Shiro recalled Haunter into his shadow and returned to the deck, where even more crew members and passengers had gathered; almost everyone had come up.
The weather was excellent and the sky clear. Large flocks of Wingull circled overhead, while Swellow and Unfezant landed on the railings to beg for food.
Woooo!
The S.S. Anne gradually slowed. Compared to the slightly narrow harbor ahead, the ship seemed too large, yet as the waves calmed and the vessel eased into position, it turned out to fit perfectly.
The crew opened the railings and set up the prepared alloy stairs, and the passengers stepped aside in silence. Even the circling Wingull scattered, leaving an open space.
Shiro carried little luggage with him, only a single backpack. After nodding to Acting Captain Tyler and several crew members, he walked toward the stairs, followed by Dale, who stood on tiptoe to look around, and Bria, who kept her head lowered.
"Dr. Corviknight, you will attend the Academic Summit in Kanto, right?" Lorelei asked from not far away, clutching her notebook tightly.
"Yes."
He paused and nodded seriously, then bid farewell to the future Kanto Elite Four member.
Just as he was about to step down the stairs, another voice called out.
"Dr. Shiro!" Cairo, standing near the steps, raised his hand. "Goodbye. Have a safe journey!"
Shiro turned his head to see Cairo and his wife waving, and he waved back in return.
The three of them soon disembarked. The alloy stairs were quickly removed and the railings closed, and more than half of the passengers on deck dispersed.
Cairo remained leaning against the railing, holding his round belly. After scanning the deck, he asked his wife in confusion, "Where's Tobias? Didn't he come to see Dr. Shiro off?"
"Tobias…" His wife looked worried as she replied, "Ever since leaving Octillery Island that day, he hasn't spoken much. He stays in his room most of the time."
Cairo nodded with a sigh and looked toward the harbor and the increasingly distant beach. He seemed to want to say something, but in the end only let out a long sigh.
"Ah…"
* * *
On the southern beach of Sandgem Town, dozens of apprentices and researchers followed Professor Rowan, almost jogging all the way to the harbor.
From a distance, Rowan spotted the docked S.S. Anne and the three people stepping off. The researchers behind him spread out in a half circle, craning their necks and whispering among themselves.
"Is it those three? Which one is Dr. Corviknight?"
"Probably the one with glasses. He's wearing a lab coat, looks like a researcher."
"The one in front looks a bit cold. Maybe a bodyguard."
"I think so too."
"The girl in the back must be his assistant."
Amid the chatter, Rowan let out two stern grunts, and the noise immediately died down.
A crowd might be lively, but without discipline it was no different from a marketplace. How could that resemble scholars devoted to research? They might as well go home and study how to make Pokéblocks.
Under Rowan's expectant gaze, the three walked straight toward them, yet the closer they came, the more uneasy he felt.
Which one was Shiro?
The girl in the back could be ruled out. That left the two men… and he could not tell.
He examined them carefully. One wore a lab coat and glasses, his hair messy and his demeanor carefree and cheerful. The other wore standard black trainer attire, neat in appearance, with a calm and distant expression.
"Uhh… this…" Rowan felt a headache coming on.
He had assumed Shiro would come alone, yet three people had arrived, and he had never even asked about Shiro's appearance.
That was it, he had overlooked something important. As an accomplished Pokémon scholar, Shiro would surely have assistants. If he mistook the assistant for the actual person, that would be embarrassing.
Logically, the one walking in front should be Shiro.
But that one could also be a bodyguard. Perhaps the Gym-level Haunter mentioned in Sinnoh's internal message actually belonged to the bodyguard.
It seemed possible.
Rowan shot a helpless look at his assistant, Rei, who immediately understood.
As the trio approached, Rei raised his voice loudly, "Dr. Corviknight! It's an honor to meet you!"
He addressed all three at once. Someone among them would definitely react, and even if Dr. Corviknight was actually the girl in the back, this would reveal it.
Shiro gave a slight nod in response.
Rowan finally relaxed and quickly stepped forward with a smile. "I am Rowan."
"Hello, Professor Rowan. I'm Shiro, also known online as Corviknight."
Following a brief handshake, the two men walked side by side toward Sandgem Town.
The dozens of researchers in white coats looked surprised. After clearing a path for the pair to pass, they surrounded Dale and Bria.
"Uh…" Even Dale, usually carefree, felt nervous seeing so many people blocking him. "What's this about?"
Rei smiled. "Hello, I'm Professor Rowan's assistant, Rei. May I ask…"
Soon the two were chatting comfortably, and surrounded by listeners, the group slowly made their way back to the Rowan Research Institute.
Only Bria, who had kept her head down in silence, realized she had been left behind and hurried to catch up.
* * *
At the Rowan Research Institute.
Rowan led Shiro straight to the laboratory dedicated to studying evolutionary magnetic fields.
He had built a large-scale device specifically for these experiments, one that could accommodate most Pokémon for magnetic field testing and even featured an electromagnetic hypnosis function.
The equipment stood in the center of the spacious lab, resembling a massive silver birdcage, while the special glass walls allowed a clear view inside.
"This instrument was constructed specifically for magnetic field evolution experiments," Rowan said confidently as he stood before it. "We have already tested the vast majority of known Pokémon. Aside from extremely rare species and Legendary Pokémon, we have completed experiments on whether the evolutionary magnetic field can trigger evolution."
Shiro nodded repeatedly, stroking his chin as he examined the machine.
Setting aside Rowan's research methods, the equipment itself seemed overly bulky and complicated. Rowan likely avoided placing Pokémon inside Poké Balls during testing, wanting to eliminate any possible interference.
In normal circumstances, magnetic field evolution had actually been discovered through long-distance Pokémon exchange systems.
"Do you think there is any issue?" Rowan asked when he saw Shiro's serious expression.
After all, this theory had been proposed by Shiro. In truth, the person most qualified to conduct the research should have been him, and Shiro surely had more ideas and stricter standards.
For once, Rowan felt the uneasy nerves of an apprentice.
**
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