Peter Asher is a university dropout who spends his days cooped up in his apartment playing video games and wasting his life away.
One morning Peter wakes up in Ash Ketchum's body in the world of Pokemon. Peter struggles to maintain Ash's life as th...
"So, it's all about understanding Pokémon on a deeper level, right?" Ash ventured, hoping he got it right.
"Exactly, my boy!" Oak exclaimed.
"Any more questions?" Professor Oak asked, noticing Ash's hesitation.
Ash gulped, gathering the courage to voice his thoughts.
"Professor, this might be a stupid question, but may I still ask?"
"My boy, a question is never stupid; it's merely a stepping stone to greater knowledge," Professor Oak reassured him with a warm smile.
Professor Oak didn't judge Ash for his ignorance, even though the boy was a Tier 10 and had aced the written exam. That didn't mean he expected Ash to be some kind of academic genius, especially since the written test was designed to be accessible rather than overly academic—even if Oak sometimes wished it could challenge the trainers more.
The concern in Oak's eyes wasn't due to Ash's lack of knowledge, but rather the fear and panic that flashed across the boy's face as he scrambled to cover his ignorance. To Oak, it was troubling because it suggested Ash felt pressured to know everything just because he was Tier 10.
"This isn't healthy," Professor Oak thought with a sigh, placing a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. "Before you ask your question, remember, every opportunity is a learning point. So what if you didn't know what I do? So what if you think your question might seem silly? Is it because you're a Tier 10?"
Ash nodded slightly, his anxiety visible.
"My boy," Oak continued, his voice gentle yet firm, "being Tier 10 isn't the end-all, be-all. It doesn't make you some sort of deity. Take it at your own pace. Make yourself better. That test was just the starting line. No one expects you to know everything, but at the same time, no one wants you to stay ignorant. So, ask away."
Ash couldn't help but feel a wave of relief mixed with gratitude.
Ash thought, "I wish you had been my teacher back on Earth. Maybe then, I wouldn't have always kept my hands down, even when I had a question, all the way through university."
"Alright then," Ash said, his voice steadier.
"Can you tell me how the study of behavior affects society?"
Professor Oak nodded, clearly pleased.
"That's a good question, my boy. Pokémon and humans are intrinsically linked to each other, you see this in all parts of society. Let's take the example of air taxis."
Ash looked puzzled. "What?"
"Oh, it looks like you've never been on an air taxi," Professor Oak said, remembering Ash's lower middle-class background. "Well, air taxis are vehicles that use flying Pokémon to carry them around."
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Ash's eyes lit up with excitement at the thought of seeing one in real life, remembering some fan art of an air taxi he had seen on Twitter. Even though he had lost interest in the Pokémon franchise around the X and Y games, he still came across Pokémon stuff from time to time—it was, after all, the biggest franchise in the world.
