Chapter 644 - 641

Hikaru said, "It’s probably because the conference that was originally supposed to be held at Celadon University was moved here. That’s why it ended up becoming an event of unprecedented scale."

"Hey, Hikaru! Over here!"

A familiar woman’s voice rang out. Sonia, dressed in white and having arrived in Sinnoh well ahead of them, immediately began waving when she spotted Hikaru.

Professor Magnolia stood beside her, discussing Pokémon Egg breeding with a young professor wearing glasses.

It was Professor Elm!

"Grandma’s talking to Professor Elm about raising Pokémon Eggs! You’re really late. Did you hang around Galar for a while longer?"

"Huh? A-Are you Professor Rowan?! And you’re... Professor Hastings?!"

Only then did Sonia notice the two elderly men behind Hikaru.

Startled, she quickly ran through the names of the famous professors attending the conference and correctly identified them. Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she hurried over to greet them.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m from the Galar region. I’m just an ordinary Dynamax researcher. My name is Sonia!"

Professor Hastings wasn’t personally acquainted with many people, but as the Ranger Union’s chief technical adviser, he was quite famous around the world. Most people had simply heard his name without ever meeting him.

Professor Rowan, meanwhile, was far more widely recognized.

After all, he was an expert on Evolution and a senior researcher once considered Professor Oak’s equal. In fact, judged purely by age and experience, Rowan was the older of the two.

"Dynamax..." Professor Hastings had heard of it. It was a battle system from a distant region, and he had studied it before coming here. "I’ve heard that it’s an exceptionally difficult field of research. Overcoming those difficulties, developing it into an entirely new discipline, and even influencing the history and social development of an entire region is a remarkable accomplishment."

Sonia hurriedly thanked him. "No, I’m only an ordinary researcher, but thank you for the praise."

"I know who you are," Professor Rowan said, stroking his beard. "I saw you during the disturbances in Galar. The news reported that a renowned young researcher had risked her life to investigate the Crown Tundra."

"Professor Magnolia has found herself an excellent successor. I look forward to the research you’ll be presenting at this conference!"

"I-It’s an honor!"

Sonia immediately bowed, her heart pounding.

Only after Professor Rowan and Professor Hastings went over to speak with Professor Magnolia did Sonia finally breathe a sigh of relief. She quickly pulled Hikaru aside.

"You came from the library with them? Don’t tell me your name is really going to appear on Professor Rowan’s paper."

Hikaru coughed. "It was added recently. I only found out about it myself."

Sonia stared blankly for several seconds before giving him a peculiar look.

"I knew it! Is that thing you mentioned back then really about to happen?"

A moment later, however, she became excited again.

"Wait. If your findings can change the Pokémon world the way Grandma said, then as one of your coauthors, wouldn’t that make me a great professor who helped change the Pokémon world too?"

"Ahem. Maybe that’s not the best way to put it, but I did risk my life conducting fieldwork and gathering important data. Our joint research with Professor Burnet might even win an award!"

"Hm? By the way, who’s that female Ranger?" Sonia curiously glanced at Elanie, who was fiddling with some kind of device. "Is she presenting something too?"

Hikaru waved dismissively.

"Elanie? No. She’s merely a cold-blooded queen of mechanical disassembly."

Elanie didn’t have anything to present. It wasn’t as though she could take the stage and deliver a lecture about how everyone else was small fry.

Hikaru couldn’t help thinking that if a Galactic Bomb appeared here, Elanie might finally get the opportunity to show off her bomb-disposal skills. She would undoubtedly become a top-tier mechanic overnight.

Then again, that sounded far too dangerous.

"Achoo!"

Elanie sneezed, looked suspiciously around the room, and shuddered.

She felt as though some ominous curse had just descended upon her.

Was this place haunted?

"There are all kinds of awards, but what sort of award could research into ’space’ possibly win? Countermeasures against other worlds? Are you planning to establish a defense force? When it comes to Pokémon research, Hidden Abilities are the real grand prize!"

"Only dreams qualify as true alternate dimensions!"

"Even if my opponent is Burnet, I refuse to compromise! My genuine research into dream energy—complete with written findings and carefully developed conclusions—is finally finished!"

"Hi!"

An eerie female voice suddenly rose in pitch as someone appeared behind Hikaru.

The bespectacled researcher spread her arms like a statue of Jesus, as though preparing to embrace the future itself.

"Did you miss me, Mr. Deputy Director?"

The ridiculous woman with glasses had arrived!

