Professor Elm

Afternoon, June 20

New Bark Town

A brilliant, cloudless sky caught Kai's attention.

The sound of Pokemon was at every corner. There was a Pokemon Center in the middle of the town, and at the town's western entrance was Professor Elm's lab.

Kai's gaze moved down to the mansion.

He was wearing Indiana Jones-like clothing. A brown hat over his head, a dusty white shirt, and brown pants. His belt showcased the shrank version of the seven custom-made Pokeballs.

On his left, in a plain yellow cassock, was Item-M. Her hair blazed like a fiery fireball as it sat on her head, tied in a neat bun. Her breasts were challenging the looseness of the cassock, and her brown eyes kept looking around, in search of any trouble. Tiny paper insects kept leaving and coming to her, now and then.

Now that Kai had made her show her actual appearance, she couldn't take on another disguise.

'I should have just asked a passenger to point out your actual features,' Kai had thought openly as they had left the port. To that, Item-M had much to add.

'It wouldn't have worked,' she had told him. 'Contestants above the 2nd-Set can choose to show their actual appearance to selective in-world Characters. The Charisma Stat only works on those who can see the true features, then. It's quite an effective tool.'

That was something new to Kai.

'Then why is this trick unavailable below the 3rd-Set?' Kai had asked her. 'It makes little sense. Like, just anyone can know my actual appearance by asking someone.'

Item-M had choked on a giggle then. 'And what would they do after getting to know what you truly look like, master?' She had asked him. 'This trick isn't available to the Contestants of the 1st and the 2nd Set because it's pointless. Remember the size of the Cities on the first three floors. Let's say you got to know someone's actual appearance. Then what? Spend the next few years searching for that person in a city which is of the size of a minor planet? Not to mention, that person could have easily ascended or died, meanwhile. Nobody cares about the actual appearance of lower-floor Contestants, master.'

It had been a lengthy explanation, but the most reasonable one Kai had learned today.

"Shall I knock, then?" a voice came from Kai's right.

Kai adjusted his head and saw Petyr cladded in formal black suits and pants with a bowler hat. There was a cane embedded with gems in his hand, which he had requested Kai to buy for him.

They had come here with a plan, knowing well that there might be Contestants from the 4th-Set watching over Professor Elm with him being a main-storyline character.

Kai had many things to do and all of them were centered on Professor Elm. The moment he had got to know about this scientist, Kai had searched him and his area of research using the Internet. Professor Elm specialized in Pokemon breeding and was credited for the discovery of Pokemon Eggs. And according to the famous Professor Oak, Professor Elm was the best in the research of Pokemon Evolution.

Kai's needs had matched Elm's area of expertise perfectly. He had both the eggs and a matter of evolution that he needed him to look at. Not to mention the obvious task of getting a Pokemon and the Pokedex.

But not just anyone could request Professor's attention.

'Our plan will take care of that,' Kai thought, amusingly, and nodded to Petyr.

Petyr knocked twice, and all waited for a response. The wait didn't last long. The light wooden doors creaked as they opened, and lo-and-behold, they found themselves facing a Contestant in a butler's garb. Kai's heart almost stopped, choked by the sheer amount of Mana. If Robin was a lake, then this one was an ocean of power.

'A 4th-Set Contestant,' Kai concluded.

The Contestant had taken the appearance of a white-haired and white-bearded old man. Like Robin, he too couldn't look away from Petyr after opening the doors. Petyr's eyes were closed as if he couldn't have cared less about what was happening around him.

It was Item-M who spoke, her voice crisp, sharp and condemning.

"Temple business," she hissed coolly. "Fuck off!"

Only then did the monster turn his head to give Item-M a look. He said nothing, but Kai could see the clatter of his teeth and the tremble of his jawline. Kai could guess what the old man was thinking about Item-M and Petyr. A Priestess from the upper floors and a Contestant from above the 5th Set. Both looked like someone who had come down to a low-grade mission by restricting their Stats.

The silence lasted for a while before the Contestant gave a last, but disgusting, look to Kai and welcomed them in.

"Wait here," he said, sneering. "Professor Elm is in his laboratory. I would let him know about your unannounced visit."

The moment he disappeared behind a turn at the end of a long corridor, Item-M sighed. "He should have kneeled at the merest sight of my clothing," she commented. "I wouldn't have cursed him then."

-/What's done is done/- Kai told her telepathically, keeping Petyr in the loop. -/Petyr. Remember to hit on Professor Elm's obsession./-

"Oh, I know where and when to hit," Petyr said, slyly. "Don't worry, my lord."

