Chapter 18
"Gengar, who do you think this briefcase belongs to?"
"Gar—"
[No idea.]
Weedle silently shook his head.
"If we can’t find the owner, we’ll have to take it to Officer Jenny in Sandgem Town."
"Gar—"
[I want food!]
"I know. We’ll eat as soon as we return this briefcase, okay?"
"Gar."
[Okay.]
Weedle gave a quiet nod.
Mike continued searching the area with Gengar and Weedle while asking around for the owner.
After moving farther from the road, he spotted an elderly man searching through the forest.
The man wore a gray coat over a blue vest and tie. His gray-white hair was neatly combed back, and a thick mustache sat beneath his serious face.
Right now, though, that serious face was filled with worry.
Mike recognized him immediately.
It was Professor Rowan, Sinnoh’s leading researcher on Pokémon evolution and the professor responsible for giving new Trainers their first partner Pokémon.
Mike glanced at the briefcase in his hand.
’Now that I think about it, Professor Rowan almost always carries one of these.’
"Gengar, I think we found the owner."
Gengar followed his gaze and noticed Professor Rowan.
"Gar?"
[That guy?]
Mike nodded.
He carried the briefcase over with Gengar and Weedle beside him.
Professor Rowan heard them approaching and turned around. The moment he saw the briefcase in Mike’s hand, surprise appeared on his face.
He clearly remembered an Ambipom stealing it.
How had it ended up with this young man?
Even so, Professor Rowan greeted them politely.
"Hello. I’m Professor Rowan from Sandgem Town. It’s good to meet you."
Mike quickly returned the greeting.
"Hello, Professor. I’m Mike. I live with my grandmother in a small village near Twinleaf Town. These are my partners, Gengar and Weedle."
Professor Rowan’s eyes remained fixed on the briefcase, so Mike quickly held it out.
"Were you looking for this?"
Professor Rowan’s expression changed at once.
Mike continued, "Gengar and I found several research papers scattered beneath a tree. When we looked up, there was an Ambipom opening the briefcase and throwing the papers around."
"I thought it might have found the case after someone got hurt—or maybe stolen it by accident—so we had a little talk."
Mike glanced at Gengar.
Gengar smiled innocently.
"After realizing what it had done wrong, Ambipom kindly gave the briefcase to us."
Professor Rowan looked at the bamboo stick in Gengar’s hand, then at the perfectly round Weedle beside him.
He wisely chose not to ask what that "little talk" involved.
"We collected every paper we could find and put them back inside," Mike finished.
The tension in Professor Rowan’s face finally eased.
"Yes, this is my briefcase. Ambipom snatched it before I could stop it."
He accepted the case and let out a relieved breath.
"It contains a great deal of my research on Sinnoh’s first-partner Pokémon. If these papers had been lost, I might have been forced to repeat months of work."
"You should check whether anything’s missing," Mike said. "If there is, we can take you back to the tree and search again. Some pages might still be nearby."
Professor Rowan nodded and opened the briefcase.
He quickly flipped through the papers, checking each section carefully.
After a few minutes, he closed the case and stood upright.
"Everything seems to be here. The pages are out of order, but that’s easily fixed."
He relaxed completely and looked at Mike.
"Thank you. You, Gengar, and Weedle saved me from a serious loss."
Professor Rowan gave them a respectful bow.
Mike hurriedly bowed back.
The sudden formality made the air feel a little awkward, so Mike searched for something to say.
"Actually, this is a pretty funny coincidence."
Professor Rowan raised an eyebrow.
"A coincidence?"
Mike smiled a little shyly.
"We were planning to visit your laboratory after finding somewhere to stay in Sandgem Town. I wanted to meet you, but I was worried you might be too busy."
He scratched his cheek.
"The closer we got to town, the more nervous I became. I never expected to meet you out here first."
"You wanted to visit me?" Professor Rowan laughed. "Are you hoping to receive a first-partner Pokémon?"
Mike hesitated.
"Could I?"
