After calming his excitement, Akg stopped in front of Professor Oak's lab and rang the doorbell.
Moments later, a man in a white lab coat opened the door and looked at him curiously.
"Hello, young man. What can I do for you?"
Akg smiled politely and answered, "I would like to meet Professor Oak. I want to register for the upcoming summer camp."
Hearing this, the man nodded and gestured for him to come in.
"Follow me. I'll take you to him."
Walking behind the lab assistant, Akg's eyes widened in amazement.
Everywhere he looked, there were high-tech machines, rare Pokémon, and researchers busily working.
It was a scene straight out of his dreams—no, it was his dream come true.
After weaving through the busy corridors, they finally arrived at a large room where Professor Oak himself was studying a clipboard while occasionally glancing at a Nidorino and Gloom battling under controlled conditions.
The assistant politely spoke,
"Professor, this young man wants to participate in your summer camp."
Professor Oak, hearing the voice, looked up and smiled warmly.
He waved the assistant away, leaving only himself and Akg in the room.
The professor studied Akg carefully for a moment, which made him a little nervous.
But remembering his manners, Akg bowed slightly and greeted,
"Good morning, Professor Oak. My name is Akg. I want to participate in your summer camp."
Hearing the boy's polite tone, Oak's smile grew even warmer.
He already knew about this child—the Pokémon Alliance had personally informed him about Akg, an orphan transferred from Goldenrod City after his ranger parents had tragically passed away in the line of duty.
Feeling sympathy and a desire to help, Professor Oak nodded without hesitation.
"Of course, Akg. Welcome to Pallet Town. I'm glad you want to join. Let's get your registration started."
Akg, pleasantly surprised by how easy it was, bowed again in gratitude.
Soon after, an assistant—a young, beautiful girl who resembled Oak a little—handed him the camp registration form.
(Unknown to Akg, this was Daisy Oak, Professor Oak's granddaughter.)
While filling out the form, Akg couldn't help but notice the girl occasionally glancing at him with curiosity.
His calm, mature aura stood out compared to other kids his age.
She felt a pang of sympathy too, having overheard about his situation.
After completing the paperwork, Akg got ready to leave, but Professor Oak stopped him.
"Before you go, Akg, I'd like you to meet my grandson, Gary. You'll probably be seeing a lot of each other."
Akg, realizing the importance of building relationships, especially with someone like Gary, nodded politely.
Professor Oak led him to the backyard, where Gary and another boy with spiky black hair—Ash Ketchum—were playing with a group of lively Pokémon.
When they noticed the professor approaching, both boys ran over.
Gary wore a cocky smirk but was respectful under Oak's gaze, while Ash was all sunshine and friendliness.
"Gary, Ash, meet Akg. He's new to Pallet Town and will be attending the summer camp too."
Gary gave a nod with a slightly arrogant attitude, but Akg expected this and didn't mind.
He smiled and shook hands with Ash, who cheerfully introduced himself.
"Hi! I'm Ash! Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Gary. I'll be the best Pokémon trainer ever," Gary added smugly.
Akg introduced himself back warmly, and to his surprise, the tension quickly eased.
The three boys soon found themselves chatting about Pokémon, dreams, and even a few harmless challenges.
Gary's pride slowly softened in the friendly atmosphere, and Ash's endless energy made everyone laugh.
By the end of the hour, the three had already formed the beginning of a real friendship.
As Akg prepared to say goodbye, Ash suddenly invited him:
"Hey, Akg! Come have dinner at my house tonight! Mom makes the best food!"
Akg's eyes lit up at the thought—not only could he build deeper bonds with Ash, but he'd also meet Delia Ketchum, a woman he admired even from his old world memories.
"Sure! I'd love to!"
After thanking Professor Oak and saying goodbye to his new friends, Akg left the lab humming a cheerful tune, feeling a happiness that warmed his heart.
Reaching his small house, he opened the door and collapsed onto the sofa with a huge smile.
"This... this is the beginning of my true journey."
And somewhere high in the God Domain, a certain beautiful goddess watched him with a smile filled with affection.