Early the next morning.
In the temporary guest room of the Lighthouse Laboratory, Ash was awakened by the rhythmic sound of ocean waves outside the window.
This was a bona fide ocean-view room.
The living conditions were actually quite nice.
After washing up and arriving at the main hall, he found Brock had already borrowed the lab's kitchen to prepare breakfast, while Misty was helping Bill record some basic data.
"Morning," Ash greeted, casually tossing out his Poké Balls one by one.
"Everyone, come out and stretch a bit."
Red light flashed.
Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and the most eye-catching Golden Gyarados appeared in the relatively spacious area of the main hall.
"Pidge~" Pidgeotto stood on Ash's shoulder, rubbing its head against Ash's face.
It was also training hard.
Especially the move Swift.
As a bird, naturally one must be a bomber; who fights in melee?
Bill's laboratory was very large.
Although Gyarados's size was also considerable, it could still move normally within the room.
It looked around curiously at the technology-filled environment, emitting a low growl from its throat.
With the training during this period, Gyarados could already barely control itself.
At least when not subjected to pain or combat stimulation, it could maintain a calm self-awareness.
The training was quite effective.
Bill's gaze was instantly and firmly captivated by that brilliant golden color.
A Golden Gyarados?
It was the first time seeing one!
He almost immediately put down the instrument in his hands and walked over quickly.
His eyes shone with a light of curiosity bordering on fanaticism.
One could only say he lived up to his reputation as a world-renowned researcher.
"Is this... a Shiny Gyarados?" Bill looked it up and down carefully, muttering to himself.
"I remember current research stating that there are only red Shiny Gyarados?"
"I didn't expect there to be a golden one?!"
"This luster... it's too pure, simply like molten gold."
"Is it a dominant expression at the cellular level?"
"Or a special environmental mutation?"
Bill chattered incessantly.
There were still many different types of Shiny Pokémon in this world; for instance, there were pink Pokémon in the Orange Islands.
He suddenly raised his head, looking at Ash with burning eyes, his tone urgent but polite:
"Ash, I have a presumptuous request... could you allow me to collect a small sample of its blood?"
"Just a small amount!"
"I want to analyze its gene sequence to see if there are significant differences from a normal Gyarados!"
It would be too hard on a scholar to see such a rare Pokémon and not research it a little.
Ash looked at Gyarados, then at Bill whose face was filled with a thirst for knowledge, and nodded: "Sure, as long as it doesn't object."
Gyarados seemed to understand; its huge head tilted, and then it docilely opened its giant mouth full of sharp teeth.
After all, aside from the inside of its mouth, its whole body was covered in heavy scale armor... even if there was a stratum corneum inside the mouth, it was still easiest to draw blood from there.
Moreover, for a creature with such thick skin and flesh, drawing a little blood was about the same as a mosquito bite.
Bill immediately and skillfully fetched a special blood sampling device with a thick needle, and carefully extracted a small vial of blood from the mucosal blood vessels on the inner wall of Gyarados's mouth.
Throughout the process, Gyarados didn't even blink, feeling nothing.
"Wonderful!" Bill acted as if he had found a treasure, holding the vial of blood that glistened under the light, and immediately dove back in front of his analysis instruments.
The whole day.
Bill was almost immersed in the laboratory, the humming sound of various precision instruments running almost never stopping.
Perhaps only with such a research attitude can one achieve success in the academic industry.
At dusk.
Bill held several printed data reports.
His face was written with immense confusion and bewilderment as he found Ash, who was feeding the Pokémon.
Bill's research institute had ample food.
Everyone's Pokémon ate very satisfactorily, especially Gyarados.
A small vial of blood in exchange for this much food?
OVO Gyarados felt it was absolutely worth it~~
"Strange... too strange..." Bill repeatedly compared the data on the reports.
"From gene sequence, energy fluctuations, cell activity... almost every metric I can test, except for slightly active pigment deposition genes, your Gyarados has no essential difference from a normal Gyarados!"
He scratched his already messy hair, brows furrowed tightly:
"Logically speaking, Shiny individuals usually show specificity and instability in certain gene chains, but its genes are surprisingly stable."
"...It's like... like a normal Gyarados was simply 'painted' with a layer of golden paint?"
"But how is that possible?"
This result made this genius researcher feel deeply lost, as it completely violated his existing cognition.
Ash took the report and glanced at it; he didn't really understand the dense data and charts, but the final conclusion was clear—no abnormalities.
He calmly pressed down the brim of his hat: "Perhaps... it's just special."
A System product, indeed not something ordinary means could detect.
"Pika-pi!" Just then, Pikachu seemed to discover something.
It curiously pushed open a metal door left ajar on the side of the hall and peeked in.
The next second, Ash also looked in through the crack in the door.
Inside the room, that elegant Gardevoir was sitting paralyzed on an ergonomic chair with absolutely no composure.
Its pure white "skirt" was hiked up at a corner, legs crossed, one "hand" holding a can of bubbling cold beer.
The other "hand" was typing on a virtual keyboard at light speed, with several forums and chat windows boldly open on the screen.
Rows of text appeared rapidly on the screen.
Gardevoir seemed to be mentally outputting at an extremely high frequency.
—Just this?
—You think you can capture Mew with just this?
—With your level, you dare to question the Doctor's data?
—You got a ghostwriter for your school thesis, didn't you?
—You ghostwriter!
—Can't even do reverse deduction?
—Your advisor's coffin lid is about to burst open!
After fierce keyboard tapping.
—Done!
—Get banned, you!
The impact of this scene was too strong.
It left Ash and Pikachu frozen at the door.
Although we know you are a male Gardevoir, please, could you pay a little attention to your image?
Gardevoir seemed to sense the gaze from the doorway, and its typing motion froze violently.
—Oh shit, forgot we have guests these last two days.
—Focus was entirely on the computer and outside the institute!
—Bill! Why didn't you stop them!
It slowly turned its head, red pupils meeting Ash and Pikachu's gaze.
The air solidified for a second.
"Bang!"
Gardevoir instantly slammed the door shut with Confusion, making a loud noise.
A few seconds later.
The door was gently opened again.
Gardevoir floated dignifiedly in mid-air, skirt hanging down, posture impeccably elegant.
It nodded slightly, a gentle male voice sounding in everyone's minds, as if everything just now was an illusion:
[Gentlemen, it is dinner time.]
[The Doctor has prepared a sumptuous seafood meal for you.]
[Please follow me.]
After speaking, it maintained a perfect bearing and turned to lead the way.
Never mind if this excuse was nonsense.
Never mind if you believe it or not, anyway he believed it.
Just at the moment of turning around, Ash seemed to see an imperceptible blush behind its cheek.
Ash: "..."
Pikachu: "(⊙ˍ⊙)?"
At this moment, the mysterious and powerful image of a certain Psychic-type Pokémon quietly cracked a seam in Ash's heart.
Turns out the Pokémon Professor's assistant also surfs the internet and flames trolls in private...
Even he himself is a troll.
The kind of super keyboard god who proclaims: [Heaven bore not me, Gardevoir; the Way of the Keyboard is as a long night. Keys, come!]
____
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