Rose reminded Gancena of her own mother. She immediately began helping Red settle back in for his visit and insisted on a couple shopping trips, including one to Viridian, to restock his supplies. Gancena sat back at the dining table as Red and Pikachu went upstairs to bathe and Rose shuffled about with his laundry. Before heading out to buy food, she asked Gancena if she needed anything.

"Um… Gr-Green apples," she answered, immediately wondering if she was supposed to be specific. "About four or five."

"Absolutely! Anything else for later?"

"Um… nothing that I can think of, at least."

"But your backpack was so light when I picked it up," said Rose. "Are you sure you're not missing any supplies? A water bottle? A sleeping bag? Anything like that?"

"I'm missing a lot of things," Gancena admitted. "But I really shouldn't impose. I'm the one who's underprepared, so I'm the one who should make up for it."

"Gancena, please," Rose whispered. "I want you to find what you're looking for, and I don't want you to worry about lacking supplies. Let me help you."

Gancena blushed and looked down. "You're too kind, Rose…"

Rose smiled. "You're not the first to say that. Please. Tell me what you still need."

"Those things you mentioned," Gancena started, "and, uh…" Gancena's heart jumped before she continued in a whisper. "Female things. You know?"

"I do. Anything else?"

"Not that I can think—Oh, a purple shirt like this one, if you can find one. I'm a medium size…"

"All right. Don't worry about this, Gancena. I'd feel awful sending you off unprepared."

Gancena took a deep breath and realized: She was lucky. The supply situation just worked part of itself out, for the moment. "Thank you very much, Rose."

"You're welcome. I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

When Rose left, Gancena found nothing better to do than remain where she was and wait for Red, still upstairs. She wished she had her phone, but briefly wondered how it would even work out here... geez, had Pokégear even been invented yet? She thought about getting her Super Scope from upstairs and giving it a closer look, but she didn't want to risk Red seeing her handle it.

Then she heard footsteps, and Pikachu emerged from behind the wall next to the stairs, looking visibly cleaner. "Pi, Pika-chu!" he said, waving.

"Hi, Pikachu!" she cooed, waving back.

Red followed. He wore a new set of clothes, though his hat and jacket were missing, still in the wash, and his hair was wet. "Hi, Gancena. Did Mom leave?"

"A few minutes ago, yeah. That was fast."

"I didn't wanna leave you waiting, since Mom was gonna be out. Wanna come see my room?"

Gancena perked and stood. "Sure!"

Red's room was after his mother's and before Gancena's. She stepped in and was immediately envious.

"Dang! Is that a Super Nintendo?"

"Uh-huh! I mean, I haven't been able to play since before I left, but I thought we could while waiting for Mom! I wanna show her the rest of my Pokémon at lunch, so they can all eat with us!"

Gancena's stomach tingled. "Sure! What do you have?"

Red pulled a small box full of cartridges from a dresser drawer and started shuffling through them. Pikachu peered into the box, sniffing at its contents. "Well, not all of these are two-player… Oh!" He pulled one out. "I would play this one with Dad all the time when he was around!"

Gancena's heart jumped when Red mentioned his father, but focused on the cartridge he held in front of her. "Pokémon Baseball League…" she read. That exists? "Well, I'm not one for sports games, but, sure, I'll give it a shot, at least."

Gancena didn't do very well at Pokémon Baseball League, even after Red explained the gameplay, but she found she wasn't very focused on trying to win. She was simply happy to feel the SNES controller—real, working, and just like those from her world—in her hands for the first time in well over a decade.

"All right, everyone! Come on out!" Red lightly tossed five Poké Balls, one at a time, and the rest of his Pokémon emerged in bursts of white light.

The first was a Pidgeotto, a tan bird Pokémon a little bigger than Pikachu with dark marks around his eyes and a head of long pink feathers. He stretched his wings and gave a short call.

Then came Butterfree, a purple butterfly Pokémon with lovely patterned white wings and red compound eyes. She fluttered and landed gently on the edge of the dining table, looking everyone over.

Following Butterfree was Bulbasaur, a small Pokémon of a blue body with small, darker blue spots and a big green bulb on his back. He spoke his name and nodded to Rose and Gancena.

