"By the way, Youlan isn't the only evolution of Basculin."
As he spoke, Mu Yun opened another Poké Ball.
Another huge fish appeared, also four meters long.
Unlike Youlan, though, his eyes glowed like flowing fire and his tail blazed red. As he swam, he looked like a brilliant crimson flame.
It was Manzi, the Red-Striped Basculegion!
Manzi's appearance drew another round of astonishment.
Discovering one new evolution was hard enough.
Discovering two was harder still.
The last person to do it had been Chen He, who discovered two new evolutions of Eevee and became a Senior Researcher for it.
With Manzi and Youlan before them, everyone felt even more optimistic about Mu Yun's research career.
If nothing else, the papers he could write about them would be enough to make him a Senior Researcher.
And with Chen He, Gong Hong, and Vice Dean Xiao backing him, his age would not be a problem either.
"Once you're back, polish up your papers. Your formal research title should come through quickly, as long as the papers pass verification. For Senior Researcher, though, you'll have to wait for the conference at the start of the year."
Chen He could not help adding, "You're moving even faster than I did back then!"
"I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. Youlan and the others could only evolve thanks to the results you and your colleagues worked so hard to build up, Doctor Chen." Mu Yun smiled modestly.
"Oh, Xiao Yun, would you like to see how Rotom is born?"
Chen He's sudden question caught both Chen Li and Gong Hong off guard.
The process by which Rotom was born was one of the New Core Research Institute's most closely guarded secrets.
Of everyone present, only Chen He and Gong Hong were qualified to witness