CHAPTER 22

Samuel Oak.

There wasn't a single person in Kanto-Johto or the entire Kinjoh Area that did not know his name. He was a legendary figure and one who had been firmly etched into the annals of Indigo's history.

There was a dizzying array of achievements under his belt. Samuel Oak held records for longest ever held Champion title, first ever Champion after the country officially unified as Indigo, and zero losses during his tenure. He had not been beaten out of his position but stepped down of his own volition after a certain tragedy. He was also, of course, widely known for having created the Pokedex, and he had been the one who contributed most to ending two different devastating conflicts: the War of Ashes and the Rocket War.

The Undefeated Champion, the Hero of Wars, the Guardian of Kanto… his epithets went on and on. Heck, some people even called him the Immortal Oak. That last one was more common in Kanto than Johto due to how it was perceived as blasphemous by devout believers of Ho-Oh.

Nowadays, he just went by Professor Oak.

I couldn't believe I was actually talking to such a distinguished individual. This was a person who had literally devoted his life to the country and accomplished things of near unimaginable proportions. It was no exaggeration to call him a national icon or treasure. He was Indigo.

I reined in the nervousness and excitement I suddenly felt and gripped my phone more tightly. Focus, I told myself.

"Good afternoon, Professor. What exactly can I help you with today?" I greeted politely. I already had a good idea of where this conversation was heading based on Oak's interest in my Pokemon, but I asked anyway for the sake of it.

"Hmm, to preface things… I watched your matches against Leaders Pryce and Clair. I was unaware Altaria was capable of Mega Evolution, and there were several Pokemon you used against Pryce that I did not recognize. Am I right in assuming they are from outside the Kinjoh Area?" Oak asked.

"They are," I readily confirmed. A sharp intake of breath came from the other side of the phone.

"I thought as much! I'll be blunt with you, Leader Arin. I'm vastly interested in studying your Pokemon. Would you be willing to let me research them? And for that matter, letting me pick your brain about the wealth of knowledge you surely possess?"

I didn't even have to think very hard about my answer. One, I couldn't really deny such a heartfelt request from Samuel Oak of all people, and two, it was a chance to spread awareness of Fairy type Pokemon. If I collaborated with someone as credible and well-known as Oak, then the information we later released to the Kinjoh Area was bound to get more than a fair amount of attention. This side of the world had a lot of catching up to do.

"I myself am happy to oblige, but…" I paused to smile even though Oak couldn't see me. "I'll need to ask my Pokemon if they're willing. Can you hold for a bit?"

"Oh, of course! As a researcher who focuses on the bond between people and Pokemon, that makes me quite happy to hear actually. It's truly an indication of not just a good trainer but an individual when they are so considerate of Pokemon and treat them as equals," Oak happily answered. "I'll be waiting right here, so take your time!"

Oak was certainly a pleasant person, not that I'd expected anything different. I thanked him for his understanding and put the call on mute as I headed to the backyard.

I cupped my hands to my mouth and called for everyone to gather up. That meant my personal team and all the gym Pokemon which, at this point in time, was a massive horde of various species altogether. Once everyone had bunched together in a tightly packed group, I explained the situation at hand and asked how they felt.

Almost all of them were okay with it aside from more skittish individuals among the gym Pokemon. I marked down which ones were not willing on my phone, and then I unmuted the call. The Pokemon all drifted back to what they'd originally been doing.

"Hello, Professor, I'm done speaking with my Pokemon."

"Yes! How did they react?"

"Most of them are willing, including my personal team, but some of my gym Pokemon are a little shy. I'll tell you which ones are off limits in person," I told him. "So yes, you can come study my Pokemon if you'd like—"

"Really?!" Oak nearly shouted through the phone, and I had to refrain from wincing. He could be loud when he wanted to be. "Splendid! Thank you so much for allowing this, Leader Arin. How many Pokemon do you have exactly? I'll need to figure out logistics for this research venture."

"Nineteen on my personal team and ninety-seven for my challenge rosters, so a hundred and sixteen Pokemon total," I answered immediately. There was no way I wouldn't know the exact number with how much these Pokemon meant to me and how much time I spent with them every day. "Most of them are not native to the Kinjoh Area, so there's a lot of different species for you to study aside from the ones you've already seen on TV."

I waited for Oak to say something, but only silence came from the other end. My brows furrowed as I lifted the phone away from me to check that, yes, the call was still connected. I brought it back to my ear with a confused expression.