"Oh, Fennel. It’s been a long time," Hikaru said. "Is Amanita doing well?"

Such an absurd entrance suited Professor Fennel’s excitable personality perfectly.

Fennel pushed her glasses up. "What do you mean, ’a long time’? I just saw you on the news! Amanita’s doing perfectly well. She’s back home watching the lab! Ah, so this must be the female researcher from Galar. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

"You’re the director of the Dream Research Institute?" Sonia regarded Professor Fennel with intense curiosity.

They were fairly close in age, so naturally Sonia envied the fact that Fennel already had an independent research institute of her own.

Of course, Sonia didn’t know that Fennel was merely renting hers.

"Um..." Sonia began to feel slightly pressured. She lowered her voice and asked Hikaru, "What exactly is this dream-energy research...?"

Fennel immediately raised a hand.

"Stop!"

"That’s our Dream Research Institute’s top-secret academic achievement! How could we reveal it here? This research is going to win us an award! Isn’t that right, Deputy Director?"

"We’ll crush Burnet’s research into space and spread the glorious name of the Dream Research Institute across the world! Dreams and space both fall under research into alternate dimensions, so there can be only one winner of the award for dimensional research!"

"Uh, but I’m also employed by the Dimensional Research Lab," Hikaru said. "I can’t exactly fight against myself."

"Both Professor Sonia and Professor Burnet invited me to appear as a coauthor..."

"What?!" Fennel shouted. "You actually betrayed the Dream Research Institute?! How much is Burnet paying you every month?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she sank into despair.

Wait.

No matter how much Burnet offered him, it would undoubtedly be more than Fennel could pay.

Her institute was only third-rate, after all.

Money...

Her lonely, miserable lack of money!

"By ’dream Abilities,’ you mean Hidden Abilities, right?" Sonia remembered the work Professor Fennel had published in academic journals. "Oh, I understand! You discovered an energy capable of changing a Pokémon’s Ability into its Hidden Ability. Wait, we already have that in Galar."

"That’s right, isn’t it?" Sonia raised one finger and smiled at Hikaru. "Ability Capsules and Ability Patches are made from materials found in Galar."

"So it seems dream energy isn’t needed anymore. As for awards related to dimensional research, surely we’re just a tiny bit ahead?"

"Wh-What are you talking about?!"

Fennel stared at Hikaru in horror and disbelief.

"You traitor! Even my own deputy director is stabbing me in the back!"

Hikaru silently looked at the smiling Sonia.

He had the distinct impression that she had said it deliberately.

Sonia maintained her artificial smile.

"Isn’t that right? Our findings are better after all, aren’t they, Mr. Sage?"

"That isn’t necessarily true."

A somewhat mechanical voice came from outside the hall. A professor dressed in an extraordinarily wild style walked through the entrance, immediately attracting the attention of many researchers.

"Oh... Who’s this now?"

Sonia and Fennel turned simultaneously.

"Allow me to introduce her," Hikaru said. "This is Professor Sada of the Paldea region. Although this is her first public appearance beyond Paldea, she possesses extremely advanced research findings. She made it possible to apply Paldea’s Tera energy in actual battles, thereby creating the world’s fourth battle system."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, ladies."

Professor Sada smiled in greeting. Naturally, neither Sonia nor Fennel realized that she was an AI. They merely found themselves thinking the same thing.

How were they supposed to put this?

Her clothes were far too wild and revealing.

Was she really a researcher and not a berserker?

Both of them immediately realized that the situation had taken a dangerous turn.

A professor from Paldea!

And this was her first public appearance.

She had not come here unprepared.

Sonia had personally witnessed Terastallization before. She had never imagined that the woman standing before her was the one who had developed it.

"Um... Your research into Terastallization shouldn’t overlap with ’space,’ should it?" Sonia quietly asked, testing the waters.

However—

"Ahem. The subject of my presentation concerns Paldea’s... space-time," Professor Sada said seriously as she closed the folder in her hands.

The entire area fell silent.

Sonia and Fennel adopted extremely strange expressions. Their smiles didn’t reach their eyes as they turned toward Hikaru.

"Mr. Sage...!"

"Deputy Director, you bastard!"

Hikaru coughed. "This is healthy competition. Besides, the Paldea League pays slightly better."

Those words stabbed both Sonia and Fennel through the heart.

Money!

It always came down to money!

"That is correct. The Paldea League’s salaries are indeed quite high," AI Sada answered truthfully.

