Lucian discovered that eating breakfast in silence was impossible inside Professor Oak’s house.
It wasn’t because of Daisy.
At least, not entirely.
“Grandpa, tell him to give it back!”
“It’s mine!”
“You found it in my room!”
“Then you didn’t take good care of it.”
Two childish voices echoed from the second floor, followed by hurried footsteps and the sound of a door slamming.
Lucian placed his cup on the table.
Growlithe, lying beside his chair, raised his head.
Beldum floated near the window with the calm of someone who had no intention of becoming involved in someone else’s problems.
Professor Oak continued reading a report as though he couldn’t hear anything.
Lucian looked toward the ceiling.
“Are we expecting visitors?”
“My grandson returned last night,” Oak replied without looking away from the document.
“He spent several days with one of his aunts in Viridian City.”
“Gary?”
“The very same.”
A brown-haired boy came running down the stairs.
He wore blue pajamas and held a small Blastoise figure against his chest.
Daisy appeared behind him.
“Gary, that was on my desk!”
“It’s a Blastoise. You don’t need a Blastoise.”
“That doesn’t mean you can take it.”
“I’m going to have one when I become a Trainer.”
“First, you need to learn how to dress without help.”
Gary stopped when he reached the dining room.
He was three years old, but the confident way he raised his chin suggested he considered himself much older.
His eyes moved from Lucian to Growlithe before stopping on Beldum.
His argument with Daisy was immediately forgotten.
“Does that Pokémon belong to you?”
Lucian nodded.
“Its name is Beldum.”
Gary approached.
“I’ve never seen one before.”
“They mostly live in Hoenn, although colonies can be found in other places.”
The boy raised one hand, intending to touch it.
Beldum floated backward.
Gary frowned.
“It doesn’t want to come closer.”
“It doesn’t know you.”
“Pokémon always approach Grandpa.”
Oak turned a page of his report.
“That’s because I don’t try to touch them without introducing myself.”
Gary looked at Beldum.
“I’m Gary Oak. I’m going to become the best Trainer in the world.”
Beldum remained motionless.
Gary waited.
“It doesn’t look impressed,” Daisy remarked.
“I wasn’t talking to it.”
“You obviously were.”
Lucian studied the young boy.
Gary didn’t yet possess the arrogance Lucian remembered from the first episodes of the anime, but the foundation was already there.
He was competitive, proud, and completely convinced that the Oak name guaranteed he would someday become an exceptional Trainer.
However, Lucian could also see genuine curiosity in his eyes.
“Hold out your hand and don’t move,” Lucian instructed.
Gary obeyed.
“Don’t try to touch it. Let Beldum decide whether it wants to approach.”
Beldum observed the small hand.
After several seconds, it slowly floated forward and brushed the top of its head against Gary’s fingers.
The boy’s eyes widened.
“It chose me!”
“It only greeted you,” Daisy clarified.
“Because it likes me.”
Beldum returned to Lucian’s side.
Gary looked at Growlithe.
“Can I touch him too?”
The Fire-type was already wagging his tail.
“Growlithe is more sociable.”
Gary crouched.
Growlithe approached, sniffed his hair, and licked his entire face.
The boy fell backward.
Daisy burst out laughing.
“That isn’t funny!”
“Your expression was.”
Gary wiped his face with the sleeve of his pajamas.
Then, to Lucian’s surprise, he approached Growlithe again and hugged him around the neck.
The Pokémon responded by wagging his tail even faster.
Oak finally lowered the report.
“Gary, go get dressed. After breakfast, we’re taking Rattata back to Route 1.”
Daisy turned toward her grandfather.
“Can he return already?”
“His wounds have closed, his appetite has returned, and the latest tests didn’t reveal any problems. There’s no reason to keep him confined.”
Gary stood.
“I want to go too.”
“That’s what I just said.”
“Will I get to see a battle?”
“We aren’t going there to look for a battle.”
“Then we can find one without looking for it.”
Oak rubbed his forehead.
“Go get dressed.”
Gary ran back toward the stairs.
Daisy recovered the Blastoise figure he had left on a chair.
“I don’t understand how he can have so much energy in the morning.”
Lucian looked at Growlithe, who was still watching the stairs and waiting for Gary to return.
“He’s three.”
“You weren’t like that when you were three.”
“You didn’t know me.”
“Elena told me you were reading books about Pokémon before you learned to tie your shoes.”
“Those activities are unrelated.”
Oak concealed a smile.
“In that regard, you’re quite similar to Gary. Just replace the books with Blastoise toys.”
Rattata waited inside an open carrier.
He wasn’t locked inside.