Then there was Charmander, a bipedal orange lizard Pokémon with a tan belly and a flame at the tip of his tail. He looked up first at Rose, then at Gancena and waved at them briefly.

Finally, there was Squirtle, a bipedal light blue turtle Pokémon with a brown shell and a curly tail. He stretched his arms out and muttered something.

"They're all adorable!" Gancena declared, sitting down to meet their level.

"Thanks! They're all really nice, too. You can talk to them!"

Charmander had already approached Gancena, leaning in to scent her. "Hi, Charmander," she said, holding out her hand.

"Char!"

Gancena had to admit she was nervous as Bulbasaur began to stare at her and Squirtle approached, too. Though she had interacted with Pikachu readily enough, she had no real idea how to handle Pokémon. She'd kind of figured it'd be like handling animals, but Pokémon were, on the whole, far more intelligent. How was she supposed to account for that?

"I'm Gancena," she started. "You're all cute."

"Squirtle-tle!?"

Gancena looked to Squirtle and saw he had his arms crossed, chest puffed out. "Squir-squir-squirtle, squir-squirtle! Squirtle squirt Squirtle!"

"Gancena knows you're tough, Squirtle," said Red. "She just likes that you're cute, too!"

Squirtle exhaled, though he didn't move his arms, and Bulbasaur spoke to him. "Bulba-bulbasaur… Bul-Bulbasaur!"

Charmander suddenly hugged Gancena's arm, and she gasped quietly in delight. "Char charmander char-char!" He looked up at Gancena. "Char-mander cha-charmander…"

"Red, aren't Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle all Indigo League starters? How did you manage to get them all?" asked Rose.

Butterfree made a soft noise as Red answered. "I met Bulbasaur in Cerulean City, in a Pokémon shelter. Charmander's old Trainer was giving up his journey, so he had to give some of his Pokémon away. And Squirtle was caught by a police officer in Vermillion City."

Gancena felt Charmander squeeze a bit tighter when he was mentioned, and Gancena glanced at him before looking at Red. "That's very lucky, Red. Don't most Kanto Trainers start only with a choice of one of three?"

Pidgeotto made an affirmative call, nodding, and Red did the same. "That's right. I started differently, though—with Pikachu. Trainers could get all three Kanto starters with some trading, but most won't do that."

"Completely understandable." She smiled and pet Charmander, who snapped into attention, startling Gancena. He let go of her arm and stepped back, looking apologetic.

"You okay, Charmander?" asked Red.

Charmander looked at Red and nodded. Gancena carefully reached out and petted his head again, and he hummed, smiling.

"You wanna know something else?" Red continued. "All three starters could evolve any day now. They're strong enough. But I wanted you to see them first, Mom!"

"Oh, that's so sweet, Red!" Rose said, hugging her son. "You're so sweet, Red!"

Gancena hid a grin. Pidgeotto suddenly jumped up, flapping his wings, and landed square on Gancena's shoulders.

"Ah-aah!" Gancena went completely still, and Pidgeotto leaned down, looking Gancena in the eye.

"Pidgeo!"

"Ah!" Gancena almost jumped, and Pidgeotto flapped his wings thrice to keep balance. He cooed. Gancena started laughing, and thought she felt tears come to her eyes.

"This—! This is the best day ever!"

As Rose promised, Red and Gancena set out for Professor Oak's lab once everyone's meals were done while Rose headed for Viridian City. Professor Oak's lab was farther southeast than the houses in Pallet, a sizeable white building surrounded by large pastures and punctuated by a white windmill.

"There are lots of Pokémon at the lab," said Red. "They're from Trainers who all got their Pokémon license here, in Pallet Town. Since we can only carry six Pokémon at a time, the rest come here. I haven't seen a lot of them in a little while, so we're going to visit them, too."

"The best day ever just keeps getting better!"

Red grinned, and then he got an idea. "Before we go there, do you wanna stop by the park and see the Pidgey?"

"Pidgeys at the park?" she exclaimed.

"If you liked Pidgeotto, you'll love the Pidgey," said Red.

"Let's do it! It sounds fun!"

The park was a little stretch of green between some of the houses, complete with a playground. The only occupant when Red, Pikachu, and Gancena entered was a young blonde girl with a sunhat, surrounded by at least a dozen Pidgey. The moment they stepped in, two turned around, and they alerted the others with happy little chirps.