The two novice professors looked as though they had been struck by a fatal blow.

Sincerity truly was the ultimate finishing move.

"B-But it’s still fine," Sonia said through clenched teeth. "At least Professor Juniper’s research into ’origins’ doesn’t overlap with ours. I’m also a very, very strong supporter of Regional Ecology Theory..."

Fennel’s expression twisted. "Y-Yes, exactly. The ’mythology’ that Champion Cynthia intends to present is also an essential part of the conference..."

As the professor from Paldea, Sada should naturally have been less closely connected to Hikaru than researchers from their own regions.

Yet when Sonia and Fennel whispered to each other, they sounded terribly bitter.

"What Paldea Elite Four?" Fennel muttered. "Isn’t he also our Unova Champion? It should’ve been twice the happiness, so how did things turn out like this...?"

"The Sage of Galar might not be an official title, but it has plenty of recognition," Sonia grumbled. "Did everyone already forget what happened in the Crown Tundra? I stayed up all night finishing my paper..."

Paldea had swooped in and stolen their prize.

It was simply impossible to accept!

"The atmosphere over there seems rather oppressive..." Professor Elm looked in their direction and greeted Hikaru from afar. Cold sweat formed on his forehead as he turned to Professor Rowan. "I wanted to discuss Egg Groups with Hikaru-kun."

"I’ve known him for quite some time, but most of our contact has been limited to brief conversations online. Recently, however, the findings he developed were sent to me. I studied them carefully, and all of them proved correct."

"But for the moment, it doesn’t look like I can get anywhere near him."

Professor Rowan stroked his beard.

"That’s how exceptional researchers are. That child also contributed to my Theory of Evolution. However, those researchers’ fields overlap, so a tense atmosphere is only natural."

"It won’t affect their presentations or reports, but if they want to win an award, the competition will be fierce. It’ll come down to which researcher has more substantial material. Even if someone revises their work at the last moment, claims about ancient history without concrete evidence will remain speculation. Speculation alone will never win an award."

"Compared with them, you’re the truly remarkable one, Elm-kun. As Oak’s distinguished student, you opened an entirely new path that no one had explored before. That means you don’t need to get dragged into such a tense confrontation."

Professor Rowan glanced around.

"Goodness, where is Sycamore? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?"

At the same time, another thought crossed his mind.

He hadn’t paid Hikaru a single cent for his work.

He had been freeloading this entire time!

He should make it up to the boy later. If the subject hadn’t come up, he might have completely forgotten.

"This is good for Sonia," Professor Magnolia said with a smile. "It’s her first conference. Being formally recognized as a genuine professor should already be enough, yet she’s dreaming of reaching the summit in a single step and winning an award."

"The opposing researcher may never have shown her face in public before, but she still developed the world’s fourth battle system."

"Creating something entirely from nothing is an enormous breakthrough. One can easily imagine how difficult it must have been. It seems the award for research associated with space has already been decided. Physics research... Genuine results are accumulated day after day."

Then again, did research into dreams count as physics?

Or had physics simply ceased to exist?

Professor Magnolia didn’t know. It wasn’t her field of expertise.

"When you think of it that way, that young Juniper girl is remarkably fortunate. Is this what people call ’first come, first served’?"

A clear, pleasant woman’s voice interrupted the dejected researchers.

"Dreams, dimensional passages, space-time... Those fields certainly overlap. But in truth, the most important subject of all already encompasses every one of them."

"That subject is the Origins of Regional Ecology!"

Professor Juniper walked into the hall. She looked exceptionally pleased as she greeted the assembled researchers, then turned toward Hikaru.

"Hikaru! Sorry to keep you waiting! I’m here!"

"Cynthia is here too! When discussing regional ecology, Sinnoh’s unique environment is absolutely worth investigating. Working with Professor Rowan has also been a pleasure!"

Wearing her iconic black coat, Cynthia appeared behind Professor Juniper.

"The four directions and everything above and below constitute space, while all that has passed and all that is yet to come constitute time. That is the essence of space-time."

"’Origins of Regional Ecology’ and ’Mythology’... The latter serves as support for the former. Still, you have an awful lot of coauthors this time. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that Regional Ecology Theory can become an entirely new discipline that overturns the academic world."

Sonia and Fennel stared in utter disbelief.

AI Sada looked thoughtful before glancing at Professor Rowan.

"Ahem." Professor Rowan cleared his throat. "For collaborative work, an academic paper generally lists no more than four authors."

