Gible

Ryuuske kept one hand in his pocket as he turned his head. The entire research institute lit up, glowing like a bright gem in the night. He dispersed the psychic energy from his eyes, returning the world to its normal state. Looking up, he saw that the girl who had left on the Jigglypuff had completely disappeared into the dark clouds.

"I'm not so old that I can sleep through this much noise."

Professor Oak said grumpily.

"Why didn't you let me use Mewtwo to catch her? Don't worry, she's just a thief—I wouldn't have gone too hard on her."

Ryuuske assumed that Professor Oak was afraid he might seriously injure or even kill the thief, so he casually explained.

"That's not what I'm worried about. Here, take a look at this—this is a photo captured by the institute's surveillance system."

"Oh? So the surveillance system here actually works? I always thought it was just for show."

Ryuuske took the photo and couldn't help but tease.

"Don't underestimate my research institute! That girl thought she bypassed the surveillance, but those were just the obvious cameras. The real security system isn't so easy to fool."

Professor Oak chuckled, though he found it amusing that Ryuuske seemed to think of him as an unreliable old man.

"Huh?"

Ryuuske was surprised when he saw the photo. Though the image was a bit blurry due to the darkness, the girl's figure and facial outline were still discernible. And that was precisely why he was shocked—this thief wasn't just some faceless criminal. Even in a blurry image, she had an almost mesmerizing beauty, like a fairy capable of capturing hearts.

"This girl is really pretty... But, Professor, why are you showing me this? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to her?"

Ryuuske glanced at Professor Oak suspiciously, as if he were looking at an old lecher.

"You've seriously misunderstood me, Ryuuske!"

Professor Oak scolded with a laugh, but he found their conversation refreshing. Unlike his overly respectful students or his overly serious grandson, Gary, Ryuuske had a way of being both respectful and casual at the same time. For an old man who often found himself lonely, this was a rare and enjoyable companionship. It was one of the reasons why he didn't want Ryuuske to leave—besides his excellent cooking, of course.

"In that case, I'll hold onto this photo. It's evidence of her theft. If I run into her again, maybe I can..."

Ryuuske trailed off, stopping himself before he admitted that he was considering using the photo to blackmail her.

Professor Oak didn't seem to notice the implication in Ryuuske's words. Instead, he pulled out another old photo, his eyes filled with doubt.

"Take a look at this. This is from a missing child case in Pallet Town ten years ago. A giant bird—one no one had ever seen before—carried off a child. This photo is the only image left of that child from back then."

Ryuuske took the aged photo. Despite its wear, it was much clearer than the surveillance footage. It showed a five-year-old girl with beautiful red hair and a shy smile.

He compared it to the surveillance photo and quickly noticed the similarities between their facial features.

"There's an 80% chance it's the same person."

Ryuuske concluded.

"Exactly. That's why I stopped you. This child was taken away by an unknown bird and has been missing ever since. We don't know where she has been living all these years, but it must have been tough. The fact that she resurfaced after ten years is already incredible. So let's forgive her this time. Stealing isn't a good habit, of course, but if you meet her again, you should try to guide her properly."

Professor Oak's brows furrowed as he sighed and shook his head.

"Leave it to me, Professor. If I meet her again, I'll make sure to 'educate' her properly!"

Ryuuske deliberately emphasized the word "educate."

"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Ryuuske. For now, get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, you'll officially start your journey."

"That girl stole Squirtle, right? Don't tell me that was supposed to be my starter?"

Even Ryuuske didn't believe his own words. Professor Oak had plenty of Pokémon to give out as starters. He never understood why the professor was so fixated on Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, even numbering them as the first three entries in the Pokédex he had created.

"Haha, of course not! You'll find out tomorrow!"

"Always so mysterious..."

Ryuuske muttered, chatting with Professor Oak a little longer before heading to his room to sleep.

——

The next morning, Ryuuske woke up early as usual. After washing up, he prepared breakfast for both himself and Professor Oak. Perhaps knowing that Ryuuske was leaving today, the professor had woken up even earlier and was already waiting in the living room.

"This is the last breakfast I'll be making for you here, Professor. With no one to cook for you, don't forget to eat properly."

Ryuuske smiled as he placed the simple breakfast in front of the professor.

"Don't worry about this old man. My granddaughter will be back in a few days—she'll take care of me."

Professor Oak waved a hand dismissively.

"Granddaughter?"

"Yes, my eldest granddaughter—Gary's older sister. By the way, Ryuuske, I told my grandson about you. If you two meet during your journey, look out for each other."

"No problem, but Kanto is huge. The chances of running into him aren't high."

After finishing breakfast, Ryuuske was growing impatient. It was the first time Professor Oak saw him act this eager—he usually carried himself with a sense of calm maturity. Chuckling, the professor led him to a well-secured room where rare Pokémon were kept.

Just as the thief from last night had thought, the truly valuable Pokémon were stored in a heavily protected area. After passing through three layers of security, they arrived at a hidden chamber. This time, Professor Oak didn't keep up the suspense—he directly picked up a Poké Ball sitting alone on the table and handed it to Ryuuske.

"This is..."

Ryuuske held up the Poké Ball, and under the light, he could see the Pokémon inside through its semi-transparent surface.

"A Gible—it's a Dragon-type Pokémon from the Sinnoh region. You've read plenty of books, so you should know why different regions have different Pokémon species. The variations in climate and environment determine what Pokémon thrive where. While a Pokémon can survive in another region, it often can't reproduce due to environmental changes."

"This particular Gible was part of a twin pair. A friend of mine in Sinnoh sent them to me for research. Over a year ago, the other twin was given to his granddaughter to travel with, and now this one's for you. Gible is a rare and powerful Dragon-type Pokémon in Sinnoh—I trust you'll raise it well, Ryuuske!"

Professor Oak patted Ryuuske's shoulder with a smile.

To be continued…

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