A female Terapagos?
From its appearance, it did look a bit like one, but Lucas had never seen a male Terapagos, so he couldn't tell the difference.
His expression changed subtly—not with surprise or joy, but with some uncertainty—as he looked at the two professors.
Terapagos was supposedly a legendary Pokémon. He vaguely remembered that most legendary Pokémon were genderless, weren't they?
But thinking about it, since Terapagos clans had existed two million years ago, it made sense that they had gender.
Lucas convinced himself of this, didn't disturb the two professors' examination, and just waited silently nearby while keeping an eye on Terapagos's condition.
Fortunately, during the whole checkup, Terapagos barely reacted. The treatment from Calyrex and Zygarde Core was apparently effective; no further stress reactions emerged, which was a stroke of luck.
"Physically healthy, abundant stored energy; overall, it's about as you described," Professor Sada summarized as she and her husband cleaned up the equipment. "The only issue is that its total energy amount might be less than the 'Zero Treasure' from the Zero Lab's Great Crater. But it matches your earlier reports."
"When it was teleported, Terapagos was badly startled, and the environmental change only aggravated its reaction. In the end, it simply chose to avoid reality—perhaps that's related to its personality. Still, with just this one sample, we can't make too many conclusions."
While packing away the medical instruments with her husband, Professor Sada explained to Lucas.
Lucas listened carefully to this expert on Terastalization and ancient Pokémon, though his expression shifted slightly at her comment about Terapagos's total energy not matching the "Zero Treasure"—in other words, the other Terapagos still surviving since ancient times.
It wasn't that Lucas felt particularly emotional about this fact; he simply noticed Professor Sada's "polite phrasing."
His memory was pretty decent, and he realized that the equipment the two professors had used to check Terapagos was identical to what Professor Turo had used when bringing him to the Zero Lab to examine the "Indigo Disk."
This meant their readings could be directly compared.
And compared to the numbers he remembered, the result was as clear as day: it's not just "maybe less"—the two Terapagos didn't even operate in the same league.
The disparity was like that between a wild Shinx and one's own Luxray, if not greater.
That one could truly be called the "Third Deity." His own Terapagos at best could count as one of that legendary creature's lesser kin.
Even so, Lucas didn't look down on this little guy from the distant past.
After all, he was just an ordinary farm owner, not one of those trainers obsessed with strength.
As lunchtime approached, it was only fitting for Lucas, who had invited the professors out especially, to keep both them and Arven around for lunch.
At the table, Arven was visibly cheerful, regularly offering dishes to Sada and Turo, and eagerly introducing the specialties prepared by Audino and Falinks.
The way Arven smugly described things, a stranger might think he'd cooked it all himself.
On the carpet, Koraidon stared unblinkingly at the feast on the table, drooling so much it was about to hit the floor.
"Toge~"
Only when someone appeared in front of him did Koraidon tear his gaze away to look at the little one before him—a Audino in a pink apron.
Not long ago, when Koraidon had first met Audino, his wild instincts had warned him to be cautious of the hidden power in her body, which might not be so friendly.
But after Arven informed him that Audino was the head chef, Koraidon immediately disregarded his instincts.
—This is the one who controls the food; I need to get on her good side.
Seeing Audino approach, Koraidon sat up straight like a big dog, his gaze glued to the plate in Audino's hands.
When Audino moved closer, as expected, the plate held Koraidon's favorite: sandwiches.
Koraidon's eyes sparkled.
On the other side, Miraidon, more reserved but with its own special charm, showed the same expression as Koraidon as it eyed the sandwich delivered by a following Falinks.
At the table, Sada somewhat awkwardly used chopsticks to pick up a piece of stewed pork belly—succulent, rich red, perfectly balanced fat and lean—and eagerly put it in her mouth.
The meat melted as soon as it touched her tongue, the fat was rich but not greasy, and the lean tender yet not dry. The savory sauce burst with subtle sweetness and spice, each bite dancing on the taste buds and leaving a lingering finish.
Her eyes widened, sparkling with delight and wonder.
"What dish is this? It's delicious!"
"Sweet-style braised pork. Do you like it?"
"It's wonderful!"
Without another word, Sada helped herself to another chunk.
She had always loved the ancient and all things meat, but this unique taste and combination was a first for her!
On the other side, Turo was devouring a vegetarian delicacy called "Fish-Fragrant Eggplant." Despite its name, it contained no fish at all.
The lightly fried eggplant had a uniquely textured outer layer, while the inside stayed soft and juicy.
The custom sauce—sweet, sour, and just a bit spicy—seeped into every fiber, its notes of garlic, ginger, chili, and savory flavor perfectly mixing with the fresh taste of eggplant. Turo couldn't stop eating.
Usually quite disciplined due to his musculature, Turo found himself powerless to resist, shoveling in the sauce-laden eggplant.
"That's the dish… yes, from the restaurant run by the Kofu Gym Leader, but it's a bit different!"
He remembered how, while courting sponsors two years ago, he'd eaten in the most famous restaurant in Cascarrafa a few times.
But compared to those dishes, Lucas's home cooking felt more unique.
Whether they're authentic isn't important—the recipes, though prepared by Audino and Falinks, came from Lucas himself.
