing, pulled Ethan away.
After saying goodbye to Rachel's parents, she took him to the back of the mountain, where there was a strictly guarded cave. The entrance to the Water Secret Kingdom was there.
Their route was unobstructed, and guided by Rachel, they reached the depths of the cave, where they found an underground lake of crystal-clear water.
"Come out, Lapras."
Upon reaching the lake, Rachel summoned her Lapras and brought Ethan to the center of the lake.
When they arrived at the center, a thick white mist suddenly enveloped them, blocking Ethan's vision. But he was used to situations like this, so he didn't panic.
When the mist gradually dissipated, Ethan found that he had arrived in a small cavern. Inside it, there was also a pool of water.
"Is this the Secret Kingdom?"
Ethan looked around but didn't find any other passage.
It seemed that this Secret Kingdom was just this. Without a doubt, it was the smallest one he had ever seen.
"That's right, this is the Secret Kingdom."
"The space in this cave is all we can use."
"But... underwater, there is a completely different world."
Rachel smiled and led him to the edge of the water.
Looking down into the depths, Ethan saw flashes of a blue light.
A soft blue glow illuminated the entire bottom of the lake, giving it an air of a magical world.
"Those are... Water Stones!"
Suddenly, Ethan saw three Water Stones resting quietly at the bottom, and their quality... was surprisingly high!
"Could it be the vein formed by the Supreme-quality Water Stone?"
Hearing his surprise, Rachel nodded with a smile and said, "Aside from producing Water Stones, this place is a paradise for Water-type Pokémon."
Ethan also nodded, taking out two Poké Balls. Slowking and Kingdra appeared.
"Yadon!"
"Kiinggdd!"
Both Pokémon, upon coming out, were shocked to see the lake, clearly sensing the powerful Water-type energy within it.
"Go on, Slowking, Kingdra."
Hearing him, both jumped straight into the water.
"For the next seven days, they'll be able to train in peace." Rachel said with a smile. The energy inside the Water Secret Kingdom was limited; seven days was the maximum she had managed to secure.
"Thank you, seven days are more than enough."
Ethan responded quickly. In a place like this, each day was equivalent to a massive improvement; in seven days, the two Pokémon could completely transform.
"Then I'll come back in seven days to get you."
Rachel nodded, opened the exit portal, and left, leaving Ethan alone in the cavern.
Once she left, Ethan knelt beside the lake and began observing the two Pokémon underwater.
Slowking and Kingdra had already reached the lake's bottom, completely enveloped in blue light, absorbing the Water-type energy from the vein at full strength.
Ethan smiled and then looked at the dark rocky walls. He felt a bit cold.
"Come out, Charmander."
He thought for a moment and decided to release his Charmander.
"Chaarrr!"
Upon coming out, Charmander immediately felt the cold and squirmed uncomfortably; clearly, this area filled with Water-type energy was very unpleasant for a Fire-type Pokémon.
"Charmander, use your Temperature Control to adjust the environment a bit."
Ethan narrowed his eyes, with no intention of returning it to its Poké Ball.
Although this place full of Water-type energy was uncomfortable for Charmander, from another perspective... it was the best kind of resistance training.
Charmander could use this type-disadvantage environment to practice Fire-type moves, just like weighted training.
Hearing him, Charmander leapt into Ethan's chest and activated its temperature control energy; the Fire-type energy concentrated around it, repelling the bothersome Water-type energy.
Ethan felt a pleasant warmth surround him and nodded in satisfaction. Then he opened other Poké Balls, releasing Sandslash, Cacturne, and Vibrava.
Immediately—
Vibrava, also weak to water, trembled and began flapping its wings very quickly as if trying to shake off the humidity.
But Sandslash, a Ground-type, upon feeling the Water-type energy... didn't react at all, which made Ethan very satisfied. It seemed all the training with baths and washing hadn't been in vain.
(End of chapter)