"This Rhyperior…" Rowan muttered as he tugged at his beard and examined it carefully.
The longer he looked, the brighter his eyes became. This Rhyperior had been raised to near perfection.
"Its body weight, shoulder armor thickness, and foot width are all ideal. Its skin is a deep brown, and the horn on its head is thick and sharply pointed. It must have undergone special training. I just don't know how well it controls Rock- and Ground-type energy…"
As he spoke, he circled around it, unable to resist touching and patting it while praising openly, "Peak Gym-level strength. An outstanding Pokémon indeed, and especially obedient. Since being released, it hasn't moved at all, not even the slightest twitch."
After inspecting it several more times, he finally asked in confusion, "Is there something wrong with this Pokémon?"
"The problem is that it's too obedient."
Shiro let out a soft sigh. Seeing Rowan's increasingly puzzled expression, he began explaining everything from the beginning.
He described Macro Cosmos' brainwashing technology, how he had obtained this brainwashed Pokémon from them, the characteristics of the process, and Rhyperior's daily behavior.
The more Rowan listened, the deeper his frown became.
In Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos, Pokémon brainwashing technology did not exist openly.
On the surface, the League strictly forbade its development out of concern for harming Pokémon and breaking bonds, but those were only minor issues. The real reason was that if fully successful brainwashing technology continued to advance, it would gradually overturn the current trainer system.
If money alone could purchase a powerful Pokémon that someone else had trained for years, one completely loyal and comparable to a deeply bonded partner, then who would still be willing to raise their own Pokémon properly?
Wouldn't wealthy merchants end up standing above the vast majority of trainers, lording over them at will?
Under such circumstances, not only ordinary trainers but even League officials, major families, and nobles would never tolerate the existence of such technology. Aside from certain isolated regions and evil organizations, Pokémon brainwashing was severely cracked down upon and banned.
Because of that, Rowan had never seen a brainwashed Pokémon before, nor had he immediately recognized that Rhyperior had undergone such treatment.
"This is rather troublesome," Rowan said gravely. "This Pokémon absolutely must not appear in public. As for whether it can recover… let's conduct tests in the laboratory first."
Shiro nodded solemnly and recalled Rhyperior. The two of them then headed straight for the institute's lab.
* * *
Inside Lab No. 6.
Rowan shut and locked the door, confirming that no one else was present before activating the large machine within.
Following his instructions, Shiro released Rhyperior into the center of the device.
A glass dome descended from above, and blue glimmers of light flickered across the motionless Pokémon's body. After a moment, Rowan studied the internal structural images displayed on the screen and fell into deep thought.
It was also his first time observing the internal condition of a brainwashed Pokémon.
"There are no devices implanted elsewhere, only in the brain… They must have used a powerful chemical agent first. While destroying the Pokémon's memories, it also damaged its brain. The function of these devices isn't control…"
"Not control?" Shiro asked instinctively.
"That's right."
Rowan lifted his head, realization striking him like a flash of lightning. "Those devices aren't restraints. Their purpose is to help the damaged brain regions operate according to preset commands. In other words, they assist the Pokémon's actions… They're incredibly precise, almost unbelievably so."
After a brief silence, Shiro asked, "Are you confident you can remove them?"
"Remove them?" Rowan looked as if he had heard something even more shocking.
Why remove them? In its current state, this Rhyperior still maintained peak Gym-level combat power. It could serve as an excellent trump card or bodyguard. Once the devices were removed, the Pokémon might be nearly ruined.
He did not voice those thoughts. He knew Shiro carried many secrets, secrets that could invite deadly consequences.
Rowan's expression gradually shifted from confusion and melancholy to calm. "Almost impossible. At least, it's impossible here."
Hesitating briefly, he added, "Perhaps Professor Oak might have a way."
"Professor Oak…"
Shiro considered this carefully. Time was tight.
If Rhyperior were to return to normal, the first step would be removing the device from its brain. Then Mesprit's help would be needed to restore it. But consulting Professor Oak would likely mean waiting until the Pokémon Academic Summit to make contact.
If he left Sinnoh for Kanto now, the journey alone would be exhausting. Once there, he would probably have to remain until the conference began, all while assisting Rowan with the evolution magnetic field research and related reports. Besides, there was no guarantee Professor Oak even had a solution.
There was about a month and a half left before the summit. By then, nearly two months would have passed since his agreement with Mesprit, leaving only a few days of leeway.
Shiro rubbed his chin.
It seemed he needed to maintain a good relationship with Mesprit. If Mesprit could extend the timeline a little, enough to wait until after Rhyperior recovered, that would be ideal.
The worst-case scenario would be Professor Oak successfully removing the device, only for Mesprit to declare that the time was up and depart a day or two before the procedure was completed.
That would be disastrous.
Perhaps when Mesprit said it would wait until Rhyperior recovered before leaving, it had already considered this possibility.
Shiro made up his mind. He needed to strengthen his bond with Mesprit.
After a short while, he recalled Rhyperior. Rowan did not ask further questions and simply led Shiro back to Lab No. 1.
Rowan planned to compress the evolution magnetic field to its limit within three days and produce a design blueprint for a simplified magnetic evolution device within seven.
Inside the lab, Shiro occasionally pointed out small but critical details. Once he saw the researchers proceeding methodically, he stepped outside to the grassy training area to work with his Pokémon.
After all, he was not truly a researcher and had no interest in the dull, repetitive routine of laboratory life. He would intervene only when necessary.
Whenever he had free time, strengthening himself remained the priority.
* * *
"Growl! Growl!"
On the grass, Growlithe seemed to share the same philosophy as it trotted after a Bidoof.
The Bidoof clutched half a berry in its mouth and scurried frantically across the lawn, glancing back from time to time at the "ferocious beast" chasing it.
Growlithe pretended to pounce.
"Bidoooof!"
Bidoof let out a shrill, panicked cry, convinced its berry was about to be stolen, and sped up even more.
But Growlithe suddenly stopped and curiously pawed at the half blue Oran Berry that had fallen into the grass.
Lifting its head, it called out to the fleeing Bidoof.
"Growl…" (You dropped your berry…)
**
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