Upon hearing what old Matsuda had just said, Professor Oak looked at Cain with slight surprise in his eyes.
He hadn't expected Cain, who had been widely publicized on television as the future leader of breeders, to have intentions of opening a gym.
Was he planning to pursue both paths simultaneously?
"If he wants to open a gym, given his current status within the Breeders Guild, there shouldn't be any issue. Those elders will surely speak in his favor," Professor Oak commented.
The "elders" Oak referred to were clearly very senior individuals.
It couldn't be helped—breeders were known for their longevity.
Except for a few, the elders of the Breeders Guild were some of the highest-ranking people within the League.
"Exactly, there's no issue with him opening a gym now. What I didn't expect was this kind of result. That boy demonstrated something during his exam that truly surprised those elders."
"Before taking the exam, he told me he wanted to present a new Pokémon evolution method to the League. He asked me to use a few words from you and me to help him gain the opportunity to open a gym," old Matsuda explained.
"And if possible, it would be ideal to also get him the title of researcher. That way, the results he delivers would bear his name, making them more impactful."
Hearing this, Professor Oak frowned. "Takashi, Cain is already in the eye of the storm. Do you really want to push him further into the fire? It's not that the researcher title is too significant to grant him."
"But do you realize that if he has the breeders' support and is also a Pokémon researcher, he'll become too well-rounded a figure? If he doesn't achieve anything significant as a researcher, that's fine."
"But if he truly makes an important discovery, don't you think there will be people in Hoenn who'll want to eliminate him? Opening a gym and becoming a Gym Leader would expose him even more."
"A person so talented in every aspect could make some people want to stop him before he grows any further."
Professor Oak's words were frank and unfiltered. As a close friend of old Matsuda, he needed to speak directly.
The three fell silent for a moment.
It couldn't be denied that Professor Oak had a point.
Having someone talented stand out wasn't an issue, but when someone was excessively talented to the point of making others feel threatened, it could drive some people mad.
"True, I hadn't considered it thoroughly. Even so, we should register Cain's discoveries secretly in the League's records. When he's strong enough in the future, he can reveal them publicly," old Matsuda suggested.
"That wouldn't be a problem. Still, I'm curious—what discovery has Cain made?" Professor Oak asked.
Both turned their gaze toward Cain.
Without a word, Cain pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it, summoning Slowking.
Upon seeing it, Professor Oak's eyes instantly lit up, even more than when he saw Mismagius earlier. Suddenly, he pulled out a magnifying glass from who knows where.
But before he could get closer, old Matsuda stopped him. "Wait, Samuel, first things first."
"Ah, right, right. Sorry, force of habit," Professor Oak said, scratching his head.
Cain began speaking: "Professor Oak, the discovery I made is about Slowking's evolution method. A long time ago, the existence of Slowking was discovered, and it was speculated to be an evolution of Slowpoke, or even Slowbro."
"However, until now, no one had figured out the method of evolution. Once, by chance, I managed to evolve my Slowpoke into Slowking. And I believe it was due to these circumstances that it was able to evolve."
Cain paused at that point.
The next step was for them to ask something, but neither of them said a word.
Old Matsuda smacked Cain on the head. "Keep talking! Don't stop!"
"This kid... We're both senior figures here, and he expects us to quiz him like it's an exam? How insolent!" old Matsuda thought.
After the smack, Cain scratched his head and continued: "The thing is, back then, I received a King's Rock from Steven, of the Stone family from Hoenn. One time, while Slowpoke was playing with a Shellder, it was wearing the King's Rock."
"That's when Shellder bit Slowpoke's head, and it evolved into Slowking."
"A King's Rock?!" exclaimed Professor Oak in surprise.
"Since the King's Rock was discovered, its purpose has been unclear. Most of the time, it's considered an accessory or a collector's item. I never expected it to also aid in Pokémon evolution," Oak murmured.
The fact that Cain had received the King's Rock from Steven no longer interested him.
"It makes sense. 'King'! Slowpoke evolving into Slowking would mean becoming the king of its group. This transformation requires a type of energy similar to that of a king, and the King's Rock seems to contain that essence. Slowpoke evolving into Slowking now makes complete sense."
The more he spoke, the more convinced Professor Oak became that the King's Rock was key to Slowking's evolution.
"Cain, your hypothesis is 90% correct. We'd just need another Slowpoke to evolve into Slowking to confirm it. The issue is that King's Rocks are hard to come by, and their price is very high."
Cain nodded. He knew this discovery would become public knowledge in a few years, but he had wanted to get ahead and claim credit.
"Would you let me study your shiny Slowking for a while?" Professor Oak asked, once again showing his inquisitive spirit.
Cain laughed wryly. "Professor Oak, I'm thinking of opening a Water-type gym, and Slowking is my ace. Without it, I doubt I could manage the gym, as I haven't trained many Water-type Pokémon."
"You're right. If you're going to open a Water-type gym, Slowking will boost your popularity and attract more challengers. Also, a Gym Leader can't be weak. If Slowking is your only Pokémon, even with approval to open the gym, you'll still need more strong Pokémon," Professor Oak reflected.
"Yes, before the gym's construction is complete, I plan to spend more time training. By then, I'll also need to catch some Water-type Pokémon to increase the number and strength of my team."