Upon leaving the Pokémon Center, Natsui did not go to look for Professor Oak, who was farther away, but went directly to the Sakuragi Laboratory in Vermilion City.
The Sakuragi Laboratory was located on the outskirts of Vermilion City, occupying a considerable area.
At the main entrance there was a large courtyard, and the main building was an imposing three‑story structure with an attic. It was said that it had originally been a noble's grand mansion, until about six months ago, when Professor Sakuragi purchased it for a high price and remodeled it into a laboratory.
Climbing the laboratory steps, just as Natsui was about to ring the bell, he suddenly heard the sound of light footsteps behind him.
He turned to look and saw a young teenage girl, dressed in a white dress resembling a school uniform, standing not far behind him, watching him curiously.
The girl had delicate, beautiful features, with long burgundy hair tied into a single ponytail carelessly swept back. Her large eyes were very clear, making her entire person seem neat and adorable.
Regarding this girl, Natsui recognized her identity immediately; she was precisely Goh's childhood friend, the other protagonist of the Pokémon Journeys anime series, nicknamed "the Poké Ball Ace," and at the same time, Professor Sakuragi's daughter: Koharu Sakuragi!
Koharu Sakuragi tilted her head and asked softly, "Excuse me, can I help you with something?"
Natsui hurried to say, "Hello, there is something I would like to ask Professor Sakuragi for help with; is he in the laboratory right now?"
"Are you looking for my dad?" Koharu Sakuragi's gaze ran over Natsui from head to toe as she nodded. "He's inside—come in with me."
Opening the door to the Sakuragi Laboratory, Natsui followed Koharu Sakuragi, crossed the foyer, and arrived at an area resembling a living room.
He looked around and only then realized that the house was surprisingly large, like a small castle, and judging by the layout, décor style, and furnishings, it was of an English manor style.
Pointing to the living room sofa, Koharu Sakuragi told Natsui, "Please wait here a moment. My dad is still working; I'll go notify him."
"Thank you for the trouble."
Natsui nodded, and when Koharu Sakuragi left, he did not sit on the sofa but walked slowly toward the window.
Outside the window was a dense forest, brimming with spring life. Looking a bit farther, one could see the bustling Vermilion City, and if one calmed down and listened carefully, the faint sound of the ocean's waves could be heard.
Not long after, when Koharu Sakuragi returned, a middle‑aged man with the same hair color followed behind her.
This middle‑aged man appeared to be thirty‑seven or thirty‑eight years old, wore thick‑rimmed glasses, had a friendly smile on his face, and wore a white lab coat. Just by his attire one could tell he was a researcher with a very scholarly air.
In Natsui's memory, Professor Sakuragi was not only a younger colleague of Professor Oak but also one of the Pokémon Professors of the Kanto region.
In his youth, he had already been called a genius with a very promising future. And although he was not very old now, he was also commissioned by the Pokémon League with the authority to provide starter Pokémon and Pokédexes to new trainers, being one of the few authorities throughout the Kanto region.
Upon seeing Natsui, Professor Sakuragi was about to speak, but his attention was captured by the Ralts at his feet.
"A Ralts!? How rare to see one!"
At that moment, a small‑statured Pokémon ran in through the door and, upon seeing Koharu, nuzzled affectionately against her pant leg.
This Pokémon looked very much like a small, camel‑colored dog, with a large tuft of soft yellow fur around its neck. Its big, bright eyes and small lightning‑bolt‑shaped tail gave it a look full of vitality.
It immediately saw Ralts, and its big eyes filled with hesitation. It wanted to approach, but saw Ralts's hand suddenly begin to glow, which frightened it and made it back away quickly to Professor Sakuragi's side.
Professor Sakuragi crouched down and stroked the Pokémon's forehead.
"This is my household Pokémon; sorry if it startled you."
"It's okay." Natsui shook his head gently. "A Pokémon like Yamper has so much energy that it's really hard to keep it still."
"Oh?" Professor Sakuragi was surprised. "You know it?"
Natsui explained slowly, "Yamper, an Electric‑type Pokémon from the Galar region. It stores electricity in the fur around its neck, so it can often be seen running back and forth while sparking."
"You're very well informed; you don't seem like just any trainer." Professor Sakuragi wasted no time and got straight to the point: "My daughter Koharu told me you need my help with something, right?"
"Sorry to interrupt your work, Professor." Natsui took out his Pokédex. "My name is Natsui, I'm from the Kalos region. I just arrived today and would like to ask you to help me update its data to make it a universal Pokédex for all regions of the world."
Taking the Pokédex, Professor Sakuragi opened it and took a look.
"No problem, it's something simple. Come with me inside."
Following Professor Sakuragi, Natsui left the living room and arrived at the laboratory's work area.
In addition to Professor Sakuragi, there were two assistants, a man and a woman, helping him with his work.
The female assistant was Kikuna, with a graceful face and long, dark blue curly hair; and the male assistant was Renji, who wore glasses, had unruly hair, and, though discreet in appearance, was very talented.
Both Kikuna and Renji were very easy to get along with, and after being introduced by Professor Sakuragi, they both appeared very friendly.
"Hi, I'm Professor Sakuragi's assistant, my name is Renji!"
"Hi, I'm Kikuna!"
Natsui shook their hands and said, "Hello, I'm Natsui. I'm sorry for any inconvenience I've caused."
Kikuna waved her hand and said with a charming smile, "Don't worry, the laboratory hasn't officially opened yet, so we're not very busy; we still have a lot of free time."
"That's right." Renji also nodded. "It's just us in the lab, and your visit today has brought some life to the place!"
At that moment, Professor Sakuragi, with the Pokédex in hand, placed it on a machine and worked on it a bit. A few minutes later, he returned it to Natsui.
"All set, the data has been updated. Now, do you plan to start challenging the Indigo League?"
"Yes." Natsui nodded and added, "But for now I only have this Ralts; to challenge the gyms, I'll need a few more Pokémon."
Upon hearing the word Pokémon, Renji became interested and asked, "With so many Pokémon in Kanto, do you have any targets you want to catch?"
Natsui replied, "I definitely plan to catch the three starters, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. As for the other Pokémon, I suppose it will all depend on fate."