Chapter 165: A National Sensation
Basalt scanned the Poké Ball with his Pokédex, and Lileep's information immediately appeared.
Lileep
Type: Grass / Rock
Ability: Storm Drain (Draws in all Water-type moves to raise its own Sp. Atk stat)
Moves: ① Bind, ② Ingrain, ③ Acid, ④ Ancient Power,⑤ Mega Drain, ⑥ Confuse Ray, ⑦ Gastro Acid, ⑧ Brine, ⑨ Bullet Seed, ⑩ Stockpile
"Ten moves right off the bat? Awesome!" Looking at its stats, Basalt knew he had struck gold.
After some basic data entry, Basalt registered Lileep under his name, then released it from its Poké Ball so Dr. Martin could get a closer look. The Lileep seemed to be digesting the energy it had just absorbed, its eyes closed as if it were asleep, only its head tentacles swaying as it sensed its surroundings.
Dr. Martin, pulling out a magnifying glass and other instruments from some hidden corner, examined the Pokémon for a while. "This is an exceptionally talented Lileep," he said, his voice filled with satisfaction. "And it is the first revived Fossil Pokémon in the world. It, and we, will be remembered in the annals of history."
"And all those people who called me a madman," he gritted his teeth, "they can prepare to eat their words!" After a moment of reflection, he pulled out his own Pokédex to record a video of Lileep, ready to share his discovery with the world.
"Wait," Agent Zhou said, stopping him.
"What do you want?" Dr. Martin's eyes widened, his body tensing. He didn't know who Zhou was, and for a moment, he was terrified that the man was going to silence him now that the experiment was over.
"Dr. Martin, please relax. I mean no harm," Zhou said, holding up his hands. "I am Agent Zhou, from the Strategic Weather Research Administration, an independent branch of the national Pokémon League. You may not have heard of us, but..."
"The Weather Bureau? I know of it," Dr. Martin interrupted. As a former top-tier talent in the national research community, he had heard of the Weather Bureau before.
"In that case," Zhou continued, "you understand the nature of our work. The revival of a Fossil Pokémon is an event of monumental significance. Once revealed, it will shake the entire world. Since this happened within our nation's borders, we must first report it to the national League. They will decide if and when this information is made public. Of course, as the scientist who made this possible, your contribution will not be overlooked. I will report everything to my superiors, and when the news is released, your name will be at the forefront."
Zhou was being completely honest. This was a paradigm-shifting event, far above his pay grade. After a moment of thought, Dr. Martin nodded in understanding. He had been part of the system before; he knew the rules.
Zhou gestured for them to wait and stepped aside to make a call. Basalt watched as he stood at attention, respectfully giving a detailed report to the person on the other end. He could pick out keywords like "Dr. Martin," "Basalt," and "fossil."
"Dr. Martin," Zhou said when he returned, "on behalf of the director of the Weather Bureau, I would like to formally invite you to join our organization."
To Basalt's surprise, Dr. Martin didn't seem shocked at all. "Are you aware of my... history?" he asked.
"I am," Zhou nodded. "Including the incident a few years ago when you forged documents to illegally use a fossil from the research institute, resulting in its destruction."
"So that's why he was kicked out," Basalt thought. "A true mad scientist."
"Good," Dr. Martin said, a weight seeming to lift from his shoulders. "I have my conditions. I will join, but you must allow me to establish a new research institute to study Dream and Life energy, with an annual research budget of no less than one hundred million Poké Dollars. Furthermore, I will have absolute authority over all research projects."
"Done," Zhou said with a smile. "As long as your research doesn't cross any ethical lines, we will not only support you, we will provide you with assistants. And we can increase your budget to three hundred million. In that case, welcome to the Weather Bureau... 'Father of Fossil Revival'."
"The 'Father of Fossil Revival'? It has a nice ring to it," Dr. Martin said, a rare smile on his face. The two men shook hands. From that moment on, Dr. Martin's career was officially reinstated.
"It's a shame," he said, looking at the wreckage. "The explosion not only destroyed the revival machine, but also a great deal of my research data."
"The machine can be repaired, right?" Zhou asked, a hint of panic in his voice.
"It can, but without the data, it will be a slow process. I'll have to re-derive everything from first principles. It took me three years to build this machine from scratch."
"Three years? Surely a repair won't take that long?"
"At least half a year, maybe a full year. These things can't be rushed."
Zhou sighed, accepting the reality of the situation. But now, with Dr. Martin on their team and Basalt as their prodigy, the entire fossil revival project could be considered a Weather Bureau initiative. With such a monumental achievement under their belt, their standing among the League's special divisions was sure to rise. And he, having been a part of it, would surely be rewarded. For the first time, he looked at Basalt with a sense of genuine warmth.
"This kid," he thought, "is my lucky star."
While Basalt and the others were cleaning up the wreckage in the shack, the news of the fossil revival had already reached the highest levels of the national Pokémon League. The League President, the Champion, the Elite Four, and the council of elders were all left speechless, as if they were in a dream.
An emergency meeting was called.
"What in the world has the Life Energy Bureau been doing?" one of the elders raged, slamming his fist on the table. "We give them billions in funding every year, and they have nothing to show for it. And look at the Weather Bureau! While fulfilling their own duties, one of their affiliates has revived a living, breathing Fossil Pokémon!"
"Let's discuss the inter-departmental issues later," another elder interjected. "The fact is, a fossil has been successfully revived. This is an event that will shock the entire Pokémon world. As far as we know, our nation is the first to succeed. The question now is, do we announce this to the world to boost our international standing, or do we keep it secret, quietly revive more fossils, and build our strength before revealing our hand?"
"I vote to keep it secret."
"I agree."
"As do I."
The decision was nearly unanimous.
"Then it's settled," the League President said. "But it's a pity the revival machine was damaged. It will take at least a year to repair."
"A year is nothing," an elder replied. "In the meantime, I suggest we begin acquiring Pokémon fossils from other countries at a high price, to build up a reserve."
The proposal was met with immediate approval. Many other nations had not yet realized the true value of fossils. It was the perfect opportunity. Especially fossils of Aerodactyl. If they could amass a large number of them... an army of Aerodactyls? The possibilities were mind-boggling.
The meeting went on for hours, the discussion heated and passionate. The "Fossil Revival" incident would have far-reaching consequences.
And the names Basalt and Lileep were now etched into the annals of history, mentioned again and again by the most powerful people in the nation. Because the Lileep was, officially, registered to him. Legally, if the League wanted to conduct any research on it, they would have to get his permission first.
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