Sinnoh Region, Canalave City, Library.
The Research Conference was being held in a nearby exhibition hall.
The spacious hall was already filled with numerous teams. Scholars in white lab coats mingled and exchanged ideas.
Due to the long journey, Professor Carolina had only arrived in Canalave City that morning.
At the moment, the three of them sat on individual sofas in the lounge, a coffee table between them, forming a triangular arrangement.
Carolina leaned on her cane, studying Natsume with a meaningful gaze.
Natsume: "..."
A long silence followed.
"Gengar (⊙⊙)"
While no one was looking, Gengar peeked out from the shadows on the floor, its long tongue snatching all the petits fours from the coffee table before vanishing back into the darkness.
Just as Natsume was about to speak—
Carolina waved her hand. "Skip the pleasantries. Tell me—when are you visiting Celestic Town again?"
Cynthia: "Grandmother!"
Carolina shot Cynthia a glance, then turned back to Natsume.
"Last time, you activated the two orbs. I'm concerned there might be aftereffects."
"Come to the Celestic Town Research Institute. I'll run some checks."
Natsume nodded, then asked Cynthia: "What did you think Grandmother wanted me in Celestic Town for?"
Cynthia blinked, then pressed a slender finger to her chin, falling into thought.
"Ack—" Natsume flinched as Carolina poked his thigh with her cane.
"It's too early for that," Carolina huffed. "You've seen how much Cynthia has contributed this time."
"Just because the two orbs acknowledged you doesn't mean I do!"
"Understood." Natsume smiled. "Next time I visit Celestic Town, I'll cook for you."
"Well...okay." Carolina nodded calmly.
As for aftereffects, Natsume had already checked himself with Aura of Ripple—no issues.
This trip to Canalave City had already been rewarding—Sylveon had learned Lunar Dance from Cresselia.
He didn't need a Gold Award from this research conference. A Mega Stone would be more than enough. No need to push his luck.
"Let me remind you—don't get overconfident about the judging."
Carolina fixed Natsume with a stern look. "The competition at the Research Conference is fierce. Every year, scholars present groundbreaking work."
"My team has never won a Gold Award at this conference... Ahem. Just do your best."
Natsume blinked.
Professor Carolina's team… had never won Gold?
Suppressing a smile, Natsume straightened up and nodded. "I understand. The spirit of research isn't about accolades—it's about the instinct to explore the unknown."
Carolina and Cynthia exchanged surprised glances.
Perhaps this was why he'd mastered Ancient Language so young.
Carolina allowed a small smile. "Good. Professor Oak is judging this year, so at least one strong competitor is out of the running."
Natsume-sensei's heart jolted, eyes widening like he'd been struck by lightning.
"Professor Oak… isn't competing?!"
"Don't celebrate yet."
Carolina gave him a sidelong glance. "Even without him, the competition is brutal."
At that moment, Natsume-sensei's emotions were a rollercoaster.
First, Carolina admitting she'd never won Gold. Now, the "top researcher" had withdrawn.
Didn't that increase his chances?
"Stay calm."
Natsume steadied himself, analyzing rationally.
"Legendary Pokémon data isn't rare. Kanto already has entries for the Legendary Birds and Beasts."
"Plus, our findings aren't exhaustive. We don't need Gold—silver is enough. The odds are still good!"
Aloud, he said: "Understood. Results first, awards second."
Carolina nodded slightly.
A young man who stayed level-headed was rare.
In this research, Natsume had translated papers, conducted fieldwork… His contributions were undeniable.
Carolina had to admit—when she saw the final report, she'd been impressed.
Her eyes gleamed.
Maybe… just maybe… they had a shot at the top prize.
...
Cynthia headed to the exhibition hall to prepare for her presentation. Professor Carolina went to catch up with old friends.
Natsume had offered to accompany Cynthia for preparations, but she declined.
"Just stay in the audience and relax."
Cynthia smiled faintly, her gray eyes burning with quiet determination.
"I will win the Gold Award."
For this paper, both of them had poured their hearts into it.
From the Unown of Solaceon Ruins, to the howling blizzards of Snowpoint City, to the space-time distortions of Alamos Town.
Every word on every page carried the genuine spirit of a Trainer pushing into the unknown.
This wasn't about "wanting to win" - it was about "deserving to win."
That was all.
"I understand."
Natsume nodded gently with a smile:
"I will be cheering for you along with Professor Carolina and Togepi!"
Cynthia smiled back, waved, and turned away. Her lab coat fluttered slightly as her golden hair cascaded down her slender back, accented by the black-and-gold hair ornaments on either side.
Natsume watched her graceful departing figure thoughtfully:
"Little Rotom, calculate our probability of winning."
"Calculating... Probability of winning is 'beep—' Rotom!"
