Chapter Ninety-One: Professor Oak’s Call

“Hello, Professor, is there something you need?”
Chen Ou glanced at Granny Kikuko, noticing how she snorted coldly upon hearing the word ‘Professor,’ then turned away and continued sipping her tea.
Chen Ou smiled, already anticipating this reaction.
“Xiao Ou! I have a task for you!”
Professor Oak’s voice carried excitement, but Chen Ou could also detect a hint of unease.
Professor Oak was indeed feeling uncertain; although he knew that if he made this request, Chen Ou would most likely not refuse, and his intention was for Chen Ou’s benefit, he worried that if Chen Ou disliked the idea, it would seem as though he were forcing him.
As an enlightened guardian, Professor Oak never liked such behavior. Just as he never forced Chen Ou to be with Nanami, nor did he force him to be with Shirona.
It was simply a matter of fate and timing.
“Go ahead, Professor. You tell me first, then I’ll decide if I accept.” Chen Ou would never fall for such a trick; he had to hear the task before agreeing. If the Professor wanted him to capture Arceus for research, how should he respond?
If he accepted, he’d be asking for trouble; if he refused, he’d feel guilty toward Professor Oak. So he must never agree before knowing the details.
There’s a difference between not agreeing and agreeing only to refuse afterward.
“I’ve found you a travel companion. Are you happy?” The nervousness in Professor Oak’s voice was growing ever stronger.
Yet Chen Ou felt nothing particular. He pondered a moment and said, “If it’s suitable, I have no objections. But Professor, you haven’t given me any sense of it. At least let me meet them.”
“That’s no problem! Are you in Saffron City now?” Professor Oak asked, sounding elated.
“No, I’m still in Lavender Town. Something happened, so I’m stuck again…”
As Chen Ou spoke, his words were steeped in helplessness, and even Professor Oak fell silent for a moment. After a while, the Professor asked, “What happened? Is it serious? Are you hurt?”
Chen Ou smiled, “No, nothing serious. Granny is helping me, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Kikuko is with you?” Professor Oak’s voice wavered.
Chen Ou deliberately raised his voice, almost as if he were on speakerphone. He glanced at Granny Kikuko, noticing the faint smile at the corner of her mouth.
“Yes, Professor. Are we meeting in Saffron City?” Chen Ou asked.

“Alright, I’ll bring Bai Ci to Saffron City to meet you. Elm is coming as well; he wants to discuss some academic matters with you,” Professor Oak replied, regaining his composure.
Chen Ou watched as Granny Kikuko’s smile vanished, replaced by a frosty expression, and he could only tug helplessly at his lips. In his heart, he mused, Professor, you truly are a model for us all!
“Very well. We’ll talk more when we meet.”
————————————
Although he hadn’t caught a suitable Ghost-type Pokémon, fortune favored him, and loss was fate. Chen Ou was a broad-minded person—if he couldn’t obtain something, there was no need to force it. That was why, even now, he hadn’t caught six Pokémon.
Red… the Pokédex maniac.
Chen Ou was the kind of guy who couldn’t be bothered to catch ordinary Pokémon, even in the games.
If there was something to say, he’d speak at length; if not, he’d keep it short. Chen Ou soon traversed the route, encountering nothing of particular value along the way. The occasional uncle, shorts-clad youngster, or bug-catcher who challenged him were not worth mentioning. Similarly, he found no Pokémon worth remarking upon.
Mainly, he was truly racing against time…
He hadn’t experienced the joys of travel at all. He skipped Diglett’s Tunnel, didn’t climb Mt. Moon, merely trudged through Cerulean Cave, and perfectly missed the abandoned power station. He had no interest in Zapdos, and didn’t even spare time for a fleeting encounter.
He knew that, given all these events, if he leisurely collected Pokémon, he’d likely have to participate in the next Indigo League.
Moreover, who knew what would come to hinder him next? So he hurried on, fought the gyms, and then returned home to rest… he really had enough.
Back at the research lab, he was a nobody. Now, not only was he renowned, but he had also been inexplicably drawn into countless affairs.
If given the chance to start over… but he dismissed such pointless thoughts.
Using Celebi to traverse time? What about the original you? Would you kill yourself and take your place? How could you exist afterward?
Once Chen Ou let go of his obsession with returning to his original world, he never again considered using Celebi or the gods of time and space for anything.
Even the god of time dared not arbitrarily disturb the flow of time. The river rushes endlessly, yet a breach can happen in an instant.
Toying with time was like warming a nuclear bomb with a flamethrower.
In any case, Chen Ou didn’t have the guts.
And so, Chen Ou arrived at Saffron City. He raised his eyebrow slightly.

One had to admit, Saffron City was indeed the largest metropolis and commercial hub in the Kanto region.
People came and went in a constant stream. Traffic flowed like rivers, and the city was ablaze with light as if it were day.
Chen Ou didn’t linger, heading straight for the Pokémon Center. After handing his Pokémon to Nurse Joy for inspection, he found a room to stay in.
He lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, silent.
To say that recent events hadn’t affected Chen Ou would be a lie. The reason he didn’t dwell on them was because he truly had no clue. But isn’t that the most frightening thing?
The dominion of dreams lies in the hands of those two dream gods. Yet Chen Ou had asked Entei, who sensed no trace of any other legendary beast.
Moreover, even those two gods couldn’t send Chen Ou through dreams to alter history—even in the smallest way.
But that still was utterly incredible.
Chen Ou doubted whether even Arceus could accomplish such a feat.
But on reflection, perhaps not... According to Entei, Arceus delegated most dominions to other legendary beasts; most powers required no maintenance, which explained how the world operated normally even if a beast slept for centuries.
The true significance of dominion was that, when the world’s order was broken, the beast holding that power would sense it and repair it.
Most legendary beasts only managed a single dominion, but Arceus held several, and those were troublesome ones. He also supervised the other beasts’ duties. So Arceus divided himself into eighteen, and even that wasn’t enough.
Entei shared his own speculations about Arceus’ intentions for Chen Ou, which matched Arceus’ original intentions quite closely. Chen Ou’s heart was eased, but he regretted agreeing to take on... such a troublesome job for no reason.
He was still unsettled, which was why he hadn’t exchanged more than a few words with Granny Kikuko before rushing to Saffron City. He truly feared that the bizarre events surrounding him would affect her.
To shoulder one’s own burden alone, without implicating others, was the way of a true man.
7017k