And so, another half month passed.
That day, Ethan finally received news from the Pokémon Researchers Guild.
The application he had submitted had been approved, and in the next two days, workers from the League would arrive to discuss the matter in person.
If he was not mistaken, the visit from the League personnel should be related to the laboratory's location and the preparation of the necessary facilities and instruments.
Upon receiving the news, Ethan immediately contacted Professor Harris and Professor Reynolds.
He already had the issue of the laboratory's location settled.
As for the preparation of the corresponding facilities and equipment, that was where he needed the two professors to supervise the matter.
After living with them for so long, Ethan had already mastered some key points of Pokémon research.
But he was still used to relying mainly on his own ideas and his Pokémon's abilities to carry out research.
When it came to high-tech devices, as well as the construction of parameters and data, he still only understood part of it.
That was precisely one of the main reasons why he wanted to establish a laboratory and invite Professor Harris and Professor Reynolds to participate in the research.
Through research supported by specialized instruments, many data and conclusions could be discovered that could not be obtained by relying only on Pokémon abilities. Both approaches could complement each other very well.
In addition, Alex had taken full charge of the laboratory's construction.
Alex's family owned a large company related to the Pokémon world, and also had a presence in the construction sector.
Leaving the laboratory's construction in the hands of Alex's family gave Ethan great peace of mind and, in addition, saved him quite a bit of work.
From there, the only thing he had to do was put forward his requirements regarding the blueprint design, and then he could leave the rest alone.
Another thing also worth mentioning was Stonefield Town's level of support for this matter.
Seeing this, Ethan also spoke with Alex to ask him that, within the laboratory's construction, the villagers be taken into account and that suitable jobs be offered first to the people of Stonefield Town.
When the townspeople heard that promise from Ethan, many of the villagers who had been working away for years returned to the town.
If there was an opportunity to earn money at home, who would want to keep wandering around other places? This made Stonefield Town suddenly become lively and regain much more vitality.
"Perhaps I can take this opportunity to properly develop the town. Isn't the League currently promoting the construction of rural tourism? Perhaps the environment of Stonefield Town can be improved with Grass-type Pokémon and then tourism can be developed."
"That way, the villagers in the town would not have to keep living away from home either."
Ethan looked at the town, which was becoming more and more lively, and thought that it felt quite good to be able to do something for his hometown.
At night, the two professors arrived at Stonefield Town.
What Ethan had not expected was that the two had brought practically all their belongings with them.
Seeing those carts loaded with things, it gave the impression that both of them intended to settle permanently in the town.
And the reality was exactly that. Upon arriving at Stonefield Town, both of them commented with emotion that this was an excellent place to spend retirement.
Ethan and Alex, who were already waiting for them, immediately went forward to receive them, and Alex began directing several Fighting-type Pokémon to help unload everything.
Since the laboratory had not yet been built, they tidied up the old provisional laboratory a little, so that the two professors could live there and, along the way, begin some preliminary research.
At the same time, at Ethan's home, his parents received the two professors with great hospitality, and the atmosphere was very pleasant.
The next day, Ethan personally took the two professors around Stonefield Town, and afterward led them to Sandslash's Secret Kingdom.
"I didn't expect there to also be a micro-sized Secret Kingdom in this town."
Upon arriving at Sandslash's Secret Kingdom, both professors sighed with emotion.
One of them was an expert in Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon, and the other specialized in Steel-type Pokémon, so this Secret Kingdom seemed like an excellent place to both of them.
"The concentration of Rock-type and Ground-type energy here is not normal."
As soon as he entered, Professor Harris perceived the anomaly and curiously took out an instrument to measure the energy concentration.
Suddenly, he let out an exclamation, because the concentration of Rock and Ground energies inside that Secret Kingdom was several dozen times higher than outside; it was something terrifying.
"It seems, Ethan, you have placed some rather extraordinary things here."
Professor Reynolds narrowed her eyes, sensing that this Secret Kingdom had something out of the ordinary.
Under normal circumstances, the energy concentration could not be that high.
"Exactly. In a moment, you'll understand."
Ethan smiled faintly and led the two professors toward the cave where Tyranitar and the others lived.
With these two teachers, who treated him like a son and like a member of the family, Ethan had no intention of hiding too much.
"A Smooth Rock vein!"
"I never imagined you could come across something like this!"
After listening to Ethan's explanation, Professor Reynolds was very surprised.
"The Smooth Rock is undoubtedly valuable. But the most valuable thing should be this stone door, right?"
At that moment, Professor Harris, who was on the other side, suddenly spoke.
He was standing in front of the stone door, stroking with his hand the statue of Regirock carved into it.
As a Pokémon Professor specialized in Rock-type Pokémon, it was evident that he had recognized Regirock.
"That's right. Sandslash's Secret Kingdom's current transformation is due in large part to this stone door."
"I'm also very curious about this door. If you're interested, Professor Harris, you can research it."
Ethan nodded to confirm it, although he chose to conceal the more detailed information about Regirock.
All those conjectures of his came from the knowledge he had of Regirock in his previous life. As for the actual situation, even he himself did not know it for certain.
"It seems that, besides the life transition experiment, now I'll also have something else to occupy myself with."
Professor Harris smiled and nodded. Researching a Legendary Pokémon exerted far too much attraction on any Pokémon Researcher.
Afterward, Professor Harris and Professor Reynolds investigated Sandslash's Secret Kingdom in more detail and also decided to help Ethan organize it better.
In addition, both of them were going to move all their own Pokémon into that Secret Kingdom, since most of them were Rock-type and Ground-type. It truly was a perfect place for them.
That way, it would be much more convenient for them to take care of their Pokémon, and those Pokémon could also participate in the laboratory's security. It was an almost perfect arrangement.
When they returned to the provisional laboratory, Professor Harris immediately began preparing things, intending to properly study the stone door before the life transition experiments officially began.
Ethan naturally welcomed this greatly. Until now, he had assumed that the ancient inscriptions on the door were the key to opening it, but that was not an absolute certainty. After researching it, perhaps Professor Harris could find another way to open it.
(End of chapter)