"This isn’t an absolute rule. Large scientific projects may involve dozens of authors."

"However, their names must be ordered according to their respective contributions..."

What a cunning old professor!

The same thought sprang into everyone’s mind.

"There are four authors in total, and two of them are from Sinnoh?" Professor Elm asked.

Professor Rowan said nothing. He merely chewed on a Rage Candy Bar.

Today’s candy bars were delicious, everyone!

Two?

It was actually three!

Compared with that, what did it matter if Unova received a small share?

Hikaru wore a complicated expression. Cynthia snapped her fingers and turned to him.

"Don’t worry. The material on ’Mythology’ is being counted separately. Although it’s only supporting evidence, it forms part of the team’s work, so it’ll add more names to the author list. As for the underwater ruins, the three of us are one research group."

"You, me, and Caitlin. Caitlin might be working overtime in Johto, but we’ve discovered an entirely new ancient writing system. That’s an incredibly important discovery! I’ve already finished organizing everything."

Cynthia waved the manuscript in her hand. Then a worried look crossed her face.

"Still, I should’ve withdrawn from this event. Team Galactic’s sudden disappearance has made me extremely uneasy. I asked Lucian and Flint to search for them, but those two—especially Flint—might not follow my orders."

"Dawn sent me a message earlier saying she had gone to the Distortion World. Apparently, she’s undergoing special training? She was acting very secretive, so I have no idea what she’s planning."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

"The Distortion World... With Giratina there, we shouldn’t need to worry, should we?"

"Maybe they’ve already discovered Cyrus’s location. But what is Dawn planning...?"

As everyone knew, when someone who was normally extremely active suddenly went quiet, it meant she was preparing to do something spectacular.

Cynthia blinked and gave a helpless smile.

"I genuinely don’t know. Still, perhaps she intends to visit Spear Pillar ahead of schedule. She might even be searching for the three lake guardians."

Hikaru was immediately startled.

Oh.

That was certainly possible.

He had told Dawn about those matters before. If Giratina once again employed the same instigating skills it had used in ancient times, Dawn might make a pilgrimage around Sinnoh’s sacred sites and forge a Red Chain with her own hands.

But had Giratina remembered what happened back then?

"Hey, take a look at this."

Professor Juniper approached and handed Hikaru a file.

"I incorporated the material concerning the writing found in the ruins too. The findings we’re presenting this time constitute an enormous breakthrough. The data and records you sent earlier were just as impressive. The only downside is that they forced me to work overtime!"

Hikaru briefly reviewed Professor Juniper’s completed paper.

Nearly all the material recorded in the Pokédex had been incorporated, accompanied by hypotheses and complete supporting arguments. That included the information Hikaru had sent her during his free time.

It was obvious that she had written it while working overtime.

"This folder is enormous, and it isn’t even your entire report," Hikaru said. "You’ll never finish presenting all of this, will you?"

He noticed another bag on Professor Juniper’s back, stuffed with thick stacks of paper documents.

"That’s why I said it would shock the academic world!" Professor Juniper declared confidently.

Then she saw Hikaru pull another stack of papers from who knew where.

"New material without supporting evidence?" she asked.

"Precisely. I wrote this new section about Regional Ecology myself. However, it does contain complete supporting arguments, along with the next proposed field of research—regional forms, which are strongly linked to Regional Ecology."

"L-Let me see!"

Professor Juniper hurriedly took the documents and began reading them carefully. The farther she read, the more excited she became.

Meanwhile, the others...

"This is bad..." Sonia grew increasingly nervous. "How did this happen? I thought Professor Juniper and Cynthia’s work wouldn’t overlap with ours, but they’ve stolen something important too!"

Fennel had already burned to ashes.

"Juniper... My greatest competitor is my own best friend and former classmate. She took my deputy director and my research findings... My dream of winning a major award with my research into the dream world, reaching the pinnacle of life, and becoming rich has been shattered..."

AI Sada began calculating.

Space-time has also been encompassed by the Origins of Regional Ecology. It seems my first time leaving Paldea and attending a conference in the original professor’s place has already begun disastrously.

This is dangerous.

Professor Juniper began collaborating with Hikaru long before I did.

Should I adjust my report and approach the subject from a different direction?

After all, this is my first conference. If I fail to produce noteworthy results...

"Oh, Hikaru! Thank you for your help last time! Huh? Fennel and Juniper, you’re here too?"

Professor Burnet finally arrived, carrying a mountain of documents. Another person followed behind her.