The door remained raised, and he could leave if he wanted, but he had chosen to stay on the blanket Daisy had placed inside.
His companion, the second Rattata rescued after the attack, rested inside another carrier.
One of the laboratory assistants would take the second Pokémon to a nearby territory, while Oak, Daisy, Gary, and Lucian would accompany the younger one.
Gary walked between Lucian and his grandfather.
He had changed into dark trousers, a red shirt, and a small backpack that appeared to contain more toys than supplies.
Swablu flew above Daisy.
Growlithe walked beside Lucian, but he wouldn’t participate in any exercises.
After the previous day’s evaluation, Oak had ordered both him and Beldum to rest.
Beldum was not pleased.
The Pokémon floated with less enthusiasm than usual and released a vibration whenever it noticed a potential target among the trees.
“You aren’t training today,” Lucian repeated.
Beldum descended several inches.
Gary watched it.
“Is it sad?”
“It’s upset.”
“Why?”
“Because it has to rest.”
The boy appeared confused.
“Don’t Pokémon like resting?”
“Some like it too much,” Oak replied.
“Others don’t like it enough.”
“I don’t need to rest.”
Daisy looked at her grandfather.
“He fell asleep during the journey back from Viridian City yesterday.”
“I was thinking with my eyes closed,” Gary protested.
Lucian looked at the boy.
“I used that explanation too.”
Daisy smiled.
“Used to?”
Lucian decided not to answer.
The group followed Route 1 until they reached an area far from the more frequently traveled paths.
Trees grew around a large meadow crossed by a small stream.
Oak raised one hand.
“We’ll stop here.”
Lucian examined the terrain.
There were Rattata tracks near the roots, claw marks on a fallen trunk, and the remains of bitten Berries beside several rocks.
“There’s a group nearby,” he said.
Oak nodded.
“Their main territory is on the other side of the stream. Before the attack, the young Rattata lived with four other members of its species.”
Daisy crouched beside the carrier.
“Should we open it?”
“First, we’ll let him recognize the scents.”
Lucian sat several yards away.
Growlithe remained farther back to avoid frightening him.
Rattata poked his head out.
His nose moved rapidly.
For the first few minutes, he didn’t leave the blanket.
He observed the trees, the stream, and the tall grass.
Then he placed one paw outside the carrier.
Daisy smiled but remained silent.
Rattata took another step.
A sharp call came from between the roots of a nearby tree.
The young Pokémon raised his ears.
Another Rattata appeared beside the stream.
It was larger and had a small scar on one ear.
They stared at each other.
The newly arrived Rattata cried out.
The younger one responded and left the carrier.
They ran toward each other, sniffing and circling one another.
Two more members of the group appeared shortly afterward.
Gary leaned toward Lucian.
“Is he healed now?”
“Physically, almost completely.”
“Then why didn’t he come back sooner?”
“Because being healed doesn’t always mean being ready.”
Gary frowned as he tried to understand.
Oak glanced at Lucian but didn’t intervene.
The young Rattata began following the others toward the roots.
He stopped once and looked back at Daisy.
She raised one hand.
“You can go.”
Rattata cried out.
Then he disappeared into the vegetation with his group.
Daisy maintained her smile, although her eyes became slightly wet.
“He went home.”
Swablu descended and settled on top of her head.
“You grew attached to him,” Lucian said.
“I only cared for him for a few days.”
“That doesn’t answer what I said.”
Daisy stroked one of Swablu’s wings.
“A little.”
Oak closed the carrier.
“That’s an important part of this work. We care for them when they need us and let them go when they no longer do.”
Lucian thought about the wild Pokémon on Celestia Island.
His family protected entire territories, but they didn’t own the Pokémon living within them.
Even Pokémon raised in the breeding center had the opportunity to choose their Trainers.
Breeding should never be confused with control.
“Can we visit him?” Gary asked.
“From a safe distance,” Oak replied.
“We don’t want him to become dependent on humans.”
The boy nodded.
A shadow passed over the meadow.
Swablu stopped singing.
Beldum turned its body toward the sky.
Lucian looked up.
A Fearow flew over the trees.
Its wings were broad, and several scars covered its beak.
It circled the clearing and released a piercing cry.
The Rattata disappeared among the roots.
Growlithe bared his fangs.
“Is that the one that attacked them?” Daisy asked.
Oak observed a dark mark on one of its wings.
“It matches the description.”
Gary moved closer to his grandfather.
“Is it going to attack us?”
“Not necessarily. Stay behind me.”
Fearow descended and landed on a tree branch.
Its eyes moved between the humans and the place where the Rattata had hidden.
