Fang Yuan arrived in Tokyo again in July.
This time, he didn't come alone but with the Blue Moon Company's competition team.
Sister Xie's Blue Moon Company was planning to exhibit a new product, the unmanned Rotom drone, and a new accessory specially designed for Fairy Pokémon, at this conference.
Although they were not products of great significance, as a new company, Blue Moon Company's ability to produce impressive new products every year was something few enterprises could match.
The Asia regional competition of the Elf Domain Expo was held in Tokyo, with 19 participating countries and 101 related enterprises.
On the day of the competition, a professional judging team from The Pokémon Alliance would evaluate the products, awarding gold, silver, and bronze medals.
Regardless of which medal was won, recipients would receive financial support from The Pokémon Alliance.
Moreover, companies or individuals winning the "gold medal" could also compete with winners from other continents for several special awards given by The Pokémon Alliance.
For instance, the Star of Science and Research award, which School sister Xie Qingyi had won for her promising Rotom appliance.
For example, the Star of Evolution award was once won by an American doctor who had developed an Electricity Amplifier and a Lava Amplifier.
And then there's the Ron Award...
The Ron Award, named after Dr. Ron of Jade Rainbow University, the modern Father of the Fairy Ball, is typically considered the most important award in the Elf Domain. Only research results that have a considerable and positive impact on the Trainer Domain and Elf Domain are eligible for this award. It is the goal all Elves Researchers aspire to.
In Hua Nation, if you have won the Ron Award, you are definitely considered a top-level researcher, but being a top-level researcher does not necessarily mean you can win the Ron Award.
Basically, recipients of the Ron Award usually receive the title of Poke-mon Doctor from The Pokémon Alliance.
The title of Poke-mon Doctor directly conferred by The Pokémon Alliance holds more prestige than any doctoral degree in Pokémon-related subjects from any renowned institution in the world.
All these are awards contested by researchers. In addition to these, there are also top-level awards specifically for Elf Doctors and Elf Breeders, as Pokémon products also include Pokémon food, nutrition products, and medical supplies...
"Kid Fang, do you want to go to tomorrow's exchange cocktail party?"
After arriving in Tokyo, Ye Hui, the lead researcher from Blue Moon Company, invited Fang Yuan.
Ye Hui was a core member of the Xie Qingyi Research Team, holding the position of a senior researcher.
When studying Sun Eevee and Moon Eevee, which is when Fang Yuan was freeloading in the Xie Qingyi Research Team, he taught Fang Yuan quite a bit about the research domain; Ye Hui also worked at Mo Da University, making him half a teacher to Fang Yuan.
Professor Ye was under fifty years old, considered young and promising, but he was somewhat untidy, with a full, unshaven beard... He always looked casual.
"Sure, since I'm here, there's no point in just waiting around," Fang Yuan said. "Professor Ye, should it be okay for me to wear these clothes to the party?"
Exchange cocktail party... although it is primarily a place for companies to mingle, it should still be considered a formal occasion, right?
Fang Yuan pointed at his casual attire... was it inappropriate?
Fang Yuan indeed wasn't in the habit of wearing formal clothes; he planned to get by with his lab coat even for the Elf Domain Expo.
"Hey, why bother with all that fuss," Professor Ye said nonchalantly, as Fang Yuan had surely asked the wrong person.
"Then I'll just stick with this outfit," Fang Yuan shrugged. Nobody knew who he was anyway, nor did they know about his small, unknown company behind him.
......
The next day, Fang Yuan arrived at the venue for the exchange cocktail party, the Clear Sky Hotel, accompanied by Professor Ye.
Since they were all participating businesses of the Pokémon World Expo, they naturally breezed right in.
In fact, the number of participating companies was strictly controlled by each country. Otherwise, the number would be much greater than 101 companies. Hence, the products of the businesses that qualified for the competition were almost certainly considered to be competitive, and none of the attendees were mediocre.
Additionally, since the Clear Sky Hotel did not restrict small and medium-sized Pokémon, many people brought their Pokémon with them. For instance, the daughter of a certain business tycoon held a Six tails as a pet, a researcher let his assistant Hudidi tag along, and a man in a suit from an unknown country had a Gardevoir as his dancing partner...
Without any special restrictions, Fang Yuan also called out Eevee and put it on his shoulder.
This was a high-end event, so he thought it would be good for Eevee to see the world too, and not just play games all the time...
After entering the hotel, Professor Ye said, "Will you stick with us, or...?"
"You guys go ahead with your business, don't worry about me," Fang Yuan said.
"Okay," Professor Ye nodded, after all, Fang Yuan was no longer a child, and probably wouldn't cause any trouble. With that said, he went off in another direction with three other people. The Blue Moon Company, being an enterprise on the right track, naturally had its team present for more than just a leisurely stroll.
Once he was alone, Fang Yuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Eevee, are you hungry?"
He knew that the exchange event had invited many famous chefs to prepare a buffet, and some of the participating businesses were also comprehensive catering enterprises.
They had collaborated with the hotel to provide many special dishes, meaning that here one could taste specialty foods from different countries. Both humans and Pokémon food were available. Fang Yuan touched his belly; he had been waiting for this meal since he woke up in the morning, having barely touched the breakfast prepared by the hotel he stayed at.
Eevee: "..."
Bwoo!
Come on, you're supposed to be The Fifth King, a senior researcher, can't you pay a bit more attention to your image? Everyone else is here for networking and cultural exchange, and you're here just to eat?
Eevee sighed, feeling unworthy of your title as a networking master!
After a short while,
Fang Yuan made his way to the buffet booth of a major Japanese catering enterprise.
The Far Moon Cuisine Group, being the dominant force in Japan's culinary world, was also the country's largest supplier of Pokémon food. They had control over several top-branded restaurants nationwide celebrated across the country. Whether it was delicacies for humans or Pokémon, Far Moon stood as Japan's "top1" class.
Part of the culinary services at the Clear Sky Hotel was provided by chefs from Far Moon, and with the help of a waiter's explanation, Fang Yuan began to sample, one after another. However, what troubled the waiter was...
"This isn't right either?" the waiter, who had already changed three kinds of special Pokémon food, looked bewilderedly at the Eevee on Fang Yuan's shoulder. How could you not eat such delicious food? Are your tastes that exquisite?
Eevee curled its lip, not finding the food as tasty as the Energy Blocks mass-produced by the Self-detonating Magnetic Monster; was that even worthy to be called Pokémon food?
"Don't worry about it, you can go busy yourself," Fang Yuan, putting down the food, said.