Before Departure

Right at dawn, Chen Yan climbed out of bed, patted Gengar's butt as it slept while hugging Kakuna, and woke it up.

"Gengar?"

"Time to pack our things. Once we're done packing, we'll go to the supermarket to buy stuff."

Hearing that they were going to the supermarket, Gengar instantly regained its energy, hugged Kakuna, and squeezed into the bathroom to wash up.

After Chen Yan finished washing his face, he glanced at Kakuna, which Gengar had placed on the sink, and draped a towel right over its body. He had originally only intended to give it a face wash, but after a second thought, he simply gave it a full-body spa.

Kakuna: Kakuna doesn't need to wash its face!

After washing up, Chen Yan and Gengar packed their things-the camera, the drone, and the PokéBattle outdoor gaming console the Rich Guy had bought a few days ago, which Chen Yan hadn't had time to open, so he simply packed it up and handed it to Gengar to carry along with the rest.

"Gengar..."

Chen Yan.

"What's wrong?"

"Gengar..."

The Toxic Orb, I finished eating it.

Chen Yan looked back at Gengar, which was packing the luggage, and blinked. "You finished eating the Toxic Orb?"

Gengar nodded.

"Horn... Kakuna's too?"

"Gengar..."

Finished those too.

"So fast? How did it taste?"

Gengar recalled.

"Gengar..."

Numbing, delicious, and my body feels like it has even more strength, too.

Chen Yan nodded, zipped up the backpack, looked at the View Count Shop, and checked the price of a Toxic Orb.

6888.

Chen Yan: ...

What a total rip-off...

Chen Yan was already used to the system's unconscionable prices.

"I know. Let me see if I can get another one for you."

"Gengar..."

Hehe, Chen Yan is the best.

After packing their things, Chen Yan took Gengar to the supermarket for a massive shopping spree.

"This much should be able to support us eating for a long time." Chen Yan looked at the densely piled-up checkout counter, clapped his hands together, and said.

After the three cashiers finished packing everything up, Chen Yan paid the bill and had Gengar put all of these items away.

Once the shopping was done and they picked up the photographs from the photo studio, Chen Yan took Gengar and headed toward Professor Rowan's laboratory.

Right, before going to the photo studio, Chen Yan had also led Gengar to a concealed alleyway.

Before long, Meowth's miserable cries rang out from inside.

"Good morning, Professor." Chen Yan greeted.

Professor Rowan looked at Gengar, which had a pack strapped to its back and Kakuna perched atop its head, holding that familiar Thin Bamboo Cane in its hand, and looked at Chen Yan.

"All packed?"

"All packed. I dropped by today to deliver the photographs to you, too."

Chen Yan had Gengar take off the backpack, unzipped it, took out the picture frames from inside, and handed them to Professor Rowan.

There were ten picture frames in all.

They were all photographs of new trainers coming to claim their Starter Pokémon.

"They're printed? Pretty good, then I'll accept them."

"Professor, thank you for your care and guidance during this time." Chen Yan bowed.

Seeing this, Gengar bowed as well, and the Kakuna on top of its head directly slid down along its skull, then dropped onto the floor.

Kakuna: *???*

Gengar: *! ! !*

Ignoring Gengar and Kakuna, Chen Yan looked at Professor Rowan and continued, "Thank you very much."

During this time, Professor Rowan had answered every single question Chen Yan brought up without the slightest bit of reservation.

Finally, Chen Yan took out two more picture frames and handed them to Professor Rowan.

One was a group photo of them with the Wheelchair Boy, and the other was a photo of himself and Professor Rowan together.

Professor Rowan took them and said with a smile, "No matter. If you ever get tired of traveling and don't want to go far away anymore, just come here to me and be my assistant."

"Definitely." Chen Yan nodded.

Seeing this, Professor Rowan nodded with satisfaction, put the picture frames away, and then took out a Work ID and a Pokédex, handing them to Chen Yan.

"This Pokédex is a personal gift from me to you. If you want to challenge Gyms, it can save you a lot of trouble."

