Listening to the ferryman's detailed introduction, Silas found it all quite interesting and refreshing. These were things he had only heard of in passing, never witnessed with his own eyes.
That's the charm of traveling each city has its own unique features. One of the greatest joys of a journey is experiencing the distinctive elements of each place.
Wherever he went, Silas would make sure to explore a little.
Before long, after enjoying the boat ride and completing the sightseeing, he thanked the boatman and disembarked. The fare was surprisingly affordable.
Glancing at the time, it was around three or four in the afternoon. He immediately returned to his room with his Blaziken.
"Oh, it's you, Silas! You've arrived in Cerulean City, huh?"
A strong and energetic male voice came from his wrist device.
"Yes, Professor Rowan. How have you been lately?"
Silas smiled and greeted warmly.
On the screen of the projection video was Professor Rowan, munching on instant noodles with a lollipop stuck in his mouth.
As a close friend and chief assistant to Professor Oak, Professor Rowan's work was usually quite hectic. He typically only had some free time right before meals.
He would either eat earlier than everyone else and then resume working, or simply eat while working just like Professor Oak.
"Not bad. These little guys at the lab are full of energy.
That week on the ship bored me to death. I'd rather be in the lab…"
"Move over, move over!"
Before Professor Rowan could finish, a cheerful voice interrupted from beside him.
"You must be Silas! A very spirited young man—excellent.
Hmm, and this must be your Blaziken? Oh! It's been trained quite well. Very impressive!"
A burly old man with white hair, wearing a researcher's lab coat over a purple T-shirt, pushed Professor Rowan aside with a cup of instant noodles in hand and stepped into view.
"Hello, Professor Oak."
Silas bowed respectfully with a slight lean forward, showing his reverence.
The person who had pushed aside Professor Rowan and now appeared on screen was none other than Professor Oak himself perhaps the most renowned Pokémon Professor in the entire world.
Professor Oak is a leading authority in Pokémon research, with his main field of study being "The Relationship Between Pokémon and Humans." He was also the first to advocate for classifying Pokémon based on types.
At the age of 25, he earned a lifetime professorship at Rainbow University thanks to his publication An Introduction to Pokémon Studies, laying the academic foundation for "Pokémonology" as an independent field—separating Pokémon from ordinary organisms in the realm of biology.
Without Professor Oak's contributions, humanity likely wouldn't have such a systematic understanding of Pokémon today.
It would be no exaggeration to say that no amount of respect for Professor Oak would ever be too much.
Only a few figures like the legendary Count Takirin, who studied the origin of Pokémon, or Ichii Nishinomori, the inventor of the Poké Ball, could be said to stand alongside him.
"Haha, no need for all that," said Professor Oak with a mouthful of noodles. "Rowan mentioned you before. Now that I see you, you truly are an outstanding Trainer."
"You flatter me, Professor Oak. Your work in Pokémon research and battle techniques is something I deeply admire and strive to learn from."
Silas didn't dare overstep. Not just in terms of academic knowledge Professor Oak's strength as a Trainer was equally formidable.
"Don't let the old man fool you—he used to be one heck of a fighter!
It's a shame he's not what he used to be! Creating a Pokédex instead of continuing to battle? I think that was a mistake!"
This was a quote from a certain interview program, in which Elite Four member Agatha was asked about her opinion of Professor Oak.
According to records, back when Kanto was still unified, Professor Oak had won first place in the Pokémon League tournament, with the runner-up being none other than Agatha herself.
Back then, the league's competitive level far exceeded today's, employing a system where both Trainers and Pokémon entered the battlefield together mimicking wild battles as closely as possible.
Though many records from that era have been lost due to regional divisions, the strength of a young Professor Oak is still widely acknowledged.
Many believed that back then, Professor Oak already possessed the strength of an Elite Four-level Trainer. Had he not switched paths to become a Pokémon Professor, he would have undoubtedly become the Champion of the Kanto region.
Of course, nowadays, even more people agree that losing Professor Oak's contributions to the field of Pokémon research would have been the real loss.
Similarly, many also speculate that Professor Oak's strength, even now, is likely still at a Champion-level. After all, with his talent, even if most of his energy went into research, the passage of time alone would have allowed him to reach that level.
However, since Professor Oak hadn't battled seriously for many years, such claims remain mere speculation.
After briefly chatting with both Professor Oak and Professor Rowan, Silas noticed they were about to resume their research, and, being considerate, he took the initiative to request to end the call.
Before hanging up, he also reminded Professor Rowan to take care of his health—not to eat candy and instant noodles at the same time, as it was bad for his body.
Professor Rowan responded cheerfully with a laugh.
After ending the call, Silas took out his teaching tablet, covered with notes and densely packed ideas about his plans to teach at the Pokémon School.
The recent conversation had sparked a few new ideas in his mind.
He then took some time to prepare dinner for his three Pokémon and himself. Once they had all finished eating, Silas immediately got to work modifying his lesson plans.
The night passed uneventfully.
At 9:20 a.m. the next morning, Silas unusually skipped his regular training session.
He secured the three minimized Luxury Balls to his belt, checked over his gear, and set out for the Cerulean Gym.
He knew very well that warm-ups could also affect a Pokémon's condition. There was no way he would allow his side to lose energy before a battle.
Though he had immense confidence in his three Pokémon—
Under the rules of a Gym Battle, all three of them held distinct advantages, even against unfavorable type match.
Still, he wouldn't allow himself to grow complacent.
Arriving at the Cerulean Gym located in the city center, Silas gazed in awe at the grand facility before him.
At this point in time, the Cerulean Gym hadn't yet fallen into the disrepair he had seen in his past life. Back then, it was nothing more than a dome-shaped building with a giant mural of a Dewgong hanging from the roof. Inside, there was just a basic aquarium, a swimming pool, and a single battle arena.
But now, what stood before him was a magnificent and stately gym.
The entire structure was surrounded by a small river, with several elegant bridges connecting the pathway to the main entrance.
Beside the doors stood pure white marble pillars, clearly expensive.
The roof was composed of two interlocking triangles of different sizes. The glass panels reflected sunlight, glimmering with golden brilliance that nearly stung the eyes.
Silas stepped slowly onto one of the bridges and glanced down into the water beside him. There, Magikarp and Goldeen swam lazily along the gentle current.
Letting out a deep breath, he pushed open the grand doors before him.
...
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