There's Something Off About My Pokémon [86]
Every time someone visited, Lu Cheng's mom would insist they stay for a meal, and his dad would put on a show in the kitchen, with his Magmar expertly handling the cooking. The house was filled with lively warmth, despite the circumstances.
To Lu Cheng's surprise, he even received a letter from Gao Chi in the mail. The content was filled with formal and polite phrases, mostly wishing him a speedy recovery. It was so rare to receive a handwritten letter nowadays that Lu Cheng decided to write a reply.
As he lay in bed reading a comic, his phone suddenly rang. When he saw who was calling, he immediately sat up straight, cleared his throat, and answered, "Hey!"
"How's your injury? Are you feeling better?"
"No problem, no problem," Lu Cheng replied enthusiastically. "It's already scabbing over. The doctor said I should be fully healed in another two weeks."
The system's attribute sharing had boosted Lu Cheng's recovery speed, aiding his physical resilience. Hearing his answer, Mu Mei sighed in relief and said with a smile, "That's good to hear! Also, I've already prepared a gift for you. Just stay at home and wait for the delivery."
"Okay, okay!" Lu Cheng nodded eagerly, then hesitated. "By the way, Mu Mei, are you free this Saturday?"
She was silent for a moment, then chuckled. "The amusement park, right? I remember. Yes, I'm free!"
Lu Cheng let out a sigh of relief, grinning. "Great, see you then!"
As she hung up the phone, Mu Mei sat in her spacious room, also feeling an odd sense of relief. "How strange," she muttered to herself. "Why was I nervous?"
Her Pokémon, Mawile, curiously inspected the meticulously wrapped box on the bed. Using its dexterous jaws, it carefully lifted the lid, revealing a small bell nestled inside. It was a Soothe Bell.
Mawile looked up at her with a pleading expression.
"Alright, alright, I know you want one too," she said with a soft laugh, "but this one's for Vulpix. Maybe I'll get you one if there's a chance."
Mawile's face lit up with delight, but Mu Mei's movements slowed as she turned her attention to two Poké Balls in front of her. One was a green Friend Ball with cute paw prints, while the other was a pink Love Ball decorated with hearts.
After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and placed the Friend Ball into the gift box. "The Friend Ball is more practical. It'll be easier for him to catch new Pokémon in the future."
With a reluctant sigh, she tucked the Love Ball away in her desk drawer and left the room to get some ribbon for the package.
The moment she was out of sight, Mawile's eyes sparkled mischievously. It quickly opened the drawer, grabbed the Love Ball, and swapped it with the Friend Ball in the box. Cradling the Friend Ball in its hands like a treasured possession, Mawile looked incredibly pleased with itself. After all, Mu Mei had said the bell was off-limits, not the Poké Balls!
When she returned, Mu Mei didn't bother checking the contents of the box again. She simply picked it up and headed downstairs, none the wiser.
Mawile's plan—success!
After taking three days off from school, Lu Cheng returned to handle some paperwork, even though he was already guaranteed a spot at the university.
There wasn't much to do at home, and he enjoyed observing the tense atmosphere as his classmates prepared for the final exams. It was early June, just a few days away from the national exams.
Most of his classmates wouldn't pursue careers involving Pokémon—many wouldn't even own a single Poké Ball—but Pokémon had still become an integral part of their lives.
Even though Lu Cheng had won the championship and secured a spot at a top university, it didn't change much for his classmates. Other than the occasional envious glance, everyone remained focused on their notes and review sessions.
A Le was wearing glasses now, and after a brief greeting with Lu Cheng, he went right back to his practice problems. Even during break time, the class was eerily quiet, with only the scratching of pencils on paper filling the room.
Lu Cheng sighed and glanced up, catching Su Xiangrou's eye. She motioned for him to join her outside the classroom.
"That paper we submitted—it's been published," she said the moment they were outside.
"That fast?" Lu Cheng asked in surprise. "Didn't we just submit the abstract a month ago?"
"You read that abstract?" Su Xiangrou raised an eyebrow.
Lu Cheng nodded. "Yes, Professor Du Wen even mentioned it when I went to ask her some questions."
Su Xiangrou's gaze softened. "No wonder… Professor Du Wen's research is closely related to that topic."
Lu Cheng was surprised. He hadn't heard about this connection before.
"Her master's advisor is a well-known expert in Pokémon evolution—Professor Liu Bosheng," Su Xiangrou explained. "And our paper, which discusses how moves impact Pokémon evolution, overlaps with her field of expertise."
Lu Cheng's eyes widened. "So, it's about that theory you mentioned—the one about Tyrogue?"
Su Xiangrou nodded. "Yes. The editor-in-chief of Pokémon Science gave it top marks. Our paper has the highest impact factor in this issue."
According to Su Xiangrou, the list of primary authors included only Lu Cheng, Su Xiangrou, and her uncle. The other contributors were veterans who had spent decades in Pokémon research. Ranking first in influence meant their work was being taken seriously, and Lu Cheng's name would soon be recognized among top researchers.
"This feels wrong," Lu Cheng said with a wry smile. "Honestly, I didn't do much."
"I already explained the importance of the research direction," Su Xiangrou replied, looking him squarely in the eyes. "And besides, I owe you a favor for the evolution data you provided."
Lu Cheng nodded, realizing there was no point in arguing any further.
He suddenly recalled their earlier discussions on how moves could influence evolution. It dawned on him that before Su Xiangrou's uncle's recent studies, the scientific community had generally attributed Pokémon evolution to leveling up.
Moves tied to evolution were hard to distinguish from level-based evolution since learning certain moves often coincided with leveling up. If he hadn't played the games and scoured various guides, Lu Cheng wouldn't have even known that moves could be an evolution requirement.
"How many Pokémon have you confirmed that need specific moves to evolve?" Lu Cheng asked.
Su Xiangrou adjusted her glasses and pulled up data from her AE interface. "Aside from Tyrogue, there's Lickitung evolving into Lickilicky when it learns Rollout. And Tangela evolves into Tangrowth when it learns Ancient Power."
She sighed. "So far, we only have data for these three Pokémon."
"If what you're saying about 'move-based evolution' is true, it could shake the entire research field," Su Xiangrou admitted with a hint of worry. "It would mean that previous theories about Pokémon evolving through battles and training might not be entirely accurate."
"With over seven hundred species of Pokémon, going through and verifying the conditions for each one would be a monumental task," she said, forcing a smile.
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Bonus chapters will now be published on Saturday! though there are 2 bonus ones that need to be posted!