“Ow, what are you doing?!” “Going back to New Bark Town!” Professor Elm snapped.
Sean instantly realized the Professor was escorting him back to school to continue those bone-dry, mind-numbing theory classes.
To him, how was that any different from eating prison food at the station?
“I’m not going, I’m not going back!
This is illegal detention, it’s kidnapping!” Sean thrashed around in the car like a Magikarp using Splash.
Professor Elm ignored Sean’s shouting.
Thanking Officer Jenny, he started the engine and drove off in the direction of New Bark Town.
Refusing to behave, Sean tried to escape through the narrow car window, but after a few attempts, he found he could barely squeeze his head out.
Left with no options, he resorted to calling out to pedestrians.
“Help!
Indecent assault!
This older man beat me until I knelt, and now he’s forcing me to go back and be his star slave!!” These earth-shattering lines, paired with Sean’s utterly melodramatic acting, made Professor Elm turn crimson with embarrassment in the driver’s seat, his blood pressure absolutely skyrocketing.
“You brat, shut your mouth!
Pull your head back inside, it’s dangerous!” Hearing Sean’s heart-wrenching cries for help, the pedestrians turned their heads one after another toward the sound.
However, when they saw that the person in the driver’s seat was Professor Elm—the Johto region’s renowned scholar and teacher—and a teenager thrashing around like a Magikarp using Splash…
Every single one of them displayed an expression that said *whose brat is this, he desperately needs a good thrashing,* and a few even cast looks of deep sympathy toward Professor Elm.
Afterward, those who were taking walks continued their walks, and those who were commuting continued their commutes, completely ignoring Sean’s screams.
“Son of a Diglett!” Sean cursed out loud before pulling his head back into the car.
Seeing Sean’s depressed state in the rearview mirror, Professor Elm, though still maintaining a stern face, let the corners of his mouth tick upward slightly.
Old ginger is always spicier!
[LanLi: This proverb compares people to ginger.
Fresh young ginger has flavor, but older ginger becomes stronger, hotter, and more powerful with time.] On the way, Sean actually considered having Gengar grab the steering wheel, but thinking it was a bit too dangerous, he dropped the idea.
*Oh time, please slow down…* *I really don’t want to go back to school!* A while later, Sean was successfully escorted back to New Bark Town.
The moment he stepped out of the car, he tried to bolt at a hundred-meter sprint, only to be firmly grabbed by Professor Elm.
“You’re going to behave yourself during this period, and don’t even think about slipping away!” In truth, Professor Elm had long since submitted a proposal to the League to make an exception and register Sean as an official Pokémon Trainer.
He lectured with a stern face: “Once your Pokémon Trainer status is officially approved and the Pokédex is in your hands, you can go wherever the hell you want and I won’t care less!!” Hearing these words, Sean was instantly enveloped in a wave of massive joy, nodding his head repeatedly: “Mhm mhm mhm mhm!
Don’t you worry, Professor, as long as you don’t make me go back to class, I’ll do whatever you want!!” Professor Elm: “…” …
…
New Bark Town, Professor Elm’s Ecological Park.
During the few days Sean had been gone, the heavy burden of feeding the Pokémon in the park had fallen right back onto Professor Elm’s shoulders.
However, Professor Elm was nowhere near as good at it as Sean.
He frequently turned the park completely upside down.
It consumed a massive amount of his time and energy, leaving him severely sleep-deprived, with heavy dark circles under his eyes and a thoroughly exhausted complexion.
Considering that Sean would be traveling far away soon anyway, Professor Elm had hired a new assistant to help him take over this job.
He figured he’d take advantage of Sean’s return this time to have him properly hand over the duties to the new assistant, which would save a lot of trouble.
This ecological park, constructed beneath a massive glass dome, possessed various functions like controlling the internal temperature and simulating different types of weather.
It was home to over twenty Pokémon, and the management details were incredibly tedious.
Most of these twenty-odd Pokémon belonged to Trainers who had already set out on their journeys.
When the number of Pokémon they carried exceeded six, the extras would be transferred here.
Professor Elm charged incredibly low fees; his goal was primarily to observe and study the ecology and growth of these Pokémon up close.
The moment Sean walked into the park with the new assistant, he saw five adorable Oddish marching in a single-file line, walking in circles along the glass dome.
