Everything Is Ready

The Wingull egg Teacher Zhihe had given him was full of vitality. His senior brother had taken a look at it for Zeno and said it would still be quite a while before it hatched. Zeno had been busy lately, so he entrusted the egg to Uncle Kam's Octillery.

Besides the first Clamperl group, two more groups had joined them later on, bringing the total to more than fifty. They got along very well and lived together harmoniously.

Zeno planned to build several small wooden cabins near the coast so they could record and observe them nearby. Constantly running back and forth was too troublesome. Once everything was settled, the cabins could be left for the keepers to rest in.

There were quite a few reef areas near the coast, and the terrain resembled Pacifidlog Town's, so Zeno planned to borrow the housing design used over there.

"Zeno, the plant seeds you applied for have arrived in Lilycove City. Find some time to pick them up."

"Okay, got it."

"One more thing. To support your work, Teacher and Lilycove Pokémon Marine Park applied for a batch of Clamperl for you. You'll need to receive them in person."

"Really? That's great! Teacher is so thoughtful. By the way, Senior Brother, about how many are there?"

"About two hundred, I think. We could have requested more, but since you're only just getting started, Teacher said you shouldn't bite off more than you can chew."

"Two hundred is already a lot. We only recruited a little over fifty before, and I already thought that was amazing."

"That park was Teacher's idea. These two hundred Clamperl are a friendly sponsorship for you. If you need more later, you can go to them. They offer discounts."

"This is incredible! Teacher's backing is seriously massive!" Zeno was thrilled. With this, he no longer had to worry about future development.

"Haha, you need to get used to it. Teacher has far more influence than you think." Gu Yan had long since accepted reality.

Only now did Zeno finally understand why so many people fought tooth and nail every year to get into the Littleroot Research Lab. They could choose any project they wanted, use materials as they pleased, and had access to extensive connections and resources. Most importantly, their backing was incredibly strong. The prestige of a region's leading professor was simply immense.

Zeno was utterly incapable of building houses, so he could only leave the matter to Uncle Kam.

After hearing Zeno's idea, Kam said there was no problem. The villagers all knew how to build houses, so they would conveniently save on labor costs.

The lumber needed for the cabins was rather specialized and had to be bought in Lilycove City. Since Zeno also needed to collect the seeds and Clamperl, he asked Uncle Kam to take him along.

"Professor Birch really is something else. In just one month, Zeno has changed so much. He can already take charge of such a major project." Kam found it unbelievable just thinking about it. Big Shell Village had truly become tied to shells now.

"Actually, I haven't contributed much. It's mainly thanks to Teacher and Senior Brother."

"Mm, your senior brother really treats you well, and Professor Birch is good to you too. Now I can finally rest easy."

Along the way, Kam asked many questions about the details of his life at the research lab. Whenever Zeno spoke of it, he had a smile on his lips and light in his eyes. Kam felt incredibly fortunate—fortunate that he had made up his mind to buy a ticket to Slateport City, fortunate that he had helped the researcher named Hiraiwa, and even more fortunate that he had met Professor Birch.

They first went to Lilycove Department Store and ordered the lumber needed for the cabins. Lilycove Department Store was wealthy and provided excellent service, offering home delivery throughout the Hoenn Region.

Professor Birch's seeds had been stored at the Pokémon Center in Lilycove City. It was Zeno's first time there. Unlike the Pokémon Centers in small towns, this one handled many kinds of business and was more like a comprehensive service center.

"Hello, Miss Joy. I'm Zeno. I'm here to collect a package Professor Birch left here."

"Certainly. Please show me your identification."

Zeno handed her his Pokédex. When Miss Joy saw the latest official Pokédex, she also recorded Zeno's information.

"Everything is in order. Please wait a moment. I'll have someone bring it over."

Zeno had originally thought it would be a small package, but Teacher had unexpectedly sent him five huge bags. Fortunately, Uncle Kam had driven a small truck over. Otherwise, he had no idea how they would have carried it all back.

After loading everything into the truck, all that remained was the Clamperl from Lilycove Pokémon Marine Park.

Lilycove Pokémon Marine Park was an official Pokémon sanctuary and was generally not open to the public. Without Professor Birch, Zeno would never have been able to get in.

After receiving word that Zeno had arrived, even the park director came out. The moment he saw Zeno, he greeted him enthusiastically.

"So this young man is Professor Birch's newly accepted star student? What an impressive-looking young fellow!"

"You flatter me."

"That isn't flattery. Everyone knows Professor Birch has high standards. Since you became his student, you must have something exceptional about you."

Professor Birch had played a major role in establishing this park. If it had not been for him, they would not even have had this job. Who would have thought the professor's new student was actually from Lilycove City? It seemed they would need to maintain a good relationship with him in the future.

"Are the Clamperl ready?" Zeno did not want to listen to his flattering praise and got straight to the point.

"They're ready. They're all healthy, and we've already placed them in Poké Balls. You just need to sign here." The director handed him the transfer document.

"Thank you for your generous support."

"You're welcome. If you need more in the future, feel free to contact us."

"Okay."

Leaving aside the two hundred Clamperl, the two hundred Poké Balls alone cost forty thousand. Zeno could not help but sigh. Being rich really did mean doing whatever you wanted.

After a month of operation, Big Shell Village's Clamperl Marine Ranch had begun to take shape. Zeno replanned the area, and all two hundred Clamperl adapted well to their new home.

The plants they had put in were all growing well. Not only that, many new Pokémon had moved into the coastal waters, greatly increasing the ranch's biodiversity. All they needed to do next was record another month of data. Once they confirmed everything was completely stable, they could return to the Littleroot Research Lab.

To make recording, observation, and handling emergencies easier, Zeno and his senior brother moved into the newly built cabins, planning to live there for the next month.

Uncle Kam and the others were quite skilled. The three newly built cabins stood above the sea, possessing a unique charm. Still, Zeno always felt it was dangerous to live there. He truly admired the people of Pacifidlog Town for living on the sea year after year without being afraid.

"Senior Brother, are we really going to be okay living here?"

"Don't worry. There are lots of reefs here, so we don't need to worry too much about wind and waves. Still, we should be careful. If there's a heavy storm, there's a risk of flooding."

"Senior Brother, how about we make a run for it instead?"

"Aren't you going to be a navigator someday? You're scared of a little problem like this?"

"So what if I'm a navigator? Does being a navigator mean I'm not afraid of dying?"

Gu Yan: "..."