Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

Isn't this a double standard?

Since you keep proclaiming how much you love Pokémon, as if you were born to be friends with all Pokémon, then go fight crime and poachers for them!

Xiao Zhi doesn't want to just show off his passion in empty words, because that's essentially just sophisticated self-interest—trying to reap the benefits while maintaining a facade of decency.

"Haha! Good, he truly is my son!"

A cheerful voice suddenly drifted in from outside the door. Xiaozhi and the others looked over curiously and saw a man in a trench coat walking briskly into the house.

"You're back!" Hanako's eyes immediately lit up with surprise.

"Dad!" Lila greeted him happily.

"How's everything been at home lately?" The man strode into the house and patted Lila's head affectionately.

His gaze toward Ash was now filled with satisfaction.

"What you just said was very manly! I heard about what happened at Tokiwa Dojo, and you did a great job! It's just that getting injured at the end was really wrong, and it made your mother worry about you."

"I know, so I will become stronger in the future and strive to prevent anyone from hurting me," Xiao Zhi said with a confident smile. "Then, Mom will be able to worry less."

"Hey, smart kid~" The man laughed even harder. "By the way... I have some good news for you. I brought back a very capable helper this time. She will soon be able to thoroughly investigate the space teleportation panels left behind by Team Rocket."

"That's amazing?" Ash was taken aback.

"Yes, she's an expert in space exploration, brought back from Alola." The man continued with a smile, "If it weren't for the age difference and the fact that she already has a boyfriend, I'd probably try to set you up!"

"That's really unnecessary." Xiao Zhi was speechless.

However, he already knew who his helper was.

From the perspective of the original anime, it seems I should address her as my future teacher's wife?

The fact that someone like that could be invited to Kanto only made Ash even more surprised by the power of that person.

"Speaking of which... I have a question that's been bothering me for a long time." Ash looked at his father curiously, "What exactly is your position in the League? It seems like Lorelei and the others are reluctant to say it outright."

"My job... well, at a time like this, telling you won't make a difference." The man shrugged casually...

"Child, have you heard of the Three Officials of the Alliance?"

Chapter 172 The Three Officials of the Alliance, the Identity of a Certain High-Ranking Official is…

It's about three perspectives, not three values. Someone like Zhi Daddy can't possibly represent the League's values, otherwise the Kanto high command would all be a bunch of gossipy old women...

Although it seems to be true now~

Getting back to the main point, actually, two of the so-called three officials of the League are currently doing part-time jobs.

Investigators responsible for combating crime and maintaining order within the League; and Gym Inspectors responsible for evaluating Gym Leaders and upholding the League's trainer rating system.

These two major functions, along with Officer Jenny and Joey stationed in various locations, practically form the backbone of the entire league's administrative system.

Ash's position is actually the last link in the three officials: Pokémon Investigator.

"My full title is Senior Pokémon Investigator of the Kanto League. In terms of rank, I am the same as Lance, who is also a Senior Investigator... but I am not one of the Elite Four, and I really can't beat them."

At this point, Zhiba scratched his head somewhat awkwardly: "Actually, every league sets up this kind of position, but it is basically not made public because it doesn't have a good reputation."

As the name suggests, a Pokémon Investigator is someone who investigates Pokémon.

They rarely operate within their own league, mostly traveling to other regions as trainers. Besides gathering intelligence on local leagues and villains, their main task is to investigate the unique Pokémon ecology of the area and, if necessary, capture rare Pokémon.

After capturing a Pokémon, they will also conduct personal breeding to determine the ecological and growth environment required for that Pokémon, in order to assess whether it can be introduced into the local area as a superior species.

Once the introduction plan is finalized, the investigators will need to work with the rangers to designate specific protected areas for the Pokémon to breed and release, so that it can quickly form a small population.

"So, are you feeling disappointed?" Ash's father patted Ash's shoulder with a wry smile. "Not only is your own father not a great guy, but what he does is no different from what a poacher does..."

"Quite the opposite." Ash shook his head seriously. "I think this position is very important. It's absolutely the cornerstone for a league to grow and thrive... It's completely different from being a low-life poacher!"

The three officials of the league are like the three legs of a tripod: one maintains the stability of the league, one solves the problems of trainers, and the last solves the problems of Pokémon. All three are indispensable.

As for the topic of poachers, Xiaozhi doesn't want to say more here.

“Hey, you’re absolutely right. With this position, I wouldn’t trade it for even a Heavenly King.” Having gained his son’s approval, the man straightened his back immediately. “And let me be frank, the reason why the Four Heavenly Kings are willing to back us up and give me this kind of influence in the league is all because of the benefits this position brings.”

"You have no idea, when I first became a Senior Investigator, the Kanto Elite Four were incredibly poor. Not only did their main force have a bunch of duplicates, but they even had some just pulled in to make up the numbers... The Ghost Elite Four with Crobat and Arbok, the Dragon Master with Gyarados and Aerodactyl—these titles were laughable if you bragged about them!"

"Especially the quasi-gods, the Four Heavenly Kings, yet not even one of them can be assigned to a quasi-god!"

"These guys were getting really toughed on by Team Rocket, but they couldn't do anything about it, so they just dumped the blame on me. Guess what Kikuko said... Kikuko said, 'If you're capable of being an investigator, you need to be able to accurately identify the gods, otherwise go home and take care of your kids~'"

"When I heard that, I was all set. Of course, we can't beat them in a fight, but when it comes to traveling around and catching Pokémon, these four guys who have hardly ever moved an inch in their lives all have to step aside!"

