After buying a large number of Dragon-type related items, Ethan didn't leave right away — instead, he continued to browse through the resource exchange warehouse.
In addition to preparing suitable materials for Trapinch, he also wanted to bring back some fine treasures for his other Pokémon.
Soon, he arrived at the section dedicated to Water-type Pokémon items. There, too, were many valuable pieces on display — though mixed in among the rare treasures were piles of ordinary shells and decorative trinkets with no real use.
"A Mystic Water!"
"Now that's a good item... I'll take it."
Ethan looked up at the bottles on the upper shelf, and after a brief moment of thought, grabbed one. He planned to give it to his Slowking.
Mystic Water worked much like the Metal Coat or the Dragon Fang: it boosted the power of Water-type moves. Moreover, it contained strong Water-type energy, making it the best supplement for Water Pokémon, helping them refine their control over that energy.
After purchasing one, Ethan paused, thought for a moment, and ended up buying a second.
Aside from the two Mystic Waters, he also picked out some fish scales and bones. However, to his mild disappointment, he didn't find a Prism Scale among them — the item needed for Feebas to evolve into Milotic. Even though it didn't have much practical use, the Prism Scale was a beautiful ornamental jewel, priced on par with pearls and precious gems.
Thus, after acquiring one Dragon Fang, two Mystic Waters, and a pile of assorted materials, Ethan's hard-earned Pokémon Research Points were nearly depleted.
Still, he didn't feel regret. What was the point of hoarding points? Only by turning them into real power would they hold true value.
Besides, thanks to the vast Pokémon knowledge stored in his mind, Ethan wasn't worried about running out of points.
With the three theses the Pokémon Research Guild had accepted — "New Directions in Pokémon Evolution," "The Evolution Method of Steelix," and "The Evolution Method of Slowking" — he received a massive number of points every year.
After all, the value of those studies was immense: other researchers had to pay an exorbitant number of points to access them. And although the guild took a large portion of the profits, Ethan's share was still quite substantial.
Aside from Pokémon-related items, Ethan also took the opportunity to buy himself a full set of expedition survival gear: a large-capacity space backpack and various kinds of Poké Balls, among other things.
Once all the materials were packed into his new backpack, Ethan cheerfully returned to his dorm room, accompanied by his two Pokémon, who also seemed thrilled with their haul.
"All right, time to hand out the loot."
Smiling, Ethan released all of his Pokémon.
As for rare items, he had only obtained two types: the Dragon Fang and the Mystic Water.
The Dragon Fang was meant for his future Vibrava. With its help, Vibrava's Dragon-type potential could be developed to the fullest.
As for the Mystic Water, Ethan had bought two: one for Slowking and one for Shellder.
Although Shellder had lost the ability to use Water-type moves after merging with Slowpoke and evolving into Slowking, Ethan believed that if it could still use Psychic-type energy, then, at least in theory, it should also be capable of manifesting Water-type energy again.
That's why he offered a Mystic Water to the Shellder protruding from Slowking's head.
"Shellder, try absorbing this Mystic Water. Let's see if you can recover your Water-type energy."
Upon hearing those words, Shellder felt a warm surge of emotion. It knew that, even though it was now part of Slowking, Ethan hadn't forgotten about it. Happily, it closed its eyes with a content expression.
After distributing the rare items, Ethan felt a bit guilty toward his other Pokémon, like Sandslash, and promised to make it up to them when he had more money.
They, however, simply smiled and shook their heads, saying it wasn't necessary — that they could become strong even without rare items.
After a lively chat with his team, Ethan began planning how to capture a Seadra.
Since he needed one to evolve into Kingdra, it was crucial to find a strong specimen.
After all, to achieve a special evolution, there were three fundamental requirements:
1. The Pokémon had to hold the corresponding item and be capable of channeling its energy.
2. The evolution process required a bit of luck and the stimulus of a special connection within a Secret Kingdom.
3. The Pokémon needed enough strength and potential to evolve.
Ethan already had the item — the Dragon Scale — and knew how to obtain the right environment to trigger the evolution. The only thing missing was a Seadra with real potential.
At that moment, he remembered something: Derek Ashford had given him an invitation to visit his family's breeding grounds and choose a Pokémon.
Could it be that the Ashford family's aquatic ranch had a Seadra?
Determined, Ethan took out the invitation, mounted his Pidgeot, and quietly left the Secret Kingdom.
Once outside, he called Derek by phone to confirm the location of his home.
"Ethan? What are you doing here?" Derek asked in surprise when he saw him arrive.
"Hehe, don't forget you still owe me a Water-type Pokémon. I've come to collect on that promise," Ethan replied with a grin.
"Ah, so that's what this is about."
"Don't worry — I keep my word."
Derek patted his chest confidently, reassuring his promise.
Deep down, he was delighted: the Mudkip he had recently obtained possessed incredible potential. Its strength was exceptional, and once it evolved into Swampert, it would probably be even more powerful than his Feraligatr.
Exactly the kind of Pokémon he liked!
(End of chapter)