Naturally, it was her canonical partner, Professor Kukui. The two of them had known each other for a long time.

After all, whose Pokémon was Incineroar?

Who had ushered in the era of Fake Out?

Professor Kukui.

Greatness required no explanation!

"Huh? The atmosphere seems a little strange..." Professor Burnet blinked and exchanged a look with Professor Kukui. Then she turned questioningly toward Hikaru, her face lighting up with a smile.

"I don’t know what happened, but we made a small breakthrough in our research into Ultra Space and other worlds. I rushed to record the data and put together a simple supporting argument before coming here!"

"Let’s make our charge for the academic awards!"

"Um... Why is everyone staring at me? Did I do something wrong? Or is there something about ’space’ you don’t understand? I’ll explain that part carefully and in detail during my presentation..."

Burnet’s voice gradually weakened.

She genuinely had no idea what was happening.

"Kukui-kun... Hello! This is Hikaru-kun."

In the end, Professor Elm took the initiative and broke the unbearable atmosphere by starting a conversation with Professor Kukui.

Kukui had once traveled to the Indigo Plateau to challenge the Pokémon League. He had defeated three members of the Elite Four before losing to Lance, so he and Professor Elm already knew each other.

Of course they did!

Kukui knew Blue Oak and Professor Oak, so there was no reason for him not to know Professor Elm.

Besides, his specialty was researching Pokémon moves.

Egg Moves were part of that field!

Professor Elm used the opportunity to pull Hikaru into their conversation, finally achieving his goal of speaking with him.

"That’s right! It’s been a long time, Professor Elm," Professor Kukui said. "Sir Hikaru, it’s a pleasure to meet you! Professor Burnet previously took a Litten Egg from me and the island kahuna. It has already hatched, hasn’t it? Is the Pokémon doing well?"

"I heard someone in Galar wanted another Litten Egg. You were the one who requested that too, weren’t you?"

Hikaru coughed. "That Litten is doing very well. It’s staying with a friend of mine and is currently active as a Gym Leader’s Pokémon."

"Oh! That’s wonderful!" Professor Kukui was delighted. "Having Pokémon guide new Trainers as they begin their journeys is a beautiful thing! I’ve also conducted further research into Pokémon like Litten!"

"What research are you presenting this time, Kukui-kun?" Professor Elm asked.

"It concerns a true inherited Egg Move passed down from Alolan Meowth," Professor Kukui answered. "It’s also the subject Hikaru-kun previously asked me to investigate!"

"Um... I only mentioned it in passing," Hikaru said.

Professor Kukui clapped his hands.

"Exactly! That flash of inspiration was the key! My field of research is Pokémon moves, and what I’ve finally unraveled is one link in the enormous inheritance chain of Egg Moves."

"Fake Out!"

Professor Kukui used Fake Out.

Every professor flinched!

After that, more professors gradually arrived.

Hikaru spotted a very familiar person. The round-faced professor waved enthusiastically at him in greeting. The atmosphere immediately became livelier as soon as Professor Birch entered.

Every professor who saw him asked the same question.

Had he been chased by another dog?

"Ahem! I was not chased by a dog. I was investigating Pokémon habitats and distribution!"

Professor Birch spoke with perfect righteousness.

Behind Professor Birch came many more scholars.

From the Lental region came Professor Mirror of the Laboratory of Ecology and Natural Sciences.

From an unspecified region came Professor Willow, one of Professor Oak’s students, who conducted field research and special investigations into Pokémon ecology.

From Johto came Spencer Hale, another of Professor Oak’s students, who researched ancient writing and had narrowly escaped the dimension of the Unown with his life.

There was Professor Juniper’s father, the elder Juniper—Professor Cedric Juniper.

Professor Silktree, a leading authority on Johto archaeology, had only ever been mentioned on a computer in the Ruins of Alph in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

From the Orre region came the eccentric inventor Dr. Kaminko, who constantly tinkered with inventions that looked practical but were rarely of any actual use.

Professor Rowan’s assistants were also present: Lucas’s father and Roseanne.

Professor Matsumoto of Celadon University had arrived.

So had the plump Dr. Footstep.

The administrators of the Pokémon Storage Systems from the various regions were also there: Bill, Celio, Lanette, Brigette, and Bebe.

However, storage-system administrators from later generations, such as Amanita, Cassius, and Molayne, were absent. Amanita, in particular, had stayed behind to watch the lab.

There were also representatives from Castelia University, Hammerlocke University, and other academic institutions.

