Not Being a Trainer This Time

”Hmm!”

Naoki turned around with Koraidon and left the scene.

No need to ask, it’s clear that Professor Sada and Professor Turo have again neglected Arven due to their research obsession.

Sigh!

Counting the time, there’s less than six years left until the start of the main storyline of Scarlet and Violet, and I really don’t know what the plot will be like afterward.

At noon, Naoki, invited by Raifort, experienced the students’ lunch at the Paldea Academy’s cafeteria.

Although it couldn’t match his cooking, the atmosphere of everyone enjoying lunch with their Pokemon was very precious.

After lunch, Naoki returned to the ranch, took out his Rotom Phone, and communicated with Professor Sada at the Area Zero Research Institute.

Soon, the call connected, and the confident face of Professor Sada appeared on the screen.

”Oh? It’s Naoki! What’s the matter with you calling today?” Professor Sada asked.

”Nothing much, has the recent research been busy?” Naoki casually asked.

”It is a bit busy.” Professor Sada, being smart, immediately caught the meaning in Naoki’s words.

She raised an eyebrow and said, ”Go on!”

”Ahem.” Naoki explained: ”Here’s the thing, I went to the Paldea Academy today and saw Arven. He seemed pretty lonely at school, not having many friends. It wasn’t until I invited him to the ranch that he finally smiled.”

”...” Professor Sada thought about her recent work and felt a headache coming on: ”Sigh, we have neglected him. No matter what, Turo and I must thank you properly.”

Naoki: ”...”

Professor Sada made him at a loss for words.

He couldn’t exactly tell Professor Sada to stop her research and spend more time with Arven, but she wasn’t that type of person.

After thinking it over, Naoki could only sigh helplessly.

Maybe Professor Sada thought Arven was grown up, mature, and could live on his own, which is why she felt at ease letting Arven stay at the school?

At this moment, the voice of Professor Turo called from behind Professor Sada.

”Sada, come quickly, there’s a new discovery!”

Upon hearing this, excitement gleamed in Professor Sada’s eyes.

”Naoki, I still have things to do, we’ll talk in detail later! If possible, please help Turo and me to look after Arven as much as possible!”

After saying this, Professor Sada ended the call.

Staring at the phone’s blacked-out screen, Naoki was momentarily speechless.

Meanwhile, at the bottom level of the Area Zero Research Institute in the Paldea Giant Pit.

Professor Sada and Professor Turo rode the elevator to this magnificent yet mysterious place once more.

They named it ”The Great Hollow of Zero.”

”Just now the instruments detected, the Hidden Treasure has shown abnormal reactions!” Professor Turo said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Professor Sada looked intently and saw a Pokemon with a gem-like appearance under a tree made of Tera crystals.

It was the ancient Pokemon sleeping underground, Terapagos.

For some reason, its body was very weak and had been sleeping since ancient times.

”Is Terapagos about to awaken?” Professor Sada softly murmured.

She couldn’t help but step forward, but before she got close, the surrounding Tera rocks suddenly burst out with brilliant beams of light.

The beams shot into the sky, instantly swallowing Professor Sada’s figure.

Professor Turo, standing behind, hadn’t yet reacted before he saw his wife disappear in a flash of light.

Professor Sada was startled by the sudden incident.

Terapagos and her husband had vanished, and a mist had risen around, bringing a strong smell of sulfur.

She calmly surveyed her surroundings, as the thick mist gradually dissipated, the scenery became clearer.

Professor Sada looked down at the ground beneath her feet, realizing she seemed to be in a high place, with the sky above, clearly not in The Great Hollow of Zero anymore.

”Huh? Just where is this... have I traveled through time?” Professor Sada slightly frowned.

Was it caused by the Tera Energy? As she knew, the Tera Energy was very peculiar, possessing the power to connect time and space.

The Time Machine at the Zero Lab was what she and Turo made using Tera Energy.

Once you leave the Paldea Giant Pit, the Time Machine can no longer activate properly.

And just at that moment, a surprised shout suddenly came from behind.

”Professor Sada?!”

Professor Sada turned her head and saw two girls standing not far away.

Beside one of the girls lay a Terapagos.

Seeing this Pokemon, Professor Sada was quite surprised.

”Who are you...? Have we met somewhere before? Unfortunately, I don’t have that memory.”

She looked down at the Terapagos and continued: ”I’m Sada, I engage in Pokemon research in Zone Zero.”

However, in the next second, a beam of white light flashed from the other girl.

Accompanied by a goofy-sounding ”Ahhh-gah-gah-s” growl, a silly Koraidon appeared beside the girl.

Professor Sada: ”!!!”

She looked incredulously at the Pokemon: ”This Koraidon...”

”Ah-gah-ow～”

Koraidon looked at Professor Sada, a sense of closeness in its demeanor.

And the girl with Koraidon seemed a bit sad, the other girl also showing a similar expression.

Professor Sada observed their expressions and soon understood.

”To you, I am someone from the past, right?”

”Yes.” Professor Sada lowered her head in thought: ”But time holds countless possibilities, perhaps this encounter is not merely connected past and future. Perhaps this meeting is just a fleeting miracle.”

”Professor...” one of the girls couldn’t help but whisper.

Yet Professor Sada smiled and invited: ”Why not make good use of the time and exchange meaningful information? Do you have anything you want to ask me?”

Hearing this, the two girls glanced at each other, and one of them asked: ”Why are you here, Professor?”

Professor Sada shook her head: ”I’m not clear on the specifics; I just know I was conducting some kind of research, and then suddenly found myself here. Was it influenced by the crystal Pokemon sleeping in that place?”

”Your family, Professor?” the other girl asked.

”Oh? You’re interested in my private life?” Professor Sada was a bit surprised: ”I have a child! But he should be at home now, no, that statement is incorrect, right?”

Remembering Naoki’s call just now, Professor Sada suddenly felt a bit sad: ”In any case, he must be very lonely, right?”

But now isn’t the time for these personal sentiments.

Professor Sada shook her head seriously: ”Let’s switch roles, let me ask questions now! Where is this place? It doesn’t seem to be Paldea.”

”This is the Crystal Light Pool in Kitakami.” The girl with Koraidon replied.

”Crystal Light Pool in Kitakami? I seem to have read about it in the literature. A place where the emerging water contains Tera Energy, even the coordinates differ greatly from where I should be.”

After speaking, Professor Sada suddenly noticed a white book in one of the girl’s hands.

”Huh? That book is? I’ve never seen this design! The title is ’The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero’, could I have a look?”

”Of course!”

The girl took out the book.

Professor Sada reached out to receive it and looked down closely.

”It mentions the Underdepths, even the awakening of Terapagos is recorded here?! Who exactly is Briar, the author of this book?”

”She’s a teacher!” The girl replied.

Hearing this, Professor Sada became even more curious: ”Huh? A teacher? Besides me, only those League people should be able to enter there!”

”No!” The girl with Koraidon responded: ”Teacher Briar has never been inside. This book was written after she visited a powerful trainer! That trainer stopped the Paradox Pokemon eruption, saving the Paldea Region!”

”Huh?” A powerful trainer? Professor Sada couldn’t help but ask: ”Who is he?”

The girl with Terapagos just opened her mouth, when the scattered Tera Energy in the air suddenly flashed intensely.

Professor Sada immediately noticed this scene.

And the girl’s answer also sounded: ”He’s my dad!”

However, Professor Sada had already disappeared from her location.