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Chapter 134: The Life Energy Experiment
🕑 Added 2025-08-12 13:46:41 +0000 UTCChapter 134: The Life Energy Experiment
Basalt stood before the entrance of the Metro City Research Institute. Gazing at the familiar building, he was filled with a wave of nostalgia.
Four months ago, he had come here all alone to pick up his Drilbur and register as a new trainer. Now, four months later, he already possessed the strength of an intermediate-tier trainer. He just hadn't had the time to take the official rank assessment, so his Trainer Card still listed him as a rookie.
Taking a deep breath, Basalt walked through the doors of the institute, carrying a beautifully packaged box of tea. His dad had told him that Dr. Martin was a fan of tea, so Basalt had spent a small fortune—two thousand Poké Dollars—on this high-grade blend to suit his tastes.
Almost immediately, he was stopped by a security guard.
"Hello, who are you here to see? Do you have an appointment?"
Darn it, my cool entrance was just ruined.
"Hello, I'm here to see Dr. Martin. I have an appointment with him," Basalt said with a slightly helpless smile.
"Basalt, right? You can go up to the third floor to find the Director. I think he's conducting an experiment up there right now," the guard said, his attitude changing instantly. Dr. Martin had clearly given him a heads-up. "If the experiment has already started, just wait for him on the third floor."
"Okay, thank you!" Basalt nodded and took the elevator up.
"Drilbur, you're about to see your old friends again. You have to be on your best behavior, okay?" he said, releasing his Pokémon inside the elevator.
The institute had been Drilbur's home for a long time. It only felt right to let it out. Besides, Drilbur and Dr. Martin were well-acquainted, so it was natural for them to see each other.
"Chaa!" Drilbur puffed out its chest and nodded. Don't worry, I'll be good!
As he stepped out of the elevator, Basalt saw a familiar face. It wasn't Dr. Martin, but... Lucas, the talented student from South River University he had battled at the Meteor Club. Basalt still had a vivid memory of his Swinub.
"Basalt!" Lucas was just as surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?" they both asked at the same time, then looked at each other and laughed.
"Uh... the director here is a family friend. I came to visit him," Basalt said first, holding up the box of tea. "What about you? Aren't you a student at South River University? What brings you here?"
"I came with my professor," Lucas explained with a shrug. "She has a research project that requires collaboration with Director Martin, so I tagged along to learn a few things."
It turned out that while Lucas was a skilled trainer, he was fairly average compared to the talent at a prestigious institution like South River University. By chance, he had been introduced to the world of Pokémon research and had developed a keen interest in it. After much consideration, he had decided to shift his focus from becoming a full-time trainer to pursuing research.
His current mentor, a Professor Nina, was not only a professor at the university but also a leading figure in the field of Life Energy research in the country. They were here today to conduct an important experiment on that very subject.
"Drilbur, long time no see," Lucas said, crouching down to pat Drilbur's small head. Drilbur stubbornly pushed his hand away, leaving Lucas feeling a bit awkward.
But Basalt was more interested in what Lucas had just said.
"Life Energy?" he asked, his brow furrowing. The term sounded familiar, but he didn't quite understand it.
"Um... how about I just take you inside to see?" Lucas figured a demonstration would be better than a complicated explanation. "The experiment is still in the preparation phase, but it should be starting soon. Just try not to make any noise, especially Drilbur, so you don't disturb them. I'll get in big trouble otherwise."
"Don't worry, we'll be quiet," Basalt said, making a zipping motion across his lips. He gave Drilbur a stern look, reminding it to stay silent.
"Alright, follow me."
Lucas led Basalt into the experimental area. It was a massive space, two or three hundred square meters, enclosed entirely by tempered glass walls and a glass ceiling that offered a clear view of the sun-drenched sky.
"It's a bright, sunny day," Basalt commented, squinting as the sunlight hit his eyes.
The large enclosure was filled with golden sand, the texture of which was remarkably similar to what he'd seen at Dragon's Tooth Oasis. The landscape was barren and desolate, without a single blade of grass.
On this artificial dune, a Pokémon that looked like a much larger, sturdier version of a Rhyperior was tilling the sand under Dr. Martin's direction. Its body was mainly black and orange. Standing next to Dr. Martin was a middle-aged woman with short hair and light makeup, dressed in a cashmere coat and exquisite leather boots. She had an air of refined elegance.
"A Rhyperior!" Basalt gasped in surprise.
Rhyperior, a dual Rock/Ground-type Pokémon and the final evolution of Rhyhorn. With a base stat total of 535, it was an incredibly powerful Pokémon. Rhyperior possessed immense strength, and its armor-like hide could withstand even a volcanic eruption, giving it astounding defenses. It could also load rocks into the holes in its palms and launch them with its muscles, creating a devastating Rock Wrecker attack. It was an excellent tank for a sandstorm team, capable of both offense and defense.
"Is that Rhyperior... tilling the ground?" Basalt finally understood the Pokémon's strange actions.
Rototiller. A Ground-type move that cultivated the land, releasing nutrients from the soil to promote plant growth and boost the Attack and Special Attack of Grass-type Pokémon.
"That's right, Rototiller," Lucas confirmed. "Director Martin is an expert in soil composition and has a deep understanding of how to release nutrients to help crops grow. His Rhyperior has developed the move Rototiller to an incredible degree. It can even release the scarce energy from barren sand."
"And releasing as much energy from the sand as possible is a key part of this experiment."
"What exactly are you experimenting on?" Basalt asked, more confused than ever.
"Patience. You'll see," Lucas said with a mysterious smile.
For more than ten minutes, the Rhyperior tirelessly plowed back and forth until the entire sandy area had been tilled at least three times over. Even through the glass, Basalt could feel that a massive amount of energy had been released from the sand.
Once its work was done, the Rhyperior moved to the side. Then, Basalt watched as Lucas's professor, Nina, took out a Poké Ball and threw it.
"Grrrooo!"
With a mighty roar, a Pokémon appeared. It looked like an Ankylosaurus, with a huge, flat shell upon which grew a tree resembling an oak and three gray, triangular rocks. The shell itself was a mix of brown, gray, and green.
"A Torterra!" Basalt was stunned again. The second Pokémon in this experiment was another key member of a sandstorm team. Combined with the sand-filled arena, his interest was soaring.
The Torterra's upper body and lower jaw were green, with two cone-like spikes protruding from the sides of its head. Its eyes were intimidating, with red pupils and black rings. Its mouth was jagged, with a sharp, black beak at the tip, similar to an alligator snapping turtle. Its powerful, tree-trunk-like legs supported its massive, heavy body, and each foot had four toes.
But Basalt's surprise didn't last long, because Professor Nina immediately released another Pokémon—the one known as the most beautiful of all, Milotic.
Its serpentine body was mostly cream-colored, with red eyes and three black spots below its neck. It had a long head with a slight protrusion at the end and red, eyebrow-like fins extending from above its eyes. Its tail was covered in blue and pink scales with black stripes, and four large, blue, fan-like scales with red dots at their centers adorned the very tip.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
After appearing, the Torterra took a deep breath, absorbing the energy released from the soil. The tree on its back began to sway, its branches extending as it released a wave of Grass-type energy. A green glow enveloped the entire field.
At the same time, the Milotic began to gather Water-type energy. With a flick of its tail, it sprayed countless crystal-clear water droplets across the entire sandy area.
Under the combined efforts of the two Pokémon, the once-barren sand finally began to change.
