Chapter 221

Chapter 221: Chapter 221

The remainder of the summit would be devoted to commercial organizations seeking out research teams and discussing possible cooperation.

The major groups present included companies such as Devon Corporation, the Aether Foundation, and Macro Cosmos.

Mike stared at the list.

’Why do half of these sound like villain organizations?’

Aether Foundation.

Macro Cosmos.

What next?

Rainbow Rocket?

As if summoned by that thought, a representative from Macro Cosmos approached Mike.

She was a woman he recognized immediately.

Long, straight pale-blonde hair framed green eyes.

She wore a fitted red top beneath an open white research-style coat, a short black skirt, black choker, enormous square earrings, thigh-high black stockings, and thick high heels.

"Assistant Mike—no, Professor Mike. Nice to meet you."

The woman extended a hand.

"I’m a researcher from Macro Cosmos. My name is Oleana."

Mike looked at her.

He knew exactly who she was.

In the future, Oleana would become Macro Cosmos’s vice president, Chairman Rose’s chief secretary, and one of the researchers responsible for developing the Dynamax Band.

"Hello."

Mike shook her hand.

As he studied her, one thought immediately surfaced.

’Yep. Research really does make people lose their hair...’

Oleana noticed that Mike’s gaze had drifted suspiciously toward her forehead.

She looked puzzled.

"Professor Mike, is something wrong?"

Mike hurriedly looked away.

The sudden shine had almost blinded him.

"No, nothing. What did you want to speak with me about, Miss Oleana?"

"It’s like this."

Oleana straightened.

"I’m from Galar, and I’m extremely interested in the Hisuian Pokémon involved in your project. I’d like to collect Dynamax data from those Pokémon. Would that be possible?"

"Of course."

Mike answered without hesitation.

"To be honest, we intend to make the evolution methods for every successfully restored Hisuian Pokémon public anyway. We’ll even release some populations into suitable environments and allow them to return to the wild."

"So when the time comes, all you’ll need to do is follow the published method and evolve them yourselves."

Mike smiled.

"Actually, I’m curious too."

Oleana blinked.

"About what?"

"Whether Pokémon from the Hisui era can Gigantamax."

Oleana paused.

"Professor Mike, you know about Gigantamax?"

"Of course. Sonia told me."

Mike threw Sonia under the bus without hesitation.

"Huh? Me?"

Sonia, standing nearby, pointed at herself with a completely baffled expression.

"Yeah. We talked about it yesterday. You forgot?"

Mike stared at her.

"D-Did we?"

Sonia’s expression became increasingly uncertain.

"...I guess we might have?"

She eventually nodded in a daze.

Oleana accepted that explanation.

"I understand."

Then she looked back toward Mike.

"In that case, Professor Mike, would you be interested in taking our cooperation a step further?"

"What kind of cooperation?"

"I can speak with our chairman and propose that Macro Cosmos cover all research expenses for your future projects."

Oleana continued, "In exchange, whenever you successfully restore another Pokémon from the Hisui era, we would receive the evolution method immediately."

Mike stared at her without answering.

Oleana became slightly uneasy under his gaze.

’Does he dislike the offer?’

Mike, meanwhile, was thinking about something completely different.

According to what she had just said, Oleana clearly hadn’t risen very high within Macro Cosmos yet.

Which meant...

Right now, she was still just an employee.

’An employee, huh...’

’Employees are good...’

Could he poach her?

Oleana was extremely capable.

In the anime, she essentially handled enormous portions of Macro Cosmos’s daily operations herself.

If Mike ever wanted to make serious money, someone like her could probably help him enormously.

Entertainment occupied a huge place in this world’s culture.

Mike could easily imagine eventually entering the film industry himself.

Raising Gengar and the others properly required enormous amounts of money, and that wasn’t going to change.

He could steal stories from his previous life, have Gengar and the others act in movies, then let Oleana handle the business side and make money for him...

Her research ability wasn’t weak either.

Someone without serious scientific talent wouldn’t have been involved in developing the Dynamax Band.

If he recruited her, Mike could continue traveling while leaving much of the laboratory management and experimentation to Oleana.

The idea grew increasingly attractive.

"Miss Oleana."

"Yes?"

She immediately straightened when Mike addressed her.

"Would you be interested in working for me?"

Sonia: ∑(〇?〇)!!!

Cynthia: "???"

Lucian: "..."

Oleana: "?!!"

Oleana: (〇⊿〇)?

Oleana: ∑(〇?〇)!!!

Oleana: "Huh?!"

Mike suddenly realized how ambiguous his wording sounded.

"I mean, would you like to work under me?"

Oleana was speechless.

"W-What exactly do you mean, Professor Mike?"

"If I remember correctly, you’re one of the researchers who developed the Dynamax Band, right?"

Oleana nodded.

"Then why not work with me?"

Mike smiled.

"To be honest, I also know quite a lot about Dynamax."

Sonia: "???"

’That is absolutely not what you told me yesterday...’

"I’m now a Pokémon Professor specializing in the evolution and moves of ancient Pokémon."

Mike continued, "You’re clearly interested in studying how Hisuian Pokémon interact with Dynamax, aren’t you?"

Oleana nodded again.

