Chapter 149: The Matter of Evolution
After defeating Brennan, one of the four favorites to win the entire tournament, Basalt's advancement to the Top 4 had made him a household name across the Jiangnan region. Combined with his handsome features and trendy style, his popularity had exploded overnight.
Unfortunately, Basalt had no time to care about any of that.
Drilbur could feel the energy within its body building to a critical point. It was about to evolve.
"Quick! Put this on!"
Agent Zhou, having rushed all the way from Saffron City, handed Basalt an Everstone the moment he saw him.
An Everstone—the one item that could suppress a Pokémon's evolution.
After placing the stone in Drilbur's claws, Zhou let out a huge sigh of relief. He had been terrified that Drilbur would evolve on the spot. For an ordinary Pokémon, an evolution was just an evolution. But Drilbur was different. The Weather Bureau had designated it as an S-rank talent, a Pokémon with the potential to become a true powerhouse. Every step of its development had to be perfect. Even the smallest flaw in its early stages could become a major obstacle in the future.
"Do you have everything packed?" Zhou asked, turning to Basalt. Two hours earlier, when Basalt had called him, Zhou had told him to get his things ready. To achieve a perfect evolution, Drilbur needed to be in a place rich with both Ground- and Steel-type energy. Such a place did not exist in Centralis City, or even in the entire Jiangnan region.
"Everything's packed, but..." Basalt hesitated. "The Relay Battle is this afternoon. If I leave now, what about the team?"
It was noon. The Relay Battle between Metro City and Olivine City was scheduled for two o'clock. If Basalt left, Metro City's chances were slim. He hadn't yet brought the issue to Director Sterling.
"The Relay Battle? Who cares about that? It's just a small tournament. How can it possibly compare to Drilbur's future?" Zhou exploded, his voice a mixture of anger and disappointment. "Basalt, you are Drilbur's trainer!"
"Of course Drilbur's future is more important," Basalt replied quickly, though he was still confused. "But it's holding the Everstone now, isn't it? With that suppressing it, it shouldn't evolve prematurely, right? It's only for two or three hours."
"You're being foolish," Zhou sighed, shaking his head. "Basalt, you don't know how an Everstone actually works, do you?"
"Uh... well..." Basalt admitted sheepishly. He, in fact, did not.
"A Pokémon's evolution is typically triggered when the Life Energy within its body reaches its limit, forcing a breakthrough. An Everstone can suppress this because the energy it contains absorbs and pacifies the activity of that Life Energy," Zhou explained. "However, if the Everstone absorbs too much, it can cause the Pokémon's own Life Energy to become dormant, which can impact its potential. For an ordinary Pokémon, the effect is negligible. But Drilbur is different. It has the potential to become one of the greats. The stronger a Pokémon becomes, the harder it is to break through to the next level. Any small disadvantage will be magnified infinitely later on, becoming a bottleneck that hinders its growth..."
Basalt's jaw dropped. He had no idea there was so much complexity behind evolution and Everstones.
"Right now, Drilbur is only on the verge of evolving. But if it engages in an all-out battle, it will have to tap into its full potential, which makes evolution highly likely. If that happens, its energy will clash violently with the energy in the Everstone, and the activity of its Life Energy will inevitably be affected."
Zhou's meaning was clear. As long as Drilbur didn't battle, the Everstone was just a safety measure, and its potential wouldn't be harmed.
"Then... I'll go tell the Director right now," Basalt said, all hesitation gone.
As Zhou had said, the Regional Tournament was just one small event in the grand scheme of his life. How could it compare to Drilbur's future? Damn it, I almost derailed Drilbur's destiny to become a king!
"Forget it, I'll talk to him," Zhou said, far more anxious than Basalt. He immediately dialed Director Sterling's number.
On the other end of the line, Director Sterling also understood the gravity of the situation. Although Basalt's presence meant Metro City would likely beat Olivine City in the relay, he chose to support the decision for the sake of Drilbur's future.
"Agent Zhou, where are you planning to take Drilbur to evolve?" Sterling asked curiously. "The Oreburgh Mines?"
"The Oreburgh Mines? That was the original plan, but we've made a change," Zhou said, a proud, smug tone in his voice. "This time, I'm taking Basalt out of the country, to the El Mutun Mega-Mine. If we're going to do this, we're going to do it at the best place in the world."
"Hiss..." Sterling couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.
The Oreburgh Mines were the premier Steel-type training ground in the entire nation. Even powerful trainers had to queue up for a chance to use them. But the Weather Bureau? They were looking past the nation's best and going straight for the world's number one Steel-type sanctuary.