The girl looked up and at least half the flock hopped and fluttered towards Red. He laughed, and Gancena ducked a bit. "Hey, everyone!"

"Red!" called the girl, running towards them. "And Pikachu! You're back!"

Gancena relaxed and Pidgey hopped and fluttered as the girl hugged Red. "Oh!" Red chuckled and hugged the girl back. "Hi, Yellow. Yeah, we're back. Just for a little while, though."

"Pi, Piikaa!"

Yellow let go of Red and kneeled to pet Pikachu. "I'm still happy to see you!" She looked up at Gancena. "Hi! I haven't seen you before! What's your name?"

"I'm Gancena."

Yellow giggled. "I've never heard a name like Gancena before! Where are you from?"

"Not Kanto. And, you know, I've never heard a name like Yellow before." At least, not in real life…

"Then where are you from? Johto?"

"Nope. Somewhere farther than that."

"Hoenn? Sinnoh?"

"Pidge!"

Gancena looked at the tiny bird Pokémon by her leg, and she crouched. "Even farther than that." The Pidgey fluttered backwards, and it and others looked curiously at her.

"Oh!"

Gancena looked, and Yellow dug into a pouch on her hip as Red sat down. A Pidgey perched on his knee, and Yellow dropped several handfuls of seeds into Red's waiting hands. Red presented the seeds to the Pidgey, who happily pecked away. Pikachu made a delighted sound, and turned to another Pidgey, starting a conversation with it.

Yellow held out her closed fist to Gancena. "Here, Gancena, take some!"

"Oh—uh…" Gancena held out one hand, and Yellow filled it up.

Gancena sat down and then tentatively held out her hand to the two Pidgey closest to her. They hopped forward, curiously smelling her hand before carefully eating out of it.

Gancena's stomach tingled, but she also felt a burst of happiness. Yellow scattered some seed on the ground around them all, and the remaining Pidgey partook. Even Pikachu picked up and nibbled curiously on a seed. Gancena giggled, and one of the Pidgey hopped away from her hand.

"It's okay, everyone," said Yellow.

Gancena looked to her. "Eh?"

"Relax, Gancena. You're a little nervous, and the Pidgey aren't sure why, so they're a little nervous, too." Yellow sat next to her, and put a little more seed into her hand. "Keep your hand closer to you this time. They'll come to you, and you can even pet them."

"Okay…" Gancena took a deep breath and presented her hand again. The two Pidgey hopped closer and started eating from Gancena's hand again. Gancena carefully presented her empty hand. The Pidgey that had hopped away paused and glanced at it. Gancena carefully stroked the top of its head with two fingers. It cooed.

Gancena smiled. "You're so sweet…" she whispered, gently scratching the back of its neck. "You're all such sweet little Pidgey. …They're really calm, aren't they?"

"Mm-hm. We've all been friends with these Pidgeys since we were littler."

"Most of us were, at least…" said Red.

Gancena, still stroking the Pidgey near her, looked at him. "Most?"

"Blue wasn't really interested in them before he started his journey," said Red. "It's… It's kind of weird. He was friends with them once, too."

"But they have a new friend now!" said Yellow, looking at Gancena.

Gancena blushed and looked away. "I just met them, though…"

"So? We just met, and I think we're friends."

Gancena beamed, looking back at the Pidgey, who chirped happily.

No one was quite sure how long they ended up staying in the park, but it didn't seem to matter. Yellow stayed behind, still playing with the Pidgey, while Red, Pikachu, and Gancena moved on to Professor Oak's lab.

"So Yellow's your friend?" Gancena asked.

"Mm-hmm. She's only seven, so it'll still be a few years before she can start her Pokémon journey. She likes to say that me and Blue left her behind when we started. She made me promise to write her from every city in Kanto."

"Does she play with the Pidgey often?"

"Almost every day. She's really good at figuring out what Pokémon are feeling. I learned some things from her before I left."

"And is that why you can understand your Pokémon's speech so well?"

Pikachu waved a paw. "Pi-Pika."

"A bit. It's mostly practice, though." Red looked at Gancena. "You've never really talked to Pokémon, have you?"

Gancena winced. "Er… no. No real… opportunities."

