Pokemon: Skybound

Chapter 640: 640. The Oceanic Science Museum

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May took Beautifly and followed Ryan to the side to continue her training.

At this point, with a professional like Ryan guiding her, there was little that Ash, Misty, or even her younger brother Max could help with. Seeing how focused May was, they decided to step back altogether.

Kai turned to Ash and the others and said, "Since we're not needed here for now, instead of waiting around, why don't we go explore somewhere else?"

His suggestion was met with unanimous approval.

After saying goodbye to May and agreeing to meet back at the Pokémon Center that evening, the group left and headed toward the city.

Before they knew it, the afternoon had arrived. Warm sunlight bathed the streets, and the gentle sea breeze made the walk especially pleasant.

After wandering aimlessly for a while, Misty stopped at a crossroads and looked around before asking, "Do any of you have somewhere specific you want to go?"

She had only arrived in the city with Kai that day and knew nothing about the area, so she had no idea how to pass the time.

Before anyone else could answer, Max suddenly shouted excitedly, "I want to go to the Oceanic Science Museum!"

"The Oceanic Science Museum?" everyone turned to look at him.

"That's right!" Max pushed up his glasses and began explaining enthusiastically. "The Oceanic Science Museum here is really famous! It's not just full of ocean-related knowledge it also has all kinds of Pokémon models! I've wanted to visit for ages, but never had the chance. Today happens to be an open day, so now's the perfect time!"

It really suited Max. Most kids his age preferred amusement parks or playgrounds, but he was genuinely eager to learn and explore knowledge.

Naturally, Kai and the others had no objections.

However, just as they were about to head for the museum, Brock remained where he was and said, "You all go ahead. I still need to visit the market to buy ingredients and supplies. I'll meet up with you just like May at the Pokémon Center tonight."

Honestly, there were moments when Kai truly envied Ash.

Having Brock around meant Ash rarely had to worry about daily necessities he could focus entirely on training and battling.

Kai himself had only experienced that level of care briefly, back when Erika was still traveling with them.

…Sigh. Another day without Erika, and he missed her just as much as ever.

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The Oceanic Science Museum of Slateport City was built on an open stretch of land by the sea, not far from the lighthouse.

When Kai and the others arrived, they could see three towering glass-domed buildings connected together in the distance, forming an impressive and grand structure.

Max walked at the front, brimming with excitement and even humming to himself. But the moment he reached the entrance and read the notice posted on the door, his expression instantly fell.

"How could this be…"

Seeing him stumble back a few steps in disbelief, Kai raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to read the sign himself.

Despite it being an open day, the museum was temporarily closed due to an unexpected matter involving the curator.

"Looks like we came for nothing," Kai said calmly.

Though disappointed, the others didn't mind too much it could still count as a nice walk. Max, however, clearly wasn't ready to accept this outcome.

He glanced around, then suddenly ran to the side of the building. With a jump, he grabbed onto a window ledge with both hands.

"Hey!" Misty's eyebrow twitched her expression oddly similar to Kai's at moments like this. "What do you think you're doing? That's dangerous! Get down right now!"

"I don't care!" Max gritted his teeth and tried to climb higher. "I have to get into the museum today! There's so much knowledge waiting for me inside! I've been looking forward to this forever!"

…Oh no. This kid had completely fixated on it.

Just as Kai was about to step in and pull him down, Max's grip failed. His fingers slipped, and he fell from the window.

Thump.

He landed hard on the grass below, sitting flat on the ground. Fortunately, the height wasn't great, and the grass cushioned the fall he wasn't injured.

"Alright, let's go," Ash said, pulling Max to his feet. "Since it's closed today, we can just come back tomorrow."

Perhaps their voices were a bit too loud, because at that moment, the window beside them suddenly opened from the inside.

A well-dressed man in his forties leaned halfway out, looking at them. "Excuse me… may I ask what you're doing?"

No one had expected someone to be inside!

Max looked embarrassed but still answered honestly, "We wanted to visit the museum, but the entrance was closed. So I tried to get in through the window."

Fortunately, Max was just a child. What he had done could easily be considered trespassing, but because of his age and blunt honesty, it didn't come across as malicious.

Sure enough, the man simply smiled and nodded.

"I see." After glancing at Kai and the others, he continued, "My name is Nanmu, and I'm the curator of this museum. There's a reason we're closed today, but since you've come all this way, it wouldn't be right to send you away disappointed."

"I'll make an exception and let you in."

With that, he disappeared from the window. Moments later, a small side door on the museum opened, and Nanmu stood there, beckoning them inside.

Max's eyes lit up, and he rushed over immediately.

Kai and the others exchanged looks, completely surprised by this sudden turn of events.

Not only had they gotten lucky, but the man they met was the curator himself the highest authority here. It was truly unexpected.

It seemed that today was a particularly fortunate day for May and Max both siblings had encountered benefactors in their own ways.

Following Max, they entered the museum.

Though they had come in through a side entrance, it wasn't far from the main hall. After only a few steps, they found themselves inside the grand lobby.

The moment they looked up, they froze.

Suspended from the ceiling was a full-scale Wailord model, enormous beyond belief.

"So big…" someone whispered.

From below, its massive blue body dominated the ceiling, making them keenly aware of just how tiny humans were in the presence of such a colossal Pokémon.

Staring up at it, Ash couldn't help but ask,

"Curator… this Wailord isn't real, right?"

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