Sparkling Stone?

Seeing the stone transmitted by the guardian deity of Poni Island, Terrance reached out to hold it and froze for a brief moment.

Terrance still remembered that, rather than being found by chance in the wild, most Sparkling Stones in the Alola region were given out by the guardian deities of this land.

“I was originally searching for a Sparkling Stone. This time, I suppose you could say I’m very lucky…”

Holding the Sparkling Stone, Terrance not only obtained data from Totem Pokémon and Ultra Beasts, but also began to develop some hypotheses about how aura is formed.

Now that he had the Sparkling Stone, as long as he had enough time, as well as precise experimental instruments and research equipment, Terrance could begin conducting research into aura immediately.

It’s said that the radiance of the Sparkling Stone hides some kind of secret—what could it be?

“Thank you, Tapu Fini. Please give my regards to Tapu Koko.” After receiving the Sparkling Stone, Terrance thanked Tapu Fini, who nodded before leaving.

With Tapu Fini gone and the two Celesteela returned to where they belonged, Terrance knew that the matter was not yet truly over.

As expected, Terrance received an invitation from Wicke, the assistant branch chief of the Aether Foundation. Lusamine, the current president of the Aether Foundation, wished to meet him.

Terrance did not decline. He also had the intention of getting in touch with the Aether Foundation. After all, they were the dominant force in Alola, and had once collaborated with Master Victor in a multi-year research project. That said, if Terrance had wanted to refuse, with his current capabilities, the Aether Foundation would not have been able to force him.

On the man-made island at the center of the Alola region, Aether Paradise stood. As the base of the Aether Foundation, many injured Pokémon from Alola were sent here for shelter. In addition to protecting Pokémon, this organization also conducted research activities here.

Following Wicke’s invitation, Terrance boarded a ship with several Aether Foundation employees and arrived at the paradise’s dock. Passing through the Conservation Area, Terrance followed Wicke toward the center of the facility.

Meanwhile, in the president’s meeting room—

With her tall figure and long golden hair, the president of Aether Paradise looked unhappily at the man before her.

“Faba, I’ve told you many times already—giving up on the Ultra Beast that appeared this time was my decision.”

“I don’t understand! If I could have captured that never-before-seen Ultra Beast, my research might have made a breakthrough!!” Faba spoke angrily, his green glasses askew. By the time he received the information, the Ultra Beast had already been sent back into the Ultra Wormhole. Considering himself the most elite researcher at Aether Paradise, Faba simply couldn’t tolerate being left in the dark.

But what awaited him was a reprimand from Lusamine. As she slammed her hand on the table, the sharp sound snapped Faba back to his senses. He immediately remembered his position and, with a guilty expression, quickly said, “I’m terribly sorry, President. I got too emotional.”

“It’s not your fault, but this time the guardian deity personally intervened…” Lusamine’s expression softened as she continued. “It seems a Trainer was involved as well. He may be able to provide some valuable information. In any case, what’s done is done—no use dwelling on it.”

Although Faba still held a grudge over the Ultra Beast slipping through his fingers, just as Lusamine had said, the matter was already settled. Complaining further would serve no purpose.

At that moment, Lusamine looked up and said, “He’s here.”

Faba glanced toward the door. With Lusamine’s approval, the electronic door began to open automatically, and Wicke slowly led Terrance inside.

“President,” Wicke said, nodding toward Lusamine.

With a warm smile, Lusamine looked kindly at Terrance and began to speak, “Hello, I’m Lusamine, president of the Aether Foundation. I’m truly sorry that you got caught up in our investigation of the Ultra Beast. I hope it didn’t cause you too much trouble.”

Faba let out a quiet hum of discontent in his heart but also turned to look at Terrance.

“Hello, President,” Terrance replied with a calm smile, looking at the three of them as he introduced himself. “It’s no trouble at all. As a Gym Leader, even when I’m not in my own region, I have a responsibility to protect human settlements from harm.”

“Furthermore, as a student of Master Victor, I’ve long heard that he conducted years of research here. I’ve been hoping to visit Aether Paradise for quite some time, so it’s truly an honor to be invited.”

At his words, Lusamine was stunned for a moment.

Faba’s expression also shifted to one of surprise as he looked at Terrance, while Wicke was even more taken aback—she had assumed Terrance was just a bystander who got caught up in the incident, never expecting him to have such an identity.

From the moment Terrance revealed his identity, the way Aether Foundation treated him changed significantly.

Even Faba, who had been quite displeased earlier, couldn’t help but let go of his hostility after hearing that Terrance was a student of Master Victor. After all, Master Victor’s training concepts had once been helpful to him as well.

Now at the Aether Foundation, Terrance already understood what they wanted—and he directly stated that he had recorded most of the data on the “White Celesteela.”

Seeing how cooperative Terrance was, Faba, the head of the Aether Foundation’s research department, began to develop a better impression of him.

The Aether Foundation originally intended to purchase the data Terrance had collected with money, but Terrance politely declined. Instead, he made a request that surprised everyone present.

That request was—to borrow a portion of Aether Paradise’s research facilities.

As a research hub, Aether Paradise naturally had no shortage of research facilities. Terrance’s request was very easy to accommodate, and the two parties quickly reached an agreement. Faba even expressed his desire to hire Terrance as his assistant, hoping he could help with ongoing research. And just like that, treating this as a starting point, three months quietly passed…

……

Three months later, in the Kalos Region.

The Kalos Region is shaped like a five-pointed star, with Lumiose City at its center.

As the center of the Kalos region, a metropolis that gathers the essence of technology and art, Lumiose City possesses the largest venue in the Kalos region.

This venue is the place where the Lumiose City Conference is held every year, but today, it was being used for an even more sacred occasion.

“Good morning!!!”

“The final battle of the long-awaited Champion Title Defense is about to begin!!!”

“I know everyone is already very familiar with both competitors, but please allow me to introduce them once more!”

“Entering the stage from the left is Kalos’s renowned chef—Siebold! Not only is Siebold a famous chef, but he’s also a master of Water-type Pokémon. Most importantly, as a rising star of the Kalos Region’s Elite Four, he has shown overwhelming strength and is currently the top contender for the Champion title!!”

“And entering from the right is Miss Diantha! Her strength is beyond question—she currently holds the title of Champion. As a symbol of the Kalos Region, can Miss Diantha successfully defend her Champion crown?!!”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay