Agatha would definitely suspect his identity. It was only a matter of time before she came looking for him, and Lorelei's appearance likely meant she had already begun testing the waters.
While Shiro was still turning over possibilities in his mind, Lorelei skipped lightly to the table. She placed her notebook and pen in front of him, lowered her head, and said in a soft voice, "Dr. Corviknight. I really like your Evolutionary Magnetic Field theory. Please give me an autograph."
Her gaze remained fixed on the floor. Strands of red hair fell along her cheeks, covering most of her glasses and hiding her expression.
She was clearly nervous.
To a well-known scholar like him, she was probably nothing more than a passing admirer. She was not even a formal researcher or assistant.
"Uh… sure…"
Shiro paused for a few seconds, then quietly let out a breath.
Thinking about it, perhaps he was no different from Agatha. Seeing a Pangoro and suspecting it was only a Growlithe dyed black. How could a panda possibly be mistaken for a painted dog?
Lorelei had just graduated. She was young and obviously passionate about Pokémon research.
She was nothing like the gloomy old woman upstairs.
He picked up the black pen, signed his name neatly, and handed the notebook back.
"Here you go."
Lorelei immediately lifted her head. After checking the signature again and again, she finally closed the notebook with care.
That made ten signatures from famous Pokémon scholars.
A faint flush appeared on her face as excitement rose within her. She pressed a hand lightly against her chest to steady herself, then sat down beside Shiro.
Across the table, Dale had just finished writing something. Without paying attention to the newly arrived red-haired girl, he continued asking, "Is there a limit to the ways Pokémon can evolve?"
After thinking briefly, Shiro replied, "It may seem that there are many ways for Pokémon to evolve, but in reality there are only a few main paths. When it comes to specific Pokémon, however, there will definitely be differences."
"There is no end to Pokémon. So evolution has no end either. Even so, the methods share similarities. Patterns can still be summarized."
Lorelei's eyes brightened at once. Like Dale, she lowered her head and began writing quickly in her notebook.
What Shiro was explaining was, in truth, rather broad theoretical knowledge. If Rowan or Elm had been sitting here, they would have simply nodded and moved on.
But for Dale and Lorelei, these abstract ideas sounded profound.
It felt as if they grasped something important, yet at the same time sensed that something remained just beyond their reach due to their own limitations.
Shiro was in no hurry. He had more than enough Pokémon knowledge to keep them busy until tomorrow night without repeating himself.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
* * *
Up in the second-floor cabin, Agatha gradually grew impatient. She no longer paid attention to Gengar playing idly in the shadows.
Where were they?
Where was Lorelei?
And where was the Shiro she had asked to see?
Was Lorelei still asking questions?
What kind of questions could keep a young man and woman talking for so long?
Agatha's brows slowly drew together. Something did not feel right.
Lorelei was the typical academic-type trainer. Fresh out of the academy, she was far too quick to trust strangers.
She clearly admired that Shiro, that so-called "Dr. Corviknight." What if she had been deceived?
A trace of worry crept into Agatha's thoughts.
Most importantly, Lorelei had been personally entrusted to her by the principal of Silver Academy.
If her career were ruined at the very beginning because of some accident, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Gengar, let's go!"
Agatha stood up straight, no longer hunched, and strode toward the door with firm steps.
A qualified top trainer did not need unnecessary emotions, and certainly did not need some unknown man suddenly appearing to disrupt things.
"Gengen!"
Gengar spun in the air and followed her eagerly.
* * *
Agatha walked directly into the dining hall and immediately spotted the corner table.
It was already past mealtime. The crew and passengers who had lingered nearby earlier had gradually left after finding the Pokémon lecture too dull.
Yet at that table of four, three people still sat like a devoted teacher and attentive students.
"So…" Shiro took a sip of juice to moisten his throat before continuing, "Evolving into Froslass is not only about gender and level. A key item is also required."
"…"
Agatha stepped up beside them. She wanted to grab Lorelei by the ear, yet she had no proper excuse.
The girl was behaving like a diligent student. She was listening to a lesson.
"Geengar…"
Behind her, Gengar seemed bored and slowly melted back into the shadows.
Only after Shiro finished explaining Froslass's evolution did Agatha finally speak.
"Shiro… Dr. Shiro. I have some questions for you."
Shiro had been expecting this. Without any sign of surprise, he stood up and followed her.
Dale and Lorelei both lifted their heads, watching as he headed upstairs.
"Dr. Corviknight will be fine, right? That old woman looks fierce…" Dale muttered in concern.
Lorelei shot him an unhappy look.
"Grandma Agatha is not a bad person!"
Perhaps her tone came out sharper than intended. Bria, who had been dozing on the table, stirred and mumbled sleepily, "Huh? Grandma? Bad person? Is that a Pokémon?"
"…"
* * *
"Shiro. Tell me the truth. Who exactly are you?!"
Agatha's voice gradually turned colder and sharper.
Shiro had just sat down. Glancing briefly at Gengar making faces at him from a distance, he pressed lightly on the Poké Ball at his waist, where Haunter was ready to act, then turned to face her calmly.
Agatha had long been a veteran member of the Kanto Elite Four, one of the oldest among them. Her personality was sharp and unyielding. If she were compared to someone, she would resemble a strict mother-in-law who enjoyed making things difficult.
"Speak!" she demanded.
"Gengengen~" Gengar floated between them with its tongue hanging out.
Shiro hesitated a bit. Only after Agatha pushed Gengar back into the shadows with her cane did he clear his throat and respond.
"I am from Galar. I was born there. Later, I published the Evolutionary Magnetic Field Theory and Pokémon Evolution Theory on academic platforms. Now I have been invited to attend the Pokémon Academic Summit. That is all."
Agatha tapped her cane against the floor without courtesy.
"Nothing but empty words!"
She continued pressing him. "I know a little about Galar. Do you really think their League and corporations would let someone like you leave so easily?"
Shiro paused to consider.
By now, Agatha must have conducted a basic investigation into Galar.
If there had been a warrant or public notice concerning him, she would not be questioning him like this. She would have presented the evidence directly and used it to corner him.
With Rose's methods, if he was not carrying something the company absolutely required, then not issuing a warrant would indeed be the smarter choice.
No matter where he went, he was still a citizen of Galar. In name, he still belonged to Macro Cosmos and the Galar League.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!