"I said silent mode, not censor mode!"
...
Noon, 12:00 PM.
One hour until the presentation.
Natsume wandered through the scholar-filled hall with some nostalgia.
Time flew.
Last year's Research Conference seemed like just yesterday.
That was when he'd recruited Oleana as Pokémon Company's secretary... Back then she was still just a researcher obsessed with Gigantamax.
How things changed - Oleana was now a reliable secretary... Though her hairline might be suffering.
Ahem... Should bring back some Gigantamax memorabilia for her.
Natsume coughed lightly: "I'm not some heartless capitalist - I do care about employee welfare!"
"Mr. Natsume!"
A young long-haired man in a blue dress shirt under a lab coat, with dress pants and leather shoes, waved at him.
Natsume looked over, finding him vaguely familiar: "Professor Augustine Sycamore?"
"You recognize me?"
Augustine Sycamore, in his early 30s with a tall, handsome appearance, extended his hand with a smile:
"But let me introduce myself properly - Augustine Sycamore from Kalos Region, specializing in Mega Evolution research. Pleasure."
Natsume shook his hand politely: "What brings you to me?"
"Just wanted to make your acquaintance."
Augustine smiled warmly: "A friend of mine is quite interested in PTCG. I've also enjoyed your company's games."
"If you ever visit Kalos, we should exchange ideas."
Natsume already had plans to visit Kalos... though that was far in the future.
"We'll have that chance." Natsume nodded curiously, "Aren't you presenting?"
"My assistant Alain will handle it - covering Charmander breeding stages and their effects on X/Y Mega Forms." Augustine said frankly.
Natsume: "Alain?!"
"You know him?" Augustine looked surprised.
The legendary "Water-absorbing Charizard" Trainer - though scripted, Alain was still the monster who could 1v10 Water-type Elite Four Siebold...
But currently, Alain should still be in his researcher phase, not yet fully developed—
Hmm?!
Natsume's instincts tingled.
If I train Ash properly, couldn't he crush that water-absorbing lizard?
"Don't know him." Natsume shook his head, getting straight to the point: "Confident about winning Gold?"
"Ah..." Augustine looked embarrassed, clearing his throat: "Truthfully... I've never won Gold before."
Natsume: "..."
Another Professor living under Professor Oak's shadow!
"But give me two more years of research!" Augustine spread his arms enthusiastically, eyes shining: "I'll make a Mega Evolution breakthrough!"
Two years? The meta will have moved to Dynamax by then...
Who knows if Mega Evolution will even be legal in Galar tournaments...
Natsume coughed lightly: "Let's talk another time, Professor Augustine Sycamore!"
"Of course."
Augustine composed himself, handing over a business card: "Feel free to consult me about Mega Evolution anytime."
"After all," he added with a smile, "I've seen videos of your Gengar."
"When it Mega Evolves, it'll be quite the spectacle!"
Natsume's eye twitched: "You flatter me..."
"Trust my expertise!" Augustine said proudly: "In the field of Mega Evolution—"
Natsume turned to leave:
"I'm in a hurry, Professor Augustine Sycamore!"
"Ah—"
Augustine shrugged, stroking his stubble:
"With Natsume's bond with his Pokémon, he doesn't need me to preach about Mega's appeal. I'll just wait to witness that Gengar's transformation myself!"
...
Shaking the business card in his hand, Natsume wore a complicated expression.
He tucked it into his coat pocket and headed toward the exhibition hall.
It was almost 1 o'clock—the conference was about to begin.
The event would last three days. Team Carolina's presentation was scheduled for the first day, alongside Professors Elm, Rowan, and others.
In the hushed, academic atmosphere of the lecture hall, Natsume spotted Professor Kukui, his goggles unmistakable.
The seats were a bit narrow; Kukui bumped into Professor Birch while sitting down and apologized. Birch just grinned and scratched his head.
"Quite the lineup of Professors here. Impressive," Natsume mused.
Then, glancing at his neighboring seat, Natsume's eyes widened. He elbowed the person beside him.
"No way. You?"
The curly-haired Bill turned, equally surprised. "Long time no see!"
"This is Natsume-sensei," Bill announced to the others behind him. "A triple threat—research, breeding, and battles. A total big shot!"
Natsume, uncharacteristically flustered, added, "Don't forget Pokémon Contests."
Bill: "…"
Beside Bill were the managers of the Various Regions Storage System, all young. They regarded Natsume with reverence.
"Natsume-sensei," they chorused.
Natsume nodded with a smile, then whispered to Bill, "Why aren't you presenting?"
"Daisy Oak's handling it," Bill admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. "I'm… not great at public speaking. She's the better choice."
Daisy Oak, Blue Oak's sister, had once been Professor Oak's assistant before studying under Bill.
