Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorer of Mundus

Kitab Al-Jadal

"Ah...you must be Ryota Yamazaki...please have a seat..." said Professor Magnus formally. Alicia and Ryo looked at each other before sitting on a chair.

"Grandpa...Please...I can explain..." said Alicia.

"No, you don't have to, Alicia..." said Professor Magnus. He then turned his attention to the young riolu.

"You do know the consequences of stealing books from the library don't you, young one? It is considered a big crime..." said Professor Magnus.

"I'm sorry...Professor..." said Ryo.

"The good news is...The authority to punish a book stealer belongs to me, and I have no intention to punish you at all, young one..." said Professor Magnus. Ryo let out a sigh of relief.

"After all, you are the son of the famous Daisuke Yamazaki, the pokemon that is considered a great asset by Lord Mewtwo. So great, that he and his family have some sort of immunity... I mean, what will people say if I decide to punish you...I don't like causing a big sensation in Arcadius...It totally goes against my policy..." said professor Magnus.

"So I'm free to go now?" asked Ryo.

"Not so fast!" said Professor Magnus sternly.

"You have to answer a few questions. Where did you hide the stolen books and why have you been doing this?! Don't lie to me. I won't hesitate to read your mind even though mind reading is pretty tiring as it requires a lot of focus...especially for an old Delphox like me..." said Professor Magnus.

"The stolen books are in my house, Professor...Under my bed...They are all intact. That is the answer to question number one. As for the second question...." Said Ryo.

"Yes..Go on..." said Professor Magnus.

"I like to read because I like things that challenge me intellectually...Why? Because I love to think...I have a dream that one day I can study at the university of Aeterna and become a great scholar..." said Ryo.

"What?! HA! You have quite a good sense of humour young one! A fighting type like you becoming a scholar? Impossible! Your brain just doesn't have the capacity! A young fighting type like you should be playing with swords instead of reading books!" said Professor Magnus.

"So you won't accept me as a student?" said Ryo as his eyes started to become teary.

"But grandpa! I bear witness that he is smart! Very smart! You should give him a chance to prove himself in the university!" said Alicia.

"Look, we all know that fighting type pokemon are dumb. That is how nature works. Every pokemon type has its characteristics, and fighting type pokemon are only good at physical activity but no brains..." said Professor Magnus.

"Ryo is not like that!" said Alicia

"Enough! You two may go now! I have had enough of this nonsense! Ryo, go back to your house, take all the stolen books, and return them to the library before evening!" said Professor Magnus.

Before going home, Ryo stopped by at the university cafeteria. He started crying. After all, Ryo was just a ten-year-old kid.

"No...Ryo...Don't cry...I know Professor Magnus is mean...I can understand that...but you shouldn't cry like this..." said Alicia.

"I just want to study Alicia...I don't want to enter the knight's guild...I dislike fighting and other physical activities, but my harsh and heartless father forced me...Why oh, why...Nobody understands me..." said Ryo as he cried harder.

"There...there...I understand you Ryo... I know how you feel..." said Alicia as he hugged the poor riolu. Alicia's warmth seemed to calm him. Eventually, the riolu stopped crying.

"Well...that's life...tough." Said Ryo as he wiped off the tears.

"Alicia, thank you for everything. Maybe becoming a scholar is just not my fate...Oh well. I think I should be going now. I have books to return." Said Ryo.

Ryo returned to his house, grabbed his satchel, put he stolen books in his satchel, and proceeded to return back to the library. After giving back the stolen books to the librarian, Ryo accidentally eavesdropped a conversation between Professor Magnus and his assistant, Michelle the Meowscarada.

"Sir...do you need more coffee? I think you should rest...you have been working for too long today..." said Michelle.

"Nah, I'm fine. Translating books written by Daharan scholars is very fun, especially the Tahafut al-Falasifah written by Imam Al-Ghazali. And do you know what is more interesting? Tahafut at-Tahafut written by Ibnu Rusyd! The intellectual war between philosophers has never been this epic!" said Professor Magnus.

"Indeed sir...indeed..." said Michelle.

"Books written by Daharan scholars always spark my curiosity the most, Michelle. And there is this one book that I really want to read...It is called Kitab Al-Jadal or 'book of Dialectic', written by the great Islamic philosopher Al-Farabi..." said Professor Magnus.

"Unfortunately, this book is believed to be stolen by the dusk tribe during the sack of Dahara and according to the rumour, the remaining members of the dusk tribe are hiding in Avangard. Oh, I will do anything to get my hands on that book!"

"Anything, sir?" asked Michelle.

"Of course! Anything!" said Professor Magnus. Ryo overheard this conversation and he became slightly more optimistic. If only he could go to Avangard and find the book, maybe professor Magnus would accept him as a student.

"Excuse me sir..." said Ryo

"Yes, young one? What do you need?" asked Professor Magnus.

"If I give you the Kitab Al-Jadal, will you accept me as a student?" asked Ryo.

"Of course! I will not just accept you, I will even give you a full scholarship also!" Said Professor Magnus.

"Are you sure, Professor?" asked Ryo.

"A hundred percent sure!" said Professor Magnus.

"I'll take your word for it, Professor..." said Ryo as he left.

"Sir...I thought you'll never take a fighting type pokemon as a student..." said Michelle

"I only said that because I know he'll fail. Avangard is huge and dangerous. It is politically unstable and full of thieves and terrorists. Also, I'm not even sure if the Kitab Al-Jadal is still intact in the hands of the dusk tribe. Maybe the book has already been destroyed...Relax, he is not going to be a student in this university...hahaha..." said Professor Magnus.

"Understood..." said Michelle.