Luke was taken aback for a moment. "Hey, Bill, even Professor Oak's granddaughter is here as an assistant!"
Speaking of Daisy, she's also a Pokémon Coordinator who once clinched victory in Kanto's grand tournament.
Recalling Blue's humorous comment, he said, "I treat you as a friend, but you want to be my brother-in-law?!"
Bill hesitated briefly, then clenched his fist and coughed, "The communication evolution principle is quite simple. It involves simulating a specialized magnetic field. All you need to do is swap the Poké Ball and use the communication equipment to facilitate evolution."
Luke nodded, glancing at Haunter. "Haunter, what do you say?"
"Jie jie~! (๑`▽´๑)۶," Haunter responded, expressing its strong desire to become more powerful.
Luke sighed, considering, "I should really give it some thought..."
He continued reluctantly, "Can you perform the evolution now?"
Bill's expression fell slightly as he responded, "Unfortunately, the Canalave City Pokémon Center doesn't have the necessary communication facilities. But when you come to Goldenrod City to find me, I'll be able to complete the communication for you!"
Curious, Luke inquired, "Isn't your laboratory at Kanto's lighthouse?"
Daisy explained with a smile, "Goldenrod City is Professor Bill's hometown, and he has a laboratory there as well."
Luke had an epiphany. He planned to visit Johto and might run into 'The Exchanger' Silver. With the help of Professor Bill, his plans were almost guaranteed to succeed.
"In that case, I'll be counting on you!" Luke thanked Bill and took a copy of the "Communication Guide." It contained information on the principles of communication evolution and extensive data analysis.
As he glanced through it, Luke rolled his eyes, feeling overwhelmed. Haunter, on the other hand, seemed to be diving into it headfirst, nodding approvingly from time to time.
Luke couldn't help but be amused at Haunter's enthusiasm. It appeared that Haunter intended to handle the evolution all on its own.
The next day, Luke continued his quest at the research summit, particularly looking forward to Oleana's lecture. While Oleana may have appeared introverted, her speech on the "Mega Phenomenon" was nothing short of impressive, drawing rounds of applause.
The summit concluded, and Oleana, relieved, made her way to the backcourt. She spotted a familiar silhouette.
"Teacher Luke!" Oleana exclaimed as she approached.
"Hello, Oleana," Luke greeted with a smile. "That was an excellent presentation!"
Oleana nervously adjusted her glasses, recalling the information she had searched for the previous night. She blushed and whispered, "I heard you've established a research studio. Do you need more staff?"
Luke was momentarily surprised. "We do have a shortage, but it's not directly related to your research field," he replied thoughtfully.
"That's okay. I also have a background in accounting and economics," Oleana said, her nails digging into the folder she held. "If you still need administrative staff, please consider me."
Luke touched his chin, contemplating her offer.
Researcher transitioning to personnel? This situation seems quite unusual. Nevertheless, it's true that Matori can't be entangled in chaos all the time. I'm unsure of her abilities, but we can give them a try when the time comes.
"Next time," Luke nodded and said, "we haven't finalized the company's address yet. I'll reach out to you then."
"Great!" Oleana suddenly bowed and exclaimed, "Thank you very much!"
Luke smiled and waved at her.
Two days passed quickly, and the scientific research summit officially came to a close. Teacher Luke obtained the contact information of Sonia, Bill, and others. Contacting 'The Exchanger' Silver would put the evolution of Haunter within reach.
The Dynamax Band was an unexpected bonus, and the prospect of Mega Evolution overhead was something he didn't have to worry about for the time being.
"First things first," Luke reminded himself, "let's pay off that debt."
In a hurry to return to Steven's villa, Luke planned to bid farewell to Professor Rowan first. However, outside the entrance, he noticed a familiar figure.
The man had a distinctive fiery red hairdo and appeared somewhat sneaky. When he spotted Luke, his eyes lit up. "Teacher Luke, I'm Flint!"
"I remember you. What brings you here?" Luke asked cautiously.
Flint grinned and scratched his head sheepishly. "A few days ago, my friend and I may have been a bit too intrusive, so I wanted to apologize and offer you a small gift as a gesture."
"A gift?" Luke thought to himself. "That's unnecessary!"
Flint, however, looked more serious. "Teacher Luke, although I may not be able to match your skills, I am a Fire-type expert. I've prepared something that could be quite valuable for you. It's a collection of essential notes on Flamethrower. If you find it cumbersome, I can even demonstrate it for you."
Luke was touched by Flint's sincerity. "Such a valuable gift, are you sure you want to give it away?"
"Hehe," Flint replied, looking at Growlithe in the courtyard. "Your Growlithe has great natural talent for Fire-type moves. Plus, with your exceptional abilities, you can use Flamethrower in all directions with ease!"
Luke's feelings were a bit mixed. Was it really just natural talent?
"Well, come inside," Luke sighed, opening the door. "Let's go in."
"AO WU!" Growlithe greeted them enthusiastically.
Luke sidestepped, chuckling as he patted his dog's head. "You're too excited, buddy."
"Teacher Luke!" Flint seemed eager, "I'd like to demonstrate now."
Luke's expression changed, worried about possible collateral damage.
"Relax, it won't take long!" Flint assured him.
Flint raised his arm and summoned Houndoom. With a gesture, he commanded, "Houndoom, use Flamethrower!"
Houndoom let out a menacing roar, and a massive column of fire shot into the sky, painting it in hues of red and orange.
Boom!
"AO WU!" Growlithe's eyes shimmered with envy.
"Those moves are in this notebook," Flint said as he took Houndoom back. He then laughed heartily. "I won't trouble you any further."
Flint pushed the notebook into Luke's hands and waved. "Teacher Luke, we'll meet again someday!"
Flint put on a carefree smile but thought to himself that he'd need to approach Teacher Luke more tactfully in the future. Although he might be disappointed, making friends with Teacher Luke was a significant gain.
Luke watched Flint's retreating figure with a profound gaze. He then looked down at the excited Growlithe and took a deep breath.
"This hatred… I will have my vengeance" Luke muttered.