"Hu~"
Feebas floated inside the brand-new fish tank Oliver had bought on the way home, slowly blowing bubbles from its mouth.
As it watched Oliver moving busily around the room, a hint of confusion flickered through its dull eyes.
At the moment, Oliver was carefully recording every detail of Feebas's physical condition. After all, publishing research findings in the Pokémon academic world wasn't something you could accomplish with empty words alone.
To have a study recognized, one had to publish a formal research paper on the League's internal academic forum—preferably with complete experimental details and solid data to back it up.
If Oliver were to simply report his conclusions directly to the authorities without evidence, neither the academic community nor the Pokémon League would acknowledge his results.
Worse still, if other renowned researchers learned of his ideas, they might follow the same research path and publish their own papers first.
Those with academic integrity might mention him in passing.
Those without it wouldn't even spare him a glance.
That was why Oliver had deliberately studied academic protocols from a young age. He was already well-versed in the entire process of publishing research and had long learned how to write a proper paper.
This was simply his first real-world application.
Only after finishing everything did Oliver walk over to Feebas's tank and speak softly.
"Feebas, now that we're partners, trust me. I'll definitely take you to the very top."
Feebas looked up at him.
Oliver then decided to go a step further. From the system inventory, he took out a top-tier Water-type Energy Cube he had received earlier.
The instant the Energy Cube appeared, Feebas's lifeless gaze suddenly turned eager. Its body swam back and forth restlessly in the tank.
"Hu! Hu!"
"Easy there," Oliver said with a smile.
"You can't handle the whole thing yet. Let's take it slow."
As he spoke, Oliver broke off a small portion—about one-tenth of the cube—and tossed it into the water. By his estimation, this was already close to Feebas's current limit.
Feebas immediately swallowed the fragment in one gulp, then slowly sank to the bottom of the tank, beginning to digest the energy.
Simply put—it had overeaten.
A single top-tier Energy Cube could sustain a fully grown Snorlax for an entire week. That alone showed how dense and nutritious it was.
Its value was equally terrifying. In the outside world, only the very best Pokémon breeders could produce such cubes, making them priceless treasures that money alone couldn't buy.
After consuming the Energy Cube, Feebas's gaze toward Oliver noticeably softened.
Oliver knew he had gained its trust—at least a little.
Seizing the moment, he took out his phone and played a video of Milotic, holding it up outside the tank.
On the screen, a crystal-clear lake lay calm and still.
Suddenly, a whirlpool formed on the surface, accompanied by splashing water.
A long, serpentine figure rose gracefully from the lake.
A cream-colored body.
Red, hair-like fins draping down both sides of its head.
Two delicate feelers floating above its eyes like elegant eyebrows.
A tail covered in dreamy blue and pink scales.
Under the sunlight, it was breathtakingly beautiful—every movement mesmerizing all who saw it.
Feebas stared, its mouth hanging open, eyes filled with pure envy.
If only… I could be that beautiful one day.
But almost immediately, the thought shattered.
Looking at its own ugly, repulsive body… how could it ever become something so noble and graceful?
From the day it was born, the word "beautiful" had never had anything to do with it.
Everyone who saw it wanted to stay as far away as possible.
Stop dreaming…
I'm just a Pokémon meant to live in filthy gutters.
I'll never become something so beautiful and dignified…
"You will become her," Oliver said firmly,
"and you'll be even more beautiful."
Those words were like a beam of light piercing straight through the darkness in Feebas's heart.
"Believe me."
"Hu…?"
Really…? I can?
Even though Oliver couldn't understand Pokémon language, he perfectly grasped what Feebas was asking.
"Put this on," he said gently.
"Let's work hard together. You will become Milotic."
Oliver took out the Prism Scale the system had rewarded him with and carefully placed it on Feebas.
When Feebas gained enough strength—and truly untied the knot in its heart—that would be the day it shed its cocoon and transformed.
"Hu! Hu!"
Seeing the fighting spirit ignite in Feebas's eyes, Oliver nodded in satisfaction.
I really am a master at understanding Pokémon, he thought smugly.
Just three sentences, and I pulled a Feebas back from the depths of despair.
Next, Oliver began planning Feebas's training regimen.
Because Feebas had inherited Dragon Breath as a genetic move, Oliver had no intention of abandoning this advantage to train other unfamiliar techniques.
Dragon Breath, a Dragon-type move with 60 base power and a paralysis effect, was practically a finishing move in the early stages when most Pokémon were still weak.
Since Feebas had never undergone systematic training before, its mastery of Dragon Breath was still lacking. Oliver planned to first help it use the move proficiently, while simultaneously improving its physical conditioning.
Of course, none of this would be possible without sufficient nutrition.
And that was where high-quality Energy Cubes truly shone.
They were more than enough to support Feebas through such high-intensity training.
Combined with Oliver's extensive theoretical knowledge, he was confident—
Within one month, he could train Feebas to reach at least an Intermediate-level strength.