When Mr. Stone said he was willing to build a research institute for him, Chen Shi was genuinely stunned by the sudden windfall.
Constructing a research institute was no small expense to begin with.
And when the other party promised that all equipment would be state-of-the-art, the cost climbed even higher—
to the point where it could only be described as astronomical.
But this was something he had to have.
Becoming a Professor had always been one of Chen Shi's long-term goals.
And a Professor without a research institute?
That would be a joke.
Not to mention—if a research institute were built on his family's farm, who would dare harbor any ulterior motives toward that place?
In short, the benefits were overwhelming.
Originally, he'd planned to apply to the Hoenn League, asking them to fund a modest institute for him.
He never expected Mr. Stone to step in personally.
But after thinking it through carefully, Chen Shi suddenly understood—and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
A seasoned fox really is a seasoned fox.
Mr. Stone hadn't brought up Mega Evolution at all.
Nor had he mentioned the mysterious techniques used on the battlefield.
Instead, he used the fossil revival breakthrough as the entry point.
Under the banner of gratitude, he proposed building Chen Shi a research institute.
And once future research results came out—
how could Devon Corporation possibly not get a share?
After realizing this, Chen Shi still nodded and accepted.
Not because he was being careless—but because he knew perfectly well that he couldn't handle all of this alone.
Partnering with Devon Corporation was exactly the right move.
Take Mega Stones, for example.
How many had he and his grandfather found combined?
Barely a handful.
Devon Corporation, on the other hand, could produce dozens at once.
That was the value of a powerful partner.
Seeing Chen Shi agree, Mr. Stone immediately smiled.
"Then it's settled," he said.
"Tell me the location, and once I return, I'll have people begin construction right away."
For a young man this monstrously talented, Mr. Stone had already decided—
he would invest heavily in building a long-term relationship.
Chen Shi didn't hesitate.
"My family's farm," he replied.
"Near the back mountain."
"There's plenty of space there. You can just have someone coordinate directly with my grandparents."
"No problem."
Mr. Stone thought briefly, then agreed on the spot.
The exact location didn't matter much to him.
As long as it was in Hoenn, it was fine.
And building it on the Chen family farm wasn't bad at all—
it wasn't far from Rustboro City, making logistics convenient.
Then Mr. Stone continued,
"Oh, right. I've also heard about the Mega Stone situation you mentioned. Steven filled me in."
"I won't say too much for now—this matter is too sensitive."
"After you publish your paper, we'll simultaneously hold an auction."
"The finale items will be three Key Stones and three Mega Stones."
"And we'll publicly state that Devon Corporation is your partner."
"You'll be responsible only for research. You won't be involved in any other matters."
Hearing this, Chen Shi froze—then felt a warmth spread through his chest.
By doing this, Devon Corporation was effectively telling the world:
Yes, Chen Shi was indeed the discoverer of Mega Evolution.
But the party that controlled Mega Stones was Devon Corporation.
As for Chen Shi?
He was just a researcher—
a hired hand.
That single move shifted the bulk of the risk onto Devon Corporation.
And with that, no one would dare target him anymore.
"Thank you, Uncle Stone," Chen Shi said sincerely.
The moment he heard the word uncle, the smile on Mr. Stone's face grew even more genuine.
Steven, Cynthia, and Phoebe listened quietly from the side, not interrupting.
Then Chen Shi brought up another matter.
"Uncle Stone, I still have something else I'd like to cooperate with you on."
"It involves Energy Cubes."
"This matter isn't smaller than Mega Evolution."
"In fact—it may be even bigger."
"Would you be willing?"
Mr. Stone's smile stiffened slightly, his expression turning serious.
He understood immediately—
if Chen Shi had brought this up personally, it couldn't possibly be ordinary Energy Cubes.
And something bigger than Mega Evolution…
There was only one possibility.
That strange technique Florges had used.
Steven had mentioned it in passing before—
something that might be related to a new, eighteenth type.
Mr. Stone's thoughts crystallized.
These Energy Cubes were almost certainly connected to that new type.
He spoke directly,
"Xiaoshi, since you're calling me Uncle, I won't beat around the bush."
"Tell me—what exactly do these Energy Cubes do?"
Chen Shi lifted his teacup, took a light sip, then calmly said,
"They allow Fairy-type Pokémon to awaken their original attribute energy."
The instant those words left his mouth—
Both Mr. Stone and Steven's eyes lit up.
As expected—it really was connected to the eighteenth type!
Fairy-type?
So that was the name of the new attribute?
And awakening…?
Did that mean Fairy-type required Energy Cubes to awaken?
Steven didn't bother holding back and immediately voiced his doubts.
Chen Shi nodded and explained the current state of Fairy-type Pokémon, as well as the role of Fairy Energy Cubes.
Only then did everyone understand.
No wonder no one had ever discovered this attribute before.
If Fairy energy had vanished from the world, then naturally, Fairy-type itself would disappear with it.
Mr. Stone pondered for a moment, then asked,
"Xiaoshi—does Fairy-type have any defining characteristics?"
"Characteristics…"
Chen Shi stroked his chin, smiled slightly, and answered without hesitation:
"Fairy-type is immune to Dragon-type."
The room instantly erupted.
Seven short words—
yet they hit like a sledgehammer to the head.
"What?! Immune to Dragon-type?"
Phoebe's eyes went wide, her dark face filled with disbelief.
"Brother Chen Shi, you have to be joking, right?"
Even Cynthia looked shocked.
He had told her before that Fairy-type countered Dragon-type—
but he'd never said it was immune.
If it were merely super-effective, that would be one thing.
Every type had weaknesses.
Dragon-type was already checked by Dragon-type and Ice-type.
Adding Fairy-type wouldn't truly threaten its dominance.
But immunity?
That was completely different.
The position of Dragon-type as the king of attributes could face its greatest challenge yet.
Cynthia could already imagine the shockwaves Fairy-type would send through the world once revealed.
On the other side, Steven was practically vibrating with excitement.
When he'd watched Florges battle before, he'd already suspected something like this.
Now that Chen Shi confirmed it—
Fairy-type immunity to Dragon-type was essentially settled.
Mr. Stone, far more composed than the others, quickly regained his calm after the initial shock.
He asked immediately,
"Then are you planning to announce Fairy-type now?"
Chen Shi smiled and shook his head.
"That doesn't depend on me."
"It depends on whether the League is willing to accept my conditions."
Hearing this, Mr. Stone thought for a moment—then suddenly understood.
"Your condition is a Professor position, isn't it?"
"Exactly."
Chen Shi nodded, his tone firm.
"That's my condition."
"If the League agrees, I'll publish the Fairy-type paper."
"If they don't—then I'm in no hurry."
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