"Professor? Are you still there—"

"D-Did you just say one hundred and sixteen Pokemon?" Oak interrupted with a breathless voice. "And that there are more new species among those?"

"Er… yes?"

Silence fell again.

"Good Arceus. I… please wait right here a second, Leader Arin! I need to make some phone calls real quick!" There was a rattling sound that sounded like the phone had been dropped to the table and loud, receding footsteps. I didn't even get a chance to respond before Oak was gone.

I rubbed the back of my neck. I'd forgotten how shocking that would be for a person in the Kinjoh Area. To someone like me who had traveled the world and seen vast varieties of Pokemon already, I just treated it like a normal, everyday occurrence.

Almost five minutes passed of me milling around in awkward silence before Oak finally returned.

"Leader Arin!" Oak exclaimed in just as breathless of a voice as before. "Thank you for waiting! I apologize, I was calling up some associates. Some friends of mine had been planning to contact you as well, actually, to ask if they could study your Pokemon. I thought I'd speed up the process and ask on their behalf since we're on the phone already. Would it be alright if they joined? Four brains would be better than one to study all these Pokemon."

I blinked. "Oh. May I ask who they are?"

"Professors Oliver Elm from Johto, Miles Birch from Hoenn, and James Rowan from Sinnoh."

Now it was Oak's turn to drop a surprise. I nearly wheezed out loud right then and there.

Every region had a few different Professors, but they each had one that eclipsed the others in terms of prestige and was considered their leading authority.

For Kanto, it was Professor Oak who researched the bond between people and Pokemon. For Johto, it was Professor Elm who specialized in Pokemon breeding. For Hoenn, it was Professor Birch who investigated Pokemon habitats. Finally, for Sinnoh, it was Professor Rowan who studied Pokemon evolution and form changes.

They were the four greatest Pokemon Professors of the Kinjoh Area, and they all wanted in on this research venture.

This was as star-studded of a cast as any. Anything they published would basically take the world by storm. I didn't hesitate with my answer.

"They're welcome to join," I declared firmly. "Now then, shall we go over the specifics of this project?"

"Wonderful! They'll be so pleased. I'll tell them right now— actually, may I add them to this call? It'd probably be best to go over things together as a group."

As soon as I gave my assent, Oak scurried off again to tell them the good news. That left me enough time to shoot a quick text message to Lance. With extremely influential figures from neighboring regions coming to visit, I figured I should probably give the Champion a heads up.

The text message had barely been sent when Oak came back to the phone.

"I'll add them to the call now, just give me a few moments…"

I didn't have to wait long. Suddenly three new voices entered the call at the same time and overlapped each other.

"Leader Arin, this is Professor Oliver Elm. I'm so very honored—"

"Professor Miles Birch here! Leader Arin, I can't wait to—"

"Hello, Leader Arin. I'm Professor James Rowan. Thank you for—"

They continued on excitedly without pause. I just stood there with an awkward look on my face as I tried desperately to recall whose voice was whose.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen! We're overwhelming Leader Arin," Oak scolded gently. That was enough for everyone else on the call to settle down, and Oak huffed lightly with amusement. "There'll be time to greet each other in person. How about we focus on the project at hand? With that being said… Leader Arin, how many assistants can we bring with us?"

"Oh! What about the duration of this study?" Elm piped up.

"When can we start?" Birch chimed in right after.

"Any limitations on equipment we can bring?" Rowan followed up.

They continued talking in a more orderly manner this time. Their excitement was clear as day from the way they peppered me with questions, and I found myself relaxing a bit as I chuckled.

"Well, the duration can be however long you can afford to stay here. I will note, though, that I need to spend time training the gym Pokemon each day for the upcoming Circuit. Also, in a week I'll have new gym trainers that I need to teach and get accustomed to the gym Pokemon, so that will significantly reduce the time allowed for research each day even further. In between training and rest, however, you're welcome to come and study the Pokemon," I explained.

There were various hums of agreement from the other end. I continued on. "Let's set a limit of three assistants per person if that's alright. My own team will be fine, but my gym Pokemon might get scared if there's too many unknown faces at once. Our family's land is quite expansive, so there'll be enough space for any equipment you might bring. I would also offer housing, but we don't have enough guest rooms at our house and the Gym's staff lodgings are under construction."

"That's quite alright, Leader Arin. Birch and I can find an inn to stay at in the city," Rowan replied.

