Chapter 166
After leaving Cerulean Gym, Haruto and Lorelei continued exploring the city.
A gentle sea breeze drifted inland from the coast, carrying the faint scent of salt and moisture.
They chatted casually as they walked, moving from techniques for training Ice-type Pokémon to recent ecological changes in the Kanto region.
The atmosphere remained relaxed and pleasant.
Every so often, however, Lorelei would stop and glance at stores displaying Pokémon plushies in their windows.
As they passed a plaza, they suddenly saw Officer Jenny leading a group of police officers toward Cerulean Gym in a hurry.
Before they could reach it, three familiar figures streaked across the sky.
Apparently, Team Rocket’s trio had been sent blasting off once again.
Aside from the occasional disaster caused by those three idiots, Cerulean City remained a pleasant place.
The sun gradually sank beneath the horizon, and night began settling over the city.
It was then that Haruto and Lorelei received a message from Professor Oak.
According to the professor, he had made progress in his research on Jewel Meat and Puffer Whale and needed to discuss the results with them.
Naturally, neither of them had any interest in continuing their sightseeing after hearing that.
They immediately returned to the laboratory.
Riding their Flying-type Pokémon, the two soon arrived at Professor Oak’s brightly lit research facility on the outskirts of Pallet Town.
Professor Oak was pacing back and forth through the main hall, his face filled with barely restrained excitement.
The moment Haruto and Lorelei entered, he hurried over to meet them.
"Haruto! Lorelei! You’re finally back!"
Haruto was slightly puzzled by the professor’s excitement, but he did not dwell on it.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Professor Oak. What effects did you discover in the Jewel Meat and Puffer Whale?"
Lorelei also turned her attention toward the professor.
After witnessing what BB Corn could do, she was extremely interested in the other two ingredients.
Professor Oak drew a deep breath to calm himself before speaking.
"The effects of these ingredients are far more astonishing than I anticipated!"
"They do share one general benefit. Both can comprehensively strengthen a Pokémon’s physique, steadily improving its power, speed, and durability."
"But the differences between them are far more important."
"Puffer Whale possesses an extraordinary restorative effect. It doesn’t merely replenish stamina quickly—it can gradually heal old, hidden injuries accumulated within a Pokémon’s body."
"That is incredibly important for many Pokémon!"
Professor Oak’s expression became complicated.
He had encountered countless Pokémon whose strength had reached a permanent bottleneck because of injuries suffered earlier in life.
If those lingering wounds could be completely healed, their abilities might undergo a dramatic transformation.
Putting those thoughts aside, the professor continued.
"The poison sac inside a Puffer Whale is also an exceptional Poison-type material."
"Not only can it strengthen the toxicity of Poison-type Pokémon and increase the power of their Poison-type moves, but it can also be used to create a Toxic Orb."
"A Toxic Orb made from this poison sac is far more potent than any equivalent item currently available. It could provide an enormous benefit to Poison-type Pokémon!"
Lorelei looked thoughtful.
"In that case, Agatha and Bruno may be paying you a personal visit very soon."
Although Agatha was known as Kanto’s Ghost-type Elite Four member, most of her Pokémon were also Poison types.
The Puffer Whale’s poison sac would undoubtedly be a treasure capable of greatly increasing her battle strength.
Bruno, meanwhile, specialized in Fighting types.
The physique-enhancing effects of Jewel Meat and Puffer Whale were exactly what he needed most.
Once the two of them learned the news, they would likely rush to Professor Oak’s laboratory immediately.
Professor Oak awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"Bruno might come, but Agatha... probably won’t."
Because of certain events in their younger days, Agatha still held a grudge against him and was unlikely to visit willingly.
That small complication did little to dampen Professor Oak’s enthusiasm.
He quickly pushed it from his mind.
"Compared to Puffer Whale, however, the effect of Jewel Meat is truly revolutionary."
"It appears capable of increasing a Pokémon’s base stats."
The hall fell completely silent.
Lorelei’s eyes widened, and undisguised shock spread across her face.
A Pokémon’s base stats were determined at birth. Aside from evolution, no known method had ever been capable of changing them.
