Chapter 968: Porygon
At Professor Birch's invitation, Yuga packed up his things at the Pokémon Center and moved to Professor Birch's research institute.
When he arrived at the institute, Yuga saw Aru waiting for him at the entrance, which reminded him of the first time he had come here when Aru had welcomed him.
The first time Yuga had come to Professor Birch's research institute, Aru was still a newcomer there. Now, after several years, he had become an invaluable assistant to the professor.
"You finally made it. It was so chaotic last night, I didn't even get a chance to talk to you," Aru said.
Perhaps because of the events of last night happening in the middle of the night, Aru hadn't had a good rest, and he looked quite tired.
Yuga smiled and said, "It couldn't be helped. By the way, how's the other research facility over there?"
Aru replied, "The research facility is pretty much destroyed. They'll probably have to rebuild it. However, the research data that was lost in the facility is backed up at their headquarters. In comparison, the loss of physical items isn't much of a concern for them."
Yuga nodded in agreement, "That makes sense. The wealth of the Devon Corporation is beyond our imagination as 'common people.'"
As Aru chatted with Yuga, he led him to the place where he would be staying.
"Here it is. You stayed in this room the last time you visited. Is it okay for you?" Aru asked as he opened the room's door.
"Of course, thank you," Yuga replied, nodding.
The back door of this room was made of glass, allowing a direct view of the institute's backyard. This brought back memories of the time when Yuga had watched Meowth play in the yard, toying with Aru.
As they helped Yuga settle in and put away his luggage, Aru thought of Meowth and asked, "By the way, how's Meowth doing?"
Yuga replied with a smile, "It's living a comfortable life in my Day Care. Not only does it have three wives, but it has also gathered a bunch of little followers. It's like a little king now. Oh, and it's also evolved into a Persian."
Aru was surprised and asked, "Really? Won't it be cause a trouble for you?"
Although Meowth used to play tricks on Aru back then, but he still wished for Meowth to have a good life. Yuga shook his head with a smile, indicating that everything was fine.
As they tidied up the room, Yuga shared stories about Meowth, including when it evolved into Persian, when it became friends with the Zoroark family, and how it led its little followers in patrolling around YoYo Day Care territory.
Aru, usually a scholarly researcher with little leisure, found Yuga's stories about Persian entertaining. They helped chase away the fatigue from the sleepless night.
Once the room was in order, Yuga, under Aru's guidance, went to meet Professor Birch.
At that moment, Professor Birch wasn't busy and was watching the news on TV. When he saw Yuga and Aru arrive, he said, "You're here! Take a look at this news. The Joy family is really something; they've managed to research a method for cultivating Revival Herbs and have started to selling Max Revive."
"Really? That's incredible," Aru exclaimed as he watched the news on TV in amazement.
Revival Herbs and Max Revive were well-known names, recognized by most Trainers, not to mention academic researchers like Professor Birch and Aru.
Yuga didn't expect the Joy family to act so quickly, but as he had anticipated, they had indeed found a way to cultivate Revival Herbs. Having the method for Revival Herb cultivation meant a constant supply of Max Revive.
While watching the news, Aru couldn't help but wonder, "Even if their family has discovered how to cultivate Revival Herbs, where did they get so many Revival Herbs to begin with? To sell Max Revive as a medication, they would need a significant amount of Revival Herbs, right?"
Professor Birch sighed and said, "Who knows? They won't tell you that. But Revival Herbs, this stuff is indeed valuable. It would be great if someone could get a sample for research."
Yuga, with a sudden idea, asked, "Professor, do you also want a Revival Herb?"
Professor Birch looked envious and said, "Of course! I haven't even seen a Revival Herb yet. But don't be fooled by how easily the Joy family is showing off; in reality, these things are quite rare. Getting your hands on one isn't an easy task."
The Joy family's breakthroughs with Revival Herbs and Max Revive indeed put them in a powerful position. Not only did they discover how to cultivate Revival Herbs, but they also have the formula for making Max Revive.
Yuga: ... What you just mentioned is quite relevant to me.