"I could kinda tell," Red admitted. "I don't get it, Gancena. You know so much about Pokémon and love them, but you're not a Trainer, even though you're much older than me. It doesn't make much sense."

"A lot of things about me don't make much sense," Gancena said, chuckling nervously. "But… where I'm from, we're very sheltered…"

"Oh! You must be from Unova!"

"Eh?"

"I hear lots of trainers in Unova don't start until they're fifteen, even though ten's still the minimum age!" Red and Pikachu laughed. "I can't imagine!"

"I… totally can." Gancena was tempted to go with Unova as an origin place. It seemed to make sense to Red.

"How old are you, Gancena?"

"I'm… nineteen years old," she answered, looking away. "It's a little embarrassing, actually..."

Red and Pikachu exclaimed in unison. "Pi! Piikachu!?"

"Whoa! Nineteen!?"

"Yes, yes. Nineteen."

"I thought you were fifteen!"

"I'm short, okay?" said Gancena, kicking a rock. "I'm only like five feet while everyone else is at least five-foot-five."

"But you're nineteen and not a Trainer… how'd you get all the way over here, then? And why?"

Gancena's heart jumped. "I was… sent here." It was the exact answer she used on Rose, she knew, but what else could she say to Red? "I'm… looking for something."

"From where? And for what?"

Gancena stared ahead, looking a bit solemn. "…It's… complicated, Red. I wouldn't worry about it."

Red and Pikachu were surprised. They glanced at each other. "Complicated… how?" Red wasn't sure he should be asking any more questions, but he had to admit he was curious.

Gancena looked up at the sky. "…If I told you, I'm not sure you would believe me." But there was a chance he was her guide, meaning he was already believing it. If that were true, then Red would probably be asking her if she knew about Selene and the Thoughtless.

So if Red wasn't her guide, then… who?

The sounds of many Pokémon caught everyone's attention. Gancena looked back ahead and grinned. "Listen to that!"

Red smiled. "That's where Professor Oak keeps Trainers' Pokémon. There's a huge pasture by the lab where they can all play and live."

"That's wonderful!"

"But, Gancena…"

"Yeah?"

Red hesitated. "…I know you said I might not believe you, but I'd still like to know where you're from. Could you tell me after we've finished speaking with Professor Oak?"

Gancena thought, and quickly realized that if the Thoughtless were indeed in Kanto, he was going to find out anyway. "All right. You have my word."

Red nodded. "Let's go see the Pokémon first. Then we'll go inside."

"Geez!" Gancena exclaimed. "You weren't kidding when you said the pasture was huge!"

The pasture had looked like a sliver of the size it was from afar. From where she was, Gancena could eye at least a hundred Pokémon from varying regions. Land-based Pokémon roamed the vast field. Gancena could pick out the shadow of a Houndour's fur and the huge back of a Parasect. In the distance, some water Pokémon swam across large ponds and others in a sectioned-off part of the ocean beyond. A Goldeen's tail gleamed there. Birds from Fearow to Braviary soared and called.

"Dad and I both have Pokémon here," said Red. He suddenly pointed. "I can see Golem from here!"

Gancena felt another little jolt. She decided to ask. "So your dad's a Trainer, too?"

"Uh-huh. He's been in Unova since before I started my journey."

What a surprisingly simple explanation, Gancena thought. She looked up. "That Braviary, then…"

Red and Pikachu also looked. "Which one?"

"Hm? The big blue one with the white feathers near the head." She pointed. "Can you see…?"

"Yeah. Never seen a Pokémon like it before. What about it, though?"

"Braviary's an Unova native. Could it be from your father?"

"I don't know… he writes regularly, but I haven't been around for a while. Mom would know if it is." Red hopped off the fence. "But I can ask Professor Oak."

The two walked along the fence in silence, staring at the pasture.

Gancena finally asked, "What's your father's name?"

"Glehn." Red paused. "What about your parents, Gancena? Are either of them Trainers?"

"No… that's part of why I haven't really interacted with Pokémon."

They were at the lab door. "Maybe you can start now!" Red suggested as he knocked. "You're more than old enough for a Trainer's license! Maybe you can ask about it after Professor Oak's test!"

Gancena grinned. "…I think I will, Red."