Samson Oak, who intended to research regional forms but had not yet fully put his plans into practice, was present as well.

Finally, the ever-popular heartthrob and close friend of the man with the lion’s mane, Professor Sycamore, arrived late!

Professor Sycamore looked full of energy. Accompanied by his two assistants, he confidently strode into the hall.

Apparently, he had produced another earth-shattering piece of research.

"Still, Professor Sycamore really is the most handsome professor. No one can deny that."

"As for his research... You can’t jump to conclusions just because you don’t understand Mega Evolution."

Hikaru vaguely remembered that Professor Sycamore’s assistants, Sina and Dexio, had received their Pokédexes two years before the events of Pokémon X and Y—which meant around the time of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2. They would tell the protagonist that they had once possessed Pokédexes themselves.

And then...

Hikaru spotted Director Cyrano making an enthusiastic entrance at the rear, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

The old director really had come.

Director Clavell wasn’t here, but that was understandable. He had work to hand over.

Cyrano, by comparison, had plenty of free time.

As for the woman following him...

"Briar? That makes sense. Professor Sada finally emerged from the Great Crater, so Briar must have rushed here as soon as she received the news."

"Not everyone is present, though. Professor Krane from Orre, Professor Leanne, Professor Cozmo, Grand Oak... None of them are here."

However, each of them had a reason for being absent.

Professor Leanne, for example, was Targa’s wife.

The moment one heard the name "Oblivia," the problem became obvious. Transportation there was genuinely terrible. She couldn’t even attend remotely.

As for Newton Graceland and Zero, they were undoubtedly busy with their own specialties.

Newton was most likely flying freely through the Distortion World by now, while Zero was probably preparing to plot against his mentor.

Even so, several absent researchers had submitted their findings.

They included Professor Laventon, the earliest scholar to research Regional Ecology Theory; the late Professor Turo; and Colress, who had practically handed his machines out for free.

Lysandre and Cyrus, naturally, were prohibited from attending.

Theoretically, Lysandre was genuinely qualified to participate now. Still, the fact that he hadn’t appeared was unquestionably a good thing.

At last, the world’s foremost authority on Pokémon research arrived at the venue.

"Oh dear, it seems I’m slightly late! Everyone else is remarkably punctual!"

Professor Oak entered with Blue, carrying their research findings.

Oak checked his watch, then spotted Hikaru, Professor Juniper, and Cynthia. His eyes lit up.

"You three! Have you finished preparing Regional Ecology Theory? I’ve been looking forward to it immensely! It should be the centerpiece of this conference!"

"All right, everyone. Let’s head into the main hall!"

Ahem.

The centerpiece.

Walking behind Professor Oak, Blue clutched his folder tightly.

His research was also worthy of being called a centerpiece!

"Yo, Boss! This is the first time we’ve met in person, right? I heard you helped Leaf investigate... Ahem, something truly remarkable. Leaf defeating Red seriously ticks me off!"

The first thing Blue mentioned was how Leaf had beaten him.

Worse still, Leaf had even defeated Red.

It was intolerable!

Blue was supposed to be the only person capable of defeating Red. How had he gone from eternal runner-up to eternal third place?

"Another guy who calls himself ’the great me,’" Hikaru said. "The last one was Raihan. Anyway, hello, Blue."

Blue repeatedly shook his head. "No, no, no. Mt. Silver has a new master, so I’m not doing well at all! Uh, if my academic paper becomes a massive success today, I might feel a little better."

He took a deep breath.

"’On Whether Humans Are a Species of Pokémon’! I searched constantly through the libraries of Sinnoh and finally discovered relevant material!"

"You mean Sinnoh Folk Story Two and Sinnoh Folk Story Three," Hikaru said. "They were both in the library."

"According to the second story, a Pokémon once lived in the forest. While there, it would shed its outer hide, return to human form, and fall into a deep sleep. After waking, it would put its Pokémon hide back on and travel to the village."

"Pokémon once married humans, and humans once married Pokémon. In ancient times, humans and Pokémon were the same, so such things were considered perfectly ordinary."

Blue planted his hands on his hips, looking smug.

"If those were only legends, they obviously couldn’t serve as proper evidence. But I’m not the sort of person who tries to publish a book based on a few scraps of folklore!"

Hikaru glanced at the distracted Sonia behind him.

Why did it feel as though Blue’s words were viciously mocking the weakest researcher in the room?

"So, what brilliant insight have you discovered?" Hikaru asked.

