Team Rocket's Second-in-Command!

President Silph didn't doubt Luo Yuan for a second—there was simply no reason for him to lie. And if Luo Yuan was telling the truth, it could mean substantial benefits for Silph Co.

Aside from the publicity a newly appointed Elite Four member would bring, the strength that an Elite Four member could provide would be invaluable to Silph Co. at this critical time. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

So, President Silph made his decision swiftly:

"Our company will support you wholeheartedly."

This support would include, but not be limited to, Silph Co.'s media outlets bolstering Luo Yuan's public image, utilizing the company's influence across Kanto, and offering full logistical backing for Luo Yuan's Pokémon.

After all, everyone knew that raising Pokémon could be a costly endeavor.

With Silph Co.'s resources behind him, Luo Yuan's Pokémon would have access to top-tier food, TMs for advanced moves, and any necessary evolution stones—all on the company's dime.

After discussing the specifics with President Silph, Luo Yuan prepared to head to the company's vault to select a few items.

However, as the elevator doors opened on the thirteenth floor, he was greeted by an unexpected sight.

A familiar figure, Professor Bill, wearing his white lab coat, was crawling toward him in an awkward four-limbed dash.

"Professor Bill?" Luo Yuan was momentarily stunned.

Bill didn't even look up as he made a beeline for the elevator, just about to rush past Luo Yuan—until a familiar voice called out:

"Luo Yuan, stop him!"

A Rattata—followed closely by a group of security guards—called out to him.

"..."

Finally grasping what was going on, Luo Yuan's eyes flashed blue as he used his psychic powers to stop "Professor Bill" mid-stride, leaving him hovering in the air.

Both the Rattata—Professor Bill, who'd swapped bodies with his own Pokémon—and the guards sighed in relief.

"Good thing you were here. If he'd gotten out, we might never have caught him again," said the Rattata in Bill's voice.

Luo Yuan couldn't help but smirk, glancing at "Professor Bill" thrashing his legs in the air, held in place by his psychic grip.

Passing "Bill" back to the guards, Luo Yuan watched as the research assistants secured both Bill and his Rattata inside two large machines and pressed a button.

Thirty seconds later, the real Bill was back, dusting himself off as he approached Luo Yuan.

"Thanks, Luo Yuan. Who knows how long it would've taken to catch him without you." Bill held the now-docile Rattata.

"You didn't set up any safeguards for this experiment?"

Bill coughed awkwardly. "I did, but I didn't expect Rattata to get past so many guards. He's usually so calm..."

Luo Yuan gave a knowing look but decided not to dwell on it. He glanced back at the massive machine. "So, does this mean your experiment was a success?"

Judging from what he'd just witnessed, Bill's research had indeed been successful.

But still—he'd managed this breakthrough in just two months? The speed was impressive, to say the least.

"I'd actually laid the groundwork beforehand, so it wasn't as time-consuming as it might seem. And really, I have you to thank. Without your support, the funding wouldn't have been approved so quickly, or in such generous amounts," Bill said, sincerely grateful.

Without Luo Yuan's connections, he'd never have secured such nearly limitless funding—a point of envy for countless researchers.

"It's less about me and more about the potential your research holds," Luo Yuan replied.

Unlike his previous study of the Colossal Dragonite, which had purely academic value, the body-swapping technology between humans and Pokémon had far-reaching applications.

For instance, it could provide Pokémon enthusiasts a firsthand experience of being a Pokémon, or it could serve medical purposes, potentially treating certain psychological conditions.

They chatted about this for a while until Bill finally asked about Luo Yuan's reason for visiting.

In his time at Silph Co., Bill had learned a lot about Luo Yuan, including the fact that he rarely showed up, typically delegating his shareholder responsibilities to Sabrina.

"Oh, I recently captured the Colossal Dragonite, and I was hoping to find a few items that might benefit him," Luo Yuan explained.

Bill's eyes widened. "Wait... you captured the Colossal Dragonite?"

While Bill didn't care much about the capture itself, having personally seen Dragonite's massive size, he understood just how challenging such a feat would be.

Setting aside everything else, the sheer logistics of capturing a Pokémon that big were a hurdle on their own.

"Due to certain circumstances, the Colossal Dragonite's size was reduced, which is the only reason I could manage to capture him," Luo Yuan clarified.

At that moment, Luo Yuan recalled something and reached into his bag, pulling out the mysterious Pokémon egg he'd found at the ruins. "You must have equipment here for examining Pokémon eggs. Mind running a scan for me?"

For days now, he'd been infusing the egg with his Viridian powers, hoping to hasten its hatching.

The powers had an effect—he could feel the life within the egg growing stronger every day.

But it still hadn't hatched, leaving him a bit perplexed.

"This egg..."

Taking the nearly fossilized Pokémon egg from Luo Yuan, Bill looked at it, visibly surprised.

Could an egg like this still be alive?

Though he'd never seen anything quite like it, Bill's professionalism kicked in, and he quickly collected himself.

"Let's find out..."

He placed the egg onto the scanner and activated the device, causing a flood of data to fill the screen.

"Species: Unknown. Gender: Unknown. Type: Dragon. Energy levels: High..."

Bill frowned. "The dragon energy within this egg is so intense that it's interfering with the equipment. This is all the data we can retrieve."

"However, based on the available information, I'd say this Pokémon is fully developed and ready to hatch."

"Oh?"

"I scanned the thickness of the eggshell, and I believe the only thing stopping it from hatching is that the shell has partially fossilized."

"I see..."

---

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and... well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