"Yes, don't worry about us!" Birch agreed.

Oak added his own thoughts. "Elm and I will be fine, too. I can just have my Alakazam Teleport me there and back home to my lab. I can pick up and drop off Elm while I'm at it since New Bark Town is so close to Cherrygrove."

I nodded. Lodgings were taken care of it seemed. "Then… all that's left is when to start the project."

"I could come over today if you'll allow me," Oak immediately suggested brightly.

"Ah, me too! I'm right next door to Cherrygrove!" Elm cried out.

"Erm, tomorrow would be better—" The other Professors cut me off before I could finish.

"Samuel! Oliver!" Birch switched to their first names in utter indignation. "Really? You're trying to get a head start over us?"

"I must agree with Birch here, my good fellows. You two are at least close by, but we, in fact, are in completely different regions," Rowan sniffed. "We should all meet up tomorrow."

"Yes, exactly! We can't just pop over at the snap of a finger—"

"I can't wait any longer!" Elm interrupted Birch with an impatient voice full of yearning. "Do you realize how those new Pokemon have been consuming my mind day and night? I must see them now!"

"He's right! Research waits for no man!" Oak all but cackled.

They devolved into friendly bantering on the line, and I was left to listen to them with amusement. If anyone else had heard this, they would never have guessed it was a conversation between very distinguished Professors.

Eventually, the four men remembered that I was there and pulled themselves together. Oak cleared his throat.

"We apologize for the arguing, Leader Arin," he said politely. "I said that all in jest. I'll wait until tomorrow."

"You better have! I'm going to leave and book a flight now then. Rowan?" Birch spoke excitedly.

"Yes, as will I. Choose one that'll get you there around 9 AM perhaps? I'll do the same."

"Oh, would you like me to come pick you up tomorrow?" I offered. "I imagine you'll have a lot of equipment and luggage to carry over."

"That would be greatly appreciated, thank you. Both Birch and I will book a flight with Goldenrod Airlines if you could meet us there."

"Sure. Just text me when you arrive…"

After ironing out final details and exchanging phone numbers and goodbyes, the call finally came to an end. I stared at my phone for several long seconds after I lowered it. I still hadn't completely come to terms with the fact that I'd spoken not just to Samuel Oak, but the other top regional Professors as well.

And I would meet them all in person in less than twenty-four hours.

I shook my head as I plodded toward the kitchen. Dad was going to freak out when he heard who was visiting tomorrow.

Dad noticed my presence as soon as I placed one foot on the kitchen tiles and turned to face me. Behind him, there was a bubbling pot of soup on the stove. It seemed my earlier guess of what lunch would be was right.

"Everything okay with Champion Lance?" he asked with wide eyes.

I smiled widely. "Yeah, more than okay actually. He's a really good guy."

Dad absolutely deflated with relief, smiling as he turned back to stir the soup. "Oh, good. I thought you were in trouble or something…"

I hummed to myself as I leaned against the fridge. There was no other way to put it, so—

"By the way, Samuel Oak, Oliver Elm, Miles Birch, and James Rowan are all coming here tomorrow morning to visit."

Dad whipped around so fast I was honestly surprised his neck didn't snap.

"WHAT?" he said in a strangled voice.

"Yep."

He ended up doing an entire sweep of the house's perimeter after lunch to clean up the gardens and make everything look extra nice. Neil joined him in frantic gardening when he dropped by later and I dumped the news on him, too.

----------------------------------------

The next morning was full of tension for some (Dad and Neil) and excitement for others (me).

All the gym Pokemon had already been warned of the people who would be dropping by later and for the foreseeable future. Dad and Neil were also prepared to greet Professors Oak and Elm if they dropped by while I was out.

My phone was strapped to my wrist in a foldable bracelet form, and I glanced down now upon feeling it vibrate.

Rowan [8:57 AM]: Hello, Leader Arin. Birch and I have arrived at Goldenrod Airlines with our teams. We are waiting outside Terminal A.

Finally, the text message I'd been waiting for had arrived. I grinned from my position on Zuri's back. We'd long been ready to take off. Silque was the only other Pokemon coming with me for this short excursion.

"Alright, let's go girl!"