Sonia silently lamented beside them.

’I’m interested too!’

"Come work for me," Mike said. "I’ll give you the position of my research assistant."

Oleana’s eyes widened.

A Pokémon Professor’s assistant.

That position was often treated almost like that professor’s academic successor!

’He... thinks that highly of me?!’

Oleana immediately became conflicted.

Being the assistant of a Pokémon Professor already offered enormous long-term prospects.

And Mike wasn’t an ordinary professor.

He was arguably one of the youngest and most promising Pokémon Professors in the entire academic community.

But Chairman Rose...

Mike leaned closer and lowered his voice.

"How much does Rose pay you?"

"N-Not much... I only joined recently," Oleana admitted quietly.

Mike nearly celebrated aloud.

So at this point, she hadn’t developed that intense loyalty toward Rose yet.

Perfect!

"Think about it."

Mike’s voice dropped into something almost devilishly persuasive.

"Dynamax or even Gigantamax research involving Pokémon from more than a thousand years ago."

"Isn’t that tempting enough?"

Oleana’s breathing changed slightly.

"Have you watched my videos?"

"I-I have. They’re very interesting."

"Then you should understand that I’m a photographer."

Mike continued, "I’ll spend most of my time traveling. So if I establish my own research institute, I’ll need someone capable of managing things while I’m away."

Oleana’s breathing became faster.

"And whenever academic summits come around, I’ll need someone who can present research on my behalf..."

A flush gradually spread across her face.

"But Professor... a research institute still requires funding."

She had already unconsciously changed the way she addressed him.

"The League provides research support."

Mike continued calmly.

"And I can also ask the Hisaishisai Group in Paldea. They may be willing to help fund us."

"The Hisaishisai Group?"

Oleana looked puzzled.

Mike nodded.

"Manryo Hisaishisai. One of my hardcore fans."

Oleana’s eyes widened again.

’The chairman of the Hisaishisai Group is his fan?!’

She blinked several times before suddenly straightening.

"Please allow me to follow you and learn under your guidance!"

Mike nodded with satisfaction.

’Noice!’

Cynthia stood nearby watching Mike successfully poach Oleana away from Macro Cosmos, her expression unreadable as she began calculating something of her own.

"In that case, can I leave choosing the location for our research institute to you?" Mike asked.

Not every Pokémon Professor was permitted to establish an officially recognized research institute.

Normally, only professors with a clearly recognized specialization and League approval could establish their own institute within a region.

The local League would then provide support for construction and take responsibility for security.

"Yes!"

Oleana accepted the assignment immediately.

"Professor, which region are you considering for the institute?"

Mike turned toward Cynthia.

"Would Sinnoh take us?"

Cynthia froze for half a second.

"Of course!"

How could she possibly refuse?

This was a Pokémon Professor bringing an entire research institute into Sinnoh!

The institute might even attract substantial sponsorship money for the Sinnoh League.

Cynthia turned toward Lucian.

Lucian was silent for several seconds before adjusting his glasses and looking toward Oleana.

"Miss Oleana, once the summit is finished, come to Sinnoh League headquarters. We should have a proper discussion."

Oleana’s eyes widened.

"I understand."

She nodded immediately.

Then she glanced toward Mike.

No wonder he had spoken about establishing a research institute as though it were effortless.

Apparently the upper leadership of the Sinnoh League was already on his side.

In reality, Mike had absolutely no idea establishing a research institute involved this much bureaucracy.

Oleana quickly moved closer and lowered her voice.

"Professor, if we establish the institute in Sinnoh, then for research on Dynamax involving Hisuian Pokémon, we could potentially establish a formal partnership with Professor Magnolia’s laboratory."

Mike looked at her.

She was already fully in work mode.

He nodded approvingly.

"That makes sense. I’ll leave the discussions with them to you."

"Understood."

Oleana immediately clicked away in her high heels toward Professor Magnolia and Sonia and quietly began explaining the idea.

Sonia’s eyes instantly lit up.

She had thought she wouldn’t get to participate in the Dynamax research on Hisuian Pokémon after all.

...

On the other side of the hall, Lucian looked at Mike and shook his head.

"She came over to negotiate cooperation with you, and you turned around and poached her."

Mike shrugged.

"I’m a Pokémon Professor now. I can’t exactly neglect my research, can I?"

He smiled.

"With her around, I’ll have a much easier time."

"She’s that good?" Cynthia asked quietly.

Mike thought about it for a moment, then gave a cautious nod.

Something flashed through Cynthia’s eyes.

Lucian’s eyes showed the same realization.

’If that’s the case...’

’Understood.’

Across the room, Oleana suddenly shivered for no apparent reason.

She looked toward Mike, Cynthia, and Lucian.

’Wait.’

’I came here to negotiate a partnership.’

’How did I suddenly end up working for him?’

She thought about it for a moment.

Then gave up.

A Pokémon Professor’s assistant position was simply too attractive to refuse.

Oleana tore the Macro Cosmos identification badge from around her neck, stuffed it into her pocket, and continued discussing the potential collaboration with Professor Magnolia and Sonia.

Several years later, Oleana would look back on this day and reach one conclusion:

Sinnoh was nothing but one enormous overtime factory!

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