Surely Blue hadn’t found a Hisuian Typhlosion.

Or perhaps he planned to bring the great Professor N onto the stage in person?

That really would cause an enormous sensation.

Of course, if he was only talking about humans and Pokémon marrying or living together because they loved one another, such things were hardly rare.

Ogerpon and its former partner were one example. In ancient times, there were even humans who lived with Froslass.

None of that was especially remarkable.

As for producing Eggs, however, it should’ve been impossible unless the partner belonged to the Human-Like Egg Group.

Blue gave him a wicked, confident grin.

"Do you know that someone was once transformed into a Pokémon by a machine?"

"That’s right. Bill."

"He was one of the original developers of the Pokémon Storage System. Thanks to his technology, Pokémon can be transferred rapidly through computers. You could say he laid the foundations for the unique science of Pokémon storage."

"And the astonishing thing is that Bill is actually only about the same age as my sister."

"While conducting a Pokémon electronic-transmission experiment, he accidentally fused himself with a Nidorino. The fact that humans and Pokémon can fuse provides ample evidence of major similarities at the genetic level."

"After the incident on New Island, the truth concerning the artificial Pokémon Mewtwo also came to light. Many mysteries remain, but it was unquestionably a Pokémon developed by Team Rocket."

"You know about that, don’t you? Grandpa said you seemed to know the inside story."

Hikaru’s gaze shifted slightly.

"That’s right. The original experiments that eventually produced Mewtwo were conducted in an attempt to resurrect a human."

"Team Rocket itself wanted to create the world’s strongest Pokémon, but the person responsible for Mewtwo’s creation only wanted to bring a dead child back to life."

"For that reason, Mewtwo’s genes contain genetic fragments from both Mew and humans. The consciousness of a young girl once even referred to it as human."

"I knew it!" Blue exclaimed. "Leaf’s Mew confirmed it through telepathy! There’s no doubt that it’s the same Mew that battled Mewtwo on New Island!"

"Mew is believed to be the ancestor of all Pokémon—perhaps even the ancestor of all life! Ancient ruins in Guyana contain records that support this belief!"

"And then there’s the Human-Like Egg Group. You know that Egg Group, don’t you? It comes from Professor Elm’s research. Every Pokémon in that group is an upright, humanoid creature."

"Pokémon breeding also includes an exceptionally rare Egg Group with an astonishing property. Pokémon in this group can produce Eggs with members of any other Egg Group except the No Eggs Discovered Group, yet the offspring will always belong to the other parent’s species!"

"I discovered a method for rapidly hatching and breeding Pokémon, then tested it after giving this Pokémon a human appearance. It rearranges the cells in its body to transform. Once the transformation is complete, its cells become identical to those of the copied subject."

"That Pokémon is—"

"Ahem!" Hikaru interrupted. "You aren’t saying you transformed Ditto into a human and used it for Pokémon breeding, are you?"

That truly was a monumental discovery...

Like hell it was!

"I finally understand why your Machamp knows the utterly inexplicable move Attract!"

Blue, however, only became more fervent.

"Exactly! And humans aren’t the only example. Transforming Ditto into Mew and conducting the same breeding process produces the same result! We still don’t know where the Egg itself comes from, but an Egg unquestionably appeared!"

"Ditto might still be Ditto at its core, but after transforming, its cells genuinely become Mew’s cells!"

"Humans and Mew are the same. No matter what Ditto transforms into, it can still breed normally with every compatible Pokémon."

"A human appearance with Machamp, a Mew appearance with Machamp, or Ditto’s own appearance with Machamp—the result is exactly the same!"

Blue then began repeating his argument like a demon.

It was based on his hidden dialogue from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver, which could only be heard if Ethan called him directly.

"Whenever I see Pokémon, I get this strange feeling."

"Some are round, while others are square."

"Some fly, while others swim."

"Some burn, while others freeze."

"Some shine, while others embody darkness."

"And sometimes I find myself wondering..."

"Could humans also be a species of Pokémon?"

"Therefore, we can draw the following conclusion."

"There is a very strong possibility that humans are a kind of Pokémon!"

"Humans may even have evolved from Pokémon!"

Blue practically roared the conclusion.

Only then did he notice that all the surrounding professors and researchers were staring at him in shock.

He became slightly embarrassed and quietly cleared his throat.

A moment later, however, Hikaru began to applaud.

The discovery of Ditto’s unique Egg Group was unquestionably a blessing for Pokémon breeders of earlier generations. It had also established many of the fundamental principles governing Pokémon breeding.