-/If I have guessed Professor Elm's nature right, then he won't come to see us./-

Kai couldn't have been more right. The "butler" returned. Alone.

"Professor is busy," he said, scornfully. "He won't be seeing anyone. And his research can last for days, so…"

'Heh!' Kai sneered. 'He wants to say to us "fuck off" too.'

"Young man," Petyr said, opening his eyes for the first time. "Go tell him we have found a new Pokemon species."

The old man didn't dare to smile while looking at Petyr. After a few seconds, he bowed and went back to convey the message.

"We are walking on thin ice, master," Item-M whispered, sweat drenching her back. "Contestants on missions like these don't care about anything other than the main-storyline character's safety. But it won't prevent us from facing his wrath, either. Let's hope he won't persist with us during our meeting ."

Kai was a little worried about that too. There wasn't much they could do about it, though.

The noise of hurried footsteps reached them before they could see anyone this time. Professor Elm appeared in the corridor, taking big strides toward them. He was wearing a large white lab coat over green pants and brown shoes. His brown hair was messy and a pair of brown eyes greeted them from behind the huge, round glasses.

"Where is it?" he asked excitedly. "Hello, I am Professor Elm. And you are?"

Kai could tell the absentmindedness of the Professor from his jumbled way of talking. It was as he had predicted. Professor Elm was just on the borderline of being called a mad scientist. It was the "good" crowd around him and him being seclusive that was preventing Professor Elm from going off-course.

The shaking came suddenly.

Kai was waiting for it. He had told Item-M that he wanted to devour Daenerys' tale, as he was bound to meet her at the end of his mission. The Mother of Dragons seemed like the worthiest tale to him when he had read about her from the data of Thunder Faction.

'She is useless,' Item-M had said bluntly. 'Not to mention, she would be a child when you would meet her, master. So the devoured tale would be about a girl, who escaped from the clutches of her enemies and is now sold to a Dothraki lord. That's it. Professor Elm is a better alternative. The best would have been Professor Oak, but we won't have time to go to him and return on time, I think.'

The thought had excited Kai too much. So, yes. There was this reason too for him to come here.

To devour Professor Elm's tale.

Petyr stepped forward and shook Professor's hand. "I am Simon, an ancient-Pokemon enthusiast," he told Elm. "This here is my good friend, Desmond Jones, a great, yet quite a humble explorer of the ancient ruins and histories. On his side is Priestess Shae of the Ancient Temple of White Snake.

"We have made quite a discovery on an island, hidden far away in the ocean, and have come right away to you. If it wasn't for saving Pokeball Expert Kurt's granddaughter from some evil people who had kidnapped her, we would have arrived here sooner. Quite a grateful man, Kurt. See, he even gifted Desmond a set of custom-made Pokeballs."

Professor Elm didn't give a damn if they had arrived late, Kai could tell. But the mention of saving Kurt's granddaughter did bring some change to his youthful face. Professor Elm's eyes went to the belt on Kai's waist (-the butler was already looking at them-) and exclaimed. "Oh! Are these the Pokeballs made from the seven differently colored Apricorns?"

Kai smiled and nodded.

"May I see the Pokemon now?" Professor Elm suddenly snapped back to the topic. It seemed nothing other than his research could occupy him for long.

Kai admired this attitude from his heart.

The smile on Petyr's face vanished. "The Pokemon's state is quite grievous, Professor," Petyr said gravely. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to take it out here in the open."

"Oh, yes," Professor Elm agreed. "Come to my lab. Burt, don't let anyone in, and shift all appointments to tomorrow."

The Butler didn't seem happy about it but bowed and left the group.

Item-M let out an audible sigh in Kai's ears.

They followed Elm to his lab. It was a large spacious hall filled with all kinds of high-tech equipment.

For the first time, after resurrecting, Kai felt a touch of home from this place. He took a deep breath and his mind wandered to the time when his mother had used to teach him to operate pieces of equipment. Though it wasn't like she had any other choice, Kai could remember. But his curiosity was so high that often she had found him wandering around her lab, gawking.

"Here," Professor Elm said, hurriedly passing some stools. "Now, can I see it?"

Kai looked at Item-M, who crouched to pick up the paper insects, and nodded at him.

And he knew there wasn't anyone spying on him. At least not in an obvious way.

Petyr didn't speak this time. Yet, a voice rang in all minds, nonetheless.

-/Hello Professor Elm/- Kai said, smiling, a silver mist bursting out of him. -/Let me introduce you to the Ghost Serpent./-

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Only 1 long chapter today. :)