Outside the door stood Rowan.
"Shiro, are you ready? We can leave after lunch."
"Alright, give me a moment."
Shiro nodded, then turned back into his room. He packed his laptop, checked his belongings, and slung his bag over his shoulder before walking out again.
Following Rowan, he made his way to the first-floor lobby. More than a dozen researchers in white coats had already gathered there, chatting quietly as they waited. Among them stood two children, their presence standing out immediately.
"They're Rei's kids…" Rowan leaned in and explained in a low voice. "He asked me to bring them along. They won't attend the conference. Just think of it as taking them to Kanto for a trip."
"Got it."
At first, Shiro did not pay much attention. But as he nodded, his gaze drifted toward the two children, and something about them felt oddly familiar.
A brother and a sister, both with black hair and black eyes.
The older boy looked around nine or ten. He wore a simple trainer outfit with a short-sleeved shirt and long pants, along with a red beret. It was nothing special. Many children of League trainers dressed like that.
The younger girl, about seven or eight, wore a black top, a pink skirt, pink boots, and a white knit hat with pink patterns.
'Isn't that Dawn?'
Shiro then looked at the boy again. Lively and energetic, and full of curiosity… that had to be Lucas.
In the games, Lucas and Dawn were the male and female protagonists of Sinnoh. In the anime, Dawn had even been a main character for a season.
But here, this was reality. They were siblings, the children of Rowan's assistant.
"Shiro, do you like those two kids?" Rowan asked, a bit puzzled by his reaction.
"Ah…" Shiro snapped out of his thoughts, cleared his throat, and gave a small nod. Not wanting to be misunderstood as a creep, he added, "They look like they have talent as trainers."
"Haha, I'll take that blessing."
Rei had appeared beside them at some point. The tall middle-aged man looked pleased as he brought his children over.
"This is my son, Lucas, and my daughter, Dawn."
He gently guided them forward with a smile.
"Come, Lucas, Dawn… this is the Champion you've been talking about."
The moment they heard that, their earlier shyness vanished and their eyes lit up.
Lucas stepped forward at once, clenched his small fists, and asked excitedly, "Are you the Sinnoh Champion?"
The boy only reached Shiro's waist, so he lowered his head slightly and smiled.
"I'm the Galar Champion."
"Galar!"
Lucas exclaimed, then lowered his head in confusion.
Where was Galar?
He began counting on his fingers. Kanto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos…
"Galar is a region that just opened recently, you idiot brother!"
Dawn muttered as she pushed him aside. Holding the edge of her skirt, she looked up at Shiro.
"Um… can I have an autograph?"
"Of course." He smiled and nodded. "But do you have paper and a pen?"
"Uh…"
She looked around, then noticed her brother pulling out a notebook and pen from his pocket.
"They're here!"
She grabbed them from his hands and held them out.
Lucas scratched his head, helpless against his sister.
Shiro signed two autographs and handed them back.
"Yay!"
Dawn beamed with joy and ran around the hall happily, clutching the notebook as if it were a treasure.
Rowan and Rei both laughed at the scene.
Lucas, however, tugged at Shiro's coat. "Champion uncle, I want to become a Champion in the future too!"
"…"
Shiro chose to ignore the "uncle" part and simply patted the boy's shoulder. "Work hard. I believe in you."
Soon, it was time for lunch. After eating together, the group set off from Sandgem Town and boarded a ship bound for Kanto.
By this point, professors from various regions had already begun their journeys. Some who had left earlier and traveled faster had even arrived at Professor Oak's lab.
* * *
Three days later.
Kanto, Pallet Town.
The name of Pallet Town symbolized the pure white color of a new beginning.
It was a remote countryside town, wide and sparsely populated. For many reasons, the people here lived in peace. Compared to the chaos of larger cities, it felt like a rare haven.
"Maybe this is why Professor Oak chose to build his lab in Pallet Town…" Rowan said with a soft sigh as he looked around.
"Didn't you choose Sandgem Town for the same reason?" Rei replied with a faint smile.
"Haha… that's true." Rowan laughed, though he seemed a bit emotional.
They walked along the uneven dirt road. From afar, they could already see the white windmill that represented Oak's lab.
As the tallest and most iconic building in town, the lab stood on a small hill.
A clean stone path stretched from the entrance down to the foot of the hill, where two iron gates stood. They looked cold and solid, separated from the dirt road below by three steps.
Now that the Academic Summit was about to begin, the gates were wide open. Two good-looking researchers, one man and one woman, stood at the entrance, acting as greeters for arriving guests.
"Professor Oak's lab truly lives up to its reputation…"
A blond middle-aged man stood at the gate and muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the Pokémon resting in the yard behind.
After briefly stopping to verify his identity, he stepped inside.
Behind him came Shiro and the others.
"Is that person ahead also a Pokémon Professor?" Shiro asked quietly.
The blond man looked rather careless. He wore a tank top and loose shorts. His belly showed slightly, and one of his slippers was even cracked.
"Hmm…" Rowan thought for a moment. "He seems to be a professor from a remote region. I think his name is Mohn?"
"Oh."
Shiro remembered.
Mohn was a Pokémon Professor from the Alola region. His research focused on Ultra Wormholes and Ultra Beasts. In that field, he had more authority than Professor Kukui.
He was also Lusamine's husband.
'That really makes you think…'
Still, their relationship had been good.
When Mohn disappeared because of an Ultra Wormhole, Lusamine even tried to use Cosmog's power to reach Ultra Space. Her later obsession with researching Ultra Wormholes was also closely tied to his disappearance.
What puzzled Shiro was this.
Why was Mohn invited?
Alola had not even joined the League yet, and Ultra Beasts were still a serious problem there.
"Let's go. It's our turn," Rowan said.
They walked up the steps together. After receiving a polite bow from the two greeters, they passed through the gates and entered.
**
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