"Abababa…" Professor Oak's mouth hung open so wide that Hayashi could even see the half-eaten instant noodle stuck between his teeth! He remained frozen like that for a good ten seconds before finally snapping his jaw shut, muttering in utter disbelief, "A-another world traveler!?"
Seems even people in the Pokémon world find it hard to believe when someone suddenly declares, "I'm a traveler from another world."
"I knew you wouldn't believe me without proof! So I came prepared—" Hayashi grinned, then—under Erina's slightly bemused gaze—pulled out a brand-new laptop (courtesy of the Nakiri Family) from his backpack. After booting it up and navigating through a few menus, he turned the screen toward Professor Oak. "Take a look, Professor—"
The professor's eyes landed on the screen, where a scene unfolded: a young boy named Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, arriving late to the lab and missing out on the Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, forced to take Pikachu instead—an event that had literally just happened that morning. Professor Oak's eyes widened in shock.
Soon after, Pikachu's refusal to cooperate led Ash to hurl a rock at a Pidgey. But his aim was off, and the stone struck a nearby Spearow instead, triggering a relentless chase by an entire flock of Spearow.
After setting a Poké Ball on the ground and urging Pikachu to take shelter inside, Ash turned to face the oncoming swarm, spreading his arms wide and shouting, "Who do you think I am!? I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, the future Pokémon Master! I won't let you lay a single claw on Pikachu!"
Amidst the storm, Pikachu stared at the figure shielding him, then struggled to his feet. With a leap, he landed on his destined trainer's shoulder—using it as a springboard to launch himself into the air.
Thunderbolt!!
A blinding golden flash later, every Spearow lay sprawled on the ground, eyes spinning. Exhausted, both Ash and Pikachu collapsed, unconscious.
When they finally came to, a gleaming Fearow soared overhead.
"Caw—caw—"
The moment that Pokémon appeared on screen, Professor Oak—who had been engrossed in the episode—jolted forward, hands gripping the edges of the laptop as he gasped, "T-that… that can't be…!"
"Hmm?" Hayashi leaned in for a closer look, then nodded in realization. "Oh right, Ash actually ran into Ho-Oh on his very first day! And throughout his journey, he pretty much encounters every Legendary and Mythical Pokémon out there."
"???"
Professor Oak's attention instantly snapped from the screen to Hayashi. His nostrils flared with excitement as he grabbed Hayashi's arms, demanding urgently, "Really!?"
Hayashi tilted his head in thought and said, "Hmm, from what I remember, just among the Legendary Pokémon, Ash has encountered Ho-Oh, Lugia, Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza..."
As the names of Legendary Pokémon rolled off Hayashi's tongue one after another, Professor Oak immediately clutched his head with both hands, looking visibly shaken as he exclaimed, "S-some of these Pokémon names are completely unknown even to me!!"
Hayashi chuckled and casually sat down beside Professor Oak, saying, "If you'd like to know, Professor Oak, I can provide you with complete documentation on all of them!"
"W-wait a minute!?" Professor Oak stared at Hayashi in astonishment, unable to hold back his question, "Why would someone from another world know more about this world than I do??"
Nearby, Hisako exchanged a glance with Erina, and the two sighed simultaneously—it seemed the scene from the Shokugeki world was about to repeat itself here!
...
...
"The first folder contains anime resources from the original series all the way up to the latest Journeys."
"The second folder has game resources from Red and Green up to Arceus."
"The third folder holds manga resources from the Red, Green, and Blue chapters through to Sword and Shield."
"You can take your time catching up—we have plenty of time to wait!"
After explaining the relationship between the two worlds (three possible theories), Hayashi placed the laptop in Professor Oak's hands.
"This is... overwhelming..." Professor Oak felt dizzy just looking at the sheer volume of resources—
A rough estimate showed over a thousand anime episodes, more than thirty game titles, with only the manga being relatively "sparse" in comparison. Faced with this mountain of material, even Professor Oak felt lightheaded.
"Hehe, if you're feeling overwhelmed, Professor Oak, I can offer more precise assistance~" Hayashi cheerfully walked behind Professor Oak and began massaging his shoulders affectionately, adding, "But in return, we have a tiny, tiny favor to ask of you!"
