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Without the interference of the Ghost-type Pokemon, Mimikyu easily located Boone's whereabouts.
He had made substantial money selling rare materials and now spent his days in luxury and excess. At this moment, he lay completely intoxicated in a woman's arms, drunk as a fool and lost in deep sleep.
Nightmare.
Mimikyu invaded his dreams, devouring his vitality and spiritual energy with ruthless efficiency. In just a few breaths, Boone died completely within his nightmare.
Mission accomplished.
Having taken another life, Mimikyu's emotions remained completely unchanged. As a ghost that feeds on life force, it possessed no concept of good or evil in its heart—only bonds of closeness or distance with others.
Like Gengar, Ghost-type Pokemon often taunt cruelly, tease their prey, and take delight in their victims' terror. Yet Gengar is also known for showing loyalty to trainers who treat it well, and when a trainer shows genuine kindness, its sinister smile can transform into something more friendly and warm.
For over a century, Ghost-type Pokemon have frequently been responsible for the most evil acts and greatest damage within human society.
If Dragon-types are considered the most unruly and difficult attribute to tame and raise properly, then Ghost-types represent an attribute that is naturally inclined toward evil but can still be influenced and shaped. They reflect the true nature of people's hearts.
The good and evil within human hearts becomes the good and evil within Ghost-type Pokemon.
Early morning arrived quietly.
Due to Mimikyu's dangerous mission, Roy had slept very lightly throughout the night and opened his eyes almost the instant she returned to the room.
"Ka~~" Mimikyu's soft call announced her successful return.
"Thank you for your hard work," Roy said gently.
He embraced Mimikyu as she threw herself into his arms, softly patting her head as a well-deserved reward for her efforts.
Ninetales, who had been curled up peacefully nearby, opened her eyes as well. Although she felt somewhat apprehensive about what had transpired, she understood that Mimikyu had accomplished something significant tonight and deserved proper recognition.
At that moment, the doorbell rang insistently, followed by urgent knocking.
Roy knew exactly who had come calling. The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly as he walked over unhurriedly and opened the door.
In addition to the two bodyguards sent by the Alliance president, several men in black suits stood waiting, staring at Roy with serious, professional expressions.
They produced their official credentials, clearly displaying FBI identification to establish their authority.
"Mr. Roy, did you leave this room at any point yesterday?" the lead agent asked directly.
"Can you please stop asking questions you already know the answers to?" Roy shrugged and asked in return. "Haven't you been watching this place constantly? Don't you already know whether I went out or not?"
"Well..." Several FBI agents remained relatively silent, clearly uncomfortable with his response.
The leading agent still refused to give up and pressed forward. "We have received information suggesting that your Mimikyu committed murder in New York yesterday."
"Oh?" Roy smiled but refused to show any concern. "Please provide specific evidence for this accusation. If you cannot, then please negotiate with our China embassy first. Only if they give permission will I cooperate with your investigation."
In a world where Pokemon possessed incredible powers, eyewitness testimony alone could not secure a conviction. Any witness making such claims must accept a psychic-type move called Hypnosis for a polygraph examination.
Under such conditions, witnesses were bound to tell only the truth.
And what was the actual truth?
Thirty professional-level Ghost-type Pokemon had surrounded and attempted to eliminate a single Mimikyu—and then suffered complete defeat.
That's right! The idea of single-handedly defeating thirty professional-level opponents was so outrageous that it would require at least a top-tier master-level Pokemon, wouldn't it?
Roy's Mimikyu had only recently reached professional level and definitely didn't possess that kind of overwhelming strength. They must have mistaken it for a different Pokemon entirely.
The agents were well aware of this logical problem, and with trusted aides of the Alliance president present, they didn't dare attempt to forcibly take Roy away. They could only leave feeling frustrated and defeated.
Afternoon, three o'clock sharp.
After an interval of twenty-four years, the prestigious Colress Awards ceremony was being held once again.
The global live broadcast focused on President August, who sat prominently on the lecture platform.
Every seat in the audience was filled with academic leaders from around the world, and Roy sat in the front row so he could easily go up to receive his award when called.
"The evolution of Pokemon represents one of the most incredible phenomena in our world," President August began his speech.
"Every evolutionary transformation contains profound meanings about the nature of life itself."
"If we humans can fully analyze and understand this remarkable power of evolution, the Pokemon who live alongside us day and night will become significantly stronger. Perhaps one day, even we humans might be able to evolve because of this knowledge."