Lucian extended his senses.
He felt aggression.
Hunger as well.
But not the rage of a Pokémon defending its territory.
“It’s hunting,” he said.
Oak slowly nodded.
“So it seems.”
Daisy hugged Swablu.
“We can’t let it attack Rattata again.”
“Nor can we punish a wild Pokémon for searching for food,” Oak replied.
Fearow extended its wings.
The Rattata cried from their hiding place.
Growlithe took a step forward.
Lucian raised one hand.
“Wait.”
The Fire-type stopped.
Beldum vibrated, prepared to battle despite the order to rest.
Lucian examined the surroundings.
There were Berries and small Pokémon, but an adult Fearow required a considerable amount of food.
If it was hunting Rattata this close to the road, something might have disrupted its usual territory.
“Professor, is there a Spearow colony nearby?”
“To the north, a little more than two kilometers away.”
“Has their behavior changed recently?”
Oak thought for several seconds.
“One of my assistants reported several fights a week ago. We believed they were disputing leadership of the flock.”
Fearow released another cry.
Lucian studied the recent scars on its wings and the way it kept one foot slightly raised.
“Perhaps it lost.”
Daisy understood.
“They expelled it.”
“And now it’s searching for food outside its territory.”
Gary looked at the bird.
“But it’s still bad.”
Oak crouched beside his grandson.
“Not necessarily. Wild Pokémon need to eat to survive. Fearow doesn’t understand that this Rattata was under our care.”
“Then are we going to let it eat him?”
“No,” Lucian replied.
“But fighting it won’t solve the problem.”
Fearow left the branch.
It descended toward the roots.
“Swablu, use Fairy Wind in front of it, not directly against its body,” Daisy ordered.
Swablu flew from her arms.
She flapped her wings and created a shining current.
The wind struck the ground in front of Fearow, throwing dirt and leaves into the air.
The Pokémon was forced to climb higher.
“Good control,” Lucian said.
Daisy didn’t take her eyes off the sky.
“This isn’t the time for an evaluation.”
“It was an observation.”
Fearow turned and prepared to descend again.
“Beldum, block it without striking.”
The Steel-type shot forward.
It positioned itself between Fearow and the Rattata’s hiding place.
The bird’s beak collided with its metallic body.
Fearow recoiled with a cry.
Beldum remained in the air.
“That still counts as resting,” Lucian said.
“You didn’t attack.”
Beldum vibrated with satisfaction.
Oak looked at him.
“We will discuss your definition of resting later.”
Lucian opened one of his backpack’s pockets and took out a compact food bar.
It was intended for Growlithe and contained dried meat, grains, and a mixture of Berries.
“What are you doing?” Daisy asked.
“Giving it an alternative.”
“It might attack you.”
“That’s why I won’t approach it.”
Lucian broke the food bar into several pieces and placed them on an exposed rock, far from the Rattata’s hiding place.
Then he retreated.
Fearow remained on a different branch.
Its attention shifted between Beldum, Lucian, and the food.
“Everyone move back,” Oak said.
The group slowly retreated.
Beldum remained near the rock, but Lucian instructed it to move away.
Fearow waited.
Almost a minute passed before it descended.
It landed beside the food and smelled it.
Then it picked up one of the pieces with its beak.
It never stopped watching the humans.
It ate quickly.
“Is it our friend now?”
“No,” Lucian replied.
“It’s still wild, and it may attack if we approach.”
“But you gave it food.”
“To avoid a fight.”
Fearow finished the bar.
For a moment, it appeared it might return to the Rattata.
Instead, it spread its wings and flew west.
Daisy released the breath she had been holding.
“It worked.”
“For now,” Oak said.
“It will return when it becomes hungry again.”
Lucian nodded.
Feeding it every time wasn’t a solution either.
It would only cause Fearow to become dependent on humans or remain near the route.
“We need to determine why it was expelled and whether it can establish itself somewhere else.”
Oak smiled.
“That will be an investigation for my assistants.”
A blue window appeared before Lucian.
Event Registered: Territorial Conflict on Route 1
Immediate Result: Confrontation avoided.
Observation: Resolving a temporary need does not eliminate its cause.
New Function Partially Unlocked: Population Registry.
Requirements for Complete Unlock:
—Study three wild populations.
—Identify their social structures.
—Record their territories, resources, and threats.
—Propose at least one conservation or relocation measure.
Progress: 0/3.
Lucian read the information with interest.
This function appeared to be designed for something far greater than observing individual Pokémon.
It could help him study entire tribes and determine which populations could be relocated to the island without destroying the existing balance.
That would be essential in the future.