"Hmm, let's hear it first—what do you need my help with?" Professor Oak didn't agree immediately. What if this guy wanted him to cross-dress and confess to Agatha? That would be a "try and die" situation!
Hayashi grinned and said, "We were hoping you could help us get some identification documents and such? We came to the Pokémon world specifically to experience being trainers, after all!"
Being trainers?
Professor Oak pondered for a few seconds before replying, "If the information you've provided is accurate, it would have a tremendous impact on Pokémon research—especially regarding Legendary Pokémon! So if you really need it, I can even provide each of you with a Pokémon of decent potential."
"Decent potential" meant Professor Oak definitely wouldn't be handing out Caterpies or Weedles.
Hayashi immediately cheered, "Whoa! If that's the case, then thank you so much, Professor Oak!"
"However, I hope you can promise me one thing." Professor Oak turned around with a serious expression, looking solemnly at Hayashi standing behind the sofa. "I hope you won't abandon the Pokémon in your care!"
Faced with Professor Oak's request, Hayashi also dropped his playful demeanor and replied with equal seriousness, "Professor Oak, rest assured! Abandoning Pokémon is absolutely out of the question for us!"
"Mhm!"
Hisako and Erina quickly nodded in agreement. For them, Pokémon were creatures they cherished deeply—how could they ever think of abandoning them?
Professor Oak gave a slight nod. "Since you've made such a promise, I can set my mind at ease. As for the type of Starter Pokémon, do you have any preferences?"
"Great question! Someone as manly as me naturally needs a Pokémon that matches my manly aura—"
"Oh?" Professor Oak raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "Is it Lairon, Nidoran, Machop, or Onix? Rhyhorn is also a good choice, and Elekid's evolved form is quite imposing too!"
Indeed, those were all manly Pokémon. However, Professor Oak's definition of "manly" and Hayashi's interpretation had a slight difference.
"Ahaha, Professor Oak, you misunderstood." Hayashi grinned, flashing a thumbs-up with a dashing expression. "What I meant was—I want a Eevee!"
"..."
Professor Oak paused, then after a moment of contemplation, said, "If I heard correctly, you just asked for a manly Pokémon?"
"Exactly! Only Pokémon like Eevee and Alolan Ninetales truly suit my manly identity!" Hayashi nodded firmly, hands on his hips, speaking with absolute conviction. "Come on, cuddling a Eevee is the epitome of manliness!"
...Have my definition of "manly" and the younger generation's diverged somehow?
Professor Oak gave Erina and Hisako a strange look. "What about you two? Any preferences for your Starter Pokémon?"
Erina: "I'd like a high-quality Milcery!"
Hisako: "As for me, I hope to get a Florges."
Professor Oak blinked again, then said with a bemused expression, "Milcery and Florges? These two Pokémon have almost no combat ability in the early stages. If you choose them as your Starter Pokémon, your journey will be extremely challenging."
"You misunderstand, Professor Oak," Erina explained, shaking her head. "Hisako and I are responsible for the team's meals, so we're more like Pokémon Breeders."
"Breeders?" Professor Oak mused for a moment. "While Breeders don't need to focus too much on battles, it's still not an easy path, you know?"
"Professor Oak, don't worry—" Hayashi sidled up to him, winking proudly. "Erina's cooking is suuuuper amazing! I bet she could even tame pseudo-legendaries with her food alone!"
"Taming a pseudo-legendary with food? That's too far-fetched!" Professor Oak shook his head in disbelief. While pseudo-legendaries raised by humans from infancy were one thing, wild ones were notoriously temperamental. Conquering a wild pseudo-legendary with cooking skills alone? That was about as likely as a top fan discovering their idol was actually a man cross-dressing as a woman!
Utterly unscientific!
"You don't believe it?" Hayashi raised an eyebrow, a strange competitive spirit suddenly surging within him. He turned to Erina and said, "Erina! Come on, let Professor Oak taste your skills!"
"Oh? Then I shall indeed have a taste!" Professor Oak quietly put away the beaker of instant noodles on the table, crossed his arms, and said with a solemn expression, "I'm quite particular about food, you know!"
This was a lie. He was a professor who could enjoy even instant noodles with relish—easy to please.
"Well then..." Erina blinked, realizing this was her moment to prove herself. Standing up and rolling up her sleeves confidently, she declared, "Professor, prepare to savor my culinary art!"