Although there was a little incident with Rotom, Fennel still successfully entered the Link World.
Now, it was Truffle's turn to feel nervous.
She even began mumbling to herself, "If onee-san doesn't come back, I'll become the head researcher—what do I do then?" as she clawed at the towering pile of documents stacked like a miniature mountain. But soon enough, Fennel returned from her crossing!
She was still in a daze, but the moment she saw Hikaru and Truffle, she realized it really happened!
It wasn't a dream!
Well… although it was powered by dream energy, the Link World isn't the Dream World!
"I'm totally incoherent right now! But I'm just too excited!"
"I even saw the Link Tree! So that's the true will hidden within the Unova region… and in that form, no less! It spoke to me about many things. To sum it up… I suddenly feel like I've been given a mission!"
The existence of the C Gear is necessary. In this new era, new powers are needed to connect all people. Human technological creation even made the Link Tree exclaim how incredible it was. In ancient times…
"A long time ago, the ruler of the seas could communicate with all people and Pokémon. But now, even without that power, through technology and mechanical devices, people can communicate across vast distances. And with the C Gear, hearts can become closer—helping, supporting, and appreciating each other."
"That's what the Link Tree told me."
Fennel felt filled with energy. Her glasses reflected a silver gleam, and though she hadn't slept all night, she was positively brimming with excitement!
At that moment, dawn quietly arrived. Sunlight filtered through the second-floor windows, falling across the machines, the floor, the three of them, and all their Pokémon.
The warm rays felt like the world asking a question—and at last, Aegislash stirred from slumber.
"Guehh~"
Aegislash thumped its shield!
That was a really good nap!
Ah! Two new Poké Balls?
Aegislash floated over to Hikaru and folded its blade into a triple curl, peering closely at the Pokémon inside. Meanwhile, Walking Wake's eyes popped wide at the sight.
"Ey yo wai!" (Paldean accent)
Who even are you!?
Walking Wake hadn't expected that the puny sword it could've incinerated with one Flamethrower had grown this much. Even though Hikaru had mentioned it before, seeing this form in person was still shockingly impressive!
Hmph! But my Drought + Flamethrower + Protosynthesis combo isn't exactly weak either!
As for Hikaru, he muttered to himself:
This nap lasted way more than just three turns...
Did you hop over to Pokémon Sleep or something!?
Wait, why not install that as a feature too?
"Since we're already dealing with sleeping Pokémon, how about adding a program like that?"
Hikaru proposed the idea to Fennel!
Let's install Pokémon Sleep as an app in the C Gear!
Though it might steal work from Professor Neroli, who specializes in sleep studies, Fennel herself is a leading expert in dreams!
Professionally, they overlap—and Fennel is arguably the pioneer here!
Besides, Neroli's research even involves Dream Shards. Maybe he used to work with Fennel and Burnet back in the day?
And in Pokémon Sleep, there's a special power called Sleep Power—a unique ability possessed only by sleeping Snorlax, which attracts more Pokémon to come nap alongside it.
Fennel began pondering, a thoughtful look on her face: "Hmm… a program to monitor Pokémon sleep, formatted like a game, with measurement, recording, analysis..."
Hikaru snapped his fingers: "At the end of each session, the result could be divided into Light Drowsing, Peaceful Sleep, Deep Slumber, or No Pattern. The more it's used, and the more Pokémon encountered, the more species the system can record."
Speaking of which, Fennel literally entered the Dream World through her own research. No other professor can say the same!
Just like her sister—what a genius!
"Ah! That sounds so fun! I want to do it!"
Fennel's interest was instantly piqued. Her eyes lit up with longing: "A digital world filled with Pokémon sleep data, and simultaneously collecting the logins of Trainers… it's like a dream research project!"
"No, not a dream—it's already real!"
"And I can even write mini sleep facts and tips too! Yes, research into Pokémon sleep is still a blank slate. Starting from the Dream World, we can fill that gap completely!"
"Ahh! Thank you, Hikaru! It's all thanks to you—I've finally achieved my dream!"
Fennel stretched her arms wide, closing her eyes to embrace the morning sun. Her expression was one of pure joy, her heart still wrapped in the haze of wonder from a dream come true. But everything that just happened made one thing clear: it was all real!
"Really! Truly, really, it's all real!"
"What a beautiful day!"
Morning had arrived. People began walking the streets. Trainers started morning workouts with their Pokémon. Shops opened. Workers got busy.
"Alright! I'm going to build a new research lab! You'll be the deputy director!"
Fennel declared excitedly. Still riding her high, she decided to found a new lab!
And she named Hikaru as the vice-director!
However… that was just a temporary dream.
"Onee-san, you don't have any money," Truffle reminded her, tugging on her lab coat. "You can't build a lab without money."
"And if Onii-san's the vice-director, what about me?"
Fennel said, "Ah—if the C Gear is successfully mass-produced… but! Those who pursue dreams must not be constrained by money!"
"My goal is to build a big research lab in Nimbasa City! I can have multiple vice-directors!"
Ah, such a beautiful dream—but harsh reality awaited.
In Black 2 & White 2, Fennel had already moved to Nimbasa City. The little brother living downstairs even complained about how overrated big cities were.
