Pokemon: I'll Exchange Everything

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Time flew by, and three months had passed in the blink of an eye. Liam had been living happily and peacefully in this world for that time, fully adapting to his new life. Each day was fulfilling and rewarding.

Professor Oak's lab had long since been repaired, and the Pokémon that had been temporarily housed at his home had returned to the lab. Liam visited the lab daily to take care of them. 

Of course, there were occasional delays on the way—after all, some things were simply beyond his control.

In the three months that had passed, Liam and Delia had, in the eyes of others, become the perfect couple. However, they hadn't officially confirmed their relationship. 

While holding hands in private was fine, Delia's shyness and Liam's prior hesitation kept them from crossing the line into a full confession.

Today, however, Liam didn't head to the lab as usual. Instead, he was busy preparing a sumptuous feast and had invited Delia over as a guest. 

Delia was helping out in the kitchen, eager to learn Liam's cooking skills. She had realized that the food she made wasn't as delicious as Liam's, which had dealt a blow to her pride. 

Secretly, she had been trying to learn his culinary techniques, convinced that he hadn't noticed.

Aunt Fumiko had picked fresh flowers from elsewhere and was meticulously decorating the house. The room was filled with a delightful floral fragrance. 

Humming a cheerful tune, she occasionally glanced back at Liam and Delia in the kitchen, smiling knowingly. The entire house was imbued with a festive atmosphere.

What was everyone preparing for? What joyous event was about to take place?

In fact, they were celebrating Professor Oak's potential certification as a full-fledged professor, preparing a feast in anticipation of his success.

Today was the day the results of his certification would be announced. Professor Oak had gone to find out the outcome. 

Everyone was confident that he would earn the title, so they had started decorating and preparing early. Liam had taken charge of the cooking, and even the usually aloof and quiet Max had lent a hand.

"Phew... it's finally all ready! Now we just have to wait for Professor Oak to come back," Liam said with a long sigh of relief, gazing at the lavish dinner spread before him. 

His joy at Professor Oak's likely success was mixed with excitement about his own plans to set out on a journey. However, the thought of leaving his loved ones behind cast a shadow over his happiness.

Delia, standing nearby, looked at him curiously. His alternating expressions of excitement and melancholy left her utterly baffled.

"Gible! Gible!"

Suddenly, a small white figure leaped onto the dining table, grabbing a large drumstick with its mouth. Waving its tiny arms triumphantly, it quickly hopped off the table and darted away.

".…"

"Gible, you little troublemaker! Spit out that drumstick! That's not your food. Besides, it was specially prepared for Professor Oak! Stop right there!" Liam finally snapped out of his shock, tearing off his apron and chasing after the mischievous Pokémon. 

The scene left Aunt Fumiko and Delia laughing uncontrollably, while even Max, sitting silently on the couch, couldn't help but smirk.

The mischievous white figure was, of course, Gible, the adorable Pokémon that had hatched from an egg Liam was caring for. Gible had long since shed its initial laziness, living up to the lively and overactive nature described in its Pokédex entry—perhaps a bit too much so.

Gible had quickly become the household's little troublemaker. 

In just three months, it had ruined two sets of Professor Oak's wooden tables and chairs. 

Anything in the house was fair game for its teeth, including Professor Oak himself—both his hand and his head bore the marks of Gible's playful bites. 

Liam would never forget the sight of Gible hanging from the professor's head, blood slightly dripping down his scalp. That image was burned into his memory.

Amid the laughter, the sound of a car pulling up outside interrupted the moment. Those familiar with the sound knew it was Professor Oak's sports car. He had returned.

Aunt Fumiko quickly went to open the door. When she saw Professor Oak standing there with a wry smile, her heart skipped a beat.

"Samuel, you're back! Come on in—everyone's waiting for you to eat," she said, taking his bag and coat and ushering him into the dining room.

"Uh… haha, thank you all for preparing so much. Let's eat, let's eat. You must all be starving," Professor Oak said, clearly avoiding the subject. 

He blindly reached for the nearest dish but froze when he noticed the missing drumstick on the chicken platter in front of him.

The others noticed his reaction but said nothing, quietly picking up their chopsticks to begin eating. However, one person remained clueless.

"Uh? Why is everyone acting like this? Professor Oak, didn't you get certified? Why does everyone seem unhappy? Professor, what's the result? Did you get the title? Show us your certificate!"

Delia's innocent words hit like a thunderbolt. Liam quickly placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair awkwardly. "Haha, eat. Less talk, or the food will get cold…"

Though puzzled, Delia obediently began eating.

"Haha, Delia is right. Don't act like this. You're ruining my appetite. It's not like I came back empty-handed," Professor Oak said, retrieving a certificate from his bag. Opening it, he showed it to everyone.

On it were the words:

[Best Researcher Photography Award]

"Congratulations to Researcher Samuel Oak for winning the Best Researcher Photography Award. Certified by the Pokémon League."

"Uh… what kind of award is this? Why does this even exist?" Liam muttered, dumbfounded.

"Haha, well, my research on Pokémon egg hatching should have guaranteed my certification. But a month ago, the Sinnoh region introduced Pokémon Daycares dedicated to hatching and raising Pokémon. My research was no longer that groundbreaking, so the League gave me this as a consolation prize… What am I supposed to do with this?!" Professor Oak eventually snapped, flinging the certificate to the floor in frustration.

Aunt Fumiko quickly stepped in, soothing him and urging him to calm down. Eventually, he did, picking up the certificate with a sigh.

"It's fine, don't worry about me. I've faced tougher situations as Kanto's former League Champion. This is nothing. Now, let's eat."

Aunt Fumiko brought out a bottle of fine wine, allowing Professor Oak to drink to his heart's content. After the meal, a very drunk Professor Oak was escorted to his room by Aunt Fumiko.

The remaining three tidied up the house, dividing tasks among themselves. While washing dishes, Max suddenly spoke up.

"Actually, I planned to announce today that I want to go on a journey."