Ryuuske opened the document. As expected, it was a massive manuscript spanning hundreds of thousands of words, filled with numerous diagrams he couldn't comprehend at all. From the brief descriptions, he could vaguely gather that these diagrams were related to biology.
Ryuuske wasn't a biology student, and even if he were, the world he came from had no such creatures as Pokémon. There was no way he could fully understand this.
Skipping over the parts he didn't grasp, Ryuuske went straight to the table of contents. The document covered everything from theory, objectives, and experimental overviews, detailing the feasibility of the project, its success probability, and the principles behind the methodology.
As a university graduate, even if he couldn't fully decipher some of the content, Ryuuske could still piece together the general idea and extract the information he needed.
Eevee—a Pokémon with irregular genetic factors. Due to its unstable DNA, it possesses a wide range of evolutionary possibilities, capable of altering its physiology to adapt to its environment. It harbors the potential for multiple evolutionary paths.
According to Team Rocket's research, Eevee currently has eight known evolutionary forms. However, given its unique abilities and biological structure, theoretically, Eevee should be capable of evolving into any type. Aside from these eight forms, no other variants have been observed—but absence of evidence doesn't mean absence of possibility.
No researcher has yet discovered additional Eeveelutions, but every scientist studying Eevee agrees that Dragon-type, Steel-type, Poison-type, and other Eeveelutions must exist. They simply haven't found the right conditions to trigger these evolutions.
The "Eevee Modification Project" was built upon this very characteristic of Eevee. Normally, once Eevee evolves, it remains locked in that form. While some Pokémon have been observed to devolve, such cases are exceedingly rare, leaving researchers studying evolution and devolution without sufficient material to work with.
Team Rocket's research division took a different approach. If they couldn't find enough natural cases to study, they would artificially modify Eevee itself. If successful, the experiment would create an Eevee capable of infinite devolution and evolution.
This ability might not seem groundbreaking for other Pokémon, but for Eevee—a creature with infinite adaptability—it would be revolutionary. An Eevee that could shift its type to counter any opponent's weaknesses.
Just reading this far, Ryuuske couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying technological prowess of Team Rocket. The creation of Mewtwo might have been a stroke of miraculous luck, but the "Eevee Modification Project" was the result of countless experiments, theories, and practical applications.
Ryuuske continued scrolling through the document. The hundreds of thousands of words were packed with detailed experimental data.
Though Eevee was rare—in another world, it might even be classified as an endangered species—Team Rocket's resources allowed them to procure numerous live specimens. These Eevees were all subjected to experimentation, and the cruelty of the process made Ryuuske inwardly wince. It was no different from what he had witnessed in that underground lab—the suffering inflicted on these Eevees was something he could viscerally empathize with.
Yet, despite the solid theoretical foundation and ample test subjects, the experiments repeatedly failed. None of the Eevees could endure the brutality of the procedures, dying midway. Success required a subject that could withstand the pain.
But Pokémon weren't humans. Even if they could partially understand human language, they couldn't truly comprehend human reasoning. Thus, the research hit a dead end.
Just as the researchers were at their wits' end, a Pokémon psychologist loyal to Team Rocket proposed a solution. Much like conditioned reflexes in humans, the psychologist suggested training the Eevees to associate pain with reward.
The idea was to gradually escalate the experiments, creating a cycle of endure pain → gain freedom → endure more pain, slowly increasing the Eevees' tolerance.
The task of executing this fell to Sabrina.
The researchers started with minor experiments, keeping the procedures within the Eevees' tolerable limits. Once an Eevee met the requirements, it would be released into the wild. Days later, it would be recaptured for the next phase, with each stage intensifying the pain.
But this also gave the Eevees a psychological cue: "If I endure, I'll be freed again." The reason they were recaptured? Simply because they hadn't escaped well enough.
Each time, the period of freedom was extended, fostering the illusion that next time, they would escape for good. This cycle repeated, conditioning the Eevees to endure greater suffering.
Sabrina was in charge of capturing the Eevees and overseeing the project. After a long series of trials, most experiments still ended in failure—but one succeeded.
A single Eevee, after enduring the brutal process, gained the ability to evolve and devolve at will. Though it could currently only shift between Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon, the researchers concluded that its other evolutionary paths simply hadn't been unlocked yet—not that they were impossible.
This was likely the only Eevee in the world capable of infinite evolution and devolution. Potentially, the only Pokémon that could counter every other species in existence.
Ryuuske's "Dragon's Power" made Dragon-types immune to type disadvantages, but this Eevee could adapt its own type to exploit any opponent's weakness, ensuring it always held the advantage in battle.
It was absolutely one-of-a-kind.
After reading all this, Ryuuske's interest was thoroughly piqued.
However, the massive document wasn't complete. The next phase should have involved testing the Eevee's other potential evolutions, but the project abruptly ended—not because Team Rocket abandoned it, but seemingly because someone interfered.
At the end of the file was a detailed signal wavelength record. To keep track of this Eevee, Team Rocket had implanted a transmitter in it. With this frequency, its location could be pinpointed at any time.
But why would Sabrina give this to me?
A project this complex, with such meticulous experimentation, would be near-impossible to replicate. While the "Eevee Modification Project" wasn't as irreproducible as the "Mewtwo Project", this Eevee's success still involved a degree of luck. Why would Sabrina hand over such a valuable specimen's whereabouts?
Ryuuske couldn't fathom her reasoning. Even if this Eevee didn't possess the godlike power of Legendary Pokémon, in the hands of a skilled Trainer, its potential was unmatched.
But regardless of Sabrina's motives, one thing was certain—
He was going to catch that Eevee.
To be continued…
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