They waited. The door opened, and Gancena stood as straight as she could, for Professor Samuel Oak had appeared. Gancena was surprised that the professor looked younger than she expected, in spite of his graying hair and a few wrinkles near his dark eyes. He wore an open lab coat and a red dress shirt underneath.

"Red! What a surprise! I didn't know you came back to Pallet! Is everything all right?"

"It sure is, Professor! This is Gancena. She came here last night. We wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"Of course." Professor Oak looked at Gancena and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you… Gancena, yes?"

Gancena shook it. "Yes, sir! It's an honor, Professor!"

"Both of you, come in! What is it you need to discuss?"

"Well…" Red paused and slipped his hand into his pocket, taking out his Pokédex, a small red device. "Could you rate my Pokédex first?"

Professor Oak took it. "Certainly."

As he walked to a large monitor, Red continued. "And after that, could you ask Gancena some questions about Pokémon?"

"What kind of questions?" Professor Oak slid the Pokédex into a slot under the monitor.

"Any kind. Gancena and I are gonna travel together, and I wanna know how much she knows about Pokémon!"

"How much she knows?" Professor Oak glanced at Red, then back to the monitor, typing all the while. "If she's here for a Pokémon license, she doesn't need me to test her. She's clearly old enough."

"She's coming along as my guide."

"So you want to gauge how much she can help you?"

"Pretty much!" answered Red.

"…Yeah, pretty much," said Gancena.

"All right. Let's see your rating first, Red…" The monitor displayed a scrolling list, with two counters increasing as it went. Red and Gancena stood behind Professor Oak.

An automated voice spoke as the final counts were shown. "Pokédex Rating for Red Spruce of Pallet Town: Sixty-seven species seen. Twenty-seven species acquired. Acquisition rate: Forty point three percent."

"Hmm…" Professor Oak thought. Red and Blue had seen almost the same number of species, but Red had caught and far less. It was true Professor Oak had been receiving less Pokémon from Red as time went by…

Regardless, for a new Trainer his age, this was, frankly, impressive.

Professor Oak just wondered where the discrepancy was coming from. They were different boys, sure, but he couldn't help but consider that Red had come all the way home while he hadn't heard from Blue other than Pokémon transfers once or twice a week…

He looked at Red and smiled, handing him the Pokédex. "Well done, Red."

Red sighed in relief. "I thought you were gonna say something about how often I'd been catching Pokémon."

"…Well, I can't say I didn't notice."

Red stiffened a bit. "Oh, uh… Well, when I started catching a lot of Pokémon," he said, scratching the back of his head, "it got a lot harder to keep switching them out and keeping them all at the same strength, so I… slowed down, I guess."

Professor Oak smiled and nodded. "And that's perfectly fine. Yes, you're compiling a Pokédex, but I don't want you to overtax yourself. Go at your own pace."

Red relaxed and smiled. "Thanks, Professor."

Professor Oak turned to Gancena. "And with that, I believe we can begin your test. I should ask, Gancena: did you happen to attend a Pokémon school?"

"Not a day in my life, sir."

The answer took Professor Oak off guard, but he kept his composure. "So what, exactly, would you like me to test you on?"

"You can just ask me about any Pokémon and I'll tell you as much as I know about them: type, evolution line, region, maybe Pokédex number. Things like that."

Professor Oak nodded and approached his desk, opening a drawer and pulling out several folders. "All right. We'll start with fairly common species and work our way up to rarer ones. And, er, this is just to see how much you know, yes?"

"That's right."

"Hmm… all right, let's start with this one." Professor Oak tugged a paper halfway out of a folder, showing a photograph of a quadrupedal, horned, pinkish-purple Pokémon.

"A Nidorino. Poison-type. Evolves from male Nidoran and evolves into Nidoking with a Moon Stone, upon which he also becomes Ground-type. The Viridian Gym leader may have a Nidoking; I'm not sure."

Professor Oak's eyes widened a bit when Gancena mentioned the Gym. Most non-Trainers who weren't native to the Gym cities knew much about the Leaders.

Red and Pikachu glanced at each other, awed.

"Are you from Viridian, by any chance, Gancena?"

"No, Professor. Why?"