As Professor Birch mentioned, the Joy family is likely to ascend even further. Their monopoly on Max Revive is akin to holding the destiny of Trainers by the neck.
Many Trainers who venture into the wild for adventures or missions would significantly improve their survival rates if they had a Max Revive.
The Pokémon League loses countless Trainers every year because they can't return from missions.
However, one crucial point is that, as mentioned in the news, while the Joy family has begun selling Max Revive, growing Revival Herbs is not an instant process. This means that the quantity of Max Revive can't be increased rapidly and can only be provided to a select few.
The identity of these few is self-evident; it's certainly not for ordinary civilian Trainers. Not to mention, even the price of a single Max Revive is beyond the means of most people.
Unfortunately, Yuga is just a small Gym Leader, lacking the resources and connections to support a business involving Max Revive. Moreover, the existence of the Ecopark must remain concealed; otherwise, he would have been pursued the Max Revive business long time ago and made a fortune.
"If you really want a Revival Herb, I can help," Yuga offered.
"Really? You have a Revival Herb?" Professor Birch's eyes lit up at the prospect.
Yuga nodded, saying, "Plenty of them, one won't be an issue."
Initially, Professor Birch was about to say something, but then he lamented, "Oh, even though I want one, I can't take advantage of you. I don't have anything of equivalent value to trade for such precious Revival Herbs."
Yuga disagreed, "You shouldn't say that. If it weren't for your recommendation, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to participate in this breeding project event."
Professor Birch waved his hand and said, "It's not about the recommendation; the Pokémon League granted me this recommendation spot. It's thanks to Norman for recommending you. If you want to thank someone, it should be him."
Yuga considered and said, "Mr. Norman deserves thanks, but you also played a role. How about this? I heard you recently obtained a few Porygon. Can you spare one for me?"
Professor Birch was surprised and asked, "You want a Porygon? What do you need it for?"
Due to its capacity to process large amounts of data and alleviating research burdens. Lot of researcher interested in them.
Trainers, on the other hand, have limited interest in Porygon since their current versions are still imperfect and its quiet challenging to incorporate them into battles.
Yuga explained, "We deal with a lot of network-related issues in our business, and Porygon can be a significant help."
Professor Birch couldn't help but chuckle and said, "I see. While Porygon is mainly used to assist researchers in data processing, it's interesting to hear about their potential use in business. It's not entirely unreasonable."
Afterward, Professor Birch instructed his assistant to fetch a computer from his office. When the computer was powered on, Yuga saw several Porygon moving around on the computer screen.
"These are Porygon," Yuga marveled upon seeing Porygon for the first time.
The Pokémon world was indeed amazing, with the ability to create creatures like Porygon, capable of transitioning between reality and virtuality. However, these Porygon appeared rather dull and lifeless, nothing like active Pokémon.
Professor Birch explained, "Porygon is still in the research and development phase. There are many upgrades to come. When the time comes for further upgrades, you can send your Porygon to me, and I'll help you complete it."
Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Professor. Having after-sales support is excellent."
Professor Birch nodded and said, "Give me your phone."
Yuga handed over his phone with a puzzled expression. He then saw a Porygon emerge from the computer screen and slip into his phone.
Yuga's eyes widened in amazement; this was truly magical!
Professor Birch inserted Yuga's phone into his own phone and said, "From now on, this Porygon is yours. Currently, there aren't many Porygon, so be sure to cherish it."
Yuga looked at his phone and said, "Don't worry, Professor. I will." The small Porygon was swaying its body left and right on Yuga's phone screen.
Seeing Yuga's Porygon on his phone, Aru wore an envious expression. He also wished to have a Porygon, as having one could make his research activities more convenient.
Witnessing Aru's eager expression, Professor Birch patted his shoulder and said, "Work hard, and if you perform well, I'll reward you with a Porygon."
Aru exclaimed, "Really?"
Professor Birch sighed, "Yes, really. I gain nothing from deceiving you."
With Porygon in hand, Yuga said to Professor Birch, "Since the Revival Herb is not with me, I'll make a call to my Day Care and have them send it over."
Verdanturf Town was not far from Littleroot Town, and with an expedited delivery from Pidgey Express, it could arrive the same day.
