The Pokémon Research Lab stood atop a hill on the outskirts of Pallet Town.
Behind it lay a vast ecological zone personally established by Professor Oak, carefully designed according to the habits of different Pokémon species. It could be considered an early prototype of the Blueberry Academy ecological dome. Within this area, one could encounter Pokémon of all types, living in environments tailored specifically for them.
Since they had already come all this way, Silas naturally had to accompany Serena and the others around the research institute. Only after they became familiar with the environment could he leave with peace of mind.
Professor Oak was busy with his research, so the role of guide naturally fell to Daisy, along with Ash and Gary.
Anyone even slightly familiar with Pokémon would recognize Ash and Gary. Their personalities had not changed much compared to how Silas remembered them as adults, which gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth.
But the moment he thought about the future relationship between Serena and Ash, Silas's expression subtly shifted.
His gaze locked onto the four little figures ahead, his teeth grinding audibly.
Why did he suddenly feel such a strong urge to beat Ash up?
"Cin?"
"Meow~?"
Cinccino and Torracat noticed the shift in Silas's mood and looked at him in confusion.
"It's nothing," Silas replied, gently patting Cinccino's large ears before quickening his steps to catch up.
Serena and the others had stopped near the courtyard, where they were feeding a group of Nidoran.
"Be careful," Daisy reminded them from the side, "don't touch the horns on their foreheads. They contain potent poison."
Serena and Korrina nodded obediently, moving gently and doing their best to show kindness.
The Nidoran cautiously approached, taking small bites of the food after a bit of hesitation.
"Idiot Ash, not a single Nidoran likes you."
The moment Silas drew closer, he heard Gary's mocking voice. A Nidoran was lying beside him.
Not only was it lying obediently, it even rubbed its head affectionately against the back of Gary's hand. Its large ears drooped slightly, clearly showing its fondness for him.
"Hey! Gary, you…"
"Call me Master Gary."
To Ash, losing to anyone was acceptable, but losing to Gary was absolutely not.
His face flushed red with frustration, and in a fit of stubbornness, he charged straight toward a Nidoran that was clearly twice the size of the others, the leader of the group.
And so…
Ash was sent flying through the air.
"Nice one, Nidoran!"
Silas stepped forward, feeding the leader Nidoran a piece of poison-type poffin it liked, patting its front paw as a reward.
"Nido!"
Unable to resist the delicious treat, the Nidoran devoured it and immediately began circling Silas like an excited puppy.
"That's amazing, Silas," Daisy said as she approached. "This Nidoran has a really bad temper. This is the first time it's ever shown affection to a human."
Gary's eyes sparkled with admiration. To him, a trainer like Silas was the ideal he aspired to become.
The Pokémon that had just been hostile toward Ash was now rubbing its head against Silas's leg. It even carefully avoided letting its horn touch him, afraid of hurting him. The contrast was so stark that Gary could not help but be amazed.
"Mr. Silas, how did you do it?" Gary asked eagerly, curiosity brimming. "I've tried feeding it before, but it wouldn't even touch my food."
Squatting down, Silas gently stroked the leader Nidoran's head. Seeing the anticipation in its eyes, he took out another piece of poffin.
"There's no real trick," Silas said with a smile. "It's just that the food I make suits its taste. At its core, this little guy is just a foodie."
"Big brother, look over there!"
Serena's voice called out, drawing everyone's attention toward the direction Ash had been sent flying.
From that direction, a group of six or seven Kangaskhan was walking toward them. The leader of the group was carrying Ash.
"Wow! So many Kangaskhan!" Korrina exclaimed.
Serena puffed her cheeks slightly, unwilling to admit defeat. "They're all smaller. None of them are as big as big brother's Kangaskhan."
In her eyes, her brother's Kangaskhan was the strongest of them all.
Seeing the group, Silas waved toward the leader. "Long time no see, Kangaskhan."
The Kangaskhan leader approached, looked around, and let out a questioning call.
"Kangaa~"
"She didn't come this time," Silas replied. "Oh right, she has a baby Kangaskhan now."
This Kangaskhan was Professor Oak's. Silas had known it for a long time. It could even be considered one of his Kangaskhan's mentors.
"Kang!"
The Kangaskhan leader was genuinely happy upon hearing the news and gently set Ash down.
At the same time, a baby Kangaskhan and a Pichu with spiky ears peeked out from its pouch, curiously observing the group.
As expected, Ash and Gary immediately started arguing again.
Meanwhile, Serena and Korrina played happily with the Nidoran, completely captivated by the abundance of Pokémon here. Their anticipation for the upcoming summer camp grew even stronger.
The ecological zone behind the research institute was vast. They visited a desert area inhabited by Sandshrew and Onix, and by the lake they even saw a red-eyed Gyarados.
As noon approached, Silas and Daisy finally dragged the four children back.
Just as they arrived outside the research institute, Ash and Gary suddenly rushed forward, loudly cheering for opposing sides on the battlefield.
"Go, Red! You have to beat that narcissist's brother!"
"Call me Master Gary!" Gary shot back immediately. "Blue won't lose! He's definitely going to defeat Red!"
Having just received their starter Pokémon from Professor Oak, Red and Blue exchanged helpless smiles before simultaneously tossing out their Poké Balls.
Silas, who had just arrived behind them, looked at the four boys who resembled each other by seven or eight parts and felt completely stunned.
This was bad.
This was clearly a merged world.
Silas could already foresee a series of major events that would shake the League in the coming years.
Though the details were fuzzy due to the passage of time, things like the fusion of the Legendary Birds, Team Rainbow Rocket, the Masked Man, and the chaos involving the Hoenn legends would all likely unfold.
If even one of these events was mishandled, the consequences would be unimaginable.
But for now, it was better to focus on the present and watch the very first Pokémon battle between these two rising figures, one destined for battle and the other for cultivation.
Squirtle used Tackle, knocking Charmander backward.
Charmander got up and retaliated with Scratch.
Squirtle retreated into its shell, protecting itself.
…
Three minutes later, the two Pokémon separated briefly.
Charmander and Squirtle stood in front of their respective trainers, panting heavily from the intense exchange.
"Chaaaar!"
"Squir!"
The flame at the tip of Charmander's tail burned fiercely. It had entered Blaze.
At the same time, Squirtle activated Torrent.
Both their Fire-type and Water-type moves were now strengthened.
"Charmander, Flame Charge!"
"Squirtle, Aqua Jet!"
Two slightly immature but equally passionate commands rang out simultaneously. Red and Blue's eyes burned with determination.
Charmander ignited its entire body in roaring flames, transforming into a blazing red comet as it charged forward.
Squirtle, enveloped in surging blue water, launched itself like a bullet to meet the attack head-on.
Boom!
The two collided violently, fire and water erupting in all directions as a small mushroom cloud rose into the air.
Ash and Gary clenched their fists nervously, standing on their toes to see the outcome.
"These two are really something," Silas thought to himself after observing the entire battle.
"They both have the potential to become champions… but I am still one step ahead."
(End of Chapter)
TN: Man, I hate merged pokemon worlds, they're so confusing to edit.