Greatest Pokémon Trainer

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Sandshrew stands on two feet and has a shape similar to that of a mouse, using all four only when running.

These Pokemon have soil-yellow skin that is tough and dry, with brick-like patterns that make their skin resemble a brick wall; their lower jaw extends to a cream-colored belly, and they have a thick, conical tail at the back; three small, sharp claws adorn their forelimbs while their hind limbs have two toes; their ears are small and triangular, giving them a simple and honest appearance.

In the distance, the Sandshrew's blue-black eyes kept glancing over here, clearly having noticed Fang Yuan, who had been watching it all along.

The movements of the Sandshrew didn't escape the notice of its Trainer, a girl with short brown hair, not much different in age from Fang Yuan.

After the other party looked over, Fang Yuan returned the look with a polite smile, then refocused his attention on Eevee.

Sandshrew, a Ground type mouse Pokemon, digs holes in the sand to evade enemies due to its shy nature. This is an instinct for Sandshrew, masters of digging, just as Fang Yuan thought; no matter how hard Eevee worked on building sand castles, it couldn't surpass the palace created by the Sandshrew.

Even until mealtime, Eevee kept tirelessly tweaking its creation. Only when Fang Yuan called did Eevee snap back to reality, its stomach growling as it made a pitifully adorable face.

By then, the Sandshrew and its Trainer had already left, yet they left behind a palace made of sand, which Eevee had glanced over at countless times. Although its creation had surpassed most others preserved on the beach, the Palace of Sand still left Little Eevee quite dissatisfied.

"We'll come back after we eat."

Fang Yuan picked up Eevee, patted its head, and while it was a small matter, it demonstrated Eevee's determined spirit. This precious spirit couldn't be lost, and even if most of the coming days were spent accompanying Eevee in building sand castles, it would be worth it.

"Bwoo, Bwoo~"

After getting permission from Fang Yuan, Eevee paused and then happily began to growl.

Time passed, and that afternoon, Fang Yuan and Eevee didn't encounter the Sandshrew and the girl again. The Palace of Sand had disappeared, and although Eevee no longer had a comparison, it kept adjusting its work based on memory.

But due to its size, Eevee couldn't perfect the details in the same way that Sandshrew could...

When it came to being earnest and hardworking, it was not inferior to that Sandshrew.

Just as Eevee was about to start over by knocking down its castle again, Fang Yuan stopped it and pointed to the side. Eevee immediately understood and began building anew in a different area.

Seeing Eevee's best and most time-consuming masterpiece so far, Fang Yuan couldn't bear to see it destroyed. First, he took a photo with his phone to record it, and then he started to carve out the artwork's detailed patterns with small tools on Eevee's behalf.

In fact, Fang Yuan had taken photos of Eevee's previous works as well, wanting to keep them as mementos to show Eevee someday.

"Bwoo…"

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Eevee, who had come to the neighboring area, heard the noise and turned its head to see Fang Yuan earnestly sculpting a sandcastle. Eevee's mood was somewhat mixed. It remembered Fang Yuan's companionship throughout the day and suddenly felt a strange tickle in its heart, different from any emotion it had felt before, causing it to pause its action of starting to pile up the sand again.

Instead, it observed Fang Yuan's movements carefully.

In that instant, Eevee felt as if it could stand in Fang Yuan's perspective, sensing every move of the sand. The next moment, Eevee felt the sand beneath it grow hot and seemingly emit an odd wave, resonating with its body.

This feeling made Eevee very anxious and it let out a bewildered growl. Fang Yuan's attention was immediately drawn by the noise. When Fang Yuan looked over, he saw sand being pushed to the side as if manipulated when Eevee's short and thin front limbs swept across the beach.

After experiencing the inexplicable event, Eevee felt its body return to normal but clearly remembered that strange sensation, as if its body had memorized it. If it wanted to, it could do the same thing again.

"Is this... the Splash Technique?"

Noticing something unusual about Eevee, Fang Yuan exclaimed in surprise. He had thought that Eevee would need to start intensive training before it could understand the Splash Technique, but unexpectedly, it had learned it under these circumstances.

You should know that learning a new move in reality is very difficult. Even moves that Pokémon could learn upon leveling up in the games were not always understood with certainty.

The Splash Technique is a Ground Type Technique that allows control over sand to decrease an opponent's accuracy. In the game, it is one of the first moves Eevee can learn through level-ups, but in reality, there are no such concepts as leveling up. Learning moves requires Pokémon to find specific opportunities to comprehend them on their own, or they can be taught through a Trainer's nurturing, but learning them spontaneously is out of the question. Eevee learning the Splash Technique while playing in the sand was impressive, and it might have been due to the energy it poured into building sandcastles, which gave Eevee the chance to understand Splashing Sand!

"Bwoo..." After understanding the Splash Technique, Eevee was both bewildered and curious. When Fang Yuan picked it up, it finally calmed down.

"Isn't that great? Let's try building it again!"

Fang Yuan looked at the sandscape with anticipation. Assuming that Eevee's comprehension of the Splash Technique was related to this little game, could the move help Eevee build an even more perfect sandcastle?

"To think that a move could be understood in such a manner is really magical."

Gently setting Eevee down, Fang Yuan started a new round of effort with it.

Based on their previous experience, they knew that the core detail of building sandcastles was the mix ratio between sand and water; too little water couldn't bind the sand, and too much couldn't maintain a solid form. The optimal ratio was 99% sand to 1% water for the best stability of the sandcastle, especially for those tall and slim ones. To carve them down to the details, this ratio was essential. If previously they were just muddling along, then after Eevee understood the Splash Technique, it gained a sharper sense of the moisture in the soil and easily found the optimal ratio.

Eevee's claws were agile and sharp, much more useful than a small knife. In no time, they managed to build a structure that rivaled Sandshrew's Palace of Sand.

"That's fantastic, though there's still a slight imperfection."

Since they hadn't accounted for water loss during the build, the current sandcastle wasn't perfect yet. After Fang Yuan and Eevee exchanged glances, they shared an understanding smile, knocked it down, and started over, joyfully piling it up again with the Splash Technique.