As the stone door slowly opened, everyone walked into the dark lighthouse. It must be said that Bill was indeed a Doctor; his research lab was like a palace.
“Um, excuse me, can we use your phone?”
Ash went straight to the point as soon as he entered. After all, he was more worried about his Krabby now. Who knew how Doctor Oak would treat him?
“There’s a public phone right there!”
The voice of the lighthouse owner came, indicating that there was a public phone right next to them.
Yu Feng found it hard to imagine that a private research lab would have something like a public phone, and why did the voice sound exactly the same whether heard from inside or at the door?
Was it some kind of black technology? He wanted to learn it too! Every time he disciplined the little Ralts in the forest, he had to shout so loudly that his throat hurt.
Looking over at Ash, he skillfully dialed Doctor Oak’s phone number.
Soon, Doctor Oak’s end automatically answered the call. Doctor Oak, holding chopsticks, looked at Ash with a strange expression.
“Oh, it’s Ash. During the rainy season, tofu soup and chazuke are the most delicious.”
Doctor Oak, true to his title, smiled and educated Ash on what to eat during the rainy season, even when caught eating. He then picked up a piece of tofu and ate it with an expression of enjoyment.
Ash’s gaze wasn’t on what to eat. His eyes were fixed on the fish tank next to Doctor Oak, where a crab-like Pokémon was resting: “Is that… is that the Krabby I sent over?!”
Hearing Ash’s words, Doctor Oak was a bit surprised, but he still turned his body to let Ash see his severely underdeveloped Krabby.
Just as Ash breathed a sigh of relief, Doctor Oak continued as if twisting a knife in his wound: “That kind of severely underdeveloped crab, looking like skin and bones, isn’t tasty! The crabs Gary caught look much more appetizing than yours.”
Saying this, Doctor Oak again enjoyed a piece of tofu. As for Ash’s underdeveloped Krabby, with hardly any meat, who would eat it? He’d rather eat tofu.
(Fun fact: The claws of most crab and shrimp Pokémon naturally grow and fall off, and they are a type of food. Only a small number have an unsuitable taste for consumption.)
To prevent Ash from disbelieving him, he even moved the camera to show Ash’s and Gary’s Krabby in the same frame. The difference was immediately clear; Ash’s Krabby was like an undeveloped baby, not even half the size of Gary’s Krabby.
Doctor Oak’s words were full of praise for his beloved grandson. He even told Ash that Gary had now caught forty-five Pokémon, whether to show off or to motivate Ash.
“Doctor Oak, how is my Squirtle?”
Just as Doctor Oak was about to say something else, Yu Feng interrupted their conversation to ask about his Squirtle.
Although he didn’t particularly want to catch Pokémon other than Fairy-type and Psychic-type, and even though his Lao Mei had taken the liberty of catching her, as a Trainer, he still had to care for her properly.
“Oh, it’s Yu Feng! Your Squirtle is doing very well. She even trains herself, unlike the two Pokémon Ash sent back, which do nothing.”
Seeing it was Yu Feng, Doctor Oak also looked at him with a chuckle. Although this child was mysterious, once he received a Pokédex, he was one of them.
Moreover, his Squirtle actually knew how to train herself, completely unlike the Pokémon Ash sent back.
Both are Trainers, but Ash’s Pokémon count can’t compare to Gary’s, and their quality can’t compare to Yu Feng’s. This child really makes people worry.
Doctor Oak rambled on about many things, which temporarily disheartened Ash. Of course, Doctor Oak’s original intention was certainly not to discourage Ash. After asking about their current location, he hung up the phone after dropping a line: ‘You should learn from the lighthouse owner, Bill. He is a young researcher no less capable than myself. Let Bill guide you well.’
“Since it’s Doctor Oak’s request, I can’t neglect you all. I am the owner of the lighthouse, Bill!”
Doctor Bill’s voice rang out again. Compared to the previous deep tone, the current voice had a touch of vitality.
As this sentence sounded, the lights in the hall gradually brightened. The hall, which had looked like a cave, instantly became magnificent after lighting up.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice, where a giant Kabuto stood.
“That should be the extinct Pokémon Kabuto. Why is it in a place like this?”
Brock was very surprised by the appearance of the Pokémon in front of him. As someone from Pewter City, the home of rocks, he was not so unfamiliar as to not recognize this Pokémon that often appeared in fossils.
“I am not a Kabuto. I am the Pokémon researcher Bill. Well, saying all this is useless. Can I trouble you to press this button?”
The Kabuto, oh no, Doctor Bill, quickly explained that he was not a Pokémon, but after much thought, his current appearance was not enough to make them abandon that idea, so he could only ask them to help him press a button.
Why didn’t he press it himself? Good question! Kabuto’s arms were too short; he couldn’t reach the pre-set button at all. If Ash and the others hadn’t come, he would have had to find a way to save himself.
Ash and the others exchanged glances, and finally, the bravest Ash stepped forward to press the button.
As Ash pressed the button, the Kabuto armor on Bill’s body emitted a mechanical roar. As the mechanical parts detached, a dazzling white light emanated.
“Pleased to meet you all. I am the Pokémon researcher Bill.”
From the shedding Kabuto emerged Doctor Bill, a man with green hair wearing a dark red suit.
Before Ash and the others could speak, Bill knew what they wanted to ask and explained clearly: “This is a doll. I wanted to know what kind of mindset extinct Pokémon lived with in this world, so I entered this doll to ponder.”
Hearing Bill’s words, Yu Feng almost laughed out loud. There are no truly extinct Pokémon in this world; if there were, they would be cloned.
Not to mention the Da Sha Valley, where there was a pile of ancient Pokémon sleeping, and the Orange Islands, where there was an entire island of sleeping Kabuto.
“Can you understand a Pokémon’s feelings by entering a doll?”
Of course, Ash expressed doubt about Doctor Bill’s method. Could such an action truly understand the inner thoughts of Pokémon?
“Yes, I think it can.”