That was considered an absolute law throughout the Pokémon world.
Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon earned that classification because their final evolutionary forms possessed a base stat total of six hundred.
If Jewel Meat could truly raise base stats after birth, did that not mean even an ordinary Pokémon might eventually acquire physical potential comparable to a pseudo-Legendary?
If this discovery became public, it would shake the entire Pokémon world.
"Does it truly have that effect?"
Lorelei stared at Professor Oak in disbelief, a faint tremor entering her voice.
Professor Oak nodded firmly.
"At present, this is only a preliminary conclusion. The data remains incomplete."
"The exact degree of improvement and the conditions required to produce it will need far more detailed research before they can be confirmed."
He then looked eagerly toward Haruto.
"However, Haruto, while I still have some Puffer Whale remaining, all the Jewel Meat has already been used."
"That is why I contacted you so urgently. I need more Jewel Meat to verify the results."
Understanding appeared on Haruto’s face.
No wonder Professor Oak had been waiting for them in the hall and had become so excited the moment he saw Haruto.
The professor had simply run out of research material and wanted to trade for more.
Unfortunately, Haruto’s remaining supply of Jewel Meat was already limited.
Every piece used was one less piece he could eat or trade later.
Professor Oak’s research was like a bottomless pit, and there was no telling how much Jewel Meat it might consume before reaching a final conclusion.
Haruto could not help hesitating.
At the same time, however, he was intensely curious about Jewel Meat’s ability to increase base stats.
If the effect proved genuine, it would provide immeasurable benefits when raising his own Pokémon.
After weighing the matter carefully and extracting several promises from Professor Oak, Haruto finally gritted his teeth and brought out one kilogram of Jewel Meat.
"Professor, you can use this for now, but it represents most of my remaining supply."
Haruto did not actually possess a great deal of Jewel Meat, but neither was his stock quite as low as he implied.
He only hoped the warning would encourage Professor Oak to use it sparingly.
The professor received the Jewel Meat as though it were a priceless treasure, handling it with extreme care.
Haruto suddenly remembered something else.
He raised a hand and brought out a vivid-red piece of meat, offering it to Professor Oak.
"Professor, this is wyvern meat from the dungeon world. You should examine it as well."
"I suspect it may have a considerable effect on Dragon-type Pokémon."
Arceus had taken the Green Dragon, while the Red Dragon had been fused into the Charmander Egg.
That left the wyvern as the only dragon-like monster still in Haruto’s possession.
Although wyverns were far weaker than either the Green Dragon or Red Dragon, they were still dragons.
Haruto also had a comparatively large stock of wyvern meat, so giving one piece to Professor Oak for research was hardly a meaningful loss.
"Wyvern meat?!"
Professor Oak swiftly accepted it.
Haruto had indeed mentioned dragons when describing the dungeon world, but the professor had not expected him to possess actual dragon meat.
It also came from a completely different world than Jewel Meat, which made it even more valuable for comparative research.
Professor Oak examined it with satisfaction, then gathered both the Jewel Meat and wyvern meat in his arms before rushing back toward the laboratory.
The laboratory door slammed shut behind him.
Almost immediately, the clattering of research equipment could be heard from within.
Haruto looked toward the closed door and smiled helplessly.
When he turned around, he found Lorelei staring at him with a strange expression.
Haruto touched his cheek in confusion.
"What is it, Lorelei? Is there something on my face?"
Lorelei shook her head.
"Nothing. I was simply thinking that once Lance hears about this, he’ll probably abandon everything he’s doing and race straight here."
"Because of you, all four members of Kanto’s Elite Four may soon gather at Professor Oak’s laboratory."
Haruto paused before realizing she was probably right.
As a Dragon-type specialist, Lance would naturally be extremely interested in anything capable of strengthening Dragon-type Pokémon.
Though in Haruto’s opinion, most of Lance’s Pokémon were actually Flying types, while relatively few were true Dragon types.
Calling him the Flying-type Elite Four member might have been more accurate.
Not that the distinction mattered.
The important point was that Lance came from the famous clan of Dragon Tamers.
Surely his family possessed plenty of valuable treasures.
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