Senior Hara smiled and said, "Of course, there is no problem. I am quite curious about Wimpod myself."
"By the way, does Wimpod have an evolved form? If so, what is its name?"
Eichi glanced at the curled-up Wimpod and said, "Wimpod does have an evolved form. Its evolution is called Golisopod."
"Golisopod?"
Everyone was clearly surprised to hear the name. Professor Nobby pondered for a moment after hearing it and said, "The name Golisopod sounds very powerful, but the contrast with Wimpod is quite stark."
The others nodded in agreement. Senior Hara remarked, "The transformation is indeed significant, which suggests that Wimpod's potential is not lacking."
"Huge shifts in personality before and after evolution aren't unheard of, so there's no need to be too surprised."
After ending that topic, Hara added, "Alright, leave Wimpod to us. You'll have the data in a moment."
At this point, Professor Nobby spoke up again, "Since Eichi has made a rare visit, let's all lend a hand. I am actually very curious about Wimpod as well."
The others chimed in, "Yes, we'll help too."
"We don't have anything pressing on our hands anyway, might as well assist."
"It's not every day we get a Bug-type Pokémon we've never seen before. We definitely can't miss this."
Hara said to Eichi, "Eichi, follow me."
He turned to leave, and Eichi followed with Wimpod in his arms while the others trailed behind.
Hara led the group into an elevator and headed to the second floor. Like the first floor, it was filled with various equipment. However, unlike the first floor which was one large hall where everyone operated and experimented in the open, the layout here was different.
On the first floor, there were small corners with tables piled high with documents where researchers recorded data. The second floor, however, was partitioned into individual rooms, each containing different specialized equipment.
Eichi knew the entire Research Institute had four floors. The first and second floors were for experiments and research work, while the third and fourth floors were for living quarters and storage. The researchers had their own dormitories, but when work became too busy, they would stay directly at the Institute. It wasn't a small number either; over half of the research staff lived on-site.
Senior Hara usually conducted his research in a specific room on the second floor, and this time was no different. He led Eichi into a hall that, while not as large as the one on the first floor, was much bigger than the other rooms on the second level.
The entire hall was packed with instruments. In the center, several machines surrounded a mechanical platform. Around it were large computer units covered in electronic screens.
Hara walked to the center of the platform and said to Eichi, "Eichi, you've seen this before, right? Come, place Wimpod on the platform."
Eichi had indeed seen this machine; he often saw Senior Hara placing Pokémon on the platform for examinations. Eichi placed Wimpod on the stand and tried to pull his hand away, but Wimpod gripped it tightly, refusing to let go. It wore a pitiful expression and let out non-stop cries; Wimpod was absolutely terrified.
Knowing it was scared, Eichi comforted it softly, "Don't worry, nothing will happen. Just stay here for a moment and it'll be over."
Even so, Wimpod was unwilling and continued to clutch Eichi's hand. Eichi didn't know what to do and looked at Senior Hara with a helpless expression.
Hara simply pulled out a Poké Ball and said, "Come out, Venomoth."
A light purple Pokémon appeared. Its abdomen was covered in white fuzz, its eyes looked like bubbles, and its mouthparts consisted of two fangs. Three slender protrusions stood atop its head, and it possessed two pairs of massive wings.
It was a Venomoth!
"Venomoth, use Sleep Powder on Wimpod."
Hearing the move name, Eichi immediately held his breath. Venomoth flew over Wimpod's head and flapped its wings. Purple powder drifted from its wings. Fortunately, Venomoth's control was excellent, targeting only Wimpod.
After inhaling the Sleep Powder, Wimpod suddenly felt extremely drowsy. Its body became uncontrollable, and Eichi's figure grew blurry. Finally, its eyes darkened as it lost consciousness, and its body finally relaxed.
Eichi pulled his hand back and laid Wimpod properly on the platform. He turned and activated his Eye of the Bug Emperor. This Venomoth was strong! Although its talent was Excellent, its energy level had actually reached the peak of the Gym Leader rank. It felt as though it was just a step away from breaking through to the Elite Four level.
Senior Hara was truly powerful. Eichi had never seen his Pokémon before today.
Hara recalled Venomoth into its Poké Ball and sat down in front of the main computer. The other researchers each stepped up to a machine and began operating them. Eichi then saw a transparent glass container slowly rise, sealing Wimpod inside.
Standing behind Senior Hara, Eichi watched him tap away at the keyboard, performing operations Eichi couldn't understand. Soon, red light beams appeared inside the glass, illuminating the entire container as they scanned over Wimpod. It felt nothing, sleeping soundly. Unable to decipher the process, Eichi simply watched from the side.
Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Hara turned to Eichi and said, "Alright, Eichi, the check-up is finished. The data is all out."
Senior Hara retracted the glass container. Eichi went over to pick up Wimpod while the others gathered around, staring at Hara's computer screen. They began sharing their views, occasionally letting out exclamations of praise.
After they discussed for a while, Eichi asked, "How are Wimpod's physical stats?"
The others glanced at each other, and Senior Hara spoke, "Wimpod's physical indicators are very healthy. Furthermore, we checked its aptitude—it's exceptionally outstanding."
"It actually has an Outstanding talent grade. I have to say, your luck is truly good. I'm almost a bit jealous."
Eichi didn't know how to respond and joked, "With Senior's ability, finding an Outstanding-grade Pokémon should be easy, shouldn't it?"
Senior Hara shook his head and said, "It's not that easy."
After a bit of banter, Hara's expression turned serious. "I'm going to give Takemoto a call. I happen to have some questions I want to ask Teacher."