"Groudon and Kyogre!"
Alden raised his voice, pacing back and forth in excitement as he spoke rapidly. "In ancient Hoenn legends, Groudon is the Pokémon that created the land, while Kyogre is the one that created the sea. They oppose each other, and once they meet, a fierce conflict will break out. After all, land and ocean cannot coexist."
At that moment, a researcher in the audience raised a hand. Alden had no choice but to stop and gesture for the question.
"Excuse me, Researcher Alden. Groudon and Kyogre are already well-known legendary Pokémon. There is nothing particularly new about them, right? This kind of simple archaeological finding... shouldn't really count as a major research achievement, should it?"
The then researcher sat down.
On stage, Alden did not seem surprised. He smiled and shook his head. "In a mysterious ancient ruin, I discovered another form of them..."
While speaking, he continued projecting images, placing two murals side by side on the screen. What appeared were their Primal forms. After undergoing this transformation, both legendary Pokémon looked even more ferocious, as if they could unleash world-destroying power at any moment.
"These two depictions are completely different from any murals we have previously uncovered..."
His tone grew more excited as he pressed another button, displaying yet another finding. On the screen, two orbs appeared, one red and one blue.
"I suspect that these two orbs are what cause the transformation of Groudon and Kyogre!"
He clenched his fist, then pointed at several lines of text on the mural.
"And I had these inscriptions translated. They clearly state that these two orbs are the embodiment and source of Groudon and Kyogre's power. Not only can they trigger this transformation, but they can also temporarily control them."
The moment he finished, an uproar broke out in the audience.
It was not just the researchers. Even many professors were hearing for the first time that there might be items capable of controlling legendary Pokémon.
Everyone knew that these legendary beings were scattered across the world, each maintaining a certain balance. If that balance were broken, and humans gained such power...
"If we could control legendary Pokémon through this, we might achieve far more. We could help dry lands gain rivers, or turn small islands into continents fit for more people to live on..."
Alden spoke as if lost in his own vision. After a brief round of discussion, the audience gradually fell silent again, though everyone wore different expressions and held different thoughts.
Sitting in his seat, Shiro looked at the familiar "big fish" and the "one that can't fly," and drifted into thought.
These two Pokémon had no known populations. Their strength must be at the Legendary-level at least. With their unique authority and physical power, they could likely crush all current trainers. Even Master-level Pokémon would probably seem insignificant in comparison.
If organizations like Team Aqua and Team Magma obtained those orbs, things would become dangerous.
As for Alden's idea of creating rivers or expanding land, that was almost pure fantasy. Anyone who got their hands on such power would most likely try to rule the world.
That was normal, though. The original intention behind something and how it ends up being used are rarely the same.
"According to the guidance and descriptions in the murals, these two orbs should be hidden somewhere in Hoenn," Alden continued quickly.
Soon, someone interrupted.
"That's very good, Alden. Do you have any other research?"
The one who asked the question was Oak, wearing a gentle smile.
Alden froze for a moment, then shook his head. "My recent research is just this. But I believe this is a very important beginning. It may mark the point where humans can widely access and make use of the power of legendary Pokémon..."
Below the stage, Oak made a small gesture, and immediately a host stepped forward to take over.
"Alright. Researcher Alden has completed his summary. He is applying for the title of Pokémon Professor. We will now proceed to the voting stage."
Everything moved very quickly. Alden had not even completely finished mentioning his earlier research before the voting began. Still, everyone already had a general idea of each candidate's work, so whether it was said or not did not matter much.
"Please, professors, state your opinions."
With that, the host stepped aside.
Oak stood up first, smiling as he said, "I support Alden. He is a young researcher I have always been optimistic about. He has an extraordinary passion for ruins and legendary Pokémon, and his character is also excellent. This research touches on extremely important content, and if used properly, it could bring significant change to the Pokémon world..."
After speaking, he sat down, and Alden looked at him with gratitude. In his mind, with Professor Oak backing him, this professor title should already be secured.
Next to stand was Elm. His face was serious, without a hint of a smile, and the moment he spoke, it was like a bolt from the blue.
"I believe Alden's research is not sufficient to support him becoming a professor. Especially this discovery of Primal forms and the orbs. In the short term, it has no practical use, and in the long run, the risks and potential disasters outweigh any benefits."
"Once this is officially released, the League will have to mobilize large amounts of manpower and resources to search for these orbs. After that, the methods of using them and their side effects would require further research. And if a legendary Pokémon loses control, even slightly, it could cause massive and catastrophic damage to the surrounding area..."
His words were extremely harsh and left no room for comfort.
Everything he said was correct, and it reflected what many professors were thinking. But saying it so directly still hit hard. After all, these opinions were not anonymous. Usually, even if a candidate's work was lacking, professors would still offer some polite praise.
Once he was done, Elm adjusted his glasses and looked toward Professor Oak in the front row. Oak gave a slight nod.
Then, under Alden's pale expression, Juniper and Birch stood up one after another. Whether gently or directly, both expressed their disagreement. They did not believe his research was enough to earn him the title of Pokémon Professor.
This was simply the truth. Alden's research was decent, but it had too many flaws, and it focused on ancient ruins, which was generally considered a step below standard Pokémon research.
Three consecutive rejections meant immediate elimination.
The rule of the conference was simple. If three professors agreed first, the candidate passed. If three disagreed first, the candidate was eliminated.
"Alright. Researcher Alden has been eliminated in the first round of voting. Please step down."
The host announced with a smile, though his tone carried no emotion.
On stage, Alden staggered slightly, but in the end, he accepted reality and walked down from the side of the platform.
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