Chapter 2: 2. Chapter 2: Sakuragi Institute and Koharu

Chapter 2: Cerise Laboratory and Koharu

After leaving the Pokémon Center, Xia You did not go out of his way to Pallet Town to find Professor Oak, but instead came directly to the Cerise Laboratory in Vermilion City.

The Cerise Laboratory is located in the suburbs of Vermilion City and occupies a fairly large area. Behind the main gate is a large courtyard, and the main building is an impressive three-story structure with an attic. It is said that this was originally the estate of a nobleman, and it wasn't until half a year ago that Professor Cerise bought it at a high price and converted it into a laboratory.

Passing through the gate, walking along the path, and finally climbing the steps of the laboratory, Xia You was just about to ring the doorbell when he suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.

He turned back to see a young girl wearing a white dress that looked like a school uniform, standing not far behind him, watching him with curiosity.

The girl had a delicate and beautiful face, with long wine-red hair tied into a single ponytail, casually brushed behind her head. Her large eyes were very clear, making her look clean and cute.

As for this girl, Xia You recognized her identity at a glance.

She was none other than the childhood friend of Goh, the other protagonist of the seventh Pokémon anime series, and also the daughter of Professor Cerise—Koharu!

Seeing Xia You standing in front of a laboratory, Koharu tilted her head.

After sizing Xia You up, she asked softly, "Excuse me, is there something you need?"

"Hello." Xia You showed a friendly smile and stated his reason, "I have some things I would like to ask Professor Cerise for help with. Is he in the laboratory right now?"

"Looking for my dad?" Koharu hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "He's inside. Come in with me."

Opening the door to the Cerise Laboratory, Xia You followed behind Koharu, passed through the foyer, and arrived at a place similar to a reception room.

He looked around and only then realized that this house was surprisingly large, like a small castle. Moreover, looking at the layout, decoration style, and furniture, it was actually in the style of an English manor!

I have to say, Professor Cerise really has good taste.

Pointing to the sofa in the reception room, Koharu said, "You wait here for a moment. My dad is still working; I'll go tell him for you."

"Sorry to trouble you."

Xia You nodded. After Koharu left, he didn't sit on the sofa but walked slowly to the window.

Through the glass window, one could see a dense forest outside, full of spring, and looking further into the distance was the bustling Vermilion City. If one calmed down and listened carefully, one could faintly hear the sound of the waves.

The environment is indeed very elegant!

Even after arriving here and standing here in reality, Xia You still felt a sense of unreality even now.

He was lost in thought, but it wasn't long before Koharu returned. Following behind her was a middle-aged man with the same hair color as her.

This middle-aged man was about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, wore thick-rimmed glasses, and had a kind smile on his face. He was wearing a white lab coat, and just from his attire, one could tell that he was a scholar with a very strong academic air.

In Xia You's memory, Professor Cerise was not only a junior to Professor Oak but also one of the Pokémon professors in the Kanto region. In his youth, he was already called a genius, and his future was considered very bright.

And don't let his young age fool you; he was also commissioned by the Pokémon League and was qualified to provide starter Pokémon and Pokédexes to new trainers. It can be said that he is one of the few authorities in the entire Kanto region!

Seeing Xia You, Professor Cerise was about to speak, but his attention was drawn to the Ralts at his feet.

"It's actually a Ralts!? That's truly a rare sight!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a short Pokémon ran in from outside. Upon seeing Koharu, this Pokémon ran to her feet and affectionately rubbed against her pant leg.

Xia You looked down and saw that this Pokémon looked very much like a small puppy. It was tan overall, with a large mass of soft yellow fluff around its neck, a pair of bright, shiny eyes, and a lightning-shaped tail, looking full of vitality.

So it's a Yamper...

At this moment, the Yamper also saw the Ralts.

Its large eyes were full of confusion. It wanted to approach, but seeing the Ralts' hand suddenly glow, it was so scared that it hurriedly retreated to Professor Cerise's side.

Professor Cerise squatted down, patted its forehead to calm it down first, and then looked up at Xia You.

"This is my family's Pokémon. It has always been a bit overly energetic. It startled you just now, didn't it?"

"It's fine." Xia You shook his head gently, "I remember reading in the data that a Pokémon like Yamper has abundant energy, and it is indeed difficult to keep it quiet."

"Oh?" Professor Cerise was taken aback and pushed up his glasses, "You know about it?"

"After all, I am a Pokémon trainer, so I have a certain understanding of various Pokémon." Xia You smiled, "However, although I know the name, I don't actually know much about it. I only know that it is an Electric-type Pokémon from the Galar region. If I remember correctly, the fluff under its neck should be where it stores electrical energy, right!"

This is not knowing much!? This is clearly very knowledgeable!

"Well-informed, and your words and actions are also quite extraordinary. It seems you are not an ordinary trainer." Professor Cerise was surprised by Xia You's knowledge. Without too much polite talk, he asked straight to the point, "I heard from Koharu that you have something you need my help with?"

"Sorry, Professor, for disturbing your work." Xia You took out his Pokédex, "My name is Xia You, from the Kalos region. I have just arrived in Kanto. I came here today to ask you to help me upgrade the data on this Pokédex so it can be used as a universal Pokédex for all regions of the world!"

Taking the Pokédex, Professor Cerise opened it and took a look.

"Hmm, it is indeed a bit different in style from the Kanto region's Pokédex, but no problem. This is just a small matter. Come inside with me."

Xia You didn't expect things to go so smoothly, but from this, it could be seen that Professor Cerise was indeed a very easygoing person.

Following behind Professor Cerise, Xia You left the reception room and came to the laboratory's work area. Besides Professor Cerise, there were two assistants, a man and a woman, assisting him with his work.

Among them, the female assistant was Chrysa, who had a beautiful face and long, dark blue curly hair. The male assistant was Ren, who wore glasses and had messy hair; he looked unremarkable but was very talented.

Chrysa and Ren were both very easy to get along with. Under Professor Cerise's introduction, both of them were very friendly.

"Hello, I'm Professor Cerise's assistant, my name is Ren!"

"Hello, I'm Chrysa!"

Xia You shook hands with both of them and greeted them.

"Hello, I'm Xia You, a Pokémon trainer. I'm really sorry for the trouble this time."

Chrysa waved her hand and said with a smile, "It's okay. The laboratory hasn't officially opened yet, so our work isn't too busy; we're still quite free."

"That's right." Ren also nodded in agreement, "There are only a few of us in the laboratory right now, and it's quite lonely. Your arrival today can be considered as adding some vitality to the laboratory!"

While the few were talking, Professor Cerise took the Pokédex, operated it on a machine for a few times, and a few minutes later, handed it back to Xia You.

"Alright, the data has been upgraded. So, are you going to start challenging the Indigo League next?"

"That's right." Xia You nodded, "However, I currently only have this Ralts. If I want to challenge the Gyms, I still need to capture a few more Pokémon to expand my lineup."

Hearing the topic of Pokémon, Ren immediately became spirited. He asked excitedly, "There are a lot of Pokémon in the Kanto region. How about it, do you already have targets you want to capture?"

"I already have a few targets." Without hiding anything, Xia You said to them, "I definitely want to capture the three starters: Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. As for other Pokémon, it will just depend on fate."