Meteorology, atmospheric science, atmospheric environmental science, environmental construction, oceanography, physical geography… There were plenty of professionals solely dedicated to weather-related fields. And apart from that, there are many who are proficient in networks and programming. Realizing the power of the Weather Institute, Terrance sighed inwardly.
Indeed… a world with only Pokémon and Trainers is not enough for everything.
If everyone became a Trainer, the driving force that could let this world operate more smoothly would be lost.
“Professor Lucci is currently on the underground level.”
Receiving information from other researchers, Steven and Terrance first arrived at the underground level of the Weather Institute. They looked at the rooms with signs hanging on them. After a moment, Steven led Terrance into a room which had a Pokémon sign hanging.
Castform?
Glancing casually at the sign before entering the room, Terrance realized it was the pattern of a Castform.
“Right, if it’s the Weather Institute, then having Pokémon like Castform as assistance… is quite normal.”
In the room, a tall elderly man sat in a chair, holding books in one hand while feeding several gray-white Pokémon.
As Terrance and Steven entered the room, the old man looked up at them, then spoke, “Been waiting for you for a while, Steven.”
“Sorry…” Steven smiled bitterly. Professor Lucci was his elder, but his temper wasn’t great. It took quite an effort to persuade him to lend some research equipment and materials.
“I’m Professor Lucci, hello, young man.” Professor Lucci nodded towards Terrance.
“Hello, I’m Terrance,” Terrance replied.
“All right, Steven, can you now tell me why you asked me to stay? I’m not as spry as you young folks anymore,” Professor Lucci sighed, “You nearly broke my back when you dragged me along to dig stones when you were a kid.”
Steven stared blankly at the ceiling. He really couldn’t remember that at all.
But now that Terrance was here, they could get to the point. “It’s like this,” Steven said calmly.
Then, Steven described the situation with the “meteorite” and his own speculations, emphasizing the possible connection with Groudon and Kyogre.
Initially, Professor Lucci was indifferent, thinking Steven was wasting his time as usual, and there was probably nothing important.
But as Steven narrated slowly, his facial expression suddenly changed, and he became serious. By the end, he even stood up and asked solemnly, “Is what you’re saying true?”
“It shouldn’t be wrong, right?” Steven responded, not entirely sure.
“Um…” Professor Lucci turned to look at Terrance.
“Just call me Terrance,” Terrance said.
“Okay… Terrance, could you show me the meteorite?” Professor Lucci asked.
Terrance nodded and took out the prepared meteorite, handing it over. Up to now, the meteorite still looked the same, emitting only a faint glow. There was a noticeable difference between its current state and rainbow-coloured light described in Steven’s message.
“This……” Professor Lucci furrowed his brow as he held the meteorite in his hand. Even with his knowledge, he couldn’t recognize what kind of meteorite it was, and he had never even heard of it before. It seemed that the only connection to this meteorite was the legend of its creation in Sootopolis City, as mentioned by Steven.
“If this meteorite is truly related to Rayquaza, then it’s not just a matter of using Weather Institute’s equipment for research. Even the Weather Institute’s full support in studying this meteorite shouldn’t be a problem… Well, as you know, the purpose of establishing the Weather Institute is to find ways to control the weather on a large scale, to eliminate unstable weather conditions in some areas.”
“These unstable weather factors stem from the climate disturbances caused by the battles between Groudon and Kyogre. Legend has it that only Rayquaza could influence these two Pokémon. Anything related to Rayquaza… could be an important clue to suppressing climate disturbances!” Professor Lucci said solemnly.
“Um…” Steven hadn’t expected that this meteorite could be so important.
“Is this meteorite yours, Terrance? Would you be willing to hand it over to the Weather Institute for research?” Professor Lucci looked at Terrance.
“Hand it over to the Weather Institute?” Terrance frowned. He didn’t expect things to turn out this way. It seems that this meteorite is really involved in a lot of things.
“Wait a minute, Terrance is my friend, and this meteorite is his personal property. He has the right to possess this meteorite,” Steven said, “So his wishes must be respected.”
Terrance felt a mix of emotions, but Steven’s words warmed his heart a bit. This guy…
“Sorry, I overstepped. Of course, I won’t force Terrance. This meteorite is his property, and no one can change that,” Professor Lucci shook his head, “But I still implore you to lend us the meteorite for research at the Weather Institute for a period of time. If there are any developments, it would be a help for the entire Hoenn region.”
Professor Lucci looked at Terrance solemnly, “You may not know, but nearly a thousand people die in shipwrecks caused by heavy rain every year in Hoenn. As for droughts, they bring disasters to many agricultural areas. This kind of weather is harmful to the people of Hoenn.”
Terrance was stunned. He didn’t know much about this. Fallarbor Town, where he lived, was located on the largest mainland of Hoenn. Although it was remote, the security and environmental climate… were relatively stable.
But the scenes described by Professor Lucci… should be for the residents on the islands belonging to the Hoenn region surrounding the mainland.
“Although the residents of the worst-affected areas have been relocated to the mainland, there isn’t much inhabitable space on the mainland. Some islands still can’t be taken care of, and some people refuse to leave their homes no matter what…We established the Weather Institute because of this situation.”
“And the patterns of heavy rain and droughts are still unclear, without any clue for prevention.” Professor Lucci’s old face wrinkled, “I’m worried that these natural disasters will sooner or later appear on the mainland, and their impact will be significant.”
Upon hearing this, Terrance nodded, “No problem, if it can really help.”
Professor Lucci had no reason to deceive him. Terrance could find out the truth if he intended to. If it really could help many people… or even solve the potential disaster in Hoenn, what harm would it be to lend the meteorite for research?
Apart from shipwrecks caused by heavy rain, just droughts alone… would lead to many crops failing. Fallarbor Town was also an agricultural town. When the harvest was poor, Terrance had seen the residents’ despondent expressions. For ordinary people who relied on agriculture for a living… if the crops failed, it would truly be a devastating blow.
Just for this reason, Terrance had to assist in the research.
“Really? On behalf of everyone at the Laboratory, thank you. Don’t worry, you’re Steven’s friend. In just three months, we’ll return the meteorite to you. Besides, whether there’s progress or not, you’ll receive our gratitude,” Professor Lucci said with relief. This was a big matter concerning the Hoenn mainland, and he couldn’t force a junior to hand over his personal belongings. Terrance’s actions not only gave him considerable respect but also indirectly reflected his character.
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