Most of the creature's body was yellow, and around its neck were round, curled leaves, each sprouting a tiny bud. A large sickle-shaped leaf jutted out from its head, marked with an oval notch.
It was one of Johto's starter Pokémon, Bayleef.
What surprised Shiro, however, was that this Bayleef was lying on the grass, nestled beside a Pokémon whose appearance was incredibly familiar… the evolved form of Bulbasaur, Ivysaur.
Bayleef leaned against Ivysaur with its eyes half-closed, the sickle-like leaf atop its head swaying lazily. Ivysaur crouched on the grass with its eyes shut, and judging by the fully spread leaves and pink bud on its back, it was quietly absorbing sunlight.
"So these two are… a pair?" Shiro couldn't help stopping to ask.
Rowan turned around, glanced at Bayleef and Ivysaur, and then smiled as he explained, "Under normal circumstances, Bayleef clans and Ivysaur clans usually interbreed within their own groups. These two are exceptions. They were specially transferred from the main League to be raised here."
"Then…" Shiro still didn't quite understand.
Wasn't this part of Pokémon breeding studies? That should be Professor Elm's field. "Elm was based in Johto, so why would he hand over such prime research material to Professor Rowan?
"Oh!" Rowan immediately understood and stroked his beard. "Elm asked me to take care of them temporarily. He's been verifying some kind of theory lately and gathered a lot of different Pokémon. His research park couldn't hold them all, so he sent some here for the time being."
Shiro nodded. "It seems you and Professor Elm have a good relationship."
"Hahaha…" Rowan burst into laughter and continued walking forward. "I get along well with all the professors. They usually come to me for help."
Noticing Shiro's puzzled look again, Rowan didn't hide anything and explained frankly, "There haven't been many research results here. For quite a long time, we didn't even have active projects, which left us with a fair amount of surplus funding. So I use it to assist other professors with minor side studies."
"…"
Since Rowan hadn't produced results for a long time, he had to maintain good relationships with the other professors, preserving his status while also preventing the League from suddenly deciding to hold him accountable one day.
It seemed Professor Rowan had had a difficult few years…
Shiro followed him through the grassy ecological zone, and ahead lay the small lake used to raise Water-type Pokémon.
Sunlight filtered through the greenhouse glass overhead, making everything appear even brighter. The lake water was clear and azure, and various Pokémon rested along the shore to drink.
"That's Mudkip, and that one is Surskit…" Rowan said, pointing them out as he walked.
Shiro's gaze swept across the area and quickly caught sight of a faint patch of pink, half-hidden in the grass near the lake.
Perhaps because Mesprit had been sulking these past two days and rarely showing itself, or perhaps because the color contrast against the grass was too obvious, this splash of pink stood out particularly clearly in his eyes.
"What Pokémon is that…?"
Curious, Shiro used his psychic power to probe it and obtained its information.
[Name: Marill
Type: Water
Level: 22 (Intermediate)
Ability: Sap Sipper
Held Item: None
Moves: Tackle, Helping Hand, Tail Whip, Water Gun, Rollout, Defense Curl, Bubble Beam, Charm, Slam, Bounce, Aqua Tail, Play Rough, Aqua Ring, Rain Dance…]
A Marill?
"That Marill?" Rowan tugged thoughtfully at his curled white beard. "If I remember correctly, Birch discovered it in the wild a few years ago. Its color is different from a normal Marill, but it isn't a Shiny caused by a genetic mutation either. After studying it for a while and failing to figure it out, he left it here."
Shiro stared at the pink Marill, round and pudgy like a cotton-candy mouse. He swept over it twice more with his psychic power but still couldn't find anything unusual.
'A? See what's going on with that Marill,' Shiro called silently in his mind.
Unown A instantly teleported beside the rustling Marill in the grass. After briefly examining it with psychic power, it reported, 'It ate a kind of berry with a dyeing effect. No other abnormalities.'
A dyeing berry…
While continuing his tour with Rowan, Shiro vaguely recalled an episode in the anime about an island where special berries could turn Pokémon red.
