Lorze used his phone's mo app to jot down his next set of goals.
Continue strengthening Electric and Psychic energy.
Attempt to help Ralts master the life energy within her body.
Try to awaken Ralts's Fairy typing.
The first point went without saying. Psychic was Ralts's primary type, and she couldn't afford to slack on it. Her Electric training was also incomplete; she still hadn't mastered Thunderbolt.
Regarding the life energy—the fundantal energy of all living things—it was the hardest to detect. He had never heard of anyone mastering it.
There were legends that the Ho-Oh once used the "Sacred Fire" of life to resurrect three Pokémon killed in a fire—the Legendary Beasts.
This proved Ho-Oh had mastered life energy, otherwise it couldn't perform a miracle that violated the laws of nature.
This ant life energy could be controlled by a Pokémon; it was just a matter of degree.
Lorze didn't need Ralts to be a god of life; he just wanted her to be able to act as a living Life Orb.
At the very least, if she triggered the "Psychic Black Hole" chanism again, she needed the ability to shut it down manually.
But as for how to help her master life energy...
How the hell should Lorze know? He wasn't a god.
The only lead he had was the move "Life Dew." Maybe they could start by learning that?
Anyway, he noted it down. Life energy mastery was going to be a long-term grind with no quick results. He couldn't rush it.
Awakening the Fairy-type, however, was sothing he could start on imdiately.
Based on his theories, the thod shouldn't be complex, but it wouldn't be easy either.
Just like how Ralts needed to consu a massive amount of Electric-type Berries to master electricity, she would likely need a steady diet of Fairy-type Berries to awaken her hidden potential.
Once the internal Fairy energy reached a critical mass, the awakening should happen naturally for a Pokémon with her lineage.
The problem was: where the fuck do you find Fairy-type Berries?
There were no Fairy-type Pokémon on the market, so why would anyone sell Berries that no one used?
Even if soone sold them, they'd likely be treated as weirdly flavored snacks. The supply would be non-existent.
For Lorze to find Fairy-type Berries in a normal market would be like trying to find "Century Eggs" in a rural Western grocery store; it simply wasn't going to happen.
To find them quickly, he needed to leverage the massive global resources of the Snowhide Corporation.
Luckily, he was now their Research Consultant. Requesting new Berries for "research purposes" should be a perfectly reasonable request, right?
Lorze initiated a chat with Mother Xue. He didn't start by begging for Berries, though. He led with the Umbreon topic.
Lorze: Auntie Xue, I was thinking it might be ti to discuss the details regarding Umbreon?
Mother Xue, despite her busy schedule, happened to see the ssage imdiately. That's just how the plot works—coincidence is the mother of drama.
She replied with concern: How is your body? Why don't you rest for a few more days?
Lorze: I'm fine. It was just ntal exhaustion. I'm ready to start working whenever you are.
Mother Xue: Very well... However, the Umbreon research lab is in Shanghai. You won't be able to visit in person. I'll add you to a private group chat later where you can coordinate with the researchers.
Lorze: I see. Do we have any idle research facilities here locally? It doesn't need to be big, just functional.
Mother Xue: Oh? You want to...?
Lorze: I want to conduct so of my own research. I recall that publishing a paper on a new Ability for the Pokédex grants a massive bonus if accepted, right?
Mother Xue: That is correct. Have you discovered sothing new?
Lorze: I have a few leads, but I need a lab to verify them. My Ralts has the Trace Ability; Auntie Xue must know how convenient that is for discovering new traits.
Mother Xue beca thoughtful. She knew exactly how valuable that was.
In fact, before Snowhide Corp launched their app, everyone used the "Penguin Pokédex."
The main reason Snowhide was able to carve out half the market share was because of Xue Tong's Gardevoir and her Trace Ability.
If researchers found a Pokémon with an unknown Ability, they couldn't just ask the Pokémon what it was.
Because... language barrier.
Plus, most wild Pokémon don't even know what their own Abilities are; nobody ever gave them a manual.
That's where Gardevoir ca in. When she Traced an Ability, her massive ntal capacity—buffed by Xue Tong's own human psychic powers—allowed her to analyze and understand the trait instantly. Since Gardevoir could communicate with Xue Tong perfectly, the info was easily extracted.
Using this thod, Snowhide Corp had published and corrected dozens of unknown Abilities, drawing in a massive user base.
But the thod had its limits. Not every Ability was easy to analyze, and so weird traits even left Gardevoir confused. Gradually, Snowhide's rate of discovery slowed down.
Specifically, as Xue Tong beca a superstar in the battle circuit, Mother Xue didn't want her distracted by research anymore. Consequently, Snowhide's Ability research had practically ground to a halt.
Now that Lorze revealed his Ralts also had Trace, Mother Xue imdiately realized he could replace Gardevoir's role in the research departnt.
But she was surprised... the Pure White Ralts really had Trace?
Did that an the reason her Thunder Punch was so dominating was because she had Traced "Huge Power," just as Xue Tong suspected?
If that was true, then Lorze—just like her eldest daughter—could actually control the timing of his Ability activation?
Xue Tong could only do that because she was a powerful human psychic. How the hell did he do it?
Mother Xue suddenly realized that the salary she offered was way too low.
If a rival company like "Penguin Corp" headhunted him and he used his Ralts to publish new Abilities for them, Snowhide's losses would be asured in billions, not millions.
She had to shower him with even more benefits to secure his loyalty. Since his Ralts had Trace, maybe he'd be a good match for Xue Tong?
Wait, the age gap was a bit much—about seven or eight years. She wasn't sure if Xue Tong would go for a younger guy.
Whatever, she'd worry about that later. The priority was utilizing Ralts's Ability.
Mother Xue replied: I can arrange a lab for you. For now, I'll have Xue assist you. If you need anything, just tell her. If she signs off on it, the funding will be approved.
Mother Xue was essentially planting her younger daughter by his side.
Not to spy on him, but to help them build a "relationship." If her youngest daughter could secure him, she wouldn't need to trouble her eldest.
Lorze thought about it and replied: Xue, huh? Sure, that works. When can I start?
Mother Xue: There's a lab ready, but it needs to be organized. It will probably be ready after your school term begins.
Lorze: Understood. I'll wait.
Mother Xue: Also, regarding your victory in the Torchic Challenger Tournant. The prize package includes the 100,000 in cash, but also a rare item provided by Snowhide Corp.
Mother Xue: Normally, the selection is limited to low-tier items. However, to celebrate your joining the company, you can choose any single item from Snowhide Corporation's entire private collection. Additionally, as a personal gift from , you can select any one Move Tutor lesson for your Pokémon.
Lorze: !!!
Lorze: Long live Auntie Xue!!!
Mother Xue: Hehe. I'll add you to the group chat now. One of the researchers you'll et can be a bit of a pedantic prick, so be prepared.
Lorze: On it!
Lorze happily accepted Auntie Xue's massive gift.
And just like that, the Fairy Berry problem was basically solved!
Low EQ move: Directly asking a busy CEO to go find so obscure Berries.
High EQ move: Becoming a Snowhide researcher and ordering "research materials" for a "top-secret project." Isn't that just common sense?
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