Chapter 263: Norman's Recommendation
"By the way, Mr. Norman, do you know of anything besides Everstones that can suppress a Pokémon's evolution factor?" Yuga suddenly thought that Mr. Norman might be aware of why Magikarp couldn't evolve, given his extensive experience as a veteran Trainer.
Mr. Norman pondered for a moment but couldn't come up with an answer. He furrowed his brow and said, "Hmm... I don't know. Is there something troubling you in this regard?"
"Well," Yuga began, not holding back, and proceeded to explain the situation with Magikarp.
"I see," Mr. Norman responded after hearing Yuga's account. "In that case, let me introduce you to someone. He's an expert in this field. You should reach out to him."
Mr. Norman provided Yuga with a name and contact information.
"Professor Birch? Is that Professor Birch from Littleroot Town?" Yuga asked in astonishment.
Mr. Norman replied, "Oh, you know him! He's my good friend and should be able to assist you. I'll give him a heads-up, so feel free to contact him with confidence."
Yuga thought to himself, "Professor Birch, the renowned Pokémon researcher from the Hoenn region. Who doesn't know him? He's known for his expertise in the field."
Yuga expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much, Mr. Norman."
Mr. Norman smiled and said, "No need to thank me. I just hope I can be of help to you. Now that everything seems fine, I won't keep you any longer."
Afterward, Yuga ended the call with Mr. Norman.
Before contacting Professor Birch, Yuga headed to his Ecopark to bring out Magikarp. He needed to show the doctor Magikarp's condition to understand the issue.
Once Magikarp was out, Yuga took a deep breath and dialed the number for Professor Birch's research facility. He was about to meet a well-known figure he had only seen on television, and he felt a bit nervous.
Since Yuga planned to have Professor Birch examine Magikarp's condition, he made a video call.
Soon, someone answered the call on the other end, and a young man's face appeared on the screen.
"Hello, this is the Professor Birch Research Institute. How can I assist you?" the man asked.
"Hello, I was introduced by Mr. Norman, and I'm looking for Professor Birch," Yuga replied.
"Oh, it's you. Professor Birch was informed about your call," the man said in surprise. "Please wait for a moment; I'll fetch the doctor."
With that, the man left the screen.
When someone appeared on the screen again, it was a middle-aged man with a beard.
"Hello, are you Yuga? Mr. Norman told me about your situation," Professor Birch said with a friendly smile, giving the impression of a gentle person.
"Hello, Professor Birch," Yuga greeted, nodding slightly to show his respect. He then held his Magikarp in his arms.
"Doctor, can you identify what's wrong with my Magikarp?" Yuga asked.
Professor Birch observed Yuga's Magikarp through the video call and said, "Could you flip it over so I can take a closer look?"
Yuga agreed and adjusted Magikarp's position. Despite its size, Magikarp remained cooperative in Yuga's arms, allowing Professor Birch to examine it more closely. Without such cooperation, Yuga would have struggled to hold it due to its sheer strength.
After observing for a while, Professor Birch said, "This Magikarp seems to be developing perfectly. There don't appear to be any visible issues."
Hearing Professor Birch's assessment, both Yuga and Magikarp felt somewhat disappointed. They hadn't expected that not even the renowned Professor Birch would have a solution.
After a brief pause, Professor Birch suggested, "How about this? If you have the time, bring Magikarp to the research institute, and I'll conduct a thorough examination using the equipment we have here. I'm also quite interested in understanding why Magikarp can't evolve."
Excited by the prospect, Yuga asked, "Really?"
The Professor Birch Research Institute boasted state-of-the-art technology provided by the Pokémon League, far superior to the facilities available in the small town of Verdanturf. Yuga hoped this visit might reveal why Magikarp couldn't evolve.
Professor Birch smiled and replied, "Absolutely. Being able to witness the unraveling of a mystery is an honor for any researcher."
Yuga said, "That's wonderful! Do you have a preferred time, Professor Birch? I'll bring Magikarp to your research institute."
"You can come whenever you like; I'll be at the institute for the time being," Professor Birch replied.
Professor Birch was known for his outdoor observations of Pokémon, so it was rare for him to remain at the research institute. Yuga scheduled the visit with Professor Birch and ended the call.
Addressing Magikarp, Yuga reassured it, "Magikarp, with the help of someone as skilled as Professor Birch, we'll definitely find out why you can't evolve. Don't worry."
Magikarp, upon hearing Yuga's words, wiggled its tail and showed a glimmer of excitement in its usually vacant eyes.
Yuga returned Magikarp to the main pond in the Ecopark, where it could join the other Pokémon, including Marshtomp. Since they were going to visit Professor Birch, Yuga didn't send Magikarp back to the smaller pond at the Center of Lake Island.
As he watched Magikarp swim alongside the other Pokémon, Yuga suddenly felt something brushing against his leg. He looked down and found an Eevee.
Noticing the purple ribbon tied around its neck, Yuga recognized this as the same Eevee that had been eager to evolve into an Espeon.
Yuga affectionately picked up the Eevee, scratched its chin, and asked with a smile, "What's going on, little one?"
The Eevee responded with joyful sounds and tilted its head, inviting Yuga to scratch it more.
"You little one."
Yuga had already noticed that this Eevee was quite affectionate and seemed to enjoy human company. With a gentle kiss on its forehead, Yuga continued to caress it.
At that moment, the Eevee's body began emitting a pure white light, and its form gradually grew larger. Yuga felt the weight in his arms increasing.
When the white light dissipated, the small Eevee in Yuga's arms had transformed into a gentle-looking Espeon with pale purple fur.
"Espeon!"
The Espeon gracefully lifted its head and let out a melodious cry.
Everything had happened so suddenly that Yuga was taken aback. Wasn't the Eevee that wanted to evolve into an Umbreon, the first one he tried to build it friendship? How come the one that wanted to evolve into Espeon evolved first?
Weekly Power Status
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