Tia gets a package and a letter from Professor Oak, and jumps on an opportunity of a lifetime.
“Tia?” Kurt knocked on the workroom door, carrying a small package. He listened carefully, hearing a small “poof!” and the computer inside bleep a faint warning. Curious, he opened the door.
Tia turned toward him as he entered the room. “Uh… Hi, Kurt!” she said, a little too brightly.
Kurt raised an eyebrow. “What did you do this time, Tia?”
“Uh… nothing… really…” She made a sidelong glance at her Natu, Naito, who was perched inside a series of empty Poke Balls nested within each other, all of which were smoking. “Do you know about nesting dolls?” she asked suddenly, “You know, a doll within a doll within a doll?”
“Uh...”
“Yeah, you can do that with Poke Balls too, didn’t you know?” Her stiff smile turned into a grimace. “But I wouldn’t recommend it. The power overload, and all. Anyway, did you need me for anything?”
Kurt burst out laughing. “Never mind, I don’t think I want to know.” He handed the package over to Tia. “This came in the mail for you. It’s from Professor Oak!”
“Professor Oak?!” Tia’s mouth fell open. THE Professor Oak? What would the world’s most renowned Pokemon expert want with her?
“Go on, open it!” Kurt exclaimed, “I’m curious!”
Tia opened the package and pulled out a small stack of papers, along with a small red device. She quickly read through the first sheet of paper. It was a letter from Professor Oak.
“So Professor Oak wants me to help complete the latest version of the Pokedex,” she said, scanning the letter, “while I work on my dissertation. He says it’s a ‘mutually beneficial enterprise.’ Interesting. And then…” She turned her attention to the rest of the papers, read the first few lines, then gasped.
“What?” Kurt asked, worried.
“Are they serious?!” Tia burst out, quickly flipping through the rest of the papers. “They’re… This is…”
“What is it?!” Kurt demanded.
Tia looked up at him. “I’m being given a 500,000 PokeDollar grant to complete the Pokedex and finish my Poke Ball research!”
“That’s wonderful!” Kurt said delightedly, “Professor Oak has certainly recognized you as an up and coming researcher, just like your parents!
“I guess…” Tia said faintly. She picked up the red device, turned it over in her hands, and turned it on.
The new Pokedex was amazingly extensive. It not only recorded information on a seen or captured Pokemon, but also noted their habitat, appearance rates, footprints, and even alternate colors! Tia could see herself having an interesting time figuring all of it out.
“To complete this Pokedex…” she said slowly, “I’m going to have to do some traveling. No, scratch that, a LOT of traveling. I don’t think I’d be available to do any Poke Ball crafting.” She looked at Kurt apologetically.
Kurt waved his hands. “Don’t worry about it. Your research comes first – I’m only helping you out!”
With the Poke Ball assembly line? Tia thought. “I can craft however many Poke Balls I’ll need for this project,” she answered instead, “But I’ll come back when I need supplies!”
Kurt nodded. “That’s fine.”
“I can’t believe I’m considering this,” Tia said in wonder. “I’m like a ten-year-old going on a training journey…” She looked over at Naito, who was eyeing her curiously. “You ready to go on an adventure, Naito?”
Naito hopped up and down excitedly. “Tut-tuuut!”
As Tia and Kurt discussed more about her upcoming research trip, Naito hopped over to the still-smoking Poke Balls. He stared at them, and was startled when he saw sparks flying from them. He turned around, and slowly tiptoed away.