The El Mutun Mega-Mine was a treasure trove located on the border between two remote southern regions, a place formed when a massive Hidden Land had merged with their world. It was a place that countless powerful organizations coveted.
Basalt listened to the conversation, completely clueless. All he understood was that they were going to some kind of iron mine.
After hanging up, Basalt followed Zhou and climbed onto his Charizard. He had to admit, riding a Charizard was much more comfortable than a Skarmory. Despite the incredible speed, Charizard's mastery over air currents was perfect. Basalt felt no wind resistance at all, as if he were protected by an invisible pane of glass.
Soon, the Charizard landed at a private airfield. Before them was a sleek, thirty-meter-long private jet with a slender fuselage and thin wings. Even Basalt, who knew nothing about planes, could tell it was a high-performance aircraft.
"Don't just stand there, get on. It's a four or five-hour flight," Zhou said, recalling his Charizard.
The plane was large, but inside, there were only a dozen first-class seats. The cabin was luxuriously appointed. A powerfully built, bald man with a thick beard, who looked to be in his fifties, sat casually reading a magazine.
"Master Martel, thank you for waiting," Zhou said, hurrying over with a beaming smile. Basalt was shocked. He had never seen the normally arrogant Agent Zhou act so deferential.
"A Master? Could he be..."
The middle-aged man grunted noncommittally, then looked up at Basalt. "So this is the genius your Weather Bureau dug up in the southeast this year?"
"That's right. His name is Basalt. His starter was a Drilbur with exceptional talent. It learned Sandstorm two months ago," Zhou said, then turned to Basalt. "Basalt, this is Master Martel, one of our nation's most renowned Steel-type Masters. It's thanks to him that you have this opportunity to go to the El Mutun Mega-Mine."
"It's an honor to meet you, Master Martel!" Basalt bowed deeply. This was a Pokémon Master, a trainer on the same level as a regional Gym Leader. It was the first time he'd ever been this close to such a legendary figure.
"Two months ago? That would have been at the rookie-level, then," the normally stoic Master Martel said, his eyes widening in surprise.
An advanced-tier weather Pokémon was considered talented. An intermediate-tier one was a genius worthy of the League's full support. But a rookie-tier weather Pokémon? That was... a super genius.
Now, Master Martel understood. He had been wondering why the old fossils at the Weather Bureau had pulled so many strings to ask a favor of him for some kid.
"Not bad, not bad at all. You've got a bright future, kid," he said, looking Basalt over with an approving nod. He then sighed. "If my own boy worked half as hard as you, I wouldn't have so many headaches."
"Dad, we just got on the plane and you're already airing my dirty laundry?" a clear, annoyed voice called out.
Basalt turned to see a slender, fair-skinned young man walking out of the restroom, wiping his hands with a tissue.
"Basalt?" The boy was clearly shocked to see him.
"Mason Martel!" Basalt was just as surprised. It was the Magneton trainer from the Centralis City team.
"Master Martel... Mason Martel?" Basalt's mind raced, and the pieces clicked into place. So this was the biggest trainer legacy in the tournament. The son of a Master-level trainer.
"Wait a second," Basalt thought, scratching his head. "Didn't Mason lose to Iris in the Top 4?"
"You two know each other? Right, you must have competed in the regionals too," Master Martel said, rubbing his shiny, bald head. He stood up, his eyes sharp. "Basalt, did you make it to the Top 4?"
"Uh... yes, I just barely made it," Basalt replied, confused.
SMACK!
A fist came down on Mason's head with lightning speed. He yelped, clutching his head as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Do you know what this brat did?" Master Martel raged, his face contorted with anger. "He was trying to impress that Iris girl, so he threw the match! He deliberately lost, then came home and lied to me, saying his opponent was too strong!"
He gave Mason another kick for good measure. "If I hadn't gotten suspicious and watched the battle video, I would have been fooled. Damn it, so young and already chasing after girls. How did I end up with such a useless son?"
Master Martel grew more and more agitated, his chest heaving. He turned to Basalt and clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder, his voice filled with a lifetime of wisdom. "Women, my boy, will only slow down your path to becoming stronger! You're young. Don't let yourself be led astray!"
Looking at the Master patting his shoulder, Basalt had a feeling the man had a long story to tell. If only he had a drink to offer him.
After Master Martel's anger subsided, the plane finished refueling and took off. Five hours later, they landed.
The El Mutun Mega-Mine lay before them.
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you