"Hmm, I could create a grappling hook gun if I had enough materials."
"This iron cage might be sturdy, but nothing lasts forever."
Both of them carefully examined the items—the iron cage holding the Pokémon and a few other things.
The girl's name was Telsa, while the boy was Ensten (their in-game names, not their real ones).
"They're both the top students in their respective fields—Telsa excels in science, while Ensten is a chemistry prodigy," the black-haired girl explained, and Rey nodded in agreement.
Ensten looked at the Pachirisu watching him, making him want to cuddle it, but unfortunately, the iron cage was in the way.
So, he decided he'd have to destroy this wretched cage!
"Alright, I need fluoroantimonic acid to corrode this thing."
Hearing what Ensten said, the group exchanged confuse looks.
"Ugh, that's why I hate dealing with idiots. Fine, let me explain that acid I just mentioned in more detail," he said.
"Alright, listen up, everyone. Fluoroantimonic acid, also known as HSbF6, is one of the strongest acids ever created by humanity. It's so potent that it can dissolve glass and metal—not corrode them slowly, but outright dissolve them. But to make it easier for you all to understand, I'll explain it as simply as possible. I know your brains aren't exactly optimized for complex concepts like this."
"Oh no, he's starting to show his true personality again..." the black-haired girl muttered.
Pausing for a moment, Ensten grabbed a whiteboard—or any surface he could draw on. (Where did he even get that?)
"First, the basic chemical equation for this acid looks like this:
HSbF6 → H+ + SbF6-.
It's a combination of hydrogen fluoride (HF) and antimony pentafluoride (SbF5). HF is a strong acid, while SbF5 is a super Lewis acid capable of pulling electrons from anything it comes into contact with. Simply put, it's like a monster that devours everything in its path."
"Ohhhhhh," the group murmured in unison.
A smug grin appeared on his face, his tone retaining its condescending edge.
"As for the materials, we need HF—hydrogen fluoride, an extremely dangerous substance that can penetrate skin and attack bones. Then, we add SbF5—antimony pentafluoride, a heavy, toxic, highly reactive fuming liquid. To synthesize fluoroantimonic acid, we mix HF and SbF5 in precise proportions. But let me be clear, even touching this stuff is a death sentence. If I weren't a genius, I wouldn't dare attempt it."
He adjusted his glasses and turned his gaze to the iron cage holding the Pokémon.
"This cage—I'm guessing—is made of a super-durable alloy with a standard acid-resistant coating, capable of withstanding high temperatures and extreme pressure. But you're all forgetting one thing: no material is perfect. With HSbF6, just a single drop is enough to break this cage down at a molecular level and free the poor Pokémon inside."
Suddenly, Lukas raised his hand, drawing everyone's attention.
"Huh? Lukas actually has something to say?"
"Go ahead," Ensten gestured toward him.
"I've heard... this stuff is so toxic that even its fumes could kill us. Would it really be safe to use it on the cage with the Pokémon inside?"
Rey, Bob, and Rin stared at Lukas in shock, as if they were looking at a completely different person from the Lukas they knew.
"So, it's time for science to step in," Ensten said, pointing at Telsa, who had been watching closely the whole time.
"Easy! To be able to absorb that smell, we need a device based on an advanced filtration system, using special absorbents like improved activated charcoal and zeolite compounds to capture and neutralize the molecules of fluoroantimonic acid's fumes. These materials are made with extremely high precision because they need to withstand the intense chemical reactions that this acid can trigger. To build it, we need a very rare and highly stable source of materials. Zeolite, for example, must be synthesized under extremely precise temperature and pressure conditions, and the activated charcoal needs to be treated to have a stronger absorption capacity—not just for gases, but for even the tiniest acid molecules."
"..."
It was all too much—nothing was making sense to us!!
Lukas had smoke practically coming out of his ears from his brain working overtime, while Rey, Bob, and Rin were sweating, trying to grasp the meaning.
"Basically... we need to find zeolite, charcoal, and a few other things?"
"Yeah, something like that?"
"...ugh, the readers are definitely going to hate this chapter."
***
Lukas and Rey continued to steal the necessary ingredients and other items to create the terrifyingly strong acid.
After a few hours, they returned with the necessary materials.
Telsa was playing with other players' Pokémon when she saw them return.
"Did you find it?"
"Yeah, although I'm not too sure."
"Hmmm... alright! Looks good. Now I need a design table and lights!"
"Well... there are no lights."
"Then let me borrow Cyndaquil!"
Telsa happily took Cyndaquil and went to the work table, while Ensten didn't need lights because his eyes were bright enough. He started creating fluoroantimonic acid.
"Wow, they're working fast…" Bob observed their progress with admiration.
"Yeah, like I said, they're geniuses."
"By the way, what's your name?"
"Lifeistrap."
"That's a weird name."
After a few minutes, Ensten finished making the terrifying acid.
Telsa also finished her creation, which looked like a vacuum cleaner...
"I'll go outside and test it." Ensten put on a gas mask (where did that come from?) and walked outside.
On the ceiling, he dropped a tiny drop of acid.
A large chunk of iron below was immediately corroded at an alarming speed by the drop.
"Success!"
Then, as the smell began to rise, Telsa used her machine and turned it on.
In just a few seconds, the acid's smell was sucked into the machine and filtered.
"Success again!"
They then took the cage containing Pachirisu outside and began the procedure.
"Remember to plug your nose, little squirrel!" Lukas grinned, encouraging.
PACHIRISUUU!! (ARE YOU GUYS TRYING TO KILL ME??)
Ensten saw that everyone had stepped back as much as possible, nodded at Telsa, and began pouring the acid.
As soon as the acid was poured, Telsa activated her machine to suck all the smell in.
The acid quickly corroded the iron cage, allowing Pachirisu to jump out without worry.
"SUCCESS!!!"
The group jumped up in joy, and Lukas happily kicked the cage out of the ceiling.
"Heh! Science is the best!" Telsa scratched her head.
"Who says? Chemistry is the best!" Ensten disagreed.
"Hah?! Without me, how would you all survive?!"
"Without me, you wouldn't be able to save that squirrel!"
So the two argued, while Rin approached Rey.
"Senpai, isn't... steel resistant to poison? Acid is considered a poison type, right?"
Hearing this, Rey thought for a while.
"Maybe... because it's an acid created by humans, it doesn't really have anything to do with poison? I guess?"
Well, that question was quite hard to answer...
*****
My brain hurts after writing this chapter. I really drained my mind coming up with this stuff...