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"Yes, I'm Elm. What? You've heard of me?"
Elm looked up at Liam with surprise, responding to his earlier outburst.
"Uh… yes, yes, I've heard of you. You're a very talented researcher," Liam answered a little awkwardly, inwardly groaning.
He hadn't expected to run into the young version of Professor Elm himself.
"Hehehe, I'm not as famous as you make me sound. I'm just an ordinary researcher, nothing special."
Despite his words, Elm's soot covered face was lit up with a bashful grin as he scratched his head, clearly pleased by the compliment.
"Haha, no need to be so modest. For researchers, humility isn't always a virtue… You said earlier that you wanted me to introduce you to Professor Oak? That's not a problem. With your talent, Professor Oak would definitely take a liking to you. If you visit his lab, I'm sure he'd welcome you warmly."
Liam thought for a moment. In his memory, Professor Oak and Professor Elm had indeed known each other—supposedly, Elm's thesis back in Pokémon University had been reviewed and guided by Oak himself.
But in this timeline, they didn't seem to have met yet. Perhaps this was the effect of Liam's butterfly wings flapping...
Feeling slightly responsible for this change, Liam decided he might as well take the opportunity to bring the two together.
"Really?! You'd really introduce me to Professor Oak? That's amazing! Thank you so much! In that case, would you and Miss Delia be willing to come back to my place for a while? I'd like to treat you both to show my gratitude!"
Overjoyed, Elm practically dragged Liam and Delia back into New Bark Town.
Liam looked helplessly at the town they had just walked away from.
...
Ring…
Ring…
"Hello? Who's calling?"
"Yes! It went through! It's really Professor Oak! I'm actually talking to Professor Oak!! I'm so happy I could cry!!"
"…Hello? May I ask who's calling?"
Liam stood in front of a video phone, which had successfully connected to Professor Oak's lab.
What surprised Liam was that Elm was actually secretly wealthy. He and Delia had been brought to a huge mansion—inside, research equipment was scattered everywhere, making the place feel more like a laboratory than a home. It clearly showed Elm's passion for research.
"Hehe! Good evening, Professor Oak! I didn't expect to be calling you again so soon—honestly, I feel a little bad about it. Oh Hohoho~"
Seeing Professor Oak appear on the screen, Liam grinned broadly and leaned into the phone, acting like he wasn't the least bit embarrassed.
"You brat! You've got some nerve calling me! You disappeared without a word! Do you know how worried Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum were about you and Delia?! They lectured me all morning! They didn't leave until after lunch! Have you even thought about how I felt?! Where are you two now? If nothing else, get your butts back here right now!!"
Professor Oak paused for two seconds after Liam's greeting—and then roared. The sound was so loud that Liam had to pull the receiver away from his ear until the shouting subsided.
"Ehehe… calm down, Professor. Delia and I are perfectly fine. Not a scratch. In fact, Delia has already registered for the Johto League. After the League ends, we'll probably head back. So don't worry about us."
Liam chuckled nervously. Behind him, Delia poked her head into the frame and gave Professor Oak a small wave and a guilty smile before quickly ducking behind Liam again.
"…What? Delia entered the Johto League?" Prof. Oak's tone suddenly changed.
"Oh, I see. So you'll probably come back after the League ends. I trust Delia, though I suppose it's unlikely she'll get all eight badges. Might as well give up early. And Liam, since you didn't say you registered, that means you've kept your head on straight. That's good—it could've caused a stir otherwise."
"Well, if Delia's in the League, then stay with her and support her. I'll call Mr. Ketchum and let them know you two are okay. Once Delia's ready to come back, the two of you better return quickly so we're not left worrying over here."
The moment Oak heard it was Delia participating, his expression visibly softened, and he spoke casually again.
"Waaah!! Just you wait, Professor Oak! I'll surprise you by doing way better than you expect!!"
Delia had clearly picked up on his subtle implication. She puffed her cheeks in frustration and snatched the phone, yelling confidently into the receiver.
"Yes, yes, good luck, good luck…" Professor Oak replied with a totally perfunctory tone.
"Ahem…"
Liam gently patted the indignant Delia, took the phone back, then pulled a still-frozen Elm beside him.
"Professor Oak, this is Elm—a very talented researcher we met today. He's a huge fan of yours, practically worships you. The moment he found out I knew you, he begged me to introduce you. Why don't you two chat a bit? See if you hit it off~"
Raising his brow, Liam handed the phone to Elm and went off to comfort Delia.
"Hmph. 'Hit it off,' he says… This kid's getting bolder every day…"
Professor Oak grumbled with a twitching eyebrow, but still greeted Elm warmly.
"Oh! Y-y-yes! I'm Elm! It's an honor to meet you! I've always admired you, Professor Oak!"
Startled by the sound of Oak's voice, Elm fumbled the phone to his ear, bowing deeply and stammering.
"Hahaha, no need to be so nervous! I'm not as intimidating as you might think. Judging by your setup, I'm guessing you're a researcher too? May I ask what your field of study is?"
Seeing Elm so flustered, Oak chuckled kindly like a gentle mentor.
"Ah! Uh, yes! I'm currently studying Pokémon Abilities! Your theory on Pokémon Abilities really inspired me, Professor Oak! That's the focus of my research now!"
"Oh? You're working on that? Hahaha! To be honest, I've been tied up with other matters lately and haven't progressed much on that topic. I only scratched the surface. It's up to bright young minds like yours to push it further. I'm rooting for you—keep at it!"
Professor Oak's eyes lit up in admiration.
"T-thank you, Professor Oak! I'll do my very best!"
Elm shouted with excitement, eyes sparkling with emotion.
...
The next morning, Liam and Delia prepared to leave. They'd stayed the night, but didn't want to impose further. After bidding Elm farewell, they set off toward their next destination—Violet City.
But just as they were returning to the road they had walked the day before…
"Liam! Delia! Wait up!"
A joyful shout echoed behind them. Liam and Delia turned, only to see Elm pedaling hard on a bicycle, catching up quickly.
"Uh… is something wrong?" Liam asked, puzzled, as Elm jumped off the bike, panting.
"Hehe, I just received an email from Professor Oak! He's invited me to visit his lab!"
Elm beamed as he caught his breath.
"That's amazing! You've been wanting that for so long—now it's finally happening. Congratulations!"
Delia responded with a bright smile.
"Hehe… it's all thanks to the two of you. To show my gratitude, here—this is a Pokémon I just got from a friend. I know Delia's going to compete in the Johto League, and I think this could help. Please accept it as a thank-you gift!"
With that, Elm pulled out a PokeBall and pressed it into Delia's hands, then jumped back on his bike and sped away before either of them could refuse—leaving Liam and Delia staring at each other in shock.
"Uh… should we open it?" Delia asked, eyeing the PokeBall in her hand uncertainly.
Liam furrowed his brow as he watched Elm disappear into the distance. Then a small smile crept onto his face. He nodded.
Delia gently pressed the button on the PokeBall. A flash of light emerged—and a small mouse Pokémon appeared, flames dancing on its back. With its eyes nearly closed in a calm squint, it curiously looked around.
"…This is a pretty big favor we just got, huh," Liam muttered, watching the little Cyndaquil with a wry shake of his head.