Chen Yan looked at the Pokédex. It had Gengar's logo stamped on it, and its overall color was purple.

Chen Yan took it and handed the Pokédex to Gengar. Gengar liked this Pokédex very much; it opened the Pokédex and started scanning Kakuna with it, though unfortunately, it couldn't read.

Chen Yan flipped through the Work ID in his hand. It featured a photo of him wearing a lab coat, and underneath the photo were printed his name and the title "Assistant and Student to Professor Rowan."

At the bottom was also the stamp of Professor Rowan's laboratory along with Professor Rowan's signature.

"This is..."

Chen Yan looked at Professor Rowan, words failing him.

The corners of Professor Rowan's mouth held a smile. "Take it. Who knows, it might be of some help to you in the future."

Chen Yan felt a warmth in his heart. He neatly tucked the Work ID away into his pocket and gave Professor Rowan another deep, respectful bow.

"I understand, Professor."

Professor Rowan looked at Chen Yan before him and asked,

"Chen Yan, can I ask you a question?"

Chen Yan was slightly taken aback, then nodded. "Of course."

"May I ask what it is you are traveling for? Photography? A promise? Challenging Gyms? Or catching more Pokémon?"

Chen Yan thought for a moment, then spoke two words.

"Traveling."

"Traveling?" Professor Rowan clearly had not anticipated this answer.

Traveling for the sake of traveling?

"Perhaps even I don't know what exactly I'm traveling for. To me, taking photographs, making a promise with someone, challenging Gyms-these are all just processes along the journey. What I truly want is to enjoy the journey with Gengar and the others, meet more people, witness more Pokémon, go home to rest when I'm tired, and set off again once I'm rested..."

"So that's how it is... Traveling for the sake of enjoying the journey? That's not a bad answer at all." Professor Rowan nodded in satisfaction. He looked at Chen Yan and asked,

"Are you preparing to leave right away?"

Chen Yan shook his head, pulled out another picture frame, and said, "I still have a promise to keep with that boy."

Seeing that it was their group photo, Professor Rowan laughed heartily. Chen Yan had given him a copy earlier as well.

"Shall we go together, then?"

"Alright."

Arriving at the Wheelchair Boy's house, Chen Yan personally handed him the picture frame, stroked his head, and offered him a few words of encouragement before leaving with Professor Rowan.

Chen Yan nodded. "Nurse Joy and Chansey are also among the few friends I've made. Of course, there's also someone else... who should be a friend that hates me?"

Professor Rowan was somewhat curious, but he didn't press for details.

"Oh, right, Professor." Chen Yan seemed to recall something and asked,

"Do you know... a trainer named Ash?"

"Ash? You know him too?"

!

As expected! Ash really did exist in this world!

"I suppose you could say I know him." Chen Yan spoke up.

Knowing of him counted as knowing him, right?

"He's quite an interesting fellow. Yukinari specifically called me up not long ago to ask me to help look after him." Professor Rowan reminisced in his mind, and then continued,

"Two days before you arrived in Sandgem Town, he already left with a trainer named Dawn and another fellow named Brock. I hear they headed to Jubilife City to challenge the Gym."

"Oh, right, that new trainer named Dawn even saw Mesprit at Lake Verity. Who knows, you might get to see it yourself if you head over there this time."

Professor Rowan said.

Yukinari? Samuel Oak? Professor Oak?

They had headed to Jubilife City two days before he arrived in Sandgem Town? Put that way, the current timeline was still the Diamond & Pearl era timeline?

I'm getting a little excited to meet them...

Meeting my own childhood...

When I see him, I'll definitely have to ask him when on earth he's going back to pick up Pidgeot.

Though come to think of it, wasn't that Pidgeot taken back at the very end of the Pokémon Journeys arc? It's been too long, I forgot...

And that Electric Mouse-it should feel really comfortable to pet, right?

The handsome Infernape... He probably hasn't met Paul yet, right?

Lost in thought, he arrived at the entrance of the Pokémon Center.