"The fact that you knew about its Gym despite not being a Trainer is impressive. But let's continue the test for now… ah, here's one." Professor Oak tugged a new picture of a white unicorn-like Pokémon with fire for mane.

"A Rapidash! A Fire-type that evolves from Ponyta. Rapidash are known in particular for their speed—with the ability to run up to 150 miles per hour, it's the single—one of the fastest land-based Pokémon in existence!"

"That was good," Professor Oak said, tucking the paper back in. "Let's try a slightly rarer species… hmm… How about this one?" Professor Oak showed Gancena a picture of a small brown Pokémon that appeared to be wearing a skull and clutching a club-shaped bone.

"A Cubone, a Ground-type which evolves into Marowak. The skull on its head… actually, I have a question about that. But, uh… I believe you can find one in Lavender Town, actually."

Professor Oak tucked the paper in its folder, smiling. "Gancena, that's impressive! Cubone are native to Kanto, but they and Marowak are very secretive species. Not many would know where to find one without being told. How did you learn this?"

"Uh… it's kind of unbelievable. May I tell you after the test? And after I ask about the skull?"

"Er, all right. In the meantime… Ah, perfect! How about this one?" Gancena was shown a picture of a deep purple floating Pokémon with disembodied hands and no feet.

"Whoa…" said Red. "I don't think I've ever seen that Pokémon."

"That's a Haunter, a Ghost- and Poison-type. It evolves from Gastly and into Gengar when it's traded to another Trainer… right?"

"Gengar can be. But prolonged interaction with multiple humans can also suffice."

"Ah! I didn't know that. All I'd heard was that some Pokémon evolve through trading. I wasn't even quite sure how it worked." Gancena scratched the back of her head, looking at Red. Professor Oak started searching for a new folder.

"I'd heard that, too, but only every now and then. I didn't even know which Pokémon they were."

"Machoke, to Machamp… uh, Kadabra to Alakazam… ah, and Graveler to Golem, of course! There are also a few that evolve only while holding certain items…" Gancena looked back at Professor Oak, trying to jog her memory. She thought of species such as Steelix and Politoed, and then of Mount Coronet, a place in Sinnoh, and a new idea came to her. She paused and said "…I think you could even show me a Pokémon that's not originally from Kanto and I'd probably get it. …Well, check that: I may or may not know if it's from Unova, but Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh are fair game."

"Ah, all right…" Professor Oak opened a different drawer and pulled out a new folder. He presented Gancena with a picture of what looked like a floating flower bush with a small black head poking out.

Red laughed. "I've definitely never seen this one. It looks kind of funny."

"That's a Wormadam, from the Hoenn region—the Grass Cloak, specifically, a Bug- and Grass-type." Gancena was a little surprised at herself—it'd been a while since she'd thought of Hoenn—but the more she talked, the more she remembered. "It evolves from Burmy, which is just a plain Bug-type. The thing about Burmy… it can have one of three cloaks, depending on its location: Grass, Sand, and Trash. When it evolves into Wormadam—only if it's female, actually, the males evolve into Mothim—whatever cloak it's wearing becomes permanent. If it's Grass, it also becomes a Grass-type. If it's Sand, a Ground-type. If it's Trash, a Steel-type. …Right?"

Red's jaw had dropped, but Professor Oak said, "All of that is accurate… except the region."

Gancena flustered and flinched. "Oh, whoops."

"Burmy, Wormadam, and Mothim are native to the Sinnoh region, but you're absolutely correct about their typing and relatively complex evolution. I'm impressed, Gancena. Are you sure you haven't attended a Pokémon school?"

Gancena couldn't help but grin a bit. "Not a day in my life, sir, I promise. I couldn't tell you the name of a single school."

Professor Oak slowly tucked the photograph back into the folder, thinking. Gancena might have been lying, he realized. But why would she want to?

He looked a folder that was still tucked between the bookends on his desk—one full of collaborative data with the Pewter City Museum. He wondered…

"Gancena, have you been to Pewter City recently?"

"I've never been, sir."

"Then I doubt you've seen any of these, but I would like you to see at least one, anyway."

"What are they, exactly?"

"Extinct Pokémon whose fossils some colleagues at the Pewter Museum and I have examined." He pulled out a paper displaying three photographs of a skeleton at three different angles. "If you can identify this Pokémon, you may tell me as much as you know about it."