An eager bellow was all I got in response before Zuri took off like a speeding bullet. Clouds and trees blurred past in hazy shapes. Within minutes, Zuri slowed down as the 'Happening Big City' came into view.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

A sprawling metropolis lay before us. Densely packed skyscrapers and other modern buildings rose up high into the air. Across the whole city, bricks with a beautiful amber hue paved the roads. To the far left, I saw the famous Radio Tower with its large antennae piercing the sky. Dad had taken me there once as a kid, and we'd explored the Department Store afterwards for fun. Bordering the city's limits was the large, glittering sea that stretched out far into the horizon.

Goldenrod City, the biggest city in the region and one of the largest in the world. It was Johto's hub for activity, economy, and telecommunications all in one, and a melting pot thanks to its widely used train station and position on the western coast. The city usually saw many travelers coming in from abroad or by sea.

I directed Zuri to the airport in the city's northeastern district. She banked down and stopped on a designated landing pad near Terminal A, and I promptly hopped off. The airport was bustling with activity this early in the morning already, but I barely had to look around to find the group I was picking up.

Rowan and Birch were right outside the entrance gates with briefcases in hand and five assistants in total huddled around them. All of them bore luggage and equipment. There were people walking nearby who had already recognized the Professors, and they talked excitedly among themselves as they snapped pictures with their phones.

I walked up to them with a smile and ignored the phones now being pointed my way.

"Professor Birch, Professor Rowan," I called out. They reacted to the sounds of their names and turned my way. Recognition lit up their eyes as I stopped in front of them, offering my hand. "Welcome to Johto."

Rowan shook my hand first with a smile of his own and a firm grip. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Leader Arin."

Professor James Rowan was tall. I was pretty sure he was about six foot one, the same height as Neil. If not for the smile on his face, he would have come off as rather intimidating. His blockish face and naturally fierce eyes did not help.

He moved back to let Birch heartily shake my hand next. "Thanks again for this amazing opportunity, Leader Arin! I was so excited last night that I couldn't fall asleep for a long time," Birch beamed.

Indeed, I could tell as much by how his eyes were slightly bloodshot. Compared to Rowan, Professor Miles Birch was dressed much more casually with sandals and shorts. It was a lot hotter in Hoenn so I didn't see his wardrobe choice as too out of the ordinary.

I greeted their assistants, too. With introductions out of the way, it was time to head back. The Professors and their aides watched silently as I unhooked a Dream Ball off my belt and clicked it. That silence transformed into a round of gasps when Silque materialized next to me. The tall humanoid Pokemon concentrated briefly as she memorized our location, all the while with stares on her from all sides.

"Is this one of your Elite Pokemon?" Birch blurted out. He and Rowan had leaned forward excitedly and looked like they were struggling to keep themselves from getting closer.

"Silque, my Hatterene," I introduced proudly. Done with memorizing the surroundings, Silque turned now to the researchers and dipped her head ever so slightly in a silent greeting. Some of the aides felt intimidated or obligated enough that they hurriedly gave back deeper bows of their own, and I refrained from chuckling.

"If you're willing, she can Teleport some of you to Cherrygrove so you can drop off things at the inn you booked. I'll take the others with me on my Dragonite to head to our house," I explained.

Rowan, Birch, and their assistants all looked at each other and communicated silently.

Quickly, the assistants all threw their hands up and asked for the Teleportation experience with eager expressions. I… guess even getting Teleported by a new species of Pokemon was interesting for them? Rowan and Birch seemed a bit put-out by how fast their aides had been with their responses, but they cheered up quickly when I directed them toward Zuri.

I made sure to warn them about Zuri's speed, but they seemed too excited to care.

Silque waved goodbye to me before disappearing with the aides. As soon as Rowan and Birch had clambered onto Zuri's back and gotten into comfortable, secure positions, I urged my Pokemon to take flight. The Professors let out shocked yelps as Zuri shot up.

Minutes later, we were back home in the front yard. Two very disoriented Professors jumped onto the ground after me. Dad and Neil came walking down from the front porch to greet us.

"Truly… a prime specimen of a Dragonite…" Birch managed to get out weakly.

Rowan seemed better off than his companion as he coughed, adjusting his vest. "Thank you for the ride."

"Professors, welcome," Dad greeted politely at that moment. Neil echoed his greeting, though he looked a bit nervous. Birch and Rowan quickly moved to shake their hands.

"Lovely gardens you have here."

"Yes, they're as beautiful as ones you might see in Eterna or Hearthome City back in Sinnoh."

"Thank you, you're both too kind…"

They chatted on, but not for too long. Everyone jumped a bit when Silque suddenly Teleported into existence inches away with Rowan and Birch's assistants. All luggage had been dropped off, and they only had various lab equipment with them now.

