At Professor Rowan's Research Lab, Wigglytuff, looking like a giant balloon, bounced off the ground and floated up to the ceiling. She casually used Psychic to lift an apple from the table and send it drifting through the air.
The researchers craned their necks upward, rapidly taking notes.
"Luther's Wigglytuff is pretty impressive. She's absorbed that much gas and expanded this much, yet she can still use moves."
"Her skin is in good condition, too. It feels almost like cotton, and her fine fur is very soft."
"Her body height and ear length are both above average. There are no signs of malnutrition."
"That should conclude Wigglytuff's physical examination. No major problems."
The moment she heard the examination was over, Wigglytuff immediately expelled all the air from her body and returned to her normal size.
She pushed open the door and happily ran off to play with Musharna and Mareep.
Luther had teleported Wigglytuff, Amaura, and Mawile back to the research lab so Professor Rowan and the researchers could check whether they had developed any hidden health problems over the years.
It was also a chance for the three Pokémon to reunite with Musharna. After all, they had been separated for more than twenty years.
When Musharna saw the three of them, she could hardly believe her eyes.
Luther had promised Musharna that he would do everything he could to find them, but the world was enormous. Where was he even supposed to start looking?
After falling in love with Flaaffy, Musharna had worked hard to stop dwelling on the past and had begun building a new life for herself.
But the moment she saw Mawile, Wigglytuff, and Amaura, Musharna threw herself at Mawile. She repeatedly rubbed her face against Mawile's cheeks before bursting into tears.
Mawile really wanted to complain that Musharna was still such a crybaby after all these years.
But when Wigglytuff came over and hugged the sobbing Musharna, she was already starting to sniffle herself.
Mawile could only sigh and gently rub Musharna's face, comforting her.
Mareep was drawn over by his mother's crying. While he was still standing there in confusion, Musharna introduced him to Mawile and the others.
And that was how Mareep's miserable life began.
Wigglytuff and Mawile were clearly fascinated by the baby born to their old friend. Whenever they weren't being examined, they spent their time teasing and playing with him.
Mareep couldn't fight back.
Even when he got angry and his wool stood on end, discharging electricity from his entire body, Wigglytuff and Mawile could easily knock him down with a move.
His own mother happily watched the whole thing without taking it seriously, while his father, Flaaffy, was still in the research lab and hadn't returned.
So Mareep had no choice but to let Wigglytuff and Mawile have their fun.
Meanwhile, Mawile's physical examination continued.
"Open your mouth."
Mawile obediently opened her mouth, only for Sachiko to sigh helplessly.
"The mouth on the back of your head."
The enormous jaws opened wide.
A researcher pulled back the upper jaw and carefully examined the teeth of Mawile's gigantic, abyss-like mouth, taking photographs for the records. Then they inserted a metal pipe about the thickness of a finger.
"Strength test. Bite down."
A crisp 'crack' rang out.
The metal pipe snapped cleanly into three pieces.
Sachiko and the researcher completed the final entry on the examination form, then patted Mawile on the head and gave her a bag of candy before sending her off to play.
Mawile really wanted to complain.
Why did they give her candy or snacks every time she came in for an examination? It made her feel like a little kid.
Only children got candy after a checkup.
She expertly peeled the wrapper off a piece and popped it into her mouth before happily going off to find Aggron, who proudly considered himself one of Luther's most capable subordinates.
Professor Rowan and several researchers were now at a loss over what to do with Amaura.
"We've confirmed it with the Kalos region. Amaura really doesn't adapt well to modern temperatures. The environment they lived in more than a hundred million years ago was far colder than it is today."
Another researcher continued, "The fossil research lab in Ambrette Town told us that the Amaura they've revived spend their time in climate-controlled ice chambers. They can't stay outside in relatively warm temperatures for long. So far, most of the Amaura revived in Kalos have been raised and bred in snowy mountain areas."
The fossil research lab had even sent over a report detailing the range of outside temperatures that Amaura could tolerate.
Amaura could barely tolerate outside temperatures of around ten degrees Celsius. As the temperature rose beyond that, she would gradually start feeling uncomfortable.
Professor Rowan and all the researchers stared ahead in thoughtful silence.
Inside the cold room, Amaura was happily playing in the snow with Snorunt. Every now and then, she would turn around, press herself against the glass, and blink her large eyes curiously at Professor Rowan and the others.
"Compared with the data from Kalos, Amaura's examination results are completely normal."
That should have been good news, yet the researchers still looked worried.
This was going to be a problem for Luther.
As a Pokémon Trainer who had started his journey from their research lab, Luther had grown rapidly and eventually become the winner of the Lily of the Valley Conference.
On the day he won, everyone in the research lab had gathered around the television and witnessed Houndoom's incredible performance.
After finishing the celebration feast they'd carefully prepared, quite a few of them had even started looking into ways to improve Houndoom's health and possibly extend his lifespan.
They all felt a strong connection to Luther.
Luther, in turn, had always been grateful that Professor Rowan had eventually recognized him and shown him the kindness of issuing him a Pokédex.
That Pokédex had saved Luther a great deal of trouble throughout his journey. It had given him a much better starting point than many other Trainers and allowed him to enter the circle of recognized Pokédex holders.
In the world of Pokémon Trainers, having a Pokédex and not having one really did feel like playing on two completely different difficulty settings.
That was why, as soon as Luther confirmed that he'd bought the island, Professor Rowan and everyone at the research lab were among the first people he shared the news with.
Luther's island was located more than twenty kilometers east of Lily of the Valley Island, in the southern part of Sinnoh. According to the map, the weather there stayed warm from late spring until the first snow warnings of early winter.
That climate was excellent for most Pokémon. Even Ice-type Pokémon could still enjoy themselves in the sea.
But for Amaura, it was practically hell.
She simply couldn't tolerate high temperatures.
"Luther said we'll be transferring the Pokémon over in a few days. He wants them to start getting used to the island's environment," Sachiko said with a sigh.
Professor Rowan's expression turned serious.
"Then we'll tell him the truth. I'm sure he's already prepared himself for something like this. Amaura is a Pokémon revived from a fossil. The environment of the modern world is already harsh for her species. Unlike some other Fossil Pokémon, they haven't been able to adapt to the modern climate."
"Either he builds a large, climate-controlled cold habitat for her, or she returns to the Snowpoint Mountain area. Those are the best options."
Sachiko nodded, then suddenly remembered something.
"Luther invited us to build a small research lab on the island. Are we going?"
Professor Rowan looked at her in surprise.
"Why is that even a question? Of course we're going. It's an island with a rich Pokémon population. We'll be able to observe migrating Flying-type Pokémon and collect their data, as well as gather large amounts of data on the evolution of wild Pokémon. Why wouldn't we go?"
The Pokémon Luther had rescued back then had already heard the news from Sachiko.
Aggron, Arcanine, the four Misdreavus, Poliwhirl, and Nidorina were all ready to move.
They were reluctant to leave behind the Pokémon at the research lab after living together for so long.
But the thought of moving to a brand-new environment and living together with Luther had kept them excited ever since they'd heard the news.
(End of Chapter)
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