Celestia Island had space, resources, and numerous habitats, but relocating Pokémon without planning could cause territorial conflicts, food shortages, or damage to native species.
The system wouldn’t allow him to simply capture powerful individuals.
He would have to understand their communities.
Lucian closed the window.
“What are you thinking about?” Oak asked.
“That studying a Pokémon in isolation isn’t enough.”
The professor waited for him to continue.
“Populations change according to their territory, food, predators, and social structure. If something alters one part, everything else is affected as well.”
“Correct.”
“I want to study the Spearow flock.”
Daisy looked at him.
“You were supposed to rest today.”
“Beldum and Growlithe are resting. I’m not.”
Oak laughed.
“Your grandfather raised a little monster.”
“You invited him to your laboratory,” Daisy reminded him.
“That was my first mistake.”
Lucian ignored the comment.
“I don’t need to approach the colony. We can use existing records and observe from a distance.”
Oak stroked his chin.
“Prepare a plan first. If I consider it safe, one of my assistants will accompany you.”
“I accept.”
“And Daisy will go too.”
Lucian looked at the girl.
“Why?”
She crossed her arms.
“Because Swablu can observe from the air, and because I won’t let you turn a simple investigation into a three-day expedition.”
“I wasn’t planning to do that.”
Daisy looked at his backpack.
“You brought seven notebooks for a one-month trip.”
“Eight.”
“That doesn’t help.”
Gary raised one hand.
“I want to go too.”
Oak shook his head.
“When you’re older.”
“Everyone always says that.”
“Because you’re three.”
“Lucian is a child.”
“Lucian won’t be going alone either.”
Gary frowned.
“When I become a Trainer, I won’t need anyone to accompany me.”
Daisy leaned toward him.
“When you become a Trainer, I’ll still be your older sister.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Of course it counts.”
While the siblings argued, Lucian looked back toward the sky.
Fearow had already disappeared.
However, the encounter had left him with something important.
For the first time, he could clearly see part of his future.
He didn’t want Celestia Island to be merely his family’s home or a place where powerful Pokémon were raised.
It could become a refuge for displaced populations, endangered species, and tribes that had lost their territories.
But to accomplish that, he would need knowledge, resources, and people capable of caring for every habitat.
An organization.
Researchers.
Breeders.
Guardians.
Trainers.
Lucian thought of Elena traveling through the forests with Absol.
Then he looked at Daisy, who was trying to explain to Gary why he couldn’t bring twenty toys on a scientific expedition.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
It would be years before his dream took shape.
That didn’t mean it was too early to lay the first foundations.
After returning to the laboratory, Oak took Lucian to a room he had not yet visited.
The walls were covered with filing cabinets.
There were boxes filled with old photographs, maps of different regions, and documents written decades ago.
“This is where I keep the records that haven’t been digitized yet,” the professor explained.
“Some belonged to researchers who worked before me.”
Lucian examined the shelves.
“Why are you showing me this?”
Oak placed a thick folder on a table.
“Because you said you wanted to study wild populations. You’ll begin by learning how other researchers made mistakes while doing so.”
Lucian opened the folder.
It contained reports about migrations, territorial conflicts, and relocation projects.
Some had succeeded.
Others had destroyed the balance of entire regions.
“Read the first three cases and prepare a comparison,” Oak ordered.
“I don’t want a summary. I want you to identify which decisions changed the outcome.”
Lucian took a seat.
“When is it due?”
“In four days.”
“I can finish tomorrow.”
“In four days,” Oak repeated.
“You’ll have other responsibilities.”
Daisy appeared in the doorway.
“And free time.”
Lucian looked at her.
“How long have you been listening?”
“Long enough.”
Gary peeked out from behind her.
“I found something.”
He was holding a small box covered in dust.
Oak turned pale.
“Gary, put that down carefully.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know what’s inside.”
“Then we should open it.”
“That sentence is precisely why you shouldn’t touch it.”
Daisy took the box and placed it on the table.
An old label was attached to the top.
Lucian brushed away the dust with one hand.
The words were barely legible.
“Mineral Samples: Mount Moon.”
Lucian became still.
A familiar pressure appeared behind his eyes.
The system screen opened without being summoned.
Special Mission Updated
Echoes Beneath the Moon
New Clue Detected: Ancient mineral samples originating from Mount Moon.
Optional Objective: Analyze the samples and identify any traces connected to the Astral Resonance Network.
Warning: Discovering information does not eliminate the risks associated with its place of origin.
Lucian stared at the box.
Mount Moon was still far away.
But for the first time, one of its secrets had come to him.
End of Chapter 16