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However, in the years after he turned ten, Professor Cerise visited less frequently.
His daughter, Chloe, barely came at all, supposedly having gone to a Pokémon Research School.
Pokémon Research School is specifically for those who wish to study the theoretical knowledge of Pokémon. Graduating from a Research School makes it easier to enter the research field in the future and also lays a solid foundation.
Ash didn't know where Professor Cerise lived specifically. It was only when Professor Oak mentioned it today that Ash learned Professor Cerise actually lived in Vermilion City.
And today was also the opening day of his laboratory.
"Professor Cerise... I've heard that name. He seems to be a disciple of Professor Oak, has published many academic papers, and is quite famous in the research world. I didn't expect his laboratory to open today!" Brock mused, stroking his chin as he recalled the name Professor Cerise.
As a former Gym Leader, reading the news daily and keeping up with the latest rumors around the world was essential, so Brock also knew of Professor Cerise, though he had never met him.
"Yes, that fellow used to fly around everywhere. This year, he finally decided to settle down and open a laboratory near his home. As the saying goes, it's better to be lucky than early. Ash, you haven't seen Chloe in a long time, have you?" Professor Oak said to Ash while eating instant noodles.
Ash nodded: "Yes, it's been about a year or two, hasn't it? The last time we met was during her summer vacation. Afterward, it seems she spent all her holidays studying."
"Who is Chloe? She sounds like a girl?" Misty asked with a slight frown and a calm tone.
"She's Professor Cerise's daughter. Professor Cerise used to bring her to Pallet Town often, but then she went to Pokémon Research School and rarely came after that," Ash explained casually, then asked Professor Oak for Professor Cerise's laboratory address before hanging up the phone.
"Let me see, this place isn't very far from the Pokémon Center, it'll probably take about ten minutes to get there," Ash said after hanging up the phone, glancing at the location Professor Oak had given him on a large map of Vermilion City. He found the place was quite close to them.
"Then let's go! It'll be good to see what a laboratory opening is like, I've never seen one before," Misty said, adjusting her small backpack and walking towards the Pokémon Center entrance first.
"Hey, wait for me! Why are you walking so fast!" Ash called out to Misty while grabbing his backpack and jogging to catch up.
Brock followed slowly behind them, a thoughtful expression on his face... The three quickly arrived at the location of the laboratory Professor Oak had mentioned. On the steps at the entrance, there were still some fallen ribbons, looking like they were from recently fired confetti cannons.
The group walked up the steps and soon arrived at the laboratory entrance. The laboratory's main door was open, and inside, a middle-aged man stood on a raised platform, with a large screen projecting behind him.
The middle-aged man seemed to be explaining research related to Pokémon.
When Ash saw the image on the screen, he felt both familiar and unfamiliar. Unfamiliar because he had only seen the Pokémon in that image once, familiar because that one time, he had firmly remembered it. The image displayed was—Ho-Oh!
"...Ho-Oh hasn't appeared before humans in several hundred years. Legend has it that those who see Ho-Oh will receive eternal happiness and even have a chance to become the hero chosen by Ho-Oh, known as the Rainbow Hero. However, all of this is just a legend, and research on Ho-Oh has been stagnant for who knows how many years."
The middle-aged man, Professor Cerise, explained everything about Ho-Oh, his tone tinged with a hint of regret.
Misty and Brock, hearing everything Professor Cerise said, couldn't help but glance at Ash in the middle. The Rainbow Hero, who had seen Ho-Oh and gained Ho-Oh's recognition, was standing right there.
Ash, hearing Professor Cerise talk about Ho-Oh, couldn't help but smile proudly. He had encountered the once-in-a-century Ho-Oh and even became the Rainbow Hero. This was indeed something to be proud and happy about.
But he certainly couldn't say it out loud... "Professor Cerise, long time no see!" Ash shouted loudly as he walked into the laboratory, and for a moment, all the guests' eyes focused on him.
Professor Cerise on the stage was stunned for a moment, then reacted, a hint of joy appearing on his face: "Isn't this Ash? Why are you in Vermilion City? You didn't even tell me you were coming."
"I came to challenge the Gym. After defeating the Vermilion City Gym, I called Professor Oak and learned that your laboratory was opening today, so I came to see you," Ash said, looking around the laboratory with curiosity.
Compared to Oak's Laboratory, this one was slightly smaller, but renting such a large space in Vermilion City would definitely not be cheap each month, at least much more expensive than renting in Pallet Town.
"Professor Cerise, this is..." one of the guests asked curiously.
"Oh, this is Ash, a Trainer from Pallet Town. Ash, go inside and sit for a bit, I'll be right there," Professor Cerise said, pointing to the screen, indicating he still had something to do and asking Ash to go sit in the garden inside the laboratory for a while.
Ash nodded and led Misty and Brock into the laboratory's garden.
Upon entering the garden, Ash still instinctively compared it to the garden inside Oak's Laboratory. The result, naturally, was that there was no comparison... Oak's Laboratory's garden was more like a giant backyard, its area estimated to be several times larger than this laboratory's. But still, being able to secure such a large plot of land in Vermilion City already showed considerable strength.
"Buzz~~~" Ash, who was strolling in the garden with Misty and Brock, suddenly felt his head throb, and a strange waveguide appeared in his mind.
"Ugh..." Ash clutched his head abruptly, half-kneeling on the ground.
Brock and Misty, who were with Ash, were startled. Misty quickly came to Ash's side, her fair, tender hand supporting Ash's body, and asked worriedly: "Ash, what's wrong?"
"My head... it hurts a little... it feels like something is calling me."
"Huh? Something is calling you?" Misty looked up, her eyes shifting, but she didn't see any creatures around. All she saw were flowers and plants; there were no people or Pokémon.
But what was wrong with Ash?
"Over... there..." Ash felt the pain in his head lessen slightly, then he tremblingly extended his finger, pointing in one direction.
The place Ash pointed to was hidden by a patch of grass. Besides the flowers, plants, and trees, nothing else could be seen. So... was it behind those flowers and plants?
Supported by Misty, Ash slowly walked towards the patch of grass he had indicated. Passing through the grass, there was a small waterfall and a pond behind it.
Environmentally, this place was indeed very beautiful and very suitable for Pokémon to live in.
After Professor Cerise opened his laboratory here, some people connected to Professor Cerise could also choose this place as a Pokémon storage facility, just like Professor Oak behind Ash operated on the same principle.
But the focus wasn't on that right now... The focus was that there was nothing here either. There were flowers, grass, mountains, and water, but no people or Pokémon.
Misty looked at Ash, who had recovered quite a bit, and asked hesitantly: "Ash, did you feel wrong? There's nothing here."
"No mistake, it's right there." By now, he didn't feel as much pain, and he also understood the cause of his headache just now.
It was Aura... His mind had been attacked by Aura, and the message calling him was contained within that Aura that attacked him.
If he had been on guard, that level of Aura wouldn't have even been able to get close to him, let alone hurt him. But who would bother to use Aura for self-protection when there's nothing to do?
Therefore, even with Ash's powerful Aura, he still had a slight headache from that sudden attack.
Fortunately, the original intention of that attack was only to transmit information, and the force of the attack was not strong for Ash, so Ash quickly recovered.
He pointed out that the direction calling him was towards the pond. Misty and Brock looked in the direction Ash pointed, only seeing a small pool, nothing else.
After pointing out the direction, Ash also stepped forward without hesitation, with the others following closely behind.
A few seconds later, they arrived in front of the small pool. This small pool was separate from the pond and the artificial waterfall, and it was only about sixty to seventy centimeters wide.
When Misty and Brock arrived in front of the small pool, the former couldn't help but cover her mouth, because she saw a Pokémon egg in the pool!
"A Pokémon egg... Is this what Ash said was calling him?" Brock also couldn't help but say.
Pikachu and Ralts curiously came to the small pool, looking at the Pokémon egg quietly in the pool. The Pokémon egg was generally white, with some faint blue patterns, and on its top, there was a subtle but clearly visible crack.
