POKEMON : THE WAY OF PERCEPTION

The dinner table turned into a battlefield between Misty and her three sisters. The sisters kept piling food onto Ash's plate, teasing Misty while doing so. Misty, determined not to back down, matched their efforts and doubled the portions she served Ash.

"Enough! I can't eat anymore!" Ash exclaimed, looking at the mountain of food on his plate. No matter how much he tried to eat, the pile seemed to grow.

Seeing his distress, the sisters finally relented, and Misty also decided to hold back. The three sisters resumed their own meal, leaving Ash in peace, but the incident left Brock sighing with envy.

"Why Ash? Why not me?" Brock muttered, casting a wistful glance at the sisters, who completely ignored him.

After dinner, Misty stayed home for the night while Ash and Brock returned to the Pokémon Center.

It wasn't that Misty's home lacked guest rooms, but Ash believed Misty should spend time with her family, and he didn't want to intrude. Despite the sisters' attempts to persuade them otherwise, Ash politely declined, leaving Brock glaring at him in frustration.

"It's not like staying would help you. They still wouldn't notice you," Ash teased as they walked back.

"Pika-pika," Pikachu chimed in, nodding its agreement, much to Brock's dismay.

Back at the Pokémon Center, Ash headed to the phones in the lobby instead of returning to his dormitory. He remembered he had promised his mother, Delia, that he would call to check in whenever he reached a new city. But with all the events surrounding Misty and the Gym, he had completely forgotten.

Checking In with Delia

"Hi, Mom! I'm doing well. I just had dinner, and everything is fine. Oh, I've also made a new friend—Brock. He's with me now," Ash said.

"Hello, Mrs. Ketchum. This is Brock," he said politely, presenting himself in a far more composed manner than he had earlier in the day.

"Oh my, thank you for taking care of my Ash! He hasn't been too much trouble, has he?" Delia asked warmly.

"No, ma'am. In fact, Ash has taught me a lot. I'm grateful to have met him," Brock replied sincerely.

Delia chuckled. She knew her son well. While he had matured a lot over the years, she still couldn't imagine him being a source of wisdom for others.

"By the way, where's Misty? Did you part ways with her?" Delia asked curiously.

"No, Misty's home is in Cerulean City. We had dinner at her house earlier, and she stayed there while Brock and I returned to the Pokémon Center," Ash explained.

"Oh, so you've already met her family," Delia teased. "Meeting the parents already?"

"Mom, it's nothing like that!" Ash groaned, feeling embarrassed.

After chatting for a while longer, Delia remembered something important. "Oh, Ash, Professor Oak asked me to remind you to call him. He said he needs your help with something."

"Professor Oak? Okay, I'll call him right away," Ash replied, wondering what the professor wanted.

A Call to Professor Oak

After hanging up, Ash dialed Professor Oak's number. Meanwhile, Brock looked intrigued. He hadn't realized Ash had such a close relationship with the renowned Pokémon Professor.

"Professor Oak is my teacher," Ash explained. "He's always been there for me and helps guide my journey."

"I see," Brock nodded thoughtfully. It made sense now—Ash's growth wasn't just due to talent but also the mentorship of someone as esteemed as Professor Oak.

The phone connected, and the screen showed Professor Oak, casually eating instant noodles. He looked more like a relaxed grandfather than the world-famous Pokémon expert he was.

"Well, well, Ash! Long time no see. How are you doing?" Professor Oak greeted warmly, putting down his bowl.

"I'm doing great! My Pokémon are getting stronger, and I've earned two Badges already," Ash replied proudly.

"That's wonderful! I knew you and Gary would go far. Keep it up!" Professor Oak said, beaming. He then noticed Brock on the screen.

"First time meeting, Professor. I'm Brock," Brock introduced himself respectfully.

"Ah, Pewter Gym! I've heard about it. Compared to your unreliable father and mother, you're truly remarkable, Brock. You've taken on so much responsibility at such a young age," Professor Oak praised, leaving Brock both proud and humble.

After some casual chatting, Ash brought up the reason for his call. "By the way, Professor, my mom said you needed something from me?"

"Ah, yes! I almost forgot!" Professor Oak exclaimed, smacking his forehead. "Thank you for reminding me, Ash. Let me explain."

A New Mission

Professor Oak explained that a Pokémon fossil site had been discovered in a large valley between the Safari Zone and Cinnabar Island. Researchers at the site had uncovered something unusual and had sent some data to Professor Oak for analysis.

The professor wanted to share this information with Professor Bill, a fellow researcher and expert in Pokémon fossils. However, when he called Bill's lab, he learned that Bill wasn't there. Bill had traveled to the Kanto region, but none of the lab assistants knew his exact whereabouts.

Fortunately, Professor Oak knew Bill well enough to guess where he might be. Bill owned a lighthouse near the Cerulean Channel, northeast of Cerulean City, and often used it as a base of operations. Professor Oak had called the lighthouse and confirmed that Bill was there. However, due to limited facilities, Bill couldn't receive the materials Oak wanted to send.

"I need someone to deliver the data to Bill, and since Gary has already left Cerulean City, I was hoping you could take care of it," Professor Oak said.

Ash nodded. "Sure thing, Professor. I'll deliver it to Bill."

"That's great! Thank you, Ash. I knew I could count on you," Professor Oak said, relieved.

As Ash hung up the phone, he felt a new sense of purpose. Brock, standing beside him, looked impressed.

"You've got quite the mentor, Ash. Professor Oak really trusts you," Brock said.

Ash smiled. "Yeah, he's always believed in me, and I don't want to let him down."

With their next task clear, Ash and Brock prepared to set out for the Cerulean Channel to meet Professor Bill, unaware of the surprises awaiting them.

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