The cheerful voice of Professor Oak came through the Pokédex, and a clear video feed appeared on the screen.
"It's been a while, Professor!"
Ryuuske propped the Pokédex up on a rock as he continued stirring the food cooking in the pot with a spoon, chatting with Professor Oak with a smile.
"Ohhh! Just looking at the food you're cooking, Ryuuske, makes me think it must be delicious!"
Professor Oak leaned forward in the video, as if trying to get a closer look at what Ryuuske was cooking.
"Don't joke around, Professor. I'm only eating this because I'm stuck out in the wild. It's not like you at the lab, with Daisy cooking for you."
"Hahaha, but that food in your pot looks pretty high-class!"
"I came into some money recently, so I figured I'd treat myself."
"Mmm, that's the way to do it. At your age, Ryuuske, you're still growing. Even in the wild, you should eat well. I was worried you might not have a way to make money, but it seems I overthought it," Professor Oak laughed heartily.
Then, lowering his voice conspiratorially, he added, "...Between you and me, Ryuuske, I still miss your cooking. Daisy's skills aren't bad, but the only thing she makes that really suits my taste is ramen. Whenever you have time, you've got to come back to Pallet Town!"
"Professor, if Daisy hears you say that, she'll be heartbroken. Besides, without her, you'd probably be stuck eating instant noodles—you can't even make proper ramen!"
Ryuuske tasted the soup in the pot and nodded in satisfaction before shooting Professor Oak a disdainful look.
"Grandpa!! I heard all of that! If you keep talking like that, I won't cook for you anymore!"
Just then, a young woman's indignant voice rang out from behind Professor Oak, and a beautiful, intelligent-looking girl appeared on the screen.
It had to be said—the family's genes were impressive. Though Professor Oak had a somewhat square, stern face, his grandson and granddaughter were both strikingly good-looking.
"W-Wait! You can't do that, Daisy!"
Professor Oak immediately wailed in protest.
"Sorry about that, Ryuuske. Grandpa can be a bit... unreliable sometimes."
Daisy's face was flushed with embarrassment in the video. Being told by her own grandfather that she couldn't cook—especially in front of someone else—was a blow for an eighteen-year-old girl.
"Haha, I took care of the Professor for a month, so I know how much work he is! By the way, Daisy, I just caught a Mr. Mime. When I get to the next city, I'll send it over to the lab. This Pokémon is great at cleaning, so it'll help you out. The lab must be tough to manage alone."
Ryuuske pulled out a Poké Ball and shook it lightly.
"Eh?! R-Really? Thank you so much, Ryuuske! The lab is pretty big, and it's been hard keeping up with everything..."
Daisy's eyes sparkled with gratitude.
"Alright, alright, no need to butter up my granddaughter! She might be older than you, but she's still naive—easy to trick!"
Professor Oak suddenly squeezed himself back into the frame, eyeing Ryuuske suspiciously.
Ryuuske's face darkened. Had his reputation really fallen that far?
"Now, let me see your Dragonair and Gabite. Hmm, they're looking excellent!"
The moment Pokémon were mentioned, Professor Oak lit up with excitement. Even though he couldn't physically lean out of the screen, he still strained his neck to get a better look at Dragonair and Gabite, who were busy eating.
"We've been through a lot of danger and hardship. If I couldn't train them properly after all that, I'd be a pretty lousy Trainer."
"Hahaha! Sure, traveling is dangerous, but that's what builds the bond between Trainers and their Pokémon! On these tough, perilous journeys, the only ones who can truly stay by your side—the only ones you can truly rely on—are your Pokémon. That's the romance of youth!"
Professor Oak laughed with such vigor that he hardly sounded like a man nearing sixty.
"By the way, Professor, you wouldn't call me just to chat. Is there something you need?"
Seeing the conversation veering off track, Ryuuske quickly steered it back.
At his words, Professor Oak's expression turned serious.
"Ryuuske, where are you right now?"
"On the route between Vermilion City and Celadon City. I should be getting close to Celadon soon."
Ryuuske checked his map before answering.
"That's perfect! I asked Ash where he was earlier, but he's been tied up with League inquiries about the S.S. Anne incident. He's been complaining nonstop about how you 'abandoned' him and ran off."
Ryuuske chuckled awkwardly. The reason he had left the S.S. Anne so quickly was precisely because he knew the League would conduct thorough interviews and record statements—just like police questioning. As key witnesses, both he and Ash would be interrogated extensively.
While their battle results and potential likely meant the League wouldn't treat them as suspects, Ryuuske had wanted to avoid the hassle. So, he'd left Ash to deal with it. Ash might have quick reflexes in battle, but he wasn't exactly street-smart—Ryuuske had played him like a fiddle.
"Let's not dwell on that. What did you need, Professor?"
Ryuuske swiftly changed the subject.
"I'd like to ask you to skip Celadon for now and make a detour to Lavender Town. Gary usually sends us updates every three days, but it's been a week since we last heard from him. We think he might be in some kind of trouble. His last known location was Lavender Town, and since you're the closest, I'd like you to check it out."
"That's right, Ryuuske. My little brother went missing in Lavender Town. Please, could you look into it?"
Daisy clasped her hands together pleadingly.
A vein throbbed in Ryuuske's forehead. This was the urgent matter, and Professor Oak had spent all that time rambling about nonsense? Was Gary even his real grandson? The lack of concern was astounding!
...Or maybe Professor Oak was certain Gary wasn't in mortal danger and was just dealing with some minor trouble?
Either way, even without the Professor's request, Ryuuske would've gone to investigate once he heard. Gary was one of the few friends he had in this world.
"No problem. Leave it to me. I'll head straight to Lavender Town at full speed—no more wasting time in the wild."
He offered Daisy a reassuring smile. "...Don't worry, Daisy. I'm sure Gary's fine."
"Hah! With you on the case, I can rest easy!"
Professor Oak truly trusted Ryuuske, his tension visibly easing.
"Oh, right—Professor, do you have any items that can stop a Pokémon from evolving?"
Ryuuske suddenly remembered something important and quickly asked.
"You mean an Everstone? They're not exactly rare. I've got a few in stock..."
Professor Oak stroked his chin thoughtfully. "...Ah, so you don't plan on letting Dragonair evolve? That's not a bad choice. Dragonite may be powerful, but it lacks Dragonair's versatility. Give me your exact coordinates, and I'll have a Pidgeot deliver one to you."
"Thanks a lot, Professor."
As expected—when it came to special requests, Professor Oak had a solution for everything. The man probably had warehouses full of rare items just lying around.
To be continued…
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