"There's a crack on this Pokémon egg, is it about to hatch?" Misty lowered her hand from her red lips, blinking her eyes, also seeing the crack on the top of the Pokémon egg.
Generally speaking, when cracks appear on the surface of a Pokémon egg, it's the limit before it's ready to hatch.
"It should be about to hatch... But why is this Pokémon egg in the water?" Brock also leaned in to take a look. He didn't know why, but when he got close to the small pool, his head felt a sense of comfort and clarity.
It was as if he had suddenly received something that refreshed him.
"It's not about to hatch; this crack is a sign of the Pokémon egg being damaged," Ash said after a moment of silence.
One sentence changed the expressions of Brock, Misty, and Pikachu, and Ralts also let out a small gasp.
Damaged Pokémon egg? This kind of thing is actually very rare, because no matter whether it's a wild Pokémon egg or a domestically bred Pokémon egg, they are treated with caution before hatching.
Wild Pokémon eggs are guarded by their parents. Wild Pokémon are very aggressive towards outsiders after giving birth. If you want to touch their Pokémon eggs, you have to step over their corpses!
And domestically bred Pokémon eggs are even more so. Before birth, they are basically placed in incubators, provided with sufficient nutrient solution every day.
So generally speaking, it's rare for a Pokémon egg to be damaged, which is why Misty and Brock never thought of this in the first place.
As a result, this Pokémon egg in Professor Cerise's laboratory garden was actually damaged? What did this Pokémon egg go through? Why was it calling Ash?
Damaged and still able to call Ash from inside the egg... What kind of supernatural event is this?
Ash reached out, his palm slowly entering the pool...
"What are you doing!!" Just then, a surprised cry came, startling Ash, who then pulled his hand back.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw that it was Professor Cerise's arrival.
At this moment, Professor Cerise's face showed a hint of anger. He had told Ash and the others to rest, but he hadn't expected them to find this place and even try to touch that Pokémon egg.
The condition of that Pokémon egg was not good, and if they took it out of the water, everything would be over. And Ash's actions also reminded Professor Cerise of some unpleasant memories, which is why he, usually so gentle, instinctively blurted out a reprimand.
"Professor Cerise! Sorry, we didn't mean to come here, it's because of some special circumstances..." Misty quickly apologized when she saw the person was Professor Cerise.
This place was Professor Cerise's territory. Them wandering around here, and even trying to touch someone else's Pokémon egg, was indeed their fault.
"Phew... I'm sorry, I was too agitated. I told you to wander around here freely. I suddenly remembered some unpleasant memories, so my voice was a bit loud..." Professor Cerise let out a light sigh, seemingly exhaling the anger in his heart, and a gentle smile reappeared on his face.
"It's our fault... But Professor Cerise, what's wrong with this Pokémon egg? These cracks don't mean the Pokémon egg is about to hatch, but rather that it's damaged, right?" Ash also apologized, then quickly got to the point.
He felt that the Pokémon egg had been continuously emitting faint Aura to the outside world, but no one could sense it except him, who possessed Aura.
Even if he hadn't come within ten meters of the Pokémon egg, he wouldn't have been able to sense the faint Aura it was emitting.
If the Pokémon egg hadn't done that to him, he truly wouldn't have known there was a Pokémon egg here that was on the verge of death.
That's right, on the verge of death...
In Ash's perception, the Aura representing the life of the Pokémon egg was already like a flickering candle in the wind, with only a breath left. Once that breath disappeared, it would mean the Pokémon egg had completely lost its vitality.
Hearing Ash's question, Professor Cerise sighed lightly, a wry smile appearing on his lips: "This is a long story. Actually, this Pokémon egg has been in this pond for five years. If it weren't for the pond keeping it alive, it would probably be a rotten egg by now."
"Five years!!"
"The pond keeping it alive?!"
Misty and Brock both exclaimed, greatly shocked by what Professor Cerise said.
Because a damaged Pokémon egg surviving for five years... is absolutely unprecedented and unheard of!