"Not this year, I’m afraid. All of this year’s Pokémon have already been assigned, but you can apply for next year."
"That’s a shame."
Mike sounded disappointed, though not completely crushed.
Professor Rowan studied him.
"You don’t seem too upset. Don’t you want one?"
"It’s not that I don’t want one."
Mike glanced at Gengar and Weedle.
"I just care more about whether a Pokémon wants to travel with me. I’d rather ask, ’Do you want to come along?’ than say, ’I caught you, so now you belong to me.’"
Professor Rowan took a closer look at the black-haired young man before him.
A camera hung around Mike’s neck.
His clothes were wrinkled and dusty from several days in the wild, but there was something warm and easygoing about him.
Gengar and Weedle clearly trusted him.
They had both been cared for extremely well.
Gengar’s crimson eyes were bright and full of life, while Weedle looked stronger and healthier than any Weedle Professor Rowan had ever seen.
Much rounder too.
"I understand now."
Professor Rowan smiled.
"No wonder they’re so attached to you. You’ve raised them very well, Mike. I’m sure they’re grateful."
Mike looked at Gengar, who stood nearby holding his bamboo stick and listening carefully.
Then he looked at Weedle, who was keeping his little face stiff as he tried his best to look cool and serious.
A warm smile appeared on Mike’s face.
"I think I’m the one who should be grateful."
Professor Rowan looked curious.
"Why?"
"Because having them with me makes every day fun."
Mike reached over and pulled Gengar’s large cheeks in opposite directions.
"They make sure I’m never lonely."
He smiled at both Pokémon.
"So thanks, Gengar. You too, Weedle."
"Gar~"
[I feel the same~]
"Wee."
[Hehe.]
Watching the three of them together, Professor Rowan burst into hearty laughter.
"You really are a kind young man."
He picked up his briefcase.
"Come with me. You said you wanted to visit my laboratory, didn’t you? We can head there now."
"Really? Won’t we interrupt your work?"
Mike did not want to become a burden after Professor Rowan had just recovered his research.
"Not at all. Most of my important work for this season is already finished. Right now, I’m mainly waiting for new Trainers to arrive and receive their first Pokémon."
Professor Rowan turned and began walking toward Sandgem Town.
Mike followed with Gengar and Weedle.
"Besides," Professor Rowan added, "you recovered my briefcase. The least I can do is invite you to the laboratory for tea."
"In that case, I’d love to come."
Mike finally relaxed.
Now that he had met Professor Rowan and discovered that the man was much easier to talk to than his serious face suggested, Mike’s natural friendliness quickly took over.
"Professor, you have no idea how rough these last five days have been. We nearly lost our minds out here."
Professor Rowan glanced back.
"Was this your first journey?"
Mike blinked.
"How did you know?"
"It’s easy to tell. Life in the wilderness is nothing like living in town."
Professor Rowan looked over Mike’s clothes.
"Still, for a first-time traveler, you’ve managed to stay cleaner than most Trainers."
"That’s mostly thanks to Gengar."
Gengar immediately puffed out his chest.
"Gar!"
[That’s right! It was all thanks to me!]
Professor Rowan smiled at him.
"I see. Then you’ve worked very hard, Gengar."
"Gar—"
[Hehe.]
With Professor Rowan leading the way, the group soon entered Sandgem Town.
Since it was home to Professor Rowan’s laboratory and located close to Twinleaf Town, Sandgem was much larger and busier than the place they had just left.
Every year, many Trainers arrived in Sinnoh by ship before beginning their journeys near Twinleaf.
Most of them passed through Sandgem sooner or later, so the town had grown into a busy stop for travelers.
Hotels, restaurants, cafés, and food stalls lined the streets.
Mike’s empty stomach immediately reminded him that they still had not eaten.
"We should explore the town properly later," he whispered to Gengar and Weedle.
Gengar nodded so quickly that his head bounced.
Weedle gave one slow, cool nod.
"We’re here."
Professor Rowan’s voice made Mike look up.
He stopped and stared at the large building ahead.
"So this is your laboratory..."