After eating the food Officer Jenny had sent over, Growlithe would usually burn for around two hours.
Although the flames were extremely hot, they came from Growlithe's own body and couldn't harm it at all. Being tempered by these flames seemed to have some kind of amazing body-strengthening effect.
Growlithe would fall asleep just as the effect was about to end. After waking up, its level would usually increase.
Of course, the Exp. Candies Officer Jenny had sent also played a significant role.
Perhaps it was the result of accumulated gains finally taking effect. The levels of the other Pokémon had also increased slightly since leaving Sinnoh.
The current status of Shiro's Pokémon was as follows:
[Name: Corviknight
Type: Flying/Steel
Level: 53 (Elite)
Ability: Mirror Armor
Held Item: Rocky Helmet
Moves: Steel Wing, Leer, Peck, Screech, Metal Sound, Iron Defense, Hone Claws, Power Trip, Fury Attack, Pluck, Taunt, Scary Face, Drill Peck, Swagger, Aerial Ace, Air Cutter...]
* * *
[Name: Gengar
Type: Ghost/Poison
Level: 60 (Elite)
Ability: Cursed Body
Held Item: Spell Tag
Moves: Taunt, Shadow Punch, Hypnosis, Confuse Ray, Lick, Mean Look, Payback, Grudge, Curse, Hex, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Dark Pulse, Shadow Ball, Protect...]
* * *
[Name: Rhyperior
Type: Rock/Ground
Level: 52 (Elite)
Ability: Solid Rock
Held Item: Wide Lens
Moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Hammer Arm, Smack Down, Bulldoze, Horn Attack, Stomp, Rock Blast, Scary Face, Drill Run, Take Down, Earthquake, Mud-Slap, Protect...]
* * *
[Name: Drakloak
Type: Ghost/Dragon
Level: 60 (Elite)
Ability: Clear Body
Held Item: Dragon Fang
Moves: Dragon Pulse, Infestation, Bite, Quick Attack, Astonish, Lock-On, Assurance, Hex, Agility, Double Hit, U-turn, Dragon Dance, Phantom Force, Take Down...]
* * *
[Name: Dreepy
Type: Ghost/Dragon
Level: 29 (Intermediate)
Ability: Infiltrator
Held Item: Everstone
Moves: Infestation, Bite, Quick Attack, Astonish, Lock-On, Assurance, Hex, Agility, Double Hit, U-turn, Take Down...]
* * *
[Name: Growlithe
Type: Fire
Level: 50 (Gym)
Ability: Flash Fire
Held Item: Everstone
Moves: Leer, Ember, Howl, Bite, Flame Wheel, Helping Hand, Agility, Fire Fang, Retaliate, Crunch, Take Down, Flamethrower...]
* * *
[Name: Vibrava
Type: Ground/Dragon
Level: 46 (Gym)
Ability: Levitate
Held Item: Everstone
Moves: Dragon Breath, Sand Attack, Bite, Dig, Mud-Slap, Sand Tomb, Dragon Tail, Screech, Bug Buzz, Sandstorm, Earth Power, Take Down, Protect, Struggle Bug, Endure...]
* * *
[Name: Bewear
Type: Fighting/Normal
Level: 52 (Elite)
Ability: Fluffy
Held Item: Assault Vest
Moves: Bind, Tackle, Leer, Baby-Doll Eyes, Payback, Brutal Swing, Endure, Strength, Take Down, Flail, Hammer Arm, Thrash...]
* * *
[Name: Larvesta
Type: Fire/Bug
Level: 19 (Beginner)
Ability: Swarm
Held Item: Everstone
Moves: Ember, String Shot, Flame Charge...]
* * *
[Name: Feebas
Type: Water
Level: 38 (Advanced)
Ability: Adaptability
Held Item: Everstone
Moves: Splash, Tackle, Flail...
Beauty: 198/255]
* * *
Among them, Bewear and Rhyperior had both reached the Elite-level, while Growlithe seemed to be on the verge of breaking through as well.
All of the Pokémon were steadily growing stronger. Aside from Corviknight, the one Shiro cared about most was Feebas.
Because it had been eating well and benefiting from the Sea Shard Rock's effects, Feebas had continued to improve at an astonishing rate despite not undergoing any intense training. At this rate, it should be able to reach the Gym-level in less than half a month.
