Read up to 30 advanced chapters exclusively on my Patreon at - patreon.com/LoverrBoy
---------------------------------
In the end, Liam still ended up visiting the young man's research institute.
This definitely was not because the young man had clung to Liam's leg, refusing to let him leave—crying, wailing, and pestering him endlessly until Liam had no choice but to agree.
On the way back to the lab, the young man also revealed his identity. He was the Pokémon Professor of Littleroot Town's Pokémon Research Institute—Professor Birch, a researcher who specialized in studying Pokémon habitats and distribution.
Of course, Liam had already guessed that.
Looking at Professor Birch with a faintly disdainful expression, Liam sighed inwardly.
'Professor Birch, you've changed. I helped you chase away those Poochyena, yet you didn't even give me a Pokémon. That's not the Professor Birch I know!'
The Pokémon Research Institute of Littleroot Town was built on a wide hillside outside the town. Liam followed Professor Birch there and, under his guidance and explanations, toured the entire facility.
Listening to Birch speak fluently about various aspects of Pokémon habitats and geographical distribution, Liam couldn't help but admire him. In this field, even Professor Oak might not surpass the young Professor Birch. Perhaps that was why Birch had become a Pokémon Professor at such a young age.
"Uh… Li—Liam, right? Haha, your name is a bit unusual. I always have trouble remembering it. Don't mind that."
After giving a long lecture about Pokémon ecology and regional distribution, Professor Birch finally turned around and addressed Liam.
"Well, you did save me earlier, so giving you a Pokémon as thanks wouldn't be impossible. But the Ever Grande Conference is currently taking place, and quite a few new trainers are heading here. The three Pokémon prepared by the League are reserved for them, so I can't give you one of those. However…"
At this point, Birch deliberately paused, smiling mysteriously at Liam.
"Hm? However what? Is there some condition?"
Seeing Birch's expression, Liam frowned slightly but sensed there was still hope.
"Well… it's actually nothing serious. As you know, I study Pokémon habitats and distribution. The Pokémon on your shoulder—I've never seen one like it before. Could you tell me its information and habitat?"
Scratching his head awkwardly, Birch finally revealed his request, his face slightly red.
"Uh… that's all? What's there to be embarrassed about? It's not some big secret."
Liam felt speechless again. He had thought it was something serious—but Birch just wanted information about Zorua.
So Liam briefly explained Zorua's basic details and the places where the species might live. Birch listened carefully, taking detailed notes.
Only after finishing his recording did Birch close his notebook with satisfaction. Then he turned and walked into a nearby laboratory room. When he came back out, he was holding a PokeBall.
"Thank you very much for your cooperation and help. In return, I'd like to give you this."
Birch walked up and placed the PokeBall into Liam's hand, looking slightly uneasy.
"Thanks… What Pokémon is inside?"
Liam held the PokeBall but didn't open it immediately. Instead, he asked Birch.
After hesitating briefly, Birch looked at Liam and said:
"It's a Piplup, a Pokémon unique to the Sinnoh region."
"What?! Piplup?!"
Birch's words startled Liam so much that his grip tightened around the PokeBall.
"P-Piplup? How could a Piplup end up here?"
After all, the distance between Sinnoh and Hoenn was far greater than the distance between Kanto and Hoenn. Liam couldn't imagine how this Piplup had ended up here.
"I obtained it by coincidence a few days ago. According to witnesses, a trainer from the Sinnoh region abandoned it. Its PokeBall had been smashed, and after that the little guy wandered alone in the forest for several days.
"When I finally found it, it had already gone through countless battles and was on the verge of death. When I put it in a PokeBall and brought it to Nurse Joy, it almost didn't survive…"
Birch paused before continuing.
"I may not be very skilled in battles, but I can tell you're a strong trainer. And judging by the bond between you and that Zorua, you're someone who truly loves Pokémon. That's why I'm entrusting this Piplup to you.
"I hope you'll treat it well and not let it suffer like this again."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
An abandoned Piplup.
And from Birch's words, it was clear this Piplup was very weak—otherwise it wouldn't have been abandoned.
Liam lowered his head and looked at the PokeBall in his hand. After a moment of thought, he suddenly turned and walked toward the yard outside the lab.
Birch, puzzled, hurried after him.
"Come out, Piplup!"
Click.
"Piplup? Pip…"
After reaching the open field, Liam released the Pokémon.
A thin, frail Piplup appeared in a flash of white light. It looked at Liam with dull eyes—filled with confusion, rejection… and even more fear.
Crack!!
Without saying a word, Liam raised the PokeBall in his hand—and crushed it completely with a single squeeze!
His body, long strengthened beyond normal human limits, gave him tremendous physical power.
"Piplup?! Pip?!"
Both Piplup and Professor Birch were stunned by Liam's sudden action.
Looking at the shattered pieces of the PokeBall on the ground, Piplup's eyes grew even dimmer. Birch also stared at Liam in confusion.
Then—
"Piplup.. Your PokeBall is gone now. And now—"
"I'm going to capture you!! Zorua!"
"Zee-zee-zee!!"
At Liam's shout, Zorua jumped down from his shoulder, letting out an excited cry.
"Pip…"
But the Piplup didn't react much. It simply stood there with its head lowered, looking completely resigned.
"Piplup! Come battle me! Let me see your strength! Let me see whether you're qualified to become my partner!"
"What? Too scared? A Pokémon that fears battle? Is that why you were let go? Because you're this weak?"
"I think I understand the person who abandoned you now. A Pokémon like this would only be a burden. A Pokémon like this isn't even worth battling or capturing. Zorua, come back."
Liam said all of this in one breath. His words were harsh—so harsh that even Professor Birch frowned deeply.
But…
It worked.
Just as Zorua turned around in disappointment and started walking back toward Liam—
From behind them suddenly came an angry cry!
"PIPLUUUP!!"
At the same moment, colorful bubbles reflecting rainbow light shot through the air!
"Zee-zee-zee!"
The sudden attack excited Zorua again. It spun around instantly to face the incoming Bubble Beam. With a flash of white light around its claws, Zorua slashed through every bubble that reached it, popping them all effortlessly.
When the attack ended, Zorua hadn't taken a single point of damage.
But that wasn't because Zorua was overwhelmingly strong.
It was simply because—
'This attack was too weak.'
Liam looked at Piplup, who was already panting heavily after using just one move.
'That should have been Bubble Beam… but the speed, the power, even the number of bubbles—'
'It felt weaker than ordinary bubbles. Just what happened to this Piplup…?'