Gancena glanced over them. The skeleton was dragon-like, with thin bones that appeared to outline wings and a long tail.

"Aerodactyl," she said after a second.

Professor Oak couldn't hide his surprise. Gancena became a little nervous, but she continued. "A… Rock- and Flying-type, I think. An extinct Pokémon, like you said."

"You're… sure that you haven't seen this fossil at the Pewter Museum?"

"I have not. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but… it ties into that… unbelievable story. With the Cubone."

Professor Oak replaced the paper and slipped the folder back, at a total loss.

Red could only stare at Gancena, who glanced at the floor. He realized that her knowledge probably tied in to her dodging the question of where she was from. Red thought that wherever it was, that was where she had learned everything.

But where would such a place be if it wasn't a Pokémon school? Unless… unless it was? But why would Gancena say it wasn't?

Professor Oak turned. "Well, you've certainly proven your knowledge… But where did you learn all this, if it wasn't in Kanto?"

Gancena wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to tell the truth, but knew full well that neither Red nor Professor Oak would believe her. It was just… too strange for people who hadn't considered interdimensional travel before.

So she decided to stall him just that bit longer.

"I promised I'd tell you, but… I would like to be tested in one more kind of Pokémon. Are there any… Pokémon of legend? You know what I mean?"

Professor Oak looked back at his desk and tentatively removed a thin folder from between the bookends. He opened it and flipped through the three solitary photographs – reproductions of ancient drawings. It wasn't uncommon for people to tell stories of legendary Pokémon, so Professor Oak wasn't sure why Gancena asked about these…

Unless…

"I do. Tell me about this one." Professor Oak showed Gancena the first of the three pictures—a drawing of a large, beautiful, blue bird Pokémon.

"That's Articuno… one of the three legendary birds of Kanto." She glanced tentatively at Professor Oak.

"…Go on."

"An Ice- and Flying-type. The other two birds are Zapdos, an Electric- and Flying-type, and Moltres, a Fire- and Flying-type. They're believed to be legends because they've been seen so rarely… but…" She swallowed. "I know they can be found in Kanto."

"Really!? How!? Where!?" exclaimed Red.

"Articuno can be found in the Seafoam Islands, somewhere in the route between Fuchsia and Cinnabar—"

Professor Oak's heart jumped. "Er, Gancena—Is this just a rumor?"

"Maybe. It's more of that's the first place I'd look if I wanted to look for Articuno. I could also tell you about the other two."

"Do it!" Red interjected. "I wanna hear!"

Professor Oak tensed a bit. Was Red thinking about pursuing the birds? Real or no, Seafoam was no place for an inexperienced Trainer.

"Erm… if you wish, Gancena, you could tell me in private. Red, would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

"Um… okay…"

Red did so, though he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. Had Gancena really been saying something Red wasn't supposed to know?

When the door closed, Professor Oak said, "Go on. You believe Articuno may be at the Seafoam Islands…?"

Gancena swallowed. "Yeah. Zapdos may be at the Power Plant just away from Cerulean City and Moltres somewhere along Victory Road. All would be difficult to capture, but I don't think it should be tried. Feels like an upset of the balance, you know?"

Professor Oak thought… if she knew of the three birds, who said she didn't know about… that? "One more?"

Gancena thought she knew where this was going. "One more."

Professor Oak was slower to put the folder away, and he instead went over to the monitor, searching through files. The picture he wanted to show Gancena was of a Pokémon with an uncertain existence. Only those within the scientific community and at the head of the Pokémon League knew of it. Trainers and other citizens only heard rumors or unconfirmed sightings.

If Gancena could connect the two, then… then perhaps it could all be resolved.

He pulled up a photograph of a stone carving of a small, bipedal, almost cat-like Pokémon. "What do you know about this Pokémon?"

"Mew," said Gancena. "Thought to be extinct. A Psychic-type with the ability to transform into anything in addition to the powers its typing grants it. Trainers have reported sightings of it, but of course, no one can be sure…"

Gancena fell silent. She looked at Professor Oak. He motioned at her to continue, and there was a sudden and heavy tension about the room.

A secret was being shared, and both parties knew it.

