Inside the laboratory.
Professor Oak wasn't unwilling to hurry off to the banquet, but something had suddenly gone wrong with an experiment, and he simply couldn't get away.
"This is going to be troublesome..."
Professor Oak shook his head with a bitter expression.
So busy, so busy, so busy.
And besides the experiment before him, he still had a whole pile of things left undone. His schedule was fully booked too. Thinking of that, Professor Oak couldn't help scratching his head.
Perhaps it was time for him to find an assistant.
When he was younger, Professor Oak had been full of energy and handled everything himself. Now that he was older, he was beginning to feel overwhelmed.
"Professor Oak, why aren't you at the banquet?!!"
Just as Professor Oak was agonizing over it, Ash came running up with Misty, Brock, and Fang Yuan, calling out to him.
"Oh, Ash."
Hearing Ash's voice, Professor Oak said, "Sorry, an experiment suddenly ran into a problem. I'll head over right away."
"No... Ash, you all come over here."
Hearing Ash's voice, Professor Oak's eyes suddenly lit up.
Theoretically speaking, he did have assistants. Couldn't he just ask the Trainers from Pallet Town for help?
A moment later.
Fang Yuan and the others entered the laboratory.
When Professor Oak saw Ash come in, he was just about to say something when he looked blankly at Fang Yuan instead. "Ash, this is...?"
He knew Brock and Misty, but this was his first time meeting Fang Yuan.
"Professor Oak, this is Fang Yuan, my friend," Ash said. Ash didn't explain much. Big-hearted as ever, he had only battled Fang Yuan once and had Fang Yuan save Pikachu once, yet he already trusted Fang Yuan completely.
"So you're Ash's friend. Hello, I'm Oak."
Professor Oak smiled and