Chapter 276: The Centralis University Nursery
The exchange match was over. Basalt had displayed his overwhelming power, crushing the Saffron U freshmen, and his Lileep had successfully evolved into Cradily. Everything was moving in a positive direction.
After a day of rest, the Centralis University exchange team finally returned to the long-missed Centralis City.
Although they had won the competition, as the team leader, Bella Bai still had to conduct a post-match summary, sternly warning everyone not to get complacent.
"I think you all know who the hero of this match was. You're all freshmen from the reserve, you're all Rookie Kings, but you need to take a good, hard look at the gap between you and Basalt. If you don't start chasing after him now, you'll be living in his shadow forever..."
Bella's speech left a sour taste in everyone's mouths.
Basalt had already pulled ahead of them by a significant margin.
Basalt, on the other hand, looked impatient, desperate to slip away. President Mogan had instructed him to get to the university nursery as soon as he arrived back on campus. Ever since the special Pokémon had revealed its potential, a crowd of interested students had been flocking to see it. If Basalt was late, he might miss his chance.
"Alright, I've said my piece. You're all adults. Your future is in your own hands."
Bella clapped her hands and dismissed the group. Basalt immediately made a break for it, hurrying towards the nursery.
The Centralis University Nursery was located in the heart of the Breeding College. It was an independent, sprawling complex of buildings that looked magnificent from a distance.
Compared to the Training College, the Breeding College was much less popular. Its enrollment and level of activity couldn't compare.
But today, a huge crowd of people had gathered at the entrance to the nursery, all seemingly trying to get in.
Basalt rushed over, and seeing the long line, he was at a loss. Just then, a girl with a bow tied at her collar approached him. "Hello, you must be Basalt, right?" she asked, a little uncertain.
"I'm Basalt. And you are...?"
"My name is Wendy. I'm a junior in the Breeding College." After introducing herself, the girl with the bow gave a sweet smile. "Dean Warner asked me to wait for you here. He said you'd definitely be coming this morning."
"Dean Warner? Who's that?" Basalt scratched his head, confused. Although he had been enrolled for a while, Centralis University had so many departments and colleges that he didn't know the school's leadership very well.
"Err..." Wendy paused, wondering if she'd made a mistake. But the name matched.
"Dean Warner is the dean of our Breeding College. You are Basalt, right? Last year's Centralis Province Rookie King?" Wendy blinked.
"That's me."
Basalt nodded, and then it clicked. President Mogan must have guessed that many people would be trying to get that Pokémon today, so he had specifically called the head of the Breeding College to give him a little preferential treatment.
"As long as I've got the right person! Follow me. We'll go in through the back. The Dean is already waiting."
"Sure enough, the perks of being a good student," Basalt mused to himself.
Led by Wendy, he swiped a card and went through a service corridor. Without having to wait in line, he strolled right into the nursery and met the Dean.
He was a man of about sixty, wearing a white lab coat and looking very amiable.
"You must be Basalt. You're late enough," Dean Warner said, sizing him up. His tone was serious. "Normally, I'm very against pulling strings like this. But President Mogan told me you swept the Saffron U freshmen the other day and brought great honor to our university. He also said you're a top genius being cultivated by the Weather Bureau. He went on and on for half an hour, my ears are still ringing..."
"But I have to remind you, our nursery operates on the principle of 'fate.' A dozen students have already seen that little one, but it hasn't shown interest in any of them. If you can't get its approval, you'll have to accept it and move on. No pestering, understand?"
"Don't worry, Dean Warner. I understand the rules."
Basalt nodded obediently. At an official nursery, you just picked a Pokémon and paid the money. But the university nursery was different; it was free. Students used performance points and potential assessment scores to "redeem" a Pokémon, and that was only if the trainer and the Pokémon mutually chose each other. It was a lot like a blind date.
"Alright, then. Follow me, I'll take you to it."
Dean Warner nodded, stood up, and led Basalt and Wendy out of his office.
The Centralis University Nursery was clearly designed according to the habitats of different Pokémon. As they walked, Basalt saw grasslands, forests, sand dunes, rock formations, and pools with waterfalls, all teeming with numerous Pokémon. It was clear that the university's breeding program was top-notch; every Pokémon in the nursery looked incredibly energetic.
In a canyon habitat, Basalt saw a Pidgey flapping its wings and flying rapidly. Although it was tiny, its movements were exceptionally agile. It could even make a sharp turn at top speed.
"Aerial Ace."
Basalt's eyebrow shot up in surprise. Of course, he wasn't surprised by the move itself, but by the Pidgey's size. It was only about the size of his palm, clearly just hatched.
"There's nothing to be surprised about. For every Pokémon in our nursery, at least one of its parents is a Gym Leader-level Pokémon, and the other is at least Pro-level. They have excellent genetic advantages," Dean Warner said with a smile. "That Pidgey is only considered 'good' in this canyon. It's far from 'excellent.' That Rufflet over there, and this Rookidee here... now those are truly excellent."
"A Rookidee?"
Basalt's eyes lit up. Rookidee's final evolution was Corviknight, a Steel/Flying-type that would fit perfectly into his sandstorm team. If it had its Hidden Ability, Mirror Armor, that would be a game-changer.
"Dean Warner, what's so excellent about that Rookidee?" Basalt asked, his interest piqued. Could this be the special Pokémon for him?
"This Rookidee's physical stats are actually quite average, and its parents are nothing special. But its luck is amazing. It inherited the ultimate Flying-type move, Brave Bird, as an egg move."
"Gasp~ Brave Bird?"
Basalt sucked in a cold breath. That was, without a doubt, one of the top-tier Flying-type moves, with a base power of 140 in the games.
But looking at the Rookidee, which was no bigger than his palm, with its tiny wings and legs, he wondered if it could really withstand the energy backlash from a move of that caliber.
"What? Interested?"
"A little," Basalt admitted with a grin.
"Then you're not going to see the other Pokémon?" Dean Warner raised an eyebrow, clearly pleased to see Basalt so captivated by the nursery. It was a testament to the quality of the Pokémon he raised.
"Huh? It's not this Rookidee?" Basalt scratched his head, but his resolve was firm. "I'm looking. I'm definitely looking."
From the Dean's tone, it was clear that "the other Pokémon" was even more outstanding than this Rookidee. Otherwise, President Mogan wouldn't have made such a big deal about it, afraid that he would miss out.
"Then let's go. The swamp area is just ahead. The Pokémon is in there."
Dean Warner pointed towards a damp, green area ahead, where the muddy soil was clearly visible.
"The swamp area?"
Basalt's eyes narrowed. A guess began to form in his mind.
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