Research teams were always a mix of specialists.
Natsume nodded. "I get it. I'm better out in the field anyway."
"Gengar~o(*≧▽≦)ツ"
A muffled laugh bubbled up from the shadows.
Natsume stomped lightly on the shadow beneath his feet. The laughter choked off.
When he looked up, Bill was pale and sweating.
"D-did you… Natsume-sensei, did you piss off something supernatural lately?"
"It's Gengar," Natsume grumbled. "Lately, it refuses to stay in its Poké Ball. Just lurks in shadows."
"Oh…" The timid Bill exhaled in relief.
Seemed Bill, like Augustine Sycamore, had delegated presenting to a team member.
Technical terms really are Moe-Moe!'s forte… Natsume thought.
Suddenly, applause erupted spontaneously.
Natsume turned to the entrance. Professor Oak, in his white lab coat, entered with Crystal in overalls trailing behind him.
The entire hall—Natsume-sensei included—rose in applause.
This was the highest respect for a scholar who'd dedicated his life to others.
"Natsume—" Crystal spotted him and nearly called out before catching herself.
Once seated, she discreetly pulled out her phone and typed in the group chat:
"Natsume-sensei, I see you!"
"Gold, quick question," Natsume replied curiously. "Why's your name on the participant list?"
Gold wiped his nose boastfully. "Hey, I'm an expert too! Helpin' Elm hatch a few eggs might just win me an award, y'know?"
Blue Oak deadpanned: "No."
"Hah?! Why so sure?!"
"Because Professor Oak's judging," Blue said coldly. "His standards are brutal. No 'just winging it' allowed."
Natsume chuckled. "High standards? Good! Precision matters!"
"Natsume-sensei, you're presenting too?" Platinum asked, blinking.
"I joined, but Cynthia will be the one presenting." Natsume smiled. "Do your best too!"
"Oh—" Green sent a voice message, dragging out the syllable.
"Oh—" Lorelei also sent a voice message, her mature, elegant voice contrasting with Green's.
Gold sent a voice message too, only to get instantly muted by Natsume-sensei.
Group member 'Gold' has been muted by Group Owner 'Natsume-sensei' for 10 minutes!
Silver: ???
Yellow: ???
Natsume-sensei: "Little guy, we were waiting for you!"
Crystal: "Natsume-sensei, the presentation is about to start. Remember to mute!"
Natsume-sensei: "Got it."
The chat group fell silent again.
The spotlight descended, illuminating the stage every Researcher dreamed of standing on.
Natsume glanced at Bill beside him and noticed he looked just as excited.
Carolina, sitting next to Natsume, whispered, "There are still a few teams ahead. It'll be a while before Cynthia's turn."
Natsume nodded slightly.
If you don't understand, just clap along!
Clap clap clap—
Applause broke out.
The first to take the stage was Johto Region's Professor Elm.
Professor Elm specialized in 'Hatching' research—the Togepi egg had been a gift from him to Natsume.
This presentation focused on Pokémon's "secondary Egg Groups."
For example, Gardevoir belonged to both the Amorphous and Human-Like Egg Groups.
Natsume listened thoughtfully, nodding occasionally. "So what this means is…"
"I'm in the Human-Like Group, so I could also hatch eggs with Gardevoir…"
The presentation ended, and the arena erupted in applause.
Next was Professor Augustine Sycamore's team. A young Alain released a Charmander from its Poké Ball, beginning a live demonstration…
Then came Professor Rowan's team. His assistant, the "Knowledgeable" Platinum, spoke eloquently.
"Take Magnezone and Ambipom, for example—they represent two distinct evolution patterns: Magnetic Field variation and Move variation…"
The presentation concluded, met with thunderous applause.
Clap clap clap—
Professor Rowan's primary research focus was "Evolution."
Now, sitting in the audience, his gaze was sharp.
What he most looked forward to was the results from Cynthia and Natsume's team.
Legendary Pokémon… A challenging and obscure topic, but the impact would be undeniable…
Suddenly, Professor Rowan straightened, his expression serious.
The spotlight shifted to the stage, illuminating Cynthia's flawless profile. Dressed in a white lab coat, she smiled, her commanding presence silencing the entire hall.
"Next, we have Team Carolina's research presentation. Members include Professor Carolina, Natsume, and Cynthia."
Cynthia leaned toward the microphone, her magnetic voice filling the exhibition hall as a massive holographic display activated behind her.
The projection emitted a soft blue glow, shifting to a 3D rendering of Solaceon Ruins, with Unown floating around it.
Her eyes scanned the crowd before settling on Natsume. Smiling, she began:
"Our topic is: The Legends of Sinnoh, and an Analysis of Legendary Pokémon."