Chapter 70: Her Azure Eyes

If there is one company that stands as the unrivaled leader in the entire Hoenn region, it is undoubtedly the Devon Corporation. Though the organizers of Hoenn’s renowned Contest Spectaculars are formidable in their own right, they are still far from matching Devon’s dominance. In fact, many of the region's devices and equipment are linked to Devon in one way or another.

Even the chair that Zhao Fang was sitting on was manufactured by Devon—a powerhouse not only in cutting-edge technology but also a multi-industry titan with comprehensive development. If Zhao Fang wanted to swiftly promote his Pokémon world version of WeChat across Hoenn, and ensure ongoing maintenance and operation, then Devon was unquestionably his best and only real option.

After expressing his gratitude for Mayumi’s suggestion, Zhao Fang hurriedly messaged Steven, detailing his ideas, the features of the app, and its market prospects. Since Steven still remembered him, now was the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

Once the message was sent, Zhao Fang entered a period of waiting. He had no idea when Steven would see it, whether he’d take an interest, or if he’d be willing to invest. That night, Zhao Fang received no response, which left him somewhat disappointed. Still, he made his way to the Devon Corporation, hoping to check if his fossil had been revived. As soon as he reached the company’s entrance, he saw Steven at the front desk, chatting with a man in a formal work uniform.

“Zhao Fang, I read your proposal, but I’m not very familiar with this field. This is our company's head of market development—why don’t you discuss it with him?” Steven clapped Zhao Fang on the shoulder before heading out with his backpack. Zhao Fang noticed the pack still contained a hammer and other tools; clearly, the Champion was off to search for stones in the mountains again.

Zhao Fang was deeply grateful. He’d thought Steven wasn’t interested in his idea, but instead, Steven had called in an expert and even waited for him.

He and the general manager then spent most of the day in the conference room, hashing out details. In the end, it was agreed that Devon would fund the project, Zhao Fang would provide the software, and once it passed internal testing, they would roll it out. Zhao Fang immediately contacted Miss Mayumi, who accepted with a smile but still collected a development fee of 100,000 League coins from him.

As for profit sharing, the general manager initially intended simply to pay Zhao Fang outright, but Zhao Fang insisted on a twenty percent share in the app’s future profits. The manager thought it over—believing the app unlikely to make much money, and considering Zhao Fang’s connection to Steven—then agreed.

“Kids will always be kids,” the manager chuckled, shaking his head as Zhao Fang left the conference room. He promptly delegated the matter to his subordinates, too busy to handle such affairs himself.

Unaware of the manager’s assessment, Zhao Fang wouldn’t have cared even if he knew; twenty percent of the profits was more than enough for him. Just look at the scale of WeChat in his previous life—with features like WeChat Pay added later, he’d never want for resources again.

“But most important of all is still strength,” Zhao Fang murmured, touching the Poké Ball at his waist. If this industry grew, and he did not possess sufficient strength, the profits would likely slip through his fingers. But if he ever reached Elite Four level, he might even be able to negotiate a higher share.

Soon, Zhao Fang arrived at the research lab. He knocked on the door; the room was quiet. He waited a while, then knocked twice more before cautiously pushing the door open.

Inside, the researcher, eyes bloodshot, was staring intently at the machine, recording data while muttering to himself.

Zhao Fang approached curiously, just in time to hear, “How could it consume so many materials? That shouldn’t be possible…”

“Hello?” Zhao Fang called softly.

The researcher flinched and turned. Seeing it was Zhao Fang, he relaxed, taking his hand off the red button.

“Didn’t I say to come back later?” the researcher grumbled.

“It’s already the next day, sir,” Zhao Fang replied helplessly. These researchers were so absorbed they didn’t even notice the passage of time.

“The next day already… Well, it’s almost done. Your fossil is quite unusual. Normally, resurrecting a fossil doesn’t require many resources, but this time, the materials used could have revived three fossils.” The researcher’s gaze became somewhat vacant, then looked at Zhao Fang with a complex expression.

He’d thought Steven’s business was merely decent, but now he realized it was running at a loss. The cost of materials alone far exceeded the twenty thousand League coins charged.

“Thank you for your hard work,” Zhao Fang said hurriedly.

“Mm. It’s done.” The researcher paid him little mind, watching the machine instead. As the red light switched to green, the machine finally powered down.

The researcher glanced at his chart—three and a half times the usual material consumed. This revival was a huge loss.

Zhao Fang grew anxious. He didn’t know much about the resource cost, but the next Pokémon to enter his team was right inside that machine; his hands clenched in anticipation.

“I need to record this data… Please wait a moment,” the researcher said, not rushing to open the machine. He pressed several buttons, and streams of information scrolled rapidly across the screen. The outline of an Amaura gradually appeared, and with every new detail, the researcher’s exclamations of surprise made Zhao Fang’s heart itch with curiosity.

At this moment, Zhao Fang felt illiterate—the words made sense individually, but together, they were inscrutable.

He waited as patiently as he could. At last, just as he was about to burst with anticipation, the researcher pressed a button, and the machine’s door swung open. Zhao Fang hurried over and saw a pure white Amaura lying inside. Even its head crest was white. As if hearing movement, the Amaura slowly opened its eyes, and a pair of azure blue irises fell on Zhao Fang.

“Shiny?” Zhao Fang was stunned. A white Amaura—surely this was a Shiny Amaura.

“Aur~” The Amaura lifted its slender neck and called out to Zhao Fang. As it stood, snowflakes began to swirl in the lab, quickly turning into a hailstorm.

“Quick, recall her!” the researcher shouted.

Instinctively, Zhao Fang threw his Poké Ball; Amaura was drawn in at once. The ball rolled twice on the floor before the capture was complete, and the hail vanished.