"However, on Cinnabar Island," she continued, trembling imperceptibly, "there have been experiments to clone Mew. These experiments ultimately resulted in… Mewtwo…" Her voice was small, but audible.

Professor Oak gasped and hurriedly shut off the monitor.

"…Would you like to know how I know this, Professor? I'm not kidding when I say you may not believe me."

"Please tell."

"…The first thing to know is that this is not the only world in existence. There are multiple universes and I'm from one where Pokémon don't exist. Instead, we have games. We're taught that Pokémon are fictional."

She paused. Professor Oak had a brow raised, looking as if he wanted to speak, but did not know what to make of what Gancena was saying. He certainly wasn't expecting her to claim she was from another world!

"Er… assuming that's true, how did you get here?"

Gancena smiled. "I know it doesn't make any sense… I was sent here by a… being called Selene, who lives between worlds. I'm looking for something here."

"And would it be Mewtwo!?"

"No, Professor. Not a Pokémon. An object known as a Runestone. My knowledge of this world, despite not having lived in it, is what will let me find it." Gancena felt terribly flushed when she was finished. Realization spiked within her. She'd mentioned the Runestone. Selene would have, too, when consulting her guide, so if Professor Oak recognized it…

But Professor Oak said nothing.

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but I swear it's the truth. I completely understand if you don't believe me."

Professor Oak didn't know what to think of this… Another world? The girl had to either be crazy or lying. But she looked afraid to be thought of as either.

Then it hit him. Professor Oak had a good idea of what Mewtwo was capable of—from the most potent telekinesis to telepathy… he wouldn't put memory alteration past its abilities.

He wondered…

Gancena grew tense with worry. She was so sure Professor Oak was about to call either the police or an asylum on her.

Finally, he asked, "Have you personally ever seen either Mew or Mewtwo?"

"No, sir."

Professor Oak became slightly more certain of his hypothesis. His mind darted to someone on Cinnabar Island. He needed to know. "Gancena… I'm not sure if you understand the importance of what you've told me."

"Not entirely." Which was true. She'd only ever heard and seen stories.

"You know things that the general public's only heard rumors about. You know much about various Pokémon in great detail despite not being a Trainer or having gone to a Pokémon school. It… well, you were right about this not making sense." He chuckled.

So did Gancena. "I completely understand, Professor."

"Well, you see… I'm concerned that you may have indeed seen Mew or Mewtwo, but they ravaged your memory. A colleague of mine at Cinnabar is hoping to determine Mewtwo's current location."

Gancena's heart jumped.

"If you could… would you report your knowledge to him personally, and allow him to see if you have encountered either Pokémon without your knowledge?"

Gancena was hesitant. To go to Cinnabar would not only delay her journey, but it would mean that she might not be able to go with Red after all. But she could understand, somewhat, why he would want to speak with her.

She knew that Mewtwo was a big goddamn deal.

"How long would I have to stay there?"

"A day or two at most. He'll just want to be sure you're all right, and confirm that you know what you know."

"I understand… but I need to tell Red that I'm going. I promised I'd go with him, and all he wanted was to know how much I knew."

"…Of course." Professor Oak sighed. "Go on ahead and tell Red, then. I'll call my colleague."

"Yes. See you soon, Professor Oak." Gancena stepped out of the room.

"Uh… Red?"

Red hopped off the fence and turned to Gancena, but his smile fell when he saw her frowning. Pikachu approached her quickly, stepping atop fence posts, and rubbed his head against her arm.

"…What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath and looked at him. "…I'm going to Cinnabar. By myself."

Red and Pikachu both looked at her alarmingly. "Huh!? Why!?"

Gancena winced. "I'm sorry, Red… I, uh… said some things that a scientist there has been looking into. He wants to speak with me about it, so I'll be gone for a bit."

"Is it about the birds?"

"Uh… not really. I probably shouldn't say, though."

"How long will you be gone, though? Will you still be coming with me?"

"If you want me to. Professor Oak thinks it won't be longer than a day or two. But I'll be gone, yeah."

"Then… Then I'll say bye to you before you leave. And I'll wait for you!" Red promised.

Pikachu smiled. "Pika!"

Gancena's heart jumped pleasantly, and she smiled. "Thank you, Red."