"Look at them now, the Kanto Elite Four have all sorts of great Pokémon. Lance not only has Salamence and Garchomp, but he's also mastered Mega Evolution;

Although there are no pseudo-legendary Ice-type Pokémon, I helped Lorelei find Abomasnow and Glalie that can Mega Evolve.

I originally planned to get a Dragapult for Auntie Akiko, but she said she was too old to train one. However, I found an incredibly awesome Rockruff in Sinnoh... supposedly it's been sealed away for hundreds of years!

And then there's Shiba. Besides having a Mega Gallade, I also brought him a Jagras on my trip to Alola—and it's a descendant of the Totem Kommo-o.

"You're amazing." Faced with his father's great achievements, Xiao Zhi could only give him a thumbs up and bow down in worship.

This isn't some kind of investigator; it's clearly a super Farmer who pays his salary to heal his teammates and can carry four others with incredible skill!

Don't underestimate these Pokémon; they greatly enhance the strength of Lance and his companions.

There are no weak Pokémons, only bad trainers... This slogan sounds inspiring, but in reality, a powerful trainer paired with a Pokémon with exceptional talent can often achieve a result greater than the sum of its parts!

If Ash could train his twelve-handed weapon to its current level within a year, then the Elite Four members and champions can certainly do it too.

The training resources and combat experience possessed by the strong are unmatched by ordinary trainers.

This is similar to table tennis in China, where the coaches and teammates are all champions, so new players naturally make rapid progress.

Ash could even say that the reason why the Elite Four remained strong despite Team Rocket's dominance was because of their own father!

"By the way... are you interested in the investigator position?" Ash's 'hero' suddenly asked. "You'll be leaving Kanto to travel later, right? How about considering another part-time job?"

"Are you sure I can handle both?" Ash was speechless. Did his father want him to represent the League's values?

“It’s not like you have to do anything special. It’s just something you do while traveling.” Ash continued to persuade him. “The Investigator’s identity is very useful. If you’re in Kanto, you can even catch Pokémon in protected areas under certain circumstances. For example, the pink Butterfree you gave to Lyra would have been sent back to Pigan Island long ago if I hadn’t vouched for it.”

"Why should we send it back?" Xiao Zhi asked, puzzled.

“Pink Pokémon on Pinnacle Island are usually not catchable,” Ash explained. “Of course, if a little rascal like a pink Butterfree wants to leave, the person in charge there won’t interfere. But if it’s caught by someone, then it’s under their jurisdiction.”

"I still don't know, what's the big deal?" Xiao Zhi seemed somewhat dismissive.

The pink Butterfree left the island on its own. Why is it okay for it to be left to wander outside, but not for someone else to capture it?

"This is also for the sake of the Pokémon. The Pokémon on Orange Island eat oranges, which is why their bodies are pink. Over time, their bodies have become dependent on this fruit, and if they go too long without it, it will cause damage to their bodies."

"Butterfly is currently eating mandarin oranges regularly. Fresh fruit is mailed from the Orange Islands every month, and then it is processed into energy cubes that can be stored for a long time."

"Is that so?" Ash asked Lyla curiously, and she nodded affirmatively.

The pink butterfly baboon has indeed been feeding on mandarin oranges.

Furthermore, Lila hadn't had a chance to tell Ash that the fruit had recently caused some other issues, and it was hard to say whether it was a pleasant surprise...

Chapter 173 The Doctor Who Came from Afar, Barnet

Ash doesn't need to refuse his father's suggestion that he take on an additional role as an investigator.

Anyway, like his dad said, an investigator's job basically involves traveling around, so earning an extra salary is pretty good.

However, Ash doesn't have time to represent the League's values ​​right now; he has many important things to do back in Pallet Town...

For example, witnessing Lila choose her starter Pokémon firsthand.

Lila is about to embark on her journey as a new Pokémon Trainer. Not long ago, she reached the age where she could receive Pokémon, but she has been waiting for Ash to come back.

So Ash's dad rushed back from Alola most likely because of this... It doesn't really have much to do with whether Ash will battle Giovanni or whether Ash is injured.

This loving father had promised his daughter that he would give her a gift when she went on a trip.

As for what this gift actually is, it's not hard to guess... He's so poor that all he has left is a near-god.

So, the day after returning home, Ash took Lyra and Blue to Professor Oak's lab.

Ash and Professor A have not seen each other for a long time since Martha City, so it's a good time for Ash to go and say hello.

And according to his father, the helper they found in Alora is currently visiting the research institute.

Sure enough, when the three arrived, Professor Oak was having a pleasant conversation with a female researcher with healthy skin and gray hair.

"Ha, Ash, you're here! Come on over!" Upon seeing Ash and his group arrive, the professor immediately greeted them with a broad smile.

"Let me introduce you. This is Dr. Barnett, the renowned researcher who came all the way from Alora."

Xiao Zhi guessed correctly; this person is the only one who has achieved outstanding results in the field of space exploration.

Barnet is actually a professor from a side game. She officially appears in the anime during the Alola arc. Her main achievements include creating a device to detect Ultra Void... and capturing Kukui~

"Hello, I'm Ash, this is Blue and my sister Lyra... Thank you so much for coming to Kanto to help." Ash greeted them politely upon their first meeting.

“You’re all too kind. This is a rare research opportunity for me,” Barnett said modestly, waving her hand.

“Professor Barnett, you are too modest.” Professor Oak continued with a smile, “Ash, do you know that Professor Barnett is from Unova? She is very famous in academia and was the first scholar to discover the spirit beast forms of the three Cloud Gods and name them.”

Ash probably knows a bit about this part. Apparently, in the manga, Barnett and Professor Makomo from Unova were college classmates.