"I guess now we wait for Professors Oak and Elm—" I began, but I paused as I heard voices. Squinting, I looked towards the end of the trail that led away from our house.

I hadn't been imagining things. The voices grew louder as a group of seven people came into view, huffing and puffing as they emerged from the rows of trees with equipment in tow. The two people leading the group were unmistakable.

Professor Oliver Elm was a lanky man with glasses that threatened to bounce right off his face for every step he took. His lab coat pockets were stuffed to the brim with pens, loose sheets of paper, and notebooks to the point where I wondered how he had managed to fit them all, and he marched with a terribly excited expression. If I'd thought Birch's eyes were kind of bloodshot, then Elm's were much worse off. Clearly he hadn't managed to sleep well. I vaguely wondered if it was a one-off thing or a common recurring event.

And… walking alongside him was the one and only Professor Samuel Oak.

I'd seen him on television when I was a kid, and although Oak had clearly aged since then, he still looked as dignified as I remembered him. He walked with a steady gait, a straight posture, and two notebooks tucked under an arm. A red object peeked out from one of his lab coat pockets — a Pokedex in all likelihood — and ballpoint pens and sticky notes were stuffed into the others. Wrinkles adorned his face, but his eyes were bright and full of life.

Those same eyes rested on me as Oak and his entourage finally drew close. With a few extra large strides, he came up to me first and smiled widely.

"Leader Arin, I'm honored to meet you in person at long last. I didn't mention it yesterday while we were on the phone, but I was quite moved by your speech at your swearing-in ceremony. I'm looking forward to what you will accomplish as Gym Leader," Oak greeted cheerfully. My eyes widened a bit as we shook hands. Hearing that from a hero like Oak made me both elated and nervous.

"Oh no, Professor Oak, the honor is all mine," I said hurriedly. "I only hope I can live up your and Indigo's expectations."

He just laughed merrily in response. "I don't doubt that you will. I have pretty good instincts, if I do say so myself, and they're telling me you'll go far."

My eyes widened even further. I barely spewed out some heartfelt thanks before Elm all but lurched forward with stars in his eyes.

"Good morning, Leader Arin! I'm so excited to be here today, thank you once again for letting us study your Pokemon!" he blabbered fervently. He used both hands to shake one of mine with more energy than I would have expected out of his tired-looking self. Elm saw Zuri behind us and let out an appreciative ooh of surprise.

Then he saw Silque and let out a whole strangled gasp. Oak and the other aides followed his gaze and stared at Silque with similar shock and curiosity.

"Oh my Arceus… W-What Pokemon is this, Leader Arin?!" Elm gushed loudly, stumbling backwards from a mixture of shock and delight. "I've never seen a species remotely like this one before! How magnificent, it's so incredibly tall!"

Silque merely smiled in response, yet I knew her well enough to know the act was not entirely genuine. She could tolerate loud noises from our team because she loved us, but strangers were a different matter. The rows of terrifyingly sharp teeth she flashed actually startled everybody, including Elm, into silence. I immediately took this chance to speak.

"This is Silque, my Hatterene," I introduced for the second time. "She's… not very fond of loud noises, so if you could try to talk in reasonable voices, that would be much appreciated."

"O-Oh!" Elm recovered in a heartbeat, eyes widening as he hurriedly ducked his head in apology. "I apologize, I let my excitement get the better of me again…"

Silque dipped her head in acknowledgement. Just from the feelings Elm emanated, she could tell Elm meant well.

I myself gave a satisfied nod and beckoned the guests to come closer. Once they'd all gathered in a loose circle, I reined in the nerves I felt at addressing so many important people and looked around me.

"Before I lead you to the rest of my Pokemon, I'd like to say a few things," I began. "First, I'm honored to have so many esteemed Professors and their aides here who want to study my Pokemon. I'm looking forward to helping expand the information on Fairy types available to the Kinjoh Area."

I paused to take a deep breath. "Now for guidelines concerning the Pokemon themselves… I already mentioned this to Professor Oak before, but I'll say it again. Most of them are willing to let you study them, but there are some who are not. I'll point them out to you when we go out back. Next, the most important thing I need to tell you all: please be careful around the Pokemon. I am not questioning your sense as Pokemon researchers and caretakers, but I need to make it clear that some of these species have very peculiar characteristics. Some are shy, others sensitive to emotions, and vice versa. At least for the first couple of days, I will be shadowing you just to make sure nothing goes wrong, and I will let you know what to look out for when interacting with certain Pokemon. Finally…"

I smiled, gesturing to myself. "Feel free to just call me Arin. We'll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, and I wouldn't feel comfortable if you all continued to address me by an official title every time."

