Vance smiled modestly and said nothing.
Professor Oak took the thief beside Vance in hand as well and tied him up with the others. He had already sent word to the Officer Jenny of the nearest city, who would be along shortly.
The three of them fell to talking there on the spot.
"So, Brother Vance, you've got all eight Badges. Are you going to enter this year's Indigo League Conference?"
Daisy Oak asked it. In the talk just now she had learned that Vance was a little older than she was, and since he had helped her as well, the form of address had followed.
"I am. I came out here to put my Pokémon through special training, and that was for the League Conference coming up."
Vance answered.
"What a coincidence. I'm entering too. We might even end up opponents."
"Is that so? A coincidence indeed."
Vance said it with a smile.
"Ha ha ha. With strength like yours, Vance, a good placing won't be hard. Even the Conference title is within reach."
Professor Oak said it with his eyes on the Gyarados.
From the Gyarados he could see how skilfully Vance raised his Pokémon, and where there was one there would be two; his others would be much the same.
Talking with him had given the old man a rough idea of his temper as well. A man like that builds his strength step by solid step, and stands a very good chance of taking the title.
"That remains to be seen."
Vance said it with a mild smile.
Better not to settle the matter before the result was in. Kanto had no shortage of formidable people in the younger generation, and who knew out of which corner some freak might come leaping.
Take Professor Oak's own home town, right here in front of him: it held a child of fortune.
Taking a bolt of lightning on his back, holding up a Larvitar one-handed — mere trifles to him.
And his other feats were past counting.
"Woof, woof, woof—"
While they were talking a sound came from off in the distance, and before long Officer Jenny arrived with several policemen and a few Arcanine at their side.
"Professor Oak."
Officer Jenny greeted Professor Oak first thing on arriving.
A man of high standing in these parts and a Champion-class Trainer besides, he was not somebody Officer Jenny dared take lightly.
"Officer Jenny, you've come. I'll leave these to you. Be sure you get the whole picture — what drove them to it, and whether there is anyone behind them."
Professor Oak said it gravely.
"Yes. We'll see to it as quickly as we can. If you would allow us a few days."
Officer Jenny answered, exchanged a few words more with Daisy Oak and Vance, and once she had some information from them she took her people and led the thieves away.
"Since you're here, you may as well come and sit a while at my place."
Professor Oak put the invitation to him.
"Ah — sit a while? Would that be quite the thing? Yours is a key research site, Professor, a place of study. Would it really do for me to come?"
"Oh, it's nothing of the kind. Key research site indeed — it's an ordinary estate, no more than that. I'm simply asking an excellent young Trainer to come and sit a while, and thanking him properly for today's rescue at the same time."
Professor Oak waved a hand, thinking nothing of it.
With the young he was very indulgent.
A pack of small children went charging about his laboratory all day long and he never said a word against it; in fact it pleased him.
When he did stop them at anything, it was out of worry that the children might come to harm.
Anything important he naturally kept put away.
"That's right, Brother Vance. You've come this far — do come and sit a while at our house."
Daisy Oak added her invitation.
"Very well. I'll trouble you, then."
Under their warm invitation Vance thought it over and agreed after all, and went with them to Pallet Town.
The Oak Research Lab is a research establishment of great renown and standing in the Kanto region. Every student of the sciences longs to study there, or to be thought well of by Professor Oak and recommended by him, which would make a man's name shine in the field of Pokémon and set him up as one of its rising figures; only the place takes on very few, and most can do nothing but look on and sigh.
And this key League laboratory stands in Pallet Town.
Pallet Town has a remarkable history of its own. No small number of great figures have come out of it, and a good many of the great figures in the League today began there.
Since the League was founded Pallet Town has produced a fair number of Champions, and for that reason it is also called the Town of Champions.
A town it may be, but the ground it covers is not small, and its administration is a curious business: there is no chief officer here at all — or rather, no need of one, most matters being left in the hands of respected local people.
The Oak Research Lab covers an enormous area, with grounds for every sort of environment — desert, snowfield, grassland, rainforest, lake and the rest — and one look showed no end to it.
Pokémon moved to and fro across the grounds. Out on the far grassland herds of Tauros ran at full tilt with a few Bouffalant among them, and the lakes held any number of Water-types, the Water-type starters not least, all larking and splashing about in the water.
"These, now — the lads from the town send them over and I mind them for them. It fairly wears these old bones out."
Professor Oak brought Vance round to see it.
"They haven't the energy for it and can't raise them all, so they hand them to an old man to look after. Really, now."
Professor Oak shook his head and laughed.
Say what he might, there was no complaint to be seen in his face; perhaps being able to look after the young pleased him well enough.
Vance remembered that in the anime a great many of Ash's Pokémon were sent back to the Oak Research Lab for Professor Oak to raise for him.
What he was seeing now would be the same thing.
"How many Pokémon have you caught?"
The talk having come round to it, Professor Oak asked in passing.
"Eight."
Vance told him truthfully, hiding nothing.
"Eight, is it? That's reasonable enough. You young people — the moment you set out you're all curiosity, catching every Pokémon you lay eyes on without ever thinking it through."