To better recreate the flavors in his memory, he'd even cleared land to grow just the right spices. Naturally, his food stood out.
The two professors were people open to new things—no wonder they reacted the way they did.
After a hearty meal, as Professor Sada relaxed and digested, she hesitated for a moment, then asked,
"About Terapagos, Lucas—if you don't mind sharing, how did you wake it up so quickly?"
Turo also sat up, showing interest.
"It's no big secret."
Lucas called over a certain Victini who was watching cartoon commercials. Victini happily flew over.
"This little one's called Victini. It can share its internal energy, and its energy is compatible with most other forms."
Squeezing Victini's wonderfully soft cheeks, Lucas gestured for it to let the two professors experience it firsthand.
A golden aura rose up. The professors, still fatigued from last night, quickly felt their energy restored.
"This is!"
Sada and Turo's eyes widened. As they realized what was happening, a touch of longing appeared in their gazes toward Victini.
If what Lucas said was true… this was the ultimate energy source anyone could dream of!
A universal energy perfectly compatible with anything, unheard-of. If it could power the time machine, its value would be incalculable!
But their thoughts and longing vanished in an instant, suppressed by the two professors.
Surprised as they might be, they were rational people and wouldn't do anything reckless.
It wasn't about dreams or goals—just basic human restraint.
They chatted for a while longer. The two professors described their upcoming research after returning to Paldea's Great Crater in a few days, then left the farm together with Arven, Koraidon, and Miraidon.
…
League Calendar, 799th year, January 3rd.
It was the third day of the new year, and after last night's heavy snow, the farm was a world of white again.
Besides the usual chores, Lucas now had something new to attend to every day.
Something many students do during their winter or summer vacations.
—Attending driving school and getting a license.
The Pokémon world, of course, also has driving schools.
But Lucas already knew how to drive; all he needed was to study up on traffic rules to avoid failing the test.
The main challenge was the small changes caused by the different world—and all the Pokémon-related factors.
Fortunately, there wasn't anything like the four-subjects, only a simple knowledge test and a driving skills test, both at the DMV.
Most cities had a vehicle administration office. Even tiny Los Platos happened to have a small DMV.
Lucas crammed theory for three days, then confidently booked his test.
The date was set for two days later, and feeling prepared, Lucas even considered browsing some new cars the day before.
But before that, he had another important task.
…
January 7th, day seven of the new year.
In another month, the snows would melt and spring would return.
Lucas got up early, checked on the self-isolating Terapagos as usual, and entrusted the Eevee Sisters to keep an eye on it while he was out. Then he hurried out of the farm.
Before long, he landed outside bustling Levincia City riding on his Dragonite.
"Still early, I made good time."
He glanced at his cracked phone for the time—his flight's arrival was still an hour off, so Lucas relaxed.
He didn't return Dragonite to its Poké Ball and walked right into the city alongside it.
Though Pokémon riding wasn't allowed in the city, following along beside one wasn't forbidden.
Dragonite's size and rarity drew a lot of stares, but that was all.
Not many sketchy types roamed here—no shady characters lurking in dark clothes, looking for trouble.
At least, under Chairwoman Geeta's governance, Paldea was very safe. Evil syndicates had all but vanished, and Pokémon hunters were consistently hunted down.
It wasn't uncommon to see news on the outdoor TVs—another illegal Pokémon hunter captured by an anonymous, and delivered to the League.
Not bad at all.
Time passed quickly. Soon, it was time to pick up his guests at the airport.
As Lucas set off for Levincia Airport, beside him was a short and petite figure.
She kept eyeing Lucas, as if looking for the right moment to use her sharp shark teeth and take a bite as payback.
That's right—it was none other than Miss Iono, still holding a grudge after almost half a year.
Their meeting was a coincidence: Lucas had idly wandered the streets of Levincia City, only to bump into Iono, who was out looking for streaming material and opportunities.
Iono's capacity for grudges had shocked Lucas. She still remembered how, back during the teacher's competition, Lucas and Shizuka's Chansey had humiliated her partnership with Kilowattrel and Wattrel.
Iono instinctively started grinding her teeth, ready to lunge, but was swiftly picked up by Dragonite.
Upon hearing she was searching for streaming opportunities, Lucas simply brought her along.
Grinding her teeth, Iono's aggrieved voice sounded beside him:
"So, when you said a streaming opportunity, you just meant having Miss Iono accompany you to the airport?"
Lucas didn't respond, but Iono got excited anyway, guessing wildly:
"Hohoho! Don't tell me your ex is coming back and you want Miss Iono to support your dignity? If you beg me, I wouldn't mind helping, you know!"
She grew more and more animated, picturing Lucas's groveling plea for her mercy.
Lucas, dumbfounded by her antics, turned back while passing security. "Aren't you trying to boost your stream's popularity?"
Iono's monologue trailed off, eyes wide.
Wait, it really was about streaming?
She'd thought it was just Lucas making excuses.
Seeing Iono's goofy look, Lucas decided to let it go.
Maybe some fools really find luck. Judging by Iono's easygoing nature, who knows—she might be a big streamer in the future. Where had her smarts gone?
Finding the right words, Lucas finally asked:
"Would a champion test livestream—the birth of a new champion-level trainer—interest you?"
…