Once I confirmed that every Professor and assistant had understood my warnings, Dad, Neil, and I led them to the backyard with Zuri and Silque bringing up the rear. We made it to the back porch, but we had to turn when we realized no footsteps could be heard behind us.

All the Professors and aides stood frozen in place. Their eyes were glued to the huge expanse of land and more importantly, all the Pokemon living in it.

"Good Arceus," Rowan said in a barely audible whisper.

"Am… Am I dreaming?" Elm asked faintly. "Someone please tell me I'm not."

"You're not, Oliver," Birch reassured, but he had a dazed expression of his own as he stared out at the backyard. "That… is a lot of new Pokemon."

"…We're going to need to expand the Pokedex by more than we expected…"

Oak was the first to snap out of his stupor. With a blinding smile, he ran up to me. "Arin! Let's begin right away!"

That was the signal for the rest of the group to hurry forward with their equipment. Each member wore an almost crazed expression as they ran.

I scratched the back of my head. "Well… which Pokemon would you like to start with then? My personal team or the gym Pokemon?"

They all looked at each other and then back at me.

"May we study your gym Pokemon first?" Birch asked politely for the group. "It would give us a better reference point if we looked at those species before comparing them to stronger and fully evolved Pokemon like your own."

"Sure."

I had to wait a couple minutes for the group to set up some heavier and less mobile equipment near the back porch. As soon as they had unburdened themselves and put notebooks and smaller tools and devices in their hands, they followed after me as one quivering swarm. Their excitement was palpable to the point that I could almost physically feel it brushing against my back.

I didn't have to think very hard about which Pokemon to introduce them to first. I chose ones that were rather friendly to start things off.

A collective wave of gasps rang out as we stopped in front of a group of familiar cream colored dogs and their leader. I greeted them first before turning to the researchers.

"The small dogs are Fidough, and the large one is their leader, a Pokemon called Dachsbun," I explained. I glanced at dad and Neil from the corner of my eye and jerked my head slightly.

They understood the unspoken question and were more than happy to step up, showing off the knowledge they'd learned from me.

"They have yeast in their breath?!" Elm echoed in shock after dad revealed that tidbit. He bit his lip, rapidly tapping his foot against the ground. "Lizzie, Wen, we're making some bread tomorrow to test this! I must see it for myself!"

The rest of the Professors gave their aides similar tasks. I barked out a laugh before I could stop myself.

I sat down on the grass and idly patted one of the Fidough while dad and Neil continued the presentation for me. Every single person was writing things down frantically and taking numerous pictures and videos. More than a few Pokedexes were taken out to record information.

"My word… they're so adorable!" Oak all but beamed at one point. He'd sat down on the grass with me and was interacting with one of the Fidough. While he gingerly squeezed its paws, another playfully butted Oak's side and let out cheerful barks.

"Their skin is firm yet somehow soft to the touch… I do detect elastic qualities, too," Rowan mumbled to himself from somewhere behind us.

"We don't have a large enough sample size, but… an average of twelve inches for Fidough's height among the ones here," Birch muttered. He and his aides were holding up measuring tapes or staring down at portable scales. "And about… twenty-one pounds? Fascinating."

"They smell so delicious! Particularly this Dachsbun," Elm squealed, though he hastily backtracked. "I mean, of course, not that I would eat them or anything! I'm merely saying they give off a shockingly appetizing aroma."

"That scent is what helps wheat grow," I piped up. "Historically, they've been vital parts of farming communities in other parts of the world. They also have an interesting ability that grants them immunity to fire."

"Truly?!" Oak snapped his head toward me. "Might we see this in action?"

I was sure the Dachsbun leader wouldn't have minded humoring them, but I decided to call for Choux and Peri instead. My own Dachsbun immediately bounded over with a happy expression as Peri swooped down from the sky questioningly.

"Would you guys mind demonstrating Well-Baked Body for our guests?" I asked.

