Coming out of the Pokémon Center, Xia You didn't go the long way around to Pallet Town to find Professor Oak; instead, he went directly to the Sakuragi Research Institute in Vermilion City.
The Sakuragi Research Institute is located in the suburbs of Vermilion City, covering a large area.
Behind the main gate is a large courtyard, and the main building is an imposing three-story structure with an attic.
It is said that this place was originally a noble's manor until half a year ago, when Professor Sakuragi bought it at a high price and converted it into a research institute.
Passing through the main gate, walking along the path, and finally ascending the steps of the institute, Xia You was about to ring the doorbell when he suddenly heard light footsteps behind him.
He turned his head to look, only to see a young girl wearing a white one-piece dress, very similar to a school uniform, standing not far behind him, curiously observing him.
The girl had a delicate and beautiful face, with long wine-red hair tied into a single ponytail and casually combed behind her head.
Her large eyes were very clear, making her appear clean and lovely.
Xia You recognized her identity at a glance.
It was Sakuragi Haruna, the childhood friend of another male protagonist, Xiao Hao, from the seventh Pokémon anime series, 'Journeys,' and also Professor Sakuragi's daughter!
Seeing Xia You standing in front of a research institute, Sakuragi Haruna tilted her head.
After sizing up Xia You, she softly asked, "Excuse me, is there something I can help you with?"
"Hello," Xia You showed a friendly smile and explained the reason, "I have some matters I'd like to ask Professor Sakuragi for help with.
Is he currently at the institute?"
"Looking for my dad?" Sakuragi Haruna hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "He's inside.
Come in with me."
Opening the door of the Sakuragi Research Institute, Xia You followed Sakuragi Haruna through the entrance hall and arrived at a place similar to a reception room.
He looked around and only then realized how astonishingly large this house was, like a small castle.
And judging by the layout, decoration style, and furniture arrangement, it was actually in an English manor style!
It must be said, Professor Sakuragi indeed had excellent taste.
Pointing to the sofa in the reception room, Sakuragi Haruna said, "Please wait here for a moment.
My dad is still working, I'll go let him know."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Xia You nodded, and after Sakuragi Haruna left, he did not sit on the sofa but slowly walked to the window.
Through the glass window, he could see a dense forest outside, full of spring vitality.
Looking a little further, he could see the bustling Vermilion City, and by calming his mind and listening carefully, he could faintly hear the sound of the waves.
The environment was indeed very elegant!
Even having arrived here and truly standing in this place, Xia You still felt a sense of unreality.
He stood in a daze, and before long, when Sakuragi Haruna returned, she was accompanied by a middle-aged man with the same hair color as her.
This middle-aged man was around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a kindly smile on his face.
Dressed in a white lab coat, it was evident from his attire that he was a highly scholarly researcher.
In Xia You's memory, Professor Sakuragi was not only a junior to Professor Oak but also one of the Pokémon Professors in the Kanto region.
In his youth, he had already been called a genius, with a promising future ahead of him.
Furthermore, despite his relatively young age, he was entrusted by the Pokémon League and was qualified to provide initial Pokémon and Pokédexes to new Trainers.
It could be said that he was one of the few authoritative figures in the entire Kanto region!
Upon seeing Xia You, Professor Sakuragi was about to speak but was drawn by the Yamper at his feet.
"It's a Ralts!? How rare!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a small Pokémon ran in from outside the door, and upon seeing Haruna, this Pokémon ran to her feet and affectionately rubbed against her pant leg.
Xia You looked down and saw that this Pokémon resembled a small, short-bodied dog, entirely tan in color, with a large mass of soft yellow fur around its neck.
Its bright, large eyes and lightning-shaped small tail made it look full of vitality.
So it's a Yamper...
At this moment, Yamper also noticed Ralts.
Its large eyes were full of confusion, wanting to approach, but then it saw Ralts's hand suddenly glow, which scared it into quickly retreating to Professor Sakuragi's side.
Professor Sakuragi crouched down, touched its forehead, and first calmed it down before looking up at Xia You.
"This is my Pokémon.
It's always been a bit overly energetic.
Did it startle you just now?"
"It's fine." Xia You gently shook his head, "I remember reading in the data that Yamper are very energetic Pokémon, and it's indeed hard to get them to calm down."
"Oh?" Professor Sakuragi paused, pushed up his glasses, "You know about it?"
"After all, I am a Pokémon Trainer, so I have a certain understanding of various Pokémon." Xia You smiled, "However, although I know its name, I don't really know much about it.
I only know that it's an Electric-type Pokémon from the Galar region, and if I'm not mistaken, the fur under its neck should be where it stores electricity!"
How is this not knowing much!?
He clearly knows a lot!
"You're well-informed, and your words and actions are quite extraordinary.
It seems you're not an ordinary Trainer." Professor Sakuragi was surprised by Xia You's knowledge and didn't bother with too much pleasantry, but directly asked, "Xiao Haruna told me you have something you need my help with?"
"I apologize, Professor, for disturbing your work." Xia You took out his Pokédex, "My name is Xia You, and I'm from the Kalos region.
I've just arrived in Kanto, and I've come today to ask for your help in upgrading the data on this Pokédex to make it a universal Pokédex for all regions of the world!"
Taking the Pokédex, Professor Sakuragi opened it and looked.
"Hmm, it does have a slightly different style from the Kanto region's Pokédex, but no problem, this is just a small matter.
Come inside with me."
Xia You hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, but from this, he could tell that Professor Sakuragi was indeed a very easygoing person.
Following Professor Sakuragi, Xia You walked out of the reception room and into the institute's work area, where, besides Professor Sakuragi, there were also two assistants, one male and one female, helping him with his work.
Among them, the female assistant was Kikuna, with a beautiful face and long, dark blue curly hair, while the male assistant was Renji, who wore glasses and had messy hair, appearing unassuming but very talented.
Kikuna and Renji were both very easy to get along with, and after being introduced by Professor Sakuragi, both showed great friendliness.
"Hello, I'm Professor Sakuragi's assistant, my name is Renji!"
"Hello, I'm Kikuna!"
Xia You shook hands with them and greeted them.
"Hello to you both, I'm Xia You, a Pokémon Trainer.
I'm sorry to cause you trouble this time."
Kikuna waved her hand, smiling, "It's no problem at all.
The institute hasn't officially opened yet, so our work isn't too busy; we're quite free."
"That's right." Renji also nodded in agreement, "There are only a few of us here at the institute, and it gets quite lonely.
Your visit today certainly adds some life to the institute!"
While they were talking, Professor Sakuragi, holding the Pokédex, operated it on a machine for a few minutes, then handed it back to Xia You.
"Alright, the data upgrade is complete.
So, are you going to start challenging the Indigo League next?"
"That's right." Xia You nodded, "However, I currently only have this one Ralts.
If I want to challenge the Gyms, I'll need to catch a few more Pokémon to expand my team."
Hearing about Pokémon, Renji immediately perked up.
He excitedly asked, "There are so many Pokémon in the Kanto region.
So, do you already have any targets you want to catch?"
"I already have a few targets." Without hiding anything, Xia You told them, "I definitely want to catch the royal three families: Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur.
As for other Pokémon, I'll just have to see what fate brings."