"The emergence of Mega Evolution has shown us evolutionary power at a completely higher level. It is no exaggeration to say that this power touches upon the realm of Legendary Pokemon themselves. This deeper understanding of life's meaning undoubtedly represents a brand new pathway toward the future."
"Even though we still don't fully comprehend the complete power of Mega Evolution, we must respect and praise the pioneers who have opened these new paths for all of us."
"On behalf of the Pokemon Alliance, I am honored to announce that the Colress Award is being presented to Mr. Roy, along with a Professor degree in 'Evolutionary Studies' as recognition for his tremendous contribution to our world."
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and Roy followed the atmosphere by waving thanks to everyone with a smile on his face. However, his heart was completely bewildered by this unexpected turn of events.
You said I was supposed to be a good trainer—how did I suddenly become a Professor?
Well, it seemed that Professor Oak had also transitioned from trainer to researcher after winning the championship years ago.
Thinking about it this way, perhaps the end goal of every trainer's path was ultimately to become a researcher.
At this moment, both under the stage and in front of television screens worldwide, many researchers felt such intense jealousy that they could barely contain themselves.
There was definitely a significant gap between different types of Professors.
Professor degrees recognized by smaller countries weren't worth much consideration in larger, more powerful nations.
But this was a degree awarded directly by the Alliance itself.
Globally recognized, truly world-class status.
The annual subsidies and research resources that could be mobilized from Alliance funding were enviable enough to make any researcher bitter with jealousy.
Amid the continuing applause, Roy stepped onto the stage and received his trophy.
It felt surprisingly heavy in his hands.
Academic trophies were typically not made of gold, as that would be considered too flashy and inappropriate.
The Colress Award trophy was crafted from special crystals that caught and reflected light beautifully.
It was shaped like a Poke Ball surrounded by a delicate ring of olive flowers.
The flower language of olive blossoms represented peace and hope.
The trophy's design symbolized humanity's hope for lasting peace between humans and Pokemon.
After the award ceremony concluded, Roy went backstage to meet with Alliance officials.
"Here you are," President August smiled warmly and handed over an official document. "This contains information about research resources you can now apply for."
The Colress Award was presented only once every twenty years on average, representing the Alliance's highest possible praise for achievements in the research field.
With such incredibly high standards, it would be impossible to provide only a Professor degree and a trophy.
That would be far too stingy for such a prestigious honor.
In fact, each winner of the Colress Award could select one world-class research resource from the Alliance's most exclusive inventory.
These top-level research resources were almost all out-of-print and extremely scarce, with power levels that were extraordinarily high. The goal of awarding them to winners was to allow them to analyze the underlying principles, potentially replicate them, and find practical applications.
Roy took the list and began flipping through its contents.
If he hadn't looked at it directly, he never would have believed what he was seeing. He was genuinely startled by what appeared before him.
Having access to the system's resource exchange, he hadn't expected much from the Alliance's inventory.
However...
[Ho-Oh's Sacred Feather]: Before Ho-Oh entered its deep slumber, it left behind this secret treasure, which possesses the power of resurrection and can revive any deceased Pokemon. —Inventory remaining: 1 | Exchange limit: 2 pieces total.
[Silver Wing]: The mystical feather that hosts Lugia's power, capable of absorbing and allowing comprehension of air current manipulation. —Inventory remaining: 1.
[Dragon Stone]: A mysterious stone containing the energy of an immense dragon. Its exact function remains unknown, but its power level is extremely high. It has been determined to originate from a certain legendary "deity." —Inventory remaining: 1.
[Meteorite Fragment]: Unknown meteorite discovered within the spirit realm, also presumed to be an artifact of divine origin. —Inventory remaining: 1.
[Magma Stone], [Tidal Bell], [Prison Bottle]...
Every item that qualified for listing as a top-level research resource might have unknown practical applications and potentially low immediate usefulness, but all of them were directly connected to legendary "deities."
The power of legendary Pokemon represented the most valuable research resources available anywhere.
Roy stared at the list in amazement, realizing that this award had opened doors to possibilities he had never even imagined. The Alliance's most closely guarded secrets were now within his reach, and each item on this list could potentially change the course of Pokemon research forever.
The weight of this opportunity settled on his shoulders as he considered which incredible artifact might serve his goals best. Whatever he chose would undoubtedly shape his future research and possibly revolutionize humanity's understanding of Pokemon evolution itself.