Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

With one worry gone, the doctor looked visibly more relaxed.

He seemed to suddenly remember something and asked casually.

"By the way, Ash, has that kid Gary contacted you recently?"

"Xiao Mao? No, what's wrong?"

Upon hearing the name of his childhood friend, Xiao Zhi blinked.

"That kid!"

Professor Oak's tone immediately betrayed his frustration at the students' lack of progress.

"Not long after you left, I only mentioned you a couple of times in front of him... I never expected that he would steal the Squirtle Poké Ball and Pokédex that were originally meant for the newcomer without saying a word, and then just run away from home!"

"They haven't contacted me even once!"

"Squirtle's Poké Ball?"

Ash, who missed out on Squirtle, keenly grasped the key words.

"Professor, didn't you tell me before that all the starter Pokémon for new players this year had been claimed, and there weren't any left, so I grabbed... no, I mean, I got Pikachu with me?"

Ash sensed something was wrong!

"Oh dear, this..."

On the screen, Professor Oak's expression froze for a moment.

"The situation was rather complicated at the time... The health of the Pokémon at the research institute needed to be assessed regularly, and there were also changes in personnel arrangements... Yes, that's it..."

He couldn't very well say that he deliberately said that to prevent Ash from going down the wrong path of becoming a trainer and instead lead him to the right path of becoming a researcher, could he?

"Anyway, that's not the point!"

The doctor quickly cleared his throat, forcibly steer the conversation back on track, and his expression turned serious again.

"The main issue is that this kid isn't going to learn good habits! That's a matter of principle!"

"Think about it, if he dares to steal today, he'll dare to steal people tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, won't he steal from the Alliance too!"

Xiao Zhi's expression was grave.

“You’re right, Doctor. If I ran into him, I would definitely help you send him back.”

"Oh, right, about Squirtle..."

"Ugh! The signal is suddenly so bad! Zzz..."

"Squirtle..."

"Ash, I can't hear what you're saying at all!"

“Jenny…”

"Hello? Hello? Xiao Zhi? Looks like the communication equipment here needs to be checked again!"

“Jay…”

"I'll hang up now! I'm leaving Zhenghui's matter in your care!"

"Beep beep beep beep—"

52. To conduct research for the rise of the Kanto region!

"This is it."

They managed to persuade Ash, who insisted on going back to Professor Oak to get the answers, to back down.

As dusk fell, the three finally arrived at the destination Professor Oak had mentioned.

Look around.

The first thing that catches the eye is a crescent-shaped beach repeatedly swept in and out by the waves.

The fine sand shimmered with a silvery-gray light in the twilight.

Several large pincers were scrambling across, leaving tiny footprints that were quickly smoothed over by the surging tide.

On the cliff is the lighthouse that Professor Oak mentioned.

The lighthouse is constructed entirely of gray-white stone blocks.

To put it nicely, the tower bears the marks of time, giving it a weathered and ancient appearance.

To put it bluntly... it was extremely dilapidated.

The lamproom at the top of the tower was now dark and seemed particularly desolate in the deepening night.

A path, almost swallowed by weeds, winds its way up from the edge of the beach to the heavy, closed wooden door at the foot of the lighthouse.

"This... Professor Oak's friend is doing so poorly?"

"You... live in a place like this?"

Xia looked at the desolate lighthouse, then at the barely passable path under her feet, and frowned, her voice filled with disbelief.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled.

What?

Doesn't this have a very natural feel to it?

"It seems that just as there is a difference between dojos, there is also a difference between scholars."

Teacher Gang sighed.

Xiaoxia: "?"

Why does she feel like this guy is always saying things with hidden meanings?

"No, don't you know?"

Xiao Zhi interrupted the two of them.

"He's doing really well. You know the Pokémon teleportation system, right? It's the one we use all the time. It was Bill who invented it."

"Putting everything else aside, the patent fees alone would probably be enough for him to live on for several lifetimes, right?"

"What?!" "This person actually invented it?!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxia and Xiaogang were both startled, their faces instantly changing to expressions of solemn respect.

Looking around at this lighthouse standing on a desolate cape, one can't help but feel that beneath its dilapidated exterior lies a lofty spirit of being far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world and dedicated to research.

It definitely has a unique charm!

How do you say that?

A master!

A true master!

After a moment of surprise, the three of them followed the overgrown path, trudging along the narrow path until they reached the tightly closed door.

Xiao Zhi stepped forward first and patted the heavy wooden door.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Is anyone there? Is Professor Oak home? I'm Ash from Pallet Town, here to visit you on Professor Oak's behalf!"

No one answered; only the sea breeze and the sound of the waves responded.

"Mr. Zheng Hui? Are you home?"

Xiaoxia also raised her voice.

There was still no response.

"Could he have gone out?"

Xiaoxia looked at her companion.

"No! That's not right!"

Xiao Zhi frowned, took two steps back, and examined the wooden door.

"I heard...there were definitely sounds coming from inside!"

"Pikachu?"

Pikachu twitched its pointed ears and blinked its round, black eyes.

But apart from the sound of wind and waves, why can't it hear anything else?

Xiao Gang and Xiao Xia exchanged a glance, never doubting Xiao Zhi's extraordinary hearing.

"Xiao Zhi, be careful," Xiao Gang warned in a deep voice, "There might be something going on inside."

Since Masahiro is Professor Oak's friend, he should at least respond when they introduce themselves.

Such an unusual silence, coupled with the sounds coming from inside, suggests... something has happened to Zheng Hui!

"Ok!"

Xiao Zhi nodded, his eyes sharpening.

Since he had promised the doctor, he had to make sure that Zheng Hui was safe!

Without further ado, Xiao Zhi pressed down on the heavy door panel and pushed it back—

"Creak—Bang!"

The door hinges groaned under the strain, followed by the dull thud of the bolt breaking.

Ash burst through the door—in a physical sense!

The three people and the rat cautiously stepped into the tower.

The interior space was more cluttered than I had imagined.

Under the lights, there were piles of rusty or gleaming mechanical parts, scattered design drawings, heavy books, and fast food packaging everywhere.

A smell mixed with engine oil, metal, old paper, and faint food residue filled the air.

Their gazes, however, were firmly fixed on the scene in the center of the room.