Chapter 60 60: Submitting
The group chat fell into a brief, heavy silence.
If you scrolled up, you'd see that ever since Elena appeared, no one else had dared to post a single bubble.
The other women were outsiders to the scientific field; they couldn't even follow the conversation, let alone join in.
But they could see one thing clearly: Elena, the professional researcher who took academia more seriously than life itself, had been silenced by Lorze.
This felt completely surreal to them.
Elena was an absolute authority in the field. Most of the modern "Egg Group" theories were perfected by her team, a breakthrough that had allowed the Pokemon cultivation industry to explode.
By rights, she should have a Doctorate, but for some reason—maybe her own indifference or her status as a non-citizen—she hadn't officially claimed the title.
But her fame was undeniable; Snowhide wouldn't have paid her such an astronomical salary otherwise.
And yet, this woman had just been stunned into silence by a high schooler...
While it wasn't a "defeat," it highlighted just how monstrous Lorze truly was.
How could a teenager trade blows with Elena in the realm of pure science?
Everyone else was a high schooler too, so why was Lorze such a massive show-off?
From a scientific standpoint, Lorze was being incredibly unscientific.
Elena brushed off her momentary lapse and continued her interrogation about Umbreon.
Elena asked: "I have one more doubt. If Umbreon evolves through natural moonlight, why hasn't one ever appeared before? That condition is infinitely easier to meet than finding a Moon Stone."
Lorze had his answer ready: "True. That's why I'm only 90% certain. Both the Friendship requirement and the moonlight bath are bound to happen naturally over time. Yet, we have zero recorded cases of Umbreon or Espeon. My theory is twofold: either the single-session intake of moonlight isn't high enough, or Earth's current environment simply isn't 'ready' yet."
The second possibility was Lorze's real concern. Earth wasn't the "true" Pokemon world. Even with the fusion of the Secret Realms, the planet was still undergoing a slow metamorphosis.
If Umbreon could only evolve in the specific lunar environment of the original Pokemon world, Lorze might never see that 10-million-dollar bonus in his lifetime.
Elena pondered his two theories. They were undeniably worth investigating, but only a live test would provide the truth.
Elena: "You mentioned Espeon. Are you referring to the evolution that reacts to the Sun Stone?"
Lorze: "Correct. Espeon's conditions are the mirror image of Umbreon's: maximum Friendship and a bath in pure sunlight."
Elena: "What exactly do you mean by 'Friendship'? I understand sunlight and moonlight, but why would a Pokemon need to be 'close' to a human to evolve?"
Elena frowned. The word "Friendship" (or "Affection") sounded like something out of a video game.
If Lorze knew her thoughts, he'd laugh. Well, it is from a game, you genius.
The game developers probably never dreamed that in the vastness of the multiverse, a parallel world existed where their "Friendship" mechanic was a literal law of physics.
In the game, it was a simple stat. In reality, Lorze had to explain the logic of a soul-bound connection.
He organized his thoughts and explained: "Friendship is just a term. You can call it a 'Bond' or 'Synchronization.' At its core, it is a form of Emotional Energy."
"Emotional Energy?" Elena repeated the words slowly, her mind racing.
"Yes. I don't know if mainstream science has touched on this, but if not, consider it my personal research proposal."
"I'm listening."
"It's literal. I believe the emotions between a human and a Pokemon manifest as a tangible, substantive energy. If it didn't exist, you couldn't explain why a Trainer can perfectly understand their Pokemon when no one else can."
"A Trainer understanding their Pokemon only proves an emotional connection exists. It doesn't prove that something as abstract as an 'emotion' possesses its own energy," Elena countered, her brow still furrowed. She couldn't agree with this theory.
A connection didn't equal energy. A mother and son have a connection, but do they generate usable power?
The current academic consensus was that this was a phenomenon similar to quantum entanglement. It was mysterious, sure, but it wasn't a "power source."
Emotions were subjective states of mind—they weren't matter. How could they generate energy?
But Lorze stated with absolute conviction: "I am certain. Emotions possess energy. I can even tell you how to measure it."
Elena snapped to attention. A theory is one thing; a measurement method is a total game-changer.
The only reason most fringe theories are rejected is because they can't be measured or replicated.
Experimentation is the only standard for truth. No matter how much you hate a theory, if the lab results prove it, it's a fact.
If Lorze could really measure emotional energy, he wasn't just a smart kid—he was a pioneer.
He would be opening an entirely new frontier of Pokemon Science that no human had ever stepped foot in!
The title of "Founder" would make him priceless.
Is he really that confident?
"Since you've gone this far, I assume you already know the measurement method?" Elena's tone became deadly serious. She still found it hard to believe a student struggling with his college entrance exams could shake the foundations of science!
"Of course. It's actually quite simple. I'm honestly shocked no one has noticed it yet," Lorze teased, intentionally keeping her on the hook.
"Enough with the suspense. Under the terms of your contract, any breakthroughs you make while acting as a consultant will be published under your name. I won't steal your credit. Just say it." Elena gave him a verbal guarantee.
She knew academic theft was a real concern for independent researchers, so she addressed it directly.
"Credit isn't my main concern. I'm happy to share, as long as it demonstrates my value to the corporation... Auntie, are you familiar with the moves Return and Frustration?" Lorze knew that to get the keys to the castle, he had to show them the treasure.
To ensure he had permanent, free access to Snowhide's labs, he needed to prove he was a literal god of insight.
"Return? ...Wait. I see where you're going with this. My God, is it really that simple?" Elena suddenly had a massive "Aha!" moment!
"Exactly." Lorze smirked. As expected of a top-tier researcher, she saw the connection instantly.
"You... you monster of a child. I'm convinced." Elena gave a bitter, stunned laugh. She was officially done arguing.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Auntie~."
"Alright, that's enough for today. I'll notify you once the preliminary data from the lab comes back."
"No rush. But if possible, I'd like the Friendship threshold for Umbreon's evolution to be set at exactly 220 points."
"Why that specific number?"
"Because it's 20 more than 200."
Elena: "???"
Lorze couldn't exactly tell her it was the hard-coded value from the games.
To ensure all his future "research" synced up with his game knowledge, he had to keep the data consistent.
Elena was left utterly baffled. She felt like she could no longer keep up with the boy's train of thought.
Are all geniuses this weird?
Her late husband had been a bit of a freak too, always laughing to himself when a research project got intense.
Could this boy... be the reincarnation of my husband???
Cough, cough. No, don't think like that. If you start believing your own delusions, you've lost it.
She needed to get to the lab immediately. She was obsessed with Lorze's new field of study. She couldn't wait to see the world's reaction when a high schooler's paper shattered current scientific paradigms.
Elena happily vanished into her research, but Mother Xue and the others were left staring at their screens with a million questions.
Wait... why did you both just leave?
Weren't you two just in a heated debate?
How did you 'understand' each other so suddenly?
Is the logic really that easy to get?
Don't do this to us. It makes us look like Muggles.
Can you finish your goddamn sentences before you leave?! Do all scientists only speak in riddles?!