Professor Birch nodded and said, "Thank you for your help."
Yuga turned and went to the yard to make a call to his Day Care. He instructed Audino to pick a Revival Herb from the Sub-Ecopark and then asked Suzuki Koen to send it to the Littleroot Town Express Office.
After agreeing to Yuga's request, Suzuki Koen added, "By the way, boss, there's something I need to tell you. Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center sent ten Chanseys for you. Audino has already placed them in the Ecopark."
Yuga was surprised and asked, "You mean Joyka had sent me ten Chanseys?"
Suzuki Koen confirmed, "That's right. She said if you have any questions, you can just give her a call."
Yuga replied, "I see. Thanks for letting me know. You can go back to your work now."
He hung up the phone and immediately dialed Joyka's number.
Joyka answered the call, her familiar voice coming through, "Oh, the busy man is calling me."
Yuga, feeling a bit puzzled, asked, "Did you send me ten Chanseys? What's going on?" In truth, he had a vague idea of the reason.
Joyka ceased her teasing and cleared her throat. "I assume you've seen the news."
Yuga replied, "I just did. Congratulations to your family."
Joyka responded, "Even though our family benefitted from this, whether it's the formula for Max Revive or the collection of Revival Herbs, you've been a great help. Our family couldn't think of any way to compensate you, so we decided to send you ten Chanseys."
Yuga acknowledged, "I see. Then I'll accept them."
Joyka added, "Of these ten Chanseys, two of them have blue potential,while the others have green potential. Moreover, these Pokémon's parents have been carefully bred by the Joy family, and their genetics sequence are quite stable. The chances of their offspring being high potential Pokémon are much higher compared to regular ones."
Yuga's eyes lit up as he expressed his gratitude, saying, "That's really generous of you."
The stability of Pokémon genetics required extensive and meticulous breeding through generations, and such Pokémon were usually kept within the family as a treasured lineage. Yuga was surprised that the Joy family was willing to part with them.
Joyka assured, "It's nothing, really. In the end, our family gained more from you. If you ever need any help in the future and our family can assist, we'll do our best."
Yuga replied with a smile, "That's great. I guess I've made a powerful friend."
Meanwhile, as Yuga prepared to participate in the competition for the Pokemon starter breeding project in Littleroot Town, news reached Ruck, the substitute Champion. He learned about his brother's activities in Verdanturf Town under his name.
Ruck received this information while hosting an important guest.
"What's happening?" the guest asked when Ruck ended the call, noticing his troubled expression.
Ruck shook his head and explained, "It's nothing major. My brother has stirred up some trouble in Verdanturf Town."
The guest inquired, "Verdanturf Town? Is that Verdanturf Town where Shimizu Yuga is located?"
Ruck was surprised. "You've heard of this Shimizu Yuga too, Mr. Gill?"
Mr. Gill, the guest, smiled. "Of course. He has quite a reputation. In fact, isn't there a connection between this Shimizu Yuga and Mr. Kuni'o?"
Ruck explained, "Well, the rumor is that they might be related, but it's hard to say if it's true."
Mr. Gill raised an eyebrow. "Oh? There's even such a connection? I must be behind on the news."
Ruck smiled and said, "Mr. Gill, you're not part of the Pokémon League, so it's understandable if you haven't heard about this."
Mr. Gill nodded. "If I had a chance, I'd like to meet this Mr. Shimizu."
Ruck responded, "In a few days, I have to visit Verdanturf Town due to my less-than-reliable brother's troubles. If you truly wish to meet him, I can introduce you."
Mr. Gill shook his head. "I'd better not. I have other business to attend to lately, and I can't linger here for too long."
Ruck agreed, "Understood, Mr. Gill. Feel free to reach out if you have any requests."
Ruck had reach Elite level Trainer and the position of Substitute Elite Four for the Hoenn Region with the assistance of Mr. Gill, and he was always obeyed Mr. Gill's commands.
Back in Littleroot Town, Yuga received a call from Mayor Ishida. Ruck had requested to visit Verdanturf Town, and Yuga agreed to it.
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