"I previously extracted a substance from the meteorite that can trigger a strong reaction with certain Pokemon. Over these past few days, I found components within the meteorite that react specifically with Grovyles, and I suspect it will be similar for Sceptiles."
As Professor Evergreen explained, he retrieved test tubes containing green and red fragments.
"These are the extracted substances that induce reactions in Sceptiles. I hypothesize they might represent highly advanced Power Crystals."
Kalia listened attentively, somewhat grasping the explanation but not fully understanding it. Nonetheless, she nodded occasionally to show her interest.
After sharing a wealth of technical knowledge beyond Kalia's comprehension, Professor Evergreen finally reached the main topic and began the experiment.
"It seems these Power Crystals have the ability to activate latent bloodline traits in Pokemon. Some Pokemon possess more than one elemental attribute, akin to evolution; Torchic, for example, starts as solely Fire-type, but upon evolving, its dormant lineage is awakened, resulting in acquiring the Fighting Type."
"Next, Sceptile, please try absorbing some of these green and red fragments, let's observe if there are any changes." With that, Professor Evergreen dispensed a small amount of both green and red fragments, since these were the specific Power Crystals that had reacted with Grovyle earlier.
The stronger the Pokemon, the more pronounced this reaction would be; Sceptile's transformation should provide clearer results.
Subsequently, Sceptile consumed some of these particles. After a moment, it indeed reacted to the Power Crystals' energy.
However, Sceptile appeared to be in great pain, emitting anguished cries while noticeable changes occurred within its body—its tail suddenly seemed longer.
Unfortunately, these transformations were fleeting, lasting only briefly before dissipating. The pain also quickly subsided, and Sceptile returned to normal.
Kalia, initially concerned, visibly relaxed and hurriedly asked, "Sceptile, are you alright?"
Sceptile shook its head. Although the experience was painful, it felt as if a surge of power was about to emerge, only to vanish too swiftly.
Professor Evergreen had been diligently recording Sceptile's changes, his face expressing delight. He exclaimed, "There were genuine changes! Kalia, did you notice? Just now, Sceptile definitely became stronger."
Then, Professor Evergreen furrowed his brow and continued, "However, this forced transformation process is far too brief. We must find a way to extend the duration of these changes. Additionally, causing pain to the Pokemon is concerning; we need to devise a method to eliminate this discomfort."
"The Z-Ring activates the Z-crystal, creating resonance and transferring power to the Pokemon. What if I can utilize a similar method, dividing this force into two parts and indirectly channel it through the ring to the Pokemon? Would that eliminate the pain?" Professor Evergreen murmured to himself.
Kalia stood nearby, attentively listening to the Professor's thoughts, sensing that their research was gradually making significant progress.
Time passed swiftly. Over the next few days, Kalia continued assisting Professor Evergreen with experiments and regularly visited the Pokémon Center. Although she had already earned the Grass-type Gym badge, the Trainers at the Pokémon Center were still formidable, comparable to those from Rockcliff City.
Finally, after three days, Professor Evergreen achieved a major breakthrough but also encountered a significant challenge.
In the laboratory,
"How exactly can we sustain long-term resonance?" Professor Evergreen pondered intensely, struggling to find a way for Pokemon to maintain prolonged resonance with Power Crystals.
On the table lay two spherical crystals resembling glass beads, containing energy extracted from meteorites - specifically, Sceptile's Power Crystals.
The method seemed correct; during their experiment, they had Sceptile hold one crystal while placing the Z-Ring near the other. Through a battle, resonance indeed occurred between Sceptile and the Power Crystal.
However, there were no changes to the Pokemon whatsoever, even less than directly consuming the crystal. The Power Crystal merely flickered momentarily before nothing else happened.
No energy was consumed from the crystals, but neither did the Pokemon undergo any transformation. All that occurred was a brief flash, which might be useful for startling someone, at best.
"What exactly is going wrong?" Professor Evergreen pondered relentlessly, unable to find an answer. His research methodology couldn't be flawed; although the Z-Ring originated from studies in the Ellie Region, its primary function was to guide energy, so it wasn't the issue with the device itself.
The key problem lay in sustaining long-term resonance between the Power Crystal and the Pokemon, yet Professor Evergreen remained perplexed—what crucial element was missing?
"Kalia, my research has hit a bottleneck, and I anticipate little progress for quite some time. You don't need to stay at the research institute for now."
After a moment, Professor Evergreen scratched his disheveled hair, feeling frustrated. Nothing was more distressing than getting stuck abruptly during research, especially when completely clueless about the cause.
After all, this was a new type of power, inherently not easy to unravel. If it were that simple, someone would have already discovered and researched it long ago.
"Professor, you should take a break too. Relax for some time; perhaps it might lead to fresh insights," Kalia suggested. Although she wasn't familiar with research, she could tell that the Professor hadn't been getting proper rest over these past few days, which could impact his health negatively.
"I understand. Take the Z-Ring back for now, we won't need it temporarily. Also, here are two crystals; feel free to study them if you have spare time. Who knows, you might succeed," Professor Evergreen said, smiling warmly.
"Professor, since Sceptile reacts to these crystals, shouldn't Charizard also show a similar reaction?" Kalia suddenly asked, though without much hope, there was no harm in trying.
"Charizard? I believe it should be possible; let me check." Professor Evergreen pondered briefly. During earlier research, only certain Pokemon's blood reacted with these crystals, and he recalled that Charizard was among them.
"Yes, bring out your Charizard. I'll need to collect some of its blood," Professor Evergreen explained. By examining the blood, they could determine which Power Crystal would react with Charizard.
Boom.
Lian willingly emerged from his Poké Ball. Over the past few days, he had been closely observing Professor Evergreen's research but noticed some differences compared to his memories.
Mega Evolution typically required a Key Stone, and Lian recalled that his wristband could indeed substitute for a Mega Ring.
He suspected the Key Stone might be crucial, although he couldn't be certain. Visually, it resembled an Evolution Stone, but he wasn't aware of any specific distinctions between them.
In this aspect, Lian couldn't provide much assistance; he knew the outcome but not the underlying reasons, and moreover, he couldn't openly discuss it.
After a lengthy process, Professor Evergreen collected blood samples from Lian and created two crystals capable of reacting with Charizard, handing them over to Kalia.
"I discovered multiple colors of energy that can interact with Charizard. I've selected the two with the strongest reactions."
"Although expectations are low, there's no harm in trying," said Professor Evergreen.
Kalia accepted the two crystals. Compared to Sceptile's crystal, Charizard's crystals contained red and yellow energies, reminiscent of flames.
"What were the other colors?" Kalia curiously asked, wondering why Sceptile only reacted with a few energies while Charizard responded to several.
"Blue and white."