* * *
Sometimes later.
"Come, Shiro." Rowan gestured and began walking back. "I'll show you the other things the professors left here. Maybe you'll get some new ideas."
Shiro followed closely, and about half an hour later they returned to the institute.
Rowan led him up to the second floor and headed toward the west corridor, the side where no researchers usually worked.
"Since no one uses these rooms, I store the other items here," he explained as he pushed open the door to Lab No. 5.
Though the room was empty, it was clean and orderly, clearly maintained on a regular basis. Several glass cabinets stood inside, filled with various Pokémon items and stones.
As Rowan walked around the room, he continued speaking. "Many of these are fossils Carolina found in ruins. There are also Pokémon body fragments Elm sent me… Oh, right, and Sycamore too."
When he mentioned Sycamore, his tone lifted slightly. "Sycamore is currently the youngest Pokémon Professor. He earned the title in his early thirties."
He then glanced at the young man beside him. "Of course, the next youngest might be you. It just depends on how many years it takes."
"What are the specific requirements for receiving the title?" Shiro asked.
He knew that the Professor title was the highest rank in Pokémon academia and far from easy to obtain. However, the detailed process and conditions were something only someone experienced like Rowan could explain clearly.
And once he became a Professor, the League would fully fund the construction of a research institute, a crucial part of his future plans.
Rowan answered without hesitation. "Aside from research achievements, you need at least three professors to recommend you. Then you must gain approval from at least two-thirds of the researchers attending the Academic Summit. The prerequisite for applying is having at least one result with broad impact."
So the Professor title was closely tied to the Pokémon Academic Summit. Shiro had previously assumed it was just a formality. No wonder Agatha's condition included a personal recommendation from Professor Oak.
The Academic Summit was practically organized by Oak himself, and the meetings were even held in the remote Pallet Town at Oak's Laboratory. A direct recommendation from him was almost a guarantee of success.
Ideally, he should complete the title approval at this upcoming summit. If not, he would have to wait for the next one—another three years.
"If I want to complete the title approval at this session," Shiro asked seriously, "what is the main difficulty?"
"The main challenge is the attending researchers," Rowan replied at once. "They follow different professors to Oak's Laboratory. Some professors may publicly support you, but the people they bring might not. Everyone has their own thoughts. Some may simply dislike your age. After all, becoming a professor at twenty is very young."
He paused briefly before adding, "When Sycamore applied, his age delayed him for two years. Only after he produced more research results did his application finally pass at the next session."
In truth, Rowan did not believe Shiro could succeed this time.
First was his background. He was from Galar, a region known for being relatively closed off, and its academic world was not highly regarded. Many people would not welcome a scholar from Galar at the summit.
Second, he lacked roots in academic circles. He had not followed the conventional path of academy student, apprentice, researcher or assistant, and then professor. He had no established personal ties, which alone could provoke jealousy among older apprentices and researchers.
Third was his age, the simplest excuse of all. They would say he was too young, that youth required more time, that pride was the enemy of research.
Rowan's expression darkened.
He himself had become a professor around the age of thirty, even earlier than Oak. Back then, he had been called a genius, full of spirit and praised everywhere. Yet after earning the title, he failed to produce major results and could not provide strong support to apprentices and researchers. Only a few old acquaintances came to his institute to gain experience.
Whenever a young researcher applied for the title, his case was brought up as a cautionary example. When Sycamore applied, many had cited Rowan's situation as criticism, putting Sycamore in a difficult position on stage and contributing to his failed application that year.
"Sigh…" Rowan let out a long breath. Looking at the young man in front of him, he did not know what more to say.
Among professors, his status was near the bottom. Even with the Evolutionary Magnetic Field theory this time, everyone knew it had been proposed by Corviknight; his institute had merely taken it on.
Shiro observed Rowan's discouraged expression and gradually formed a clearer picture of the upcoming Pokémon Academic Summit and the title approval process.
There would almost certainly be serious obstacles.
He would still need to contact Agatha and borrow some strength from Professor Oak.
**
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