Before leaving the Secret Realm, Oliver casually gathered a few low-value berries.
They weren't worth much—
their main purpose was simply to serve as cover.
After all, walking out of a Secret Realm empty-handed was bound to raise suspicion.
After paying the required 10% resource tax, Oliver headed straight home.
Milotic had successfully evolved—
and his paper could finally be published.
On top of that, all the top-tier Water-type Energy Cubes provided by the system had already been used up during the intense battles. If Milotic was to continue improving at a rapid pace, logistics absolutely could not fall behind.
Fortunately, the rewards for defeating Sceptile—Mystic Water and Top-Tier Water Energy Cube Crafting Experience—had already been issued.
Once the paper was published and the money came in, he could buy materials and produce Energy Cubes himself.
At that point…
he could make as many as he wanted.
There was also another small problem.
Now that Feebas had evolved into Milotic, the fish tank he'd bought earlier was far too small.
Once he had money, it would be best to buy a house with a yard—
preferably with a pond, so Milotic could swim freely.
Of course, thinking that far ahead was pointless for now.
Oliver opened the system panel and clicked Use on Top-Tier Water Energy Cube Crafting Experience.
That familiar sensation washed over him again.
This time, however, the influx of information was far smaller, and Oliver quickly recovered.
Now, when it came to crafting Water-type Energy Cubes, he was effectively on par with true top-tier breeders—
if not better.
The system's methods were, frankly, superior.
He then checked the details of his newly acquired items.
Mystic Water
A droplet-shaped gemstone. When held, it enhances the power of Water-type moves.
Silver Wing
A mysterious feather emitting a silver glow. Said to belong to the Sea Guardian Lugia. Can be used to summon Lugia.
Oliver was extremely satisfied with both items.
Especially the Silver Wing.
In games, it was used to summon Lugia—but in reality, Oliver had no intention of doing so.
First, even if Lugia appeared, he couldn't possibly defeat or capture it. Summoning it would be a complete waste.
Second, Celebi had already said that now was not yet the era for legendary Pokémon to descend. Lugia likely didn't even exist in this world yet—summoning it would probably do nothing.
After returning home, Oliver held Milotic's Poké Ball and said softly:
"Our conditions still aren't good enough yet, so I won't let you out for now.
Once I have money and buy a big house with a pond, you can swim however you like."
The Poké Ball shook gently in response.
Oliver smiled.
Then his expression turned serious.
He took out all the notes and data he had accumulated so far and officially began writing his first Pokémon research paper.
"One hundred years ago, with the descent of the first Secret Realm, spatial anomalies began appearing across the world. Alongside these anomalies came mysterious creatures known as Pokémon. Over the past century, research into Pokémon has deepened considerably—yet due to rarity, certain species remain almost completely unstudied."
"Milotic—hailed as the most beautiful Pokémon in existence—is one such example. It is also among the least understood. For a long time, Milotic has been classified as a single-form Pokémon, meaning it has no pre-evolution or evolution, similar to Lapras, Seviper, and Zangoose. But is this conclusion truly correct…?"
Once he started writing, time flew by.
Thanks to the drafts he had prepared earlier, progress was smooth—
and before he knew it, it was 2 a.m.
He logged into the Pokémon Academic Forum, navigated to the Pokémon Evolution section, and—
Clicked Upload.
Paper submitted.
The Pokémon Academic Forum was an official platform designated by the League, dedicated exclusively to publishing Pokémon-related research.
Its review system was extremely rigorous.
Submitting a paper didn't mean it would be published immediately.
Dedicated reviewers would examine it for originality, plagiarism, data integrity, and whether the conclusions were logically supported by evidence.
Only after verifying that the research was sound would a paper be approved for publication.
As for whether the topic itself was "big" or "small," that mattered far less.
After all, Secret Realms had only existed for fifty years. Pokémon research was still in its infancy.
As long as a paper met academic standards and related to Pokémon, it could be published.
That was why the forum contained everything from analyses of gender differences in specific Pokémon species to speculative theories about the origin of Secret Realms themselves.
Pokémon League – Regional BranchPokémon Academic Forum Review Section
Reviewer Shen Yuanwei took a sip of coffee and rubbed his temples before continuing his night shift.
The number of papers submitted daily was enormous.
To keep up, the League enforced a three-shift rotation. Otherwise, the backlog would become completely unmanageable.
Shen Yuanwei was part of the night shift.
A newly hired reviewer beside him complained quietly,
"Brother Shen, don't you think it's ridiculous? People submit papers nonstop, and most of them are complete nonsense—some even contradict themselves. And we still have to review them around the clock."
"Yeah," another chimed in.
"I've never heard of any other desk job working 24 hours like this."
Shen Yuanwei smiled and replied patiently:
"Our understanding of Pokémon is still far from complete. Sometimes, even a small paper about a Pokémon's temperament can provide crucial clues for major research projects."
"That's why we have to be meticulous. Even if we read a hundred useless papers, finding just one valuable one makes it all worthwhile."
"Yes, Brother Shen. We were just venting."
The group returned to work.
Shen Yuanwei opened the next paper.
Title:
"A Study on the Correlated Relationship Between Milotic and Feebas."
"…Here we go again," he thought.
Probably another wild theory with zero supporting evidence.
Milotic was incredibly rare. Sometimes, even a single photograph of one in the wild could sell for a high price online.
As for Trainers who actually owned a Milotic—
Shen Yuanwei only knew of one such person.
And Feebas?
The Pokémon famously labeled the ugliest of them all.
What possible connection could there be between the two?
Still, out of professional responsibility, he continued reading.
Then—
As he reached the section detailing Feebas's physical data across different strength stages, Shen Yuanwei's expression changed.
The paper's structure was tight.
The data presentation was clear.
The insertion of arguments and evidence was precise.
This wasn't a paper thrown together on a whim.
In fact, some of the conclusions were already beginning to convince him.
At this point, Shen Yuanwei was nearly certain—
This paper deserved to be published.
Perhaps some academic expert would read it and deliberately attempt to cultivate a Feebas to see whether it could truly evolve into Milotic.
The only pity was that it still lacked definitive proof—
something that could irrefutably demonstrate that Feebas was Milotic's juvenile form.
…Hm?
A video?
There was an attached video segment.
Shen Yuanwei's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be…?
Suppressing his disbelief, he clicked play.
In the video, a gravely injured Feebas lay on the ground, wounds nearly piercing through its body.
Then—
A white light slowly began to shine from within.
"…This is—"
"Evolution light!"
Shen Yuanwei shot to his feet.
The Feebas in the video elongated, its form transforming—
And as the light faded, a graceful, radiant Milotic appeared.
"…My god."
If this video was real—
It would send shockwaves through the entire academic world.