She rented an entire floor of a building there as her lab, which showed she had decent funding back then.
But…
"Don't most rich professors actually build labs in the countryside?" Hikaru joked. "Professor Oak, Professor Rowan, Professor Birch—none of them live in big cities."
"Pallet Town, Sandgem Town, Littleroot Town."
Fennel was visibly troubled, deep in thought.
"No, small towns are great—for studying Pokémon ecosystems and such—but the C Gear is special. I still feel like you can gather more data and run better tests in the city, where there's a variety of people."
"Besides!" Fennel suddenly snapped her fingers as if she'd realized something and put her hands on her hips, laughing:
"Juniper's lab already exists! Her lab is my lab! And my lab is still my lab!"
As if using Juniper's lab was only natural!
Ahh, the friendship of college besties!
"Alright, then the new program development is in your hands… Oh, right, I'll leave you a sample."
Hikaru began applying some of the software knowledge he'd obtained from the Transfer Factory. Dr. Park's skills were exceptional, and Hikaru quickly outlined a foundational development direction.
"Whoa! Amazing! That's exactly the direction I needed!" Fennel adjusted her glasses and gripped the paper tightly with her slender fingers:
"You really are a genius!"
"We can keep adding new programs to the C Gear! It's got a bright future ahead!"
Hikaru: "…Not really. I actually learned this from Dr. Park."
He was just being honest!
[Bonus: C Gear Program Integration Knowledge!]
Hikaru's eyes narrowed.
[Description: Specialized knowledge derived from global communication systems, allowing the C Gear to interface with most software and machines. Requires writing extremely complex code and using a special item—Connection Cable.]
[Note: Some machines require specific powers or conditions to establish contact or function.]
"Park… oh! You mean the guy from the Transfer Factory! I don't know him personally, but Juniper does! He's quite brilliant. I heard he's working on a century-defining experiment!"
Hikaru shrugged: "It failed. But the future is bright. Very bright."
Suddenly, Fennel's face turned serious:
"Wait… you never said the C Gear's future was that bright when you were developing it!"
"You've got such high praise for Park's experiment… alright, I won't lose to him!"
"Okay, I'm resuming my journey too. You're not the only one with a mission—I've got special work to do as well."
Hikaru put away the C Gear. It could be worn on the wrist and had a nice futuristic look.
After all, it was the newest model.
He then uploaded all the unsold electronics into the Link World.
"Whoa! You can use the Link World like a storage system?" Truffle was amazed.
"Yup. That way, the Rotom housed in the C Gear can… activate Super Transformation Mode!"
Hikaru made a gesture, and the C Gear's screen flashed brightly—Rotom emerged in its fan form!
"In battle, it can freely switch forms anytime, anywhere using the Link World!"
Later, they could visit Shopping Mall Nine to buy unsold refrigerators, lawnmowers, and washing machines. Seems like only the washing machines were actually selling well.
But Hades Inc.'s defective models were terrible, so Rotom should help pick the comfy ones.
"I've got two of my Rotom over at Professor Juniper's place. If you need them for research, just ask her," Hikaru explained about the Naughty and the Arrogant ones. Fennel looked at the junk products thoughtfully.
"Hiss… if Rotom and a special motor can perfectly synchronize and enter unique appliances… isn't that basically artificial intelligence?"
"Feels like this could become the future of the electronics industry! Maybe I should start studying it too!"
Hearing Fennel mutter to herself, Hikaru nearly choked.
Wow! Is she planning to outcompete Nemona's parents too!?
As expected of the "Dream Girl"—always bursting with new dreams and ideas!
"Oh right! You're going to challenge the Gym? Since you're back..." Fennel suddenly held up a finger. "You already have the Bug Badge and the Basic Badge, right?"
"Well! The Striaton Gym isn't particularly difficult—someone like you should have no trouble clearing it! And by the way, if you win, breakfast is on the house!"
A sly glint appeared in her eyes.
Breakfast problem: solved!
Truffle chimed in: "Research costs a lot, you know! Saving money on meals means more funds for science. Mooched meals... are only natural!"
"Ehh?! Truffle, what are you saying!?" Fennel hurriedly covered her sister's mouth, her cheeks turning bright red.
"A Gym challenge, huh…" Hikaru stroked his chin.
Alright! To hone my strength for battles against the three gods from another universe, collecting badges and gaining more knowledge is essential!
The Striaton Gym won't take long.
But… he never received a starter Pokémon from Professor Juniper, so how would the Striaton Gym's triplet brothers handle a challenger like him?
"Then let's go with you for the first match! It's your first real-world battle!"
When it's sunny, it's the Sunny Brother. When it rains, it's the Rainy Brother.
Hikaru picked up the Dream Ball. Inside, Walking Wake was raring to go—bursting with excitement!
It couldn't wait to rampage in this era and cause a scene!
"Oh, one more thing."
Hikaru suddenly remembered and warned Fennel and Truffle: "Be cautious of the PC Storage System!"
"Team Plasma might try to tamper with it! We need to report this to the Unova League as soon as possible!"
"Also… Fennel, you've got a lot of spare wire, right?"
Using wire, one could craft the special item—Connection Cable!
(End of Chapter)
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