According to Shiro's plan, he would wait until the research institute was almost finished before helping Feebas evolve.
By then, its Beauty should also be close to the maximum value. Since it lacked battles and training, its level should be stuck around Level 40. That would be perfect for training it at the research institute while also studying the conditions for evolving through Beauty.
Once Feebas evolved into Milotic and could move freely on land, it would finally be able to become a fighting force.
Of course, everything still had to wait until the research institute was completed...
Shiro could also leave Birch Research Institute.
He had no interest in investigating Birch's secrets. If something happened in Hoenn, it would definitely have something to do with Groudon and Kyogre. It certainly had nothing to do with the Unown he needed right now, and he already had plenty of things to deal with.
Besides training his Pokémon and establishing the research institute, there was also the matter of the Hunters Guild.
Previously, he had sent several hunters to Hoenn and the surrounding areas to recover the old Hunters Guild. Things had proceeded steadily step by step. The hunters themselves also knew what they were doing, and they would basically report every action through the communication device first.
After all, the hunters were all Gym-level trainers, and they also possessed the tokens of the old Hunters Guild. So far, they had not encountered any obstacles.
Once the recovery was complete, Shiro would have to personally talk with the Hoenn League about building a new Hunters Guild near the Pokémon Center.
Aside from these major matters, Shiro had also made a list.
There were two other things he needed to personally investigate.
One was the information he had previously received about a wild Elite-level Tyranitar near Mt. Chimney.
The other was Hunter T's property.
As the person in charge of the Hunters Guild in the Hoenn region, Hunter T had worked in Hoenn for many years. His true identity was actually a famous local businessman and one of the shareholders of Devon Corporation… He had assets hidden throughout Hoenn, and their total value could be worth several billion Pokédollars.
The only problem was that these assets might not be easy to take over.
'Could I use the Unown to transform into Hunter T and simply transfer everything from one hand to the other?'
That… might not be impossible either.
Shiro thought about Hunter T's main contacts in Hoenn.
Because of his profession and his excessive suspicion, Hunter T had practically no close friends in Hoenn. He only had one butler who lived at a manor in the north and handled various affairs for him.
'Perhaps there is a chance...'
Shiro pondered on the issue as noon arrived.
Sapphire ran over from the stream, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back to eat.
"Alright."
He comforted her with a word before recalling his Pokémon.
* * *
The next day.
Nine in the morning.
The usually quiet and peaceful Littleroot Town had become lively over the past few days.
Aside from the sudden visit from the Jenny and Joy families a few days ago, today's arrival from Devon Corporation was even more imposing and grand.
From a distance, three Rapidash-brand cars led the way. After entering Littleroot Town, they proceeded one after another along the dirt road. Behind them was Devon Corporation's main car, its silver emblem particularly eye-catching. It was a vehicle produced by Devon Corporation itself.
Although Devon Corporation couldn't be considered the regional ruler and was nowhere near as dominant as Galar's Macro Cosmos or Alola's Aether Paradise, which had practically replaced their respective Leagues, its influence in Hoenn was still powerful enough to cover nearly every corner.
Most of Hoenn's local industries had countless connections with Devon Corporation. Every generation of the Elite Four had also received donations from the company.
If the previous Champion hadn't died young, Devon Corporation's authority would probably have risen another level.
The convoy arrived neatly in front of Birch's house. Several neighbors passing by stopped to look. In less than ten minutes, more than a dozen people had gathered in the usually quiet Littleroot Town just to watch the commotion.
"Wow, why are there so many cars? Did Birch make it big again?"
"Shh, it's Professor Birch!"
"The last time this many people came to the Birch residence was more than ten years ago. These are all Devon Corporation's cars. Why would Devon suddenly come looking for Professor Birch? I heard it's because some important person came to the Birch residence a few days ago!"
"Tch, what important person could be important enough to stay with Birch..."
"I heard it's a young professor. Could it be Professor Sycamore? You know, that popular heartthrob?"
The crowd discussed it without holding back. However, when they reached this point, they all stopped speaking at almost the same time. Their expressions became strangely complicated.
Several elderly men even sighed, muttering about how the world had gone downhill.
Not far away, Devon Corporation's main car had stopped right in front of Birch's house. A slightly chubby middle-aged man in a suit got out first. After briefly straightening his collar, he walked around to the other side and personally opened the car door.