There was a reason Pokémon Adventures had designated Blue as the "Trainer." In the original games, Blue represented the foundational element of training and raising Pokémon. His dialogue contained similar ideas, and his team composition was the most diverse of them all.

"You truly have established something extraordinary," Hikaru admitted.

A moment later, applause erupted throughout the hall.

Congratulations!

"That really does sound incredible. What is this? How can the opening presentation already be so impressive?"

"Humans and Pokémon share the same origin? Professor Juniper, shouldn’t that fall under ’Origins’?"

"Wait, is that man the one with the notoriously sensational research topic?"

"It sounds like complete nonsense, but he actually seems to have theoretical and experimental evidence supporting it."

"What an interesting argument. It even aligns with ’Mythology.’"

"Ahem. It seems my personal experimental data proved somewhat useful after all. Still, this is truly earth-shattering."

Whatever the professors personally thought of Blue’s claims, he possessed theoretical data, practical experiments, partial verification through mythology, and even experimental records from Team Rocket.

The applause rose like a surging tide.

Professor Rowan applauded with a deeply intrigued expression before turning toward Professor Juniper.

"Hmph. It seems researchers with astonishing new theories are appearing one after another this time."

"Let the show begin."

Professor Oak stood before the hall and delivered the opening address.

The Pokémon professors, academics, assistants, advisers, and researchers took their seats one after another.

The assembled professors and their respective research fields were as follows:

Professor Oak—"The Relationship Between Pokémon and Humans." Major achievement: Types. Pokémon ethics, environmental ethics, bioethics, and Pokémon behavior.

Professor Elm—"Pokémon Breeding and Pokémon Eggs." Major achievement: Egg Groups. Reproductive biology, selective breeding, nutrition, and Pokémon husbandry.

Professor Birch—"Pokémon Habitats and Distribution." Major achievement: Habitats. Population ecology and community ecology.

Professor Rowan—"Pokémon Evolution." Major achievement: Theory of Evolution. Evolutionary genetics and biological morphological change.

Professor Juniper—"The Origins of Pokémon." Major achievement: Origins. Molecular biology, geology, and genetics.

Fennel—Dreams.

Sonia—Galarian history.

Professor Kukui—Moves.

Cedric Juniper—Ecology.

Professor Burnet—Space.

Professor Sycamore—Mega Evolution.

Professor Sada—The past, Terastallization, and space-time.

Blue—Training and breeding.

Cynthia—Mythology.

Spencer Hale—Ancient writing.

Samson Oak and Professor Ivy—Regional forms.

Professor Mirror—Nature.

Professor Willow—Lost ecosystems.

Professor Magnolia—Dynamax.

Professor Hastings—The mind.

Briar—Energy.

Dr. Footstep—Footprints and thought.

Dr. Kaminko—Robotics.

Director Cyrano—Ecological cores.

Professor Silktree—Ruins.

Bill—Pokémon Storage Systems.

Celio—Network Centers.

Brigette—Virtual storage banks.

Blaine—Genetic engineering.

Colress, absent—Bonds and potential.

Professor Leanne, absent—History.

Professor Cozmo, absent—Celestial bodies.

Oleana, absent—Gigantamax.

Professor Turo, unable to attend—The future and artificial intelligence.

Professor Krane, absent—Purification.

Dr. Fuji, unable to attend—Consciousness.

Charon and Cyrus, not invited—Physics and mechanical engineering.

Lysandre, not invited—Holographic imaging.

Lusamine and Mohn—Other dimensions.

And Hikaru—

"My research encompasses the following subjects as they relate to Pokémon."

"Auras, particles, energy, light, life-force, morphological changes, the principles of birth, the mind, mythology, climate and geography, cultural environments, subspecies, potential, Pokémon breeding, habitats, Abilities, physical appearances, base stats, anomalous moves, evolutionary methods, natural resources, and competition between species."

"These subjects may seem scattered across countless unrelated branches, but every one of them points toward the same central trunk."

"The sea, the sky, the streets, the tall grass, the caves... Pokémon can be found everywhere, across every kind of land."

"My research seeks to reveal the entire historical process through which Pokémon changed and developed within all those environments—and how that process formed the foundation and underlying laws of this world."

"It is an ancient field first studied one hundred and fifty years ago, one that transcends time and extends its scope toward infinity."

"In other words, it seeks to uncover the true nature of the world."

"Regional Ecology!"

(End of Chapter)

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