[ The Lighthouse, Cerulean city ]

"I cannot believe that something of this scale was even possible." Samuel Oak spoke quietly, sipping the coffee served to him by his one-time student and fellow researcher, Bill Montgomery.

"I swear Samuel, I didn't have so much in mind when I agreed with Ash. He just seemed like an enthusiastic kid, one who had a problem with his Charmander "

"About that," Oak interrupted. "I was quite… surprised to see Ash listed as a freelance-based employee for Silph Co. Stealing my protégé, Bill?"

Bill laughed sardonically. "Come now professor, we both know that that position has always been reserved for one single person."

"And Ash is his son."

Bill paused. "Ash is… Red's child?"

Oak nodded slowly.

"And does he know about… you know?"

"… not at the moment. No. He has no idea about his father's identity or his father's side of the family. He simply… believes that his father and mother went separate ways and that it was probably a mutual decision."

"Rothsvale," Bill muttered. "He never talked about it?"

Samuel shook his head. "His mother is a woman of few expectations. Ash has always respected her wishes. Between himself and her, the little family is content."

Bill took a sip from his coffee. "Either way, I wasn't sure if I heard it right when you mentioned Ash summoning the King. I should have known that something like that could happen." He paused. "Did you get any details?"

Samuel shook his head. "Ash is being rather discreet about it."

" About Red's wife..."

"Delia Ketchum. I've checked. Ash's entire profile is on the server, though there wasn't a father mentioned. I just thought it was one of those… single mother cases."

"It took some calls," Samuel replied evasively. "Delia's a good woman, but there's nothing one can do about it."

"I received two calls over the last few days," Bill explained. "Both of them pertaining to my relationship with Ash Ketchum."

"Who were those from?"

"The first was from the Champion."

Samuel opened his mouth, but then considered better. "The other?"

"Derrick Stone."

Samuel raised an eyebrow. " Why ?"

" Steven stone is a friend of Ash."

"…."

"My reaction exactly." Bill snorted.

"Interesting. Little Daisy is working with him as an apprentice archaeologist." The old man replied.

Bill recognized the name. "Your granddaughter, right? The one with the outlandish fashion sense?"

Oak laughed heartily at that comment. "The very same. They are involved in some excavations at Tanoby Ruins. Fully privatized, and financed by Devon Corp. I heard Lance was furious."

"Well, Lance is… well…"

"Lance," Samuel answered.

Bill nodded in agreement.

"Why is Lance interested in Ash?"

Bill sighed, getting up from the seat. "It seems, Lance has good reason to believe that Ash is… responsible for summoning the Dragonite."

The old professor paled.

"You should check on Ash's trainer page, professor. Ash is now an honorary associate, league-sponsored, with Steven Stone as a contact."

"I don't like this." Samuel pronounced.

" Lance has always been a little too… forceful with the scheme of things. Derrick Stone has always been a little too ambiguous, no question about his knowledge and talent though. That man had been a Hoenn Elite Four for decades after all."

"You think Lance is planning something? Or Stone?"

"I… don't know. Too many variables. Ash has just started his journey, and already he has come into communication with the Stone family, and now with Lance, though I'm not sure of the extent of the latter."

"Steven Stone seems fond of him." The Montgomery scion suggested.

"I'm not worried about Stone. "

"Professor, may I ask something?" Bill remarked, a little too casually. "Why did you give Ash, a Pikachu? Wouldn't it be appropriate to give him something else? Something more powerful."

"Ash had always looked forward to...."

Professor Oak continued but was cut off by Bill," A Charmander, yes I know. I made it a point to inquire about it too, professor. It was really interesting that you would give one of the royal starters to some no-name trainer yet give Red's son a Pikachu."

"What are you… insinuating?" Samuel asked carefully.

"You tell me, professor? What is there to insinuate?" Bill replied, a little too coolly.

Samuel just closed his eyes and took another sip.

"Either way, Samuel Oak gives Red's son a weak pokémon as a starter. An interesting thing, really, especially the conversation I had with Professor Rowan four days ago. Wonderfully interesting things he told me, like how you two found a freshly evolved Pikachu in the generator room."

Bill paused, observing Samuel's disturbed expression. "But let's just ignore that for a moment. You know I found a great titbit of information from Professor Sycamore that he gave you a Squirtle breed from one of the Kalos Elite Four's Blastoise. You gave away such a starter to your grandson yet gave Red's son, a Pikachu you found in your generator who had forcefully evolved itself to stay alive from an electrical overload."

For the first time in his life, Samuel Oak felt completely outwitted, having no idea what to say.

How could he tell his student that the Pikachu he gave Ash would rise to be a monster whose power would become equal to a legendary Pokémon. How could he tell his student about the time he time traveled during his youth?

Professor Oak tried to remember that time but for some reason, his memories of that time were getting foggy.

His memories of that time were crystal clear just before Ash started his journey but now they were becoming hazier and hazier.

Was it because he was getting old or was there some other reason?

Bill smiled. " Even with the hand you played to him, the young man had encountered all 3 kantonian starters and was someone who had something that even attracted multiple legendaries to him. Come now Professor, surely you didn't think I'd just make… just anyone a freelance associate under my direct supervision, because he had some insane luck ."