Meanwhile, inside the Rowan Research Institute...
"What did you say?! The starter Pokémon were carried off by Staravia? Then why aren't you out looking for them? What are you dawdling here for? If you delay the new Trainers from choosing their Pokémon, how am I supposed to show my face?!"
Professor Rowan loudly questioned his subordinates, his expression stern.
"Um... Professor, the new Trainers have actually already been here."
One of the researchers spoke quietly.
"They've been here? Where are they? Why haven't I seen them?"
Professor Rowan looked around, found no unfamiliar faces, and questioned the researcher.
"They... they went out to find the missing Pokémon." Another researcher stepped forward and spoke cautiously.
"Hmm. So you're saying that you lost the Pokémon through your own mistake, then had a new Trainer clean up your mess while you stayed here in the institute waiting."
"Is that what I usually teach you? Do you think this is acceptable? Huh? Answer me!"
"Sumimasen..." × N
Professor Rowan's scolding left the researchers so ashamed that all they could do was bow and apologize, nearly planting their heads on the floor.
"Apologies, apologies-why are you still standing here apologizing? All of you, get out there and look! Do you really intend to wait for someone else to find them and set them down in front of you?"
Professor Rowan was so angry with them that he almost laughed. When he returned, he had found the whole bunch frantically tidying things up, with not one of them going out to help.
"Yes!" × N
The researchers hurriedly agreed...
"Creeak~"
Just then, Xiaoyun and Dawn returned to the institute with the Pokémon they had found. Looking at the researchers preparing to leave and the stern-faced Professor Rowan, they found the atmosphere a little awkward.
"Um... did we come back at a bad time?"
Sensing a trace of awkwardness in the air, Xiaoyun spoke cautiously.
"No, no, no! You've come back at exactly the right time."
The researchers were on the verge of tears. Seeing Xiaoyun return with the Pokémon was like seeing their savior.
"Oh, it's you, Xiaoyun. I didn't expect you two to be the first to arrive. Sigh... thank goodness you helped me sort out this mess. How discourteous of us."
Professor Rowan looked over as well. Upon seeing Xiaoyun, his stern expression began to soften, and he finally spoke helplessly.
"You're too kind, Professor. You're an elder I respect, too. I'm very happy to be able to help you."
Xiaoyun spoke to Professor Rowan with earnest conviction.
"Good lad. I owe you another favor now. When I get the chance, I'll prepare a special gift for you as a token of thanks."
Professor Rowan looked at the boy before him, whose bearing put people at ease, and his usually stern face grew much kinder.
"It was hardly any trouble, Professor. This doesn't count as a favor, and there's certainly no need to prepare a gift..."
Although Xiaoyun was somewhat curious about the special gift the professor mentioned, he still declined outwardly.
"All right, that's settled. Xiaoyun, Dawn, take a short rest first. We'll get ready to choose your Pokémon in a little while."
Professor Rowan waved a hand, cutting Xiaoyun off and indicating that the matter was decided and needed no further discussion.
"All right, Professor. Then we'll sit over there and wait a little."
Professor Rowan still had a very commanding presence. After being interrupted, Xiaoyun stopped arguing and pointed toward the lounge as he spoke.
"Mm. Go on, lad."
Seeing that Xiaoyun was no longer arguing, Professor Rowan nodded with satisfaction.
Inside the lounge.
"Xiaoyun, Professor Rowan looked so scary when he was being stern just now. I didn't even dare speak."
Sitting on the sofa, Dawn looked at Xiaoyun and spoke with some fear as she recalled Professor Rowan's stern face.
"He's actually not so bad. The professor is the type who's cold on the outside but warm on the inside. In a sense, his love for Pokémon is every bit as strong as Professor Oak's." Xiaoyun casually picked up some cups, went over to the water dispenser, and poured two cups of water for himself and Dawn.
"Is that so?" Dawn replied as she took the water Xiaoyun handed her.
"Gulp, gulp." Xiaoyun reclined on the sofa, drinking water as he recalled the past.
Since his dad was the mayor of Twinleaf Town, he occasionally had dealings with Professor Rowan, who distributed Pokémon, and sometimes brought him along.
On one occasion, when he was around seven or eight, Xiaoyun had wandered around the institute out of boredom during one of those visits and encountered Professor Rowan.
And so, the gears of fate began to turn.
Xiaoyun was, after all, a transmigrator and knew quite a few things that would happen in the future. As they chatted, Professor Rowan discovered that this young child had some rather insightful knowledge of Pokémon.
He could even mention secrets that the professor himself did not know much about, though he only gave a general outline.
For example, Xiaoyun had said that Eevee had a chance of evolving into a Pokémon of the same type as its surroundings under certain environmental conditions.
Eventually, through exploration, he successfully conducted research using the moss-covered rock in Eterna Forest and the Ice Rock in Snowpoint City, successfully evolving Eevee into Leafeon and Glaceon and publishing a paper in a Pokémon journal.
For this, Xiaoyun even received the title of research assistant and a sum of money as a reward.
Professor Rowan had even hoped Xiaoyun would join his institute and inherit his mantle, but Xiaoyun politely declined on the grounds that he did not like research.
Although it was a pity, that did not stop the two from becoming like-minded friends despite their difference in age.
There were not many people in the institute today, and most were new assistants, many of whom Xiaoyun had never met. No wonder something so absurd had happened.
"Assistant Yun, Miss Dawn, please come with me." It seemed the professor had already given a general introduction to him, as the young researcher addressed them respectfully.
"Sorry for the trouble, then." Xiaoyun took Dawn along and followed the researcher.
In the main hall.
"Xiaoyun, Dawn, you can now choose your own starter Pokémon."
Things were finally back on track. Xiaoyun looked at Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup standing in a row, as well as Professor Rowan before them, delivering those classic lines to them.
Although it was not Professor Oak, whom he knew best, Xiaoyun still wanted to say it.
My youth is back!
"I choose you, Piplup!" Dawn chose Piplup without hesitation.
"Piplup!"
The little blue chubby fellow still wanted to play it cool, pretending to think as though he were hesitating over whether to go with Dawn.
Dawn did not bother with any of that and simply went over and hugged him. Piplup's temper was far too similar to hers, and in the end, this bickering pair still ended up together.
"As for mine..."
Then it was Xiaoyun's turn. Looking at the two remaining Pokémon, he soon made his decision.
Sorry, Chimchar. I've already got another monkey in my heart.
It's not that you aren't good enough; it's just that my standards are a little high. After apologizing to this Chimchar, Xiaoyun walked toward the little turtle beside him.
"Let's get along, Turtwig!" Xiaoyun crouched down and held out his hand to Turtwig.
Although Ash's Torterra had a worrying battle record in the original story, netizens had even jokingly called it the cannon-fodder turtle for a time.
That was not to say Torterra was particularly weak. The main issue was that Torterra did not fit Ash's fighting style; the latter was clearly better suited to fast offense.
So he planned to take the tank route, lest it become useless upon evolving like Ash's and waste a promising prospect for nothing.
"Turt!" Turtwig placed a forefoot in Xiaoyun's hand to show his agreement.
"These are Turtwig's and Piplup's Poké Balls, along with your Pokédexes and a few spare Poké Balls. I won't say much about what the Pokédex does, since you should already know all that, Xiaoyun. With that, I wish you both a pleasant journey."
After they each chose their partners, Professor Rowan also gave them the three-piece beginner's kit.
And just like that, Xiaoyun and Dawn officially set off on their Pokémon journey.