"It's confirmed: the effect of this Poké-block is... an appetizer."
A few days later, Owen recorded his latest research findings with a look of pure bewilderment.
His research into Poké-blocks continued. To date, he had managed to concoct two distinct varieties.
The first was the Light Blue Poké-block, which he used regularly. It effectively boosted a Pokémon's mental energy and "Beauty" condition.
Although Owen had recently noticed that these blocks were losing their efficacy on Eevee, they still worked perfectly for Magnemite, so he wasn't too bothered.
The fact that they were failing Eevee taught Owen a valuable lesson: much like nutritional supplements, Poké-blocks lose their impact as a Pokémon grows stronger.
At least for now, the basic formula could no longer significantly boost Eevee's mental energy after its massive improvements. Unless, of course, Owen could research a higher-quality version.
As for the second variety, it was the Grey Poké-block he had messed around with during the Spring Festival break. Its quality was low—essentially a defective batch. Eevee hated the taste, but Magnemite, surprisingly, loved it.
For a long time, Owen couldn't figure out what it actually did. Since the cost was low, he let Magnemite keep eating them. It wasn't until today, after Magnemite downed ten in one sitting, that the effect finally manifested.
Appetite stimulation.
Owen scratched his cheek. Dammit. He had spent thousands of dollars researching a Poké-block only to find out it had the same effect as a hawthorn berry or a tomato—it was just an appetizer.
And to make matters worse, the Pokémon had to eat a specific amount all at once for it to kick in! Compared to the Light Blue version, this was incredibly "low-tier."
"Vee??"
Eevee stared in shock at Magnemite, who was currently attached to its charging station. After consuming a mountain of Grey Poké-blocks, Magnemite had suddenly turned into a mini-Munchlax. Its appetite was voracious!
The digital display on the charging station—a high-end model Owen had recently bought to replace his father's old one—was "beep-beep-beeping" as the power levels plummeted. This device had upgraded Magnemite's care from "standard feeding" to "meticulous cultivation."
The price of this upgrade? A catastrophic electric bill.
"Mag-neee~~" Magnemite hummed, its face a picture of pure bliss as it absorbed the energy.
"Well, I guess this isn't so bad," Owen reasoned.
Seeing Magnemite with such a healthy appetite meant the Grey blocks weren't a total waste. While they didn't directly boost a specific stat, allowing Magnemite to absorb and convert vast amounts of electricity so quickly was worth the investment. Those thousands of dollars spent on berries weren't lost...
"If we use these Grey blocks as a starter, Magnemite's absorption and conversion speed will skyrocket. Its daily energy recovery will be much faster, which means we can crank up the daily training volume.
Over time, its body will adapt to holding much larger amounts of power, allowing it to learn stronger Electric-type moves.
It'll be the perfect foundation for challenging natural lightning in the Electric Wilderness," Owen analyzed, his tone turning serious.
"But to get the appetizer effect, it has to eat ten at a time. That's a bit wasteful..." Owen sighed. This was the downside of low quality. They had tried to optimize it, but they still hadn't found the right direction.
The next day, Owen sat in front of the Pokémon Home official website, hovering over the submission button.
His "Rattled Ability Research Paper" was complete.
Following his previous paper on the Anticipation ability, Owen had finished a second ability-focused paper in just a few months. This pace of discovery would be considered rare even for academic titans, let alone a complete newcomer like Owen.
All he could say was... cheating once is fun, but cheating forever is fantastic.
"Forget it! I'm not submitting it yet. I'm not exactly short on cash right now anyway."
Ultimately, Owen decided to "vault" the Rattled paper, saving it for after he officially became a researcher.
"Mr. Lee explained the evaluation process for Pokémon Researchers to me," Owen recalled. "The threshold is quite a bit lower than other academic fields, which is very much in my favor."
Pokémon Researchers are categorized into: Intern, Official, Senior, and Master (Top-tier).
Generally, once you graduate with a degree in Pokémon Research, you can apply to be an Intern Researcher if you have a mentor's recommendation.
An intern's job is to accumulate academic achievements—publishing papers in journals, writing books, or participating in major research projects. Once you hit a certain standard, you become an Official Researcher.
This process significantly lowered the barrier for trainers to enter the academic side. However, for someone like Owen who wanted to become an Intern before graduating, there were extra conditions.
First: You must already have a research achievement of significant value. Owen had already checked that box. Second: You have to pass an autonomous examination.
The exam covers Pokémon knowledge, computer science, and foreign languages—all the things a typical undergrad would study. Mr. Lee had already found past exam papers for Owen, but Owen hadn't had the heart to look at them yet.
Too hard.
Though he had expected to study, the reality of it made Owen's head ache. He had just escaped the Gaokao (College Entrance Exam)... and now he had to prepare for a new one. Life was tough.
But if he passed, he would become an Intern Researcher like Siyu. While she gained her title through the traditional path as Professor Aoki's student, Owen was taking a shortcut.
With a brain full of "future" research material, he couldn't wait four years. The autonomous exam was the fastest way.
Once he became an Intern, he could publish the Rattled paper or other findings one by one. Becoming an Official Researcher would be a certainty. If his research was important enough, he might even jump straight to Senior.
At that point, if his projects required entering Secret Realms or exploring the wild, he could apply to the Trainer Association for a professional bodyguard team.
The perks were incredible: private laboratories, increased limits on the number of Pokémon he could legally keep—everything Owen needed.
"The Top Four Tournament has started! Everyone, check the livestream!!"
That day, the high school group chat exploded. The China Top Four (Elite Four) Tournament, an event even more prestigious than the National Championships, had finally begun.
Professional trainers under thirty from all over the country were gathering to battle for the titles of "Elite" and "Champion."
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