During his days in Nanwu Town, Owen's primary focus remained on Pokéblock research and his study of Magikarp's Abilities. Training Eevee and Magnemite became a secondary task.
He only set aside one or two hours a day for move practice. Compared to their grueling schedule during the school semester, this was a massive amount of relaxation time. Owen felt he was being an incredibly considerate trainer...
"Magnemite, Hidden Power!"
"Eevee, Reflect!"
After consuming a steady supply of high-quality light-blue Pokéblocks, Eevee's mental power had finally reached a breakthrough point. She could now materialize her psychic energy into a tangible wall for defense.
In a clearing, Magnemite used Hidden Power to manipulate a large boulder Owen had found, hoisting it into the air before letting gravity slam it down toward Eevee.
Watching the massive rock descend, Eevee swallowed hard and quickly erected a translucent screen.
Crack!
The Reflect shattered instantly. Eevee scrambled out of the way using Quick Attack, her mouth twitching in annoyance.
"The strength of the Reflect is still lacking. It's a bit too fragile to be practical right now..."
Owen mused, then had Eevee and Magnemite swap roles. Eevee began attacking with Quick Attack and Shadow Ball, while Magnemite focused on defending with Reflect and Light Screen.
The barriers created by Magnemite were visibly sturdier than Eevee's, but not by much. Under Eevee's relentless assault, they still crumpled relatively easily.
In the games, Reflect and Light Screen halved the damage of an opponent's moves. In reality, however, they couldn't just magically cut any attack's power by 50%. How much they could withstand depended entirely on the Pokémon's own strength.
Against weak attacks, a Reflect might block them entirely. Against a devastating blow, it might shatter instantly without even slowing the impact.
To make these moves tactically viable for a variety of defensive situations, Owen knew he had to continue boosting their mental power and their mastery of the techniques.
However, this wouldn't be their main training focus. Owen was a firm believer that the best defense was a good offense. Eevee's Return and Shadow Ball, and Magnemite's Hidden Power and Thunderbolt, were what he valued most.
As Owen immersed himself in research and training, time flew by. His parents' New Year leave came to an end, and they returned to work.
As the school term approached, Owen decided to leave Nanwu Town and visit one last place: Aurelia University in the provincial capital.
He had heard that Aurelia University was opening some of its training facilities exclusively for elite rookie trainers from the Province. After the benefits he reaped at Imperial Capital and Magic City, Owen was eager for one more stop.
You have to have dreams, he thought. Without dreams, what's the difference between a person and a Magikarp?
Speaking of Magikarp, Owen thought back to the Feebas in the puddle. That fish had given him zero face.
He had tried feeding it a Pokéblock one more time, but after snatching the food, it simply vanished back into the mud. It showed absolutely no interest in becoming Owen's future research subject.
Owen had been so irritated that he'd almost sent Eevee in to give it a "Bite" treatment like the Magikarp. Ultimately, the Feebas showed no loyalty before Owen left. He could only memorize the location and head back to Pingcheng.
"We'll meet again if fate allows!" Owen muttered. And if fate doesn't allow... well, if it gets eaten by a predator, that's just bad luck, he thought, still nursing his petty grudge.
The Shadow Over Magic City
While the Spring Festival was a time of joy and celebration across the country, not every corner of the nation shared the festive atmosphere.
Magic City.The Pokémon Genetics Research Institute.
The head of the institute, Dr. Chen, was a renowned domestic researcher in the field of Pokémon genetics. He held a prestigious reputation. Yet, following the festival, this important research base was surrounded by police cars.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy.
"Captain, what have we found?"
"It's confirmed. Dr. Chen was conducting forbidden research. Evidence in the lab suggests he fled recently."
Outside the institute, a high-ranking official from the Magic City Trainer Association listened to the report, his expression darkening. Dr. Chen was a prominent figure; if this scandal broke, the Association would face a massive public relations disaster.
A researcher who was supposed to be studying Pokémon genetics had secretly turned to human experimentation—attempting to fuse human and Pokémon DNA—as well as Pokémon cloning. Both were strictly prohibited by both law and ethics.
Reports indicated that a number of Pokémon and humans had already perished within these walls.
By the time the Association noticed, it was too late. Dr. Chen, who was both a Professional Trainer and a researcher, had already fled to avoid prosecution.
Based on the evidence, the Association reconstructed the timeline. Five years ago, Dr. Chen had obtained an active fossil from a Secret Realm.
During his study, he discovered a vast array of genetic data within it. He became obsessed with the idea of using the fossil to create a "Panacea"—a drug capable of boosting the power of any Pokémon at a genetic level.
When normal experiments failed to yield results, he crossed the line into forbidden territory. The reason for his descent into madness remained unknown.
Currently, the Magic City Association had issued a nationwide "Most Wanted" alert for Dr. Chen. If a researcher of his caliber made contact with foreign agents, the loss to the country would be irreparable.
Meanwhile, back in Faiview, Owen boarded the maglev train headed for Aurelia. The third and final stop of his holiday journey was Aurelia University.
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