After Chen Xue entered Dr. Chen's office, she had a brief conversation with him, concisely informing him about what happened on the road and the return of the Swampert leader.
"Please come in, everyone," a tired yet hoarse voice said.
"Alright, Doctor," Chen Meng replied, then went to the door to usher everyone into Dr. Chen's office.
This middle-aged man, with a hint of worry in his brows but a gentle expression, was the person Zhang Heng had come to visit—the director of the Research Institute, Dr. Chen Chunjiang.
He wore a slightly old white lab coat, his hair was messy and disheveled, and his eyes were bloodshot, revealing the exhaustion of long hours of work.
Zhang Heng and Yi Shu smiled and said, "Hello, Dr. Chen!"
Dr. Chen smiled at the two youngsters and said, "Ah, Zhang Heng and Yi Shu have grown up; they are energetic young men and lovely young ladies now."
Zhang Heng also smiled and said, "It's true, I haven't seen Dr. Chen in many years. You've always been busy with work, and my dad often talks about you."
Chen Chunjiang waved his hand indifferently, "Alright, alright, stop flattering your dad. He doesn't even come back once a year; he's busier than I am. And he talks about me?"
Zhang Heng scratched his head sheepishly, thinking that his cheap old man and the doctor must have a good relationship.
Yi Shu took over the conversation, easing Zhang Heng's awkwardness, "Dr. Chen, my grandfather specifically instructed me to hand this to you personally."
With that, Yi Shu took out a small black box. Chen Chunjiang solemnly accepted it, opened the box, and inside was a gem emitting a yellowish-brown glow.
Observing its quality, Zhang Heng judged it to be a high-grade item. A thought sparked in his mind, and he asked, "System, do you have the ability to appraise items?"
Ding~
A mechanical voice sounded. "Responding to Host, the system is not yet fully integrated; it still needs 15 hours and 55 minutes to complete. I can prioritize loading the identification system for you."
Zhang Heng replied, "Okay, prioritize loading."
The system's mechanical voice said, "Loading complete. Available for use at any time." Zhang Heng then narrowed his eyes, gazing at the gem, and its basic information appeared in his mind.
Item: ground gem
Quality: S-rank (Reusable after recharging)
Effect: When held, it enhances the first Ground-type Pokémon skill used in battle.
The family behind Ou Yishu possessed immense power, with their main business being the production and sale of Pokémon held items in this world. In addition, they also acquired high-quality materials at a price 10% higher than the market rate.
With their exquisite craftsmanship and strict quality control, the Pokémon held items produced by Ou Corporation were highly favored, quickly capturing market share and gradually becoming the undisputed leader in the industry. Both Trainers and Pokémon enthusiasts alike praised Ou Corporation's products.
"With this S-rank ground gem, the Swampert Clan in the Wilderness Area finally sees hope for recovery," Dr. Chen said, his emotions uncharacteristically high, no longer calm.
Hearing this, Zhang Heng couldn't help but recall the One-Eyed Marshstomp he had personally saved earlier. Filled with curiosity, he couldn't resist asking Dr. Chen, "Doctor, what exactly happened to the Swampert Clan? Why do they need a ground gem?"
Dr. Chen slowly recounted the Swampert Clan's plight: "Guangdong Province is located in the south, belonging to a subtropical monsoon climate, with humid and hot weather and abundant Water-type energy, which is very suitable for Water-type Pokémon to live in. However, the Swampert are fine during their initial Mudkip stage, as they only need Water-type energy to grow. But when they evolve into Marshtomp, their attribute changes from a single Water-type to a Water + Ground dual-type."
Zhang Heng combined this with the memories from the original owner's mind. In this world, a Pokémon's growth and aptitude are related to its living environment, especially whether there is a corresponding attribute energy supply.
For example, the Swampert family's growth not only requires Water-type energy but also Ground-type energy. However, Ground-type is countered by Water-type, and since this Wilderness Area is rich in Water-type energy, there is naturally not enough Ground-type energy supply, which limits the growth of Marshtomp and Swampert.
Dr. Chen continued, "This led to their generally weak strength, only barely enough to evolve into Swampert but unable to improve further. Under the exclusion of other Water-type Pokémon, the Swampert Clan thus lost their home and food source. What's worse, some young or weak clan members were unfortunately injured or even died during conflicts. The entire clan faced a severe survival crisis."
Chen Xue interjected, "And the Swampert you encountered and rescued on the way is the leader of this clan. He must have been attacked by other Pokémon due to food issues while foraging for his clan members. If this clan, already in decline, were to lose its leader, there would be no possibility of its revival."
Zhang Heng connected this to the information he had learned through the system earlier, then nodded, indicating his understanding of the crisis facing the Swampert Clan. He continued to press, "No wonder the Research Institute needed us to bring so many specialized medicines for Ground-type Pokémon; they were for treating the injured clan members, right? So, what is the connection between this ground gem and the Swampert Clan's recovery? Can it really help them out of their predicament?"
A glimmer of hope flashed in Dr. Chen's eyes as he explained, "That's right, the medicines were specifically prepared for the injured Swampert. And through our research team's findings, this S-rank ground gem contains powerful Ground-type energy and the ability to nourish the environment. The special elements it releases can merge with the park's Water-type energy to form a suitable swamp habitat, providing the Swampert with the Ground-type energy they need. As long as it's placed in the right location, I believe it won't be long before we see the Swampert Clan gradually recover."
Zhang Heng understood that there were some vested interests between his family and the Research Institute, which was why he was asked to come, and his mother's instruction to assist as much as possible when he left home was probably due to this reason.
He said, "When do you plan to depart for the Wilderness Area? I believe my medical knowledge can provide you with some Helping Hand."
Chen Chunjiang smiled and said with emotion, "Xiao Heng, recalling the past, whenever I asked for your assistance, you always found various excuses to shirk, even when your father repeatedly ordered you to work, you would only show up but not put in effort. But today, you actually volunteered to help these Swampert."
Zhang Heng was momentarily speechless; he couldn't exactly say, "The previous one wasn't me!" right?!
Chen Chunjiang said, "No matter. It's almost evening now, and travel would be inconvenient. Moreover, the ground gem activation device has not yet been debugged, and the Swampert leader has not yet awakened. It's not too late to depart tomorrow. Your visit this time shouldn't just be to deliver supplies; I presume your family has other important matters for you to attend to. You can tell me, and I'll see if I can help you."
Zhang Heng and Yi Shu exchanged glances, then said with a wry smile, "It seems we can't hide it from you. Actually, our family has always hoped to select the Pokémon produced in the Wilderness Area this year for both of us as early as possible."
In China, any citizen who is eighteen years old and owns their own Pokémon is qualified to become a Trainer. Key high schools and universities in various provinces and cities across the country have specialized classes dedicated to Pokémon research, combat, and medical fields.
Outstanding students in these specialized classes can, upon turning eighteen, go to the Wilderness Area and choose to receive a Pokémon egg as their initial partner; of course, they also have the right to personally catch the Pokémon they desire.
Zhang Heng and Yi Shu are both 17, not yet at the time for receiving. So why not wait? The aptitude and strength of Pokémon provided annually by the Wilderness Area vary, but this year, the Water-type energy in the Wilderness Area is exceptionally concentrated, especially since the leaders of the Blastoise and Feraligatr Clans in the park have both produced offspring. The leaders of both clans are Gym-level peak combatants. The probability of producing high-quality Pokémon is very high.
Chen Chunjiang pondered slightly, "If the matter of the Swampert Clan can be resolved satisfactorily this time, I can grant you early permission to select and capture Pokémon."