Both gave nods of understanding and went off to a safe distance. As soon as Choux barked, Peri opened his mouth. Writhing flames flew forward in a powerful stream and washed over Choux for several long seconds. When Peri finally cut off the Flamethrower, gasps arose from the researchers. Steam hissed as it rose off Choux's body, but he was otherwise unaffected and plodded back over with a pleased expression.

"To withstand even Elite-tier flames…" Rowan muttered.

Elm stumbled towards Choux like a drunkard only to be hurriedly pulled back by his aides. "Marvelous! Oh my! Just look at that hardened skin!" he exclaimed excitedly. His glasses had slipped all the way down his nose as he craned his neck every which way. "The result of being exposed to such intense heat, I presume. The biology of this Pokemon is truly astounding, how on earth is its skin capable of withstanding high temperatures, I—"

Elm and the other Professors happily engrossed themselves in conversation. Numerous scientific terms were thrown around with meanings I couldn't ever hope to guess. All I knew was that they looked like they were having fun, and that was enough for me.

Though she was technically supposed to be resting from the fight against Pryce, Freya got Audi's approval to come over and help cool Choux down. A breath of cold air was exhaled. The Dachsbun shivered in delight as he shook off a thin layer of frost, barking out a thank you.

Oak wrenched himself away from his ongoing conversation and stared at Freya with glittering eyes. "Ah, that is the Pokemon you used against Pryce's Weavile! I must admit, I was particularly excited to meet this one. Tell me, Arin," Oak paused in his excited chatter to look at me. "I don't know if this is a wild guess or not on my part, but ever since I first saw it on TV, I couldn't help but think it resembled a Ninetales somehow. Is it the next evolution?"

Everyone fell silent as their gazes darted between me and Freya, who preened from the attention. I couldn't help but feel impressed as I shook my head.

"An astute observation, Professor," I complimented sincerely. "You're slightly incorrect, though. This is actually a Ninetales, just a regional variant that is an Ice/Fairy type. It evolves from a regional variant of Vulpix."

Rowan stared at me as if I'd grown two heads. He looked about ready to faint on the spot.

"Did you just say… regional variants?" he asked slowly.

I nodded, and that was all he needed to wave his hands around excitedly.

"My goodness! So you mean to say there are Pokemon out there similar to those found in Kanto, but they've adapted to new environments and gained different typings?" Rowan half-yelled with rapidly blinking eyes.

Birch was in a similar state of euphoria as he clapped his hands together. "By the Rayquaza! I can't wait to add this to my research on Pokemon habitats!" he said gleefully. "Arin, can we see these Vulpix variants you spoke of? Do you have any?"

The moment I nodded my head, all the researchers hurriedly packed up at the speed of light. We said goodbye to the Fidough and went further back into a small cave by the cliffside. The researchers shivered as they felt the temperature drop considerably. The cave's interior was completely frozen over, and pieces of Never-Melt Ice were embedded in the walls and ground at set intervals.

"I had to make a suitable environment for the Vulpix," I explained with an apologetic dip of my head. "They normally live in icy caves on snowy mountains, so I brought in Never-Melt Ice to help them feel comfortable. My own Ninetales drops by occasionally to keep things cold by expelling ice crystals from her fur. They don't melt easily."

We didn't have to walk far as the cave was not terribly deep. Soon enough, fluffy white Pokemon came into view and stared at us with curiosity. One of the more outgoing ones came right up to me and nudged my leg, and I smiled as I picked her up in my arms.

"These are Alolan Vulpix, regional variants from a place called Alola," I explained, but the researchers were only half-listening. They stared at the adorable little fox I held with soft expressions.

They obviously found the Pokemon endearing.

I warned them not to touch two Alolan Vulpix near the back that wanted to be left alone. With that in mind, the Professors and aides unpacked again and carefully interacted with the Pokemon.

"Best be careful with their breath, they can freeze just about anything—" I began to warn, but Birch let out a shocked yelp before I even finished.

"Oh, that's cold!" he exclaimed. One of the Vulpix he had been petting had accidentally sneezed and frozen the ground around it in a wide radius. Luckily, Birch had pulled his hand away in the nick of time.

Rowan immediately pointed at one of his aides. "Toby! Temperature?"

The assistant knelt down with a measuring tool. "About −60 degrees Fahrenheit or −51 degrees Celsius sir," the man responded much to Rowan's delight.

"How extraordinary! They're not even fully evolved, but they're on par with Froslass."

Elm just looked moved to the point of tears. "I've never seen such cute Pokemon before! I think I'm going to cry, oh no… Lizzie, please tell me you brought tissues!"