Seeing Sean, the Oddish immediately flocked over joyfully, raising their plant-bulb-like grey heads.
Their tiny mouths cried out “Na-na,” as if welcoming back an old friend.
“Good boys, good boys, so well-behaved~” Sean smiled and crouched down, gently stroking them.
Looking across the ecological park— In the distance, an Eevee on a rock was using its big, fluffy tail to tease a Meowth, prompting the Meowth to repeatedly reach out its paws to swat at it.
A round Bidoof lay spread-eagled on the grass by the lakeside, enjoying a warm sunbath.
In the peaceful lake, a Magikarp with profoundly wise eyes stared blankly without moving an inch, right alongside a Psyduck and a Slowpoke who shared that exact same motionless, profoundly wise expression.
These Pokémon all happened to belong to the exact same Trainer, leaving Sean to genuinely wonder if their owner shared that same wise look and possessed an IQ of 250.
In mid-air, a few Butterfree and Jumpluff fluttered gracefully, scattering sparkling scales and cotton puffs.
Aside from these small Pokémon, there were also several heavyweight members.
A Snorlax was sleeping beneath the shadow of a giant tree; Two imposing Nidoking were gripping each other’s shoulders as if they were wrestling; And a Kangaskhan mother, radiating maternal warmth, was playing with her baby.
If someone were to ask Sean which Pokémon was the cutest, he might not be able to give an answer, but if asked which was the coolest, his answer would absolutely be that special Squirtle!
That Squirtle always wore cool black sunglasses and simultaneously served as an honorary member of the New Bark Town Fire Department.
Whenever there was a fire in town, it would step up, blasting high-pressure water from its mouth to put out the flames—a true local hero!
Beneath a clear sky filled with blue sky and white clouds, everything in the ecological park looked incredibly beautiful.
Sean began to explain the daily routine to the new assistant in detail: “Task number one, and the most important, is feeding them Pokéblocks on time.
Pokéblocks are food mixed from natural Berries.
Not only are they highly nutritious and easy to absorb, but they also taste fantastic.
The Pokémon absolutely love them.
Also, this special Pokéblock,” Sean pointed to a square, brightly colored Pokéblock, “Just one tiny piece is enough to completely fill a big eater like Snorlax!” What shocked the assistant and the eavesdropping Professor Elm the most was that Sean could actually list exactly what flavor of Pokéblock each individual Pokémon preferred!
“The Oddish prefer dry Oran Berry blocks, Eevee likes sweet Pecha Berry blocks, and Meowth loves sour Lum Berry blocks.
As for the Snorlax over there, it’s not picky; the special satiety-type block works fine.
Nidoking prefers spicy Liechi Berry blocks, while Kangaskhan and her baby like…” The assistant wrote furiously in the notebook, terrified of missing a single detail.
Professor Elm also finally understood why he had turned the park into such a chaotic disaster.
Sean continued: “Task number two, after feeding them, you need to observe their condition closely.
For example, check if their spirits are high, if they’re showing signs of sickness, or if their coats are glossy, to ensure they stay healthy!
Task number three is playing the peacemaker.
For instance, if Eevee and Meowth take things too far and start fighting, or if Nidoking accidentally scares the baby Kangaskhan and gets into a conflict with the mother, you need to step in immediately to maintain the harmony of the park.
As for the temperature, just keep it around 24°C, and if it gets too dry, simulate some rainfall.” Once Sean had cleared up all the details, the assistant closed the notebook and sincerely expressed their gratitude to him.
…
After returning to the Professor’s house, Sean found Gengar sitting on the sofa holding Cyndaquil, staring intently at the television screen.
This harmonious, heartwarming scene made Sean incredibly happy, right until he saw the content on the screen…
*The Incompetent Gallade* On the screen, a Hypno was speaking to a Gardevoir: “Ma’am, you wouldn’t want your husband Gallade to lose his job, now would you…” ???!
Holy crap, is this even allowed to be broadcast?!
Sean frantically hit the remote control, switching the channel: *The Amazing Kricketune* Kricketune: “With less power comes less responsibility…” “…What on earth are these shows!” Sean shut off the TV in utter disbelief, preparing to take Gengar and Cyndaquil out for a stroll.