A handsome young man with blue hair stepped out with a smile. He was dressed in an equally formal suit and stood tall and straight, carrying a natural air of nobility.
This was Devon Corporation's young heir and the future Champion of Hoenn, Steven Stone.
"Sir, please." Cairo bent forward and gestured invitingly.
Steven gave a slight nod and knocked on the door three times.
It seemed the people inside had been waiting for them. The moment the knocking stopped, the door opened.
"Oh my, it's Steven. Come in, come in..." Soyln welcomed him with a bright smile.
Steven didn't enter immediately. After giving a slight nod in greeting, he said, "I've come to visit the Galar Champion, Professor Shiro. Madam, could you please inform him that I'm here?"
Soyln sighed. "Why be so formal?"
She then turned around and walked beneath the stairs. After pausing for a moment to gather her strength, she shouted, "Shiro! Someone's here to see you!"
Her voice nearly hit Steven in the face, making his eyelid twitch slightly.
Shiro, who was on the third floor, naturally heard her clearly. After saying something to Birch, he hurried downstairs.
The first thing he saw was Steven standing by the door, and he was momentarily stunned.
In real life, Steven was much more handsome than he had been in the anime. His blue hair in particular gave Shiro a strange sense of déjà vu, as if he had seen it somewhere long ago.
However, he had no time to think about it. He quickened his pace and walked over.
Steven extended his hand. "I'm Steven Stone, the representative of Devon Corporation."
"I'm Shiro."
After briefly introducing themselves and shaking hands, the two accepted Soyln's invitation and went to a small meeting room on the second floor that had just been cleaned up. In reality, it was simply an empty bedroom with a table placed inside.
Still, it was enough for their needs.
Once Steven was seated, he first took out a Poké Ball and released a Gym-level Metagross.
The Metagross's massive body immediately filled the upper part of the room. Psychic energy flashed around it, and it vanished without a trace.
He obviously hadn't released it to intimidate Shiro. A mere Gym-level Metagross would have little effect in front of a quasi-Champion level trainer.
Steven was having Metagross use its psychic power to envelop the entire room in case the soundproofing was inadequate.
Shiro watched this scene and pressed down on Gengar, who had poked its head out from his shadow. At the same time, he had a fairly good idea of Steven's strength.
Gym-level? No, in reality, he was a quasi-Gym level trainer.
Steven didn't have six Gym-level Pokémon. His strongest Pokémon was this Gym-level Metagross.
Compared to Cynthia at this point, his strength was still slightly lacking.
After releasing his Pokémon, Steven waited for several moments, but the reaction he expected never came. He was a little surprised, so after giving a brief apology, he went straight to the point.
"I'm here this time to represent Devon Corporation and discuss a business deal with you."
The moment he spoke, Shiro had already guessed what it was about.
Professor research institutes were involved in many rights and businesses. Among companies as large as Devon Corporation, the field most closely connected to them was naturally Pokémon-related research.
Such research was prohibited by League law. It might not necessarily be particularly cruel, but private forces were simply not allowed to conduct it.
Even the most ordinary Pokémon technology, including industries related to Poké Balls, had to operate under the name of a professor's research institute.
Shiro asked directly, "What kind of research?"
Steven smiled gently and extended his hand. Cairo immediately handed him a stack of documents.
"Devon Corporation's latest project is a study aimed at benefiting the public. It's about using magma as fuel to generate energy. I believe Professor Shiro will be interested."
Shiro took the documents and flipped through them briefly. He quickly understood what the other party meant.
This so-called magma energy project was still in the theoretical stage and hadn't yet begun implementation. It was indeed Devon Corporation's newest project, so new that it couldn't possibly be any newer.
However, the investment required for the energy project had been marked in bold.
Five hundred million Pokédollars.
If Shiro signed the agreement, Devon Corporation would still transfer the research funds to him or the research institute in advance. It could be considered a gesture of sincerity, or it could be seen as preparing in advance for the project's research.
After looking through the documents, Shiro calmly placed them back on the table.
As far as he knew, Devon Corporation's main industries included steel refining, developing various Pokémon items, manufacturing Poké Balls, and researching Pokémon devices. Those were only the things on the surface.
Shiro remembered that Devon Corporation also seemed to be researching fossil restoration technology and had close ties with the Cinnabar Research Institute in Kanto, which was run by Blaine.
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