His aide rolled her eyes but handed him a pack.

Oak merely chuckled at his associate's antics, but even he couldn't hide how excited he was as he jotted down notes one after another.

"Fascinating! Absolutely fascinating!" he said out loud without looking up. "At seventy-four years old, I've learned yet again that the world is an enormously vast place with numerous species waiting to be discovered! Oh, if only Blue was home, I could have brought him with me to see these Pokemon…"

"Blue?" I asked with a curious tilt of my head. Oak paused in his writing to meet my gaze.

"Yes, my grandson!" he happily answered, and suddenly he looked more like a doting grandfather than anything. "He'll be turning seventeen in a couple months. Blue's a Pokemon trainer. Right now he's off in Hoenn competing in their League Circuit."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed. He's a bit, erm… too serious for a teenager, but he's certainly talented. Why, he even made it to the finals of the Silver Conference last year!" Oak bragged, and I indulged him with a small sound of appreciation. "I have a granddaughter, too, who's around your age. She actually came with me today as an assistant, now where is she… Ah, Daisy! There you are! Can you come here for a second?"

A young woman drifted toward us. Right away, I could see the resemblance between her and Professor Oak from her face shape and the way she carried herself. She had soft hazel eyes and long orange-brown hair with hints of copper. Around her neck hung a distinct pendant.

Oak smiled as she stepped into place next to him. "This is Daisy, my granddaughter. She's an aspiring Pokemon researcher with an uncanny ability to soothe Pokemon."

"It's nice to meet you, Arin," Daisy greeted. She had a quiet but pleasant voice. "Thank you for allowing my grandfather and the rest of us this opportunity today."

"You as well, and it was my pleasure," I replied amicably. One of my brows went up slightly in interest. "What Professor Oak just said… are you an Ability Holder by any chance?"

A wry smile was what I got in response. "Unfortunately, no. Pokemon just seem to be more comfortable around me for some reason. It certainly helps with work, though, so I don't mind it at all."

I swallowed back feelings of disappointment. I had admittedly been a bit excited at the prospect of meeting another Ability Holder in Kanto-Johto, but I supposed it would have been too good to be true. Morty had told me there were only a scant few others like us in the nation. "I see. I thought we had similar Abilities which is why I asked."

Daisy nodded. "Oh it's alright, I— Er…"

She trailed off suddenly, freezing in place as she finally registered what I'd said. Oak had a similar reaction. He'd completely stopped taking notes at this point to stare at me with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Are— Are you an Ability Holder, my dear boy?" Oak finally asked.

"I am," I readily acknowledged.

I jumped as Oak threw his hands up into the air.

"Goodness me!" he exclaimed. He looked the most elated he had all day as he looked at me. "I don't often get to speak with Ability Holders or pick their minds! Arin, what is your Ability?"

"Er, being able to communicate and bond with Fairy type Pokemon—"

"TRULY?" Oak all but exploded with excitement at this point, grasping my hands in his own. "Might I observe you interacting with the Pokemon? And ask you to translate for them? I would love to write about the bonds between you and your Pokemon. I've never had the chance to study an Ability Holder in depth before! The ones who work for the League are usually too busy."

"Now, now, grandfather, let's not burden Arin…" Daisy finally unfroze as she placed a warm hand on Oak's shoulder, but I just smiled at both of them.

"Sure. I don't mind."

Oak beamed at me like a child at Christmas. Daisy merely shook her head with amusement and wandered off to conduct more research on her own.

"Oh dear, I should have brought more pens with me… I have a feeling I'll be writing a lot more than I initially anticipated today," Oak mumbled. He turned to the other Professors and waved sharply at them. "Oliver! Miles! James! Come over here! Did you know Arin is an Ability Holder? He can talk to Fairy types!"

A moment of silence filled the cave, then—

"WHAT?"

"Truly?! Why was this not mentioned sooner?"

"Oh oh oh, Arin, can you please tell me what this Vulpix is saying right now?"

I looked at the stampede of researchers heading my way and barely refrained from shaking with laughter.

"There'll be plenty of time. I mean, we haven't even seen a fraction of the Pokemon I own yet. You haven't seen the regional variant of Ponyta, or—"

"There's a regional variant of Ponyta?!" Oak interrupted.

He and the other Professors looked as if they'd been told the sky was red and not blue.

I had a feeling it was going to be very chaotic around the house for the next week.