Tia reflects on her journey so far and contemplates going home for a break.
Tia sat down in her cabin on the S. S. Aqua, watching from the window as the waves flowed back and forth, up and down. She blinked as she saw a Mantine dive up, glisten in the sky, and dive down. The Olivine Lighthouse was still faintly visible in the distance.
Her research trip was coming along well. She had managed to collect a treasure trove of useful data, not just for her dissertation on Poke Balls, but also for the Pokedex. She had a little over half of the pages filled out at this point, with Pokemon she had seen and caught on her journey. She had even seen Pokemon with unique coloring and varying sizes, and attacks that looked so strong and so beautiful that she understood now why Pokemon Contests and Coordinators were a thing.
She was also discovering just how dangerous wild Pokemon could be. She had dealt with exploding Poke Balls, been chased by angry Pokemon swarms, and come close to getting knocked out several times from a wild Pokemon’s attacks. There was even one time she had woken up in a Pokemon Center, with little memory of how she got there, with several random items missing from her pack. Apparently she had been rescued from a wild Pokemon attack. The experiences definitely made her think twice when approaching wild Pokemon.
But she was starting to tire out. She had started talking to herself much more often since starting this research trip, and she dreaded the moment something would start answering back. Maybe she should look into getting a traveling partner, if only to have someone else to talk to besides her Pokemon and herself.
Tia shuddered. She needed a break. If she spent any more time roaming the wilds by herself, she’d turn into a complete hermit.
So she figured a quick trip home to Vermilion City would work wonders. She had lived in the city by the sea since she was twelve and her parents started working for Silph, and she had spent many summers hanging out by the docks. Since her parents were Poke Ball specialists, researchers and traveling Trainers stopped by the house all the time, so there would be plenty of people to talk to.
Tia leaned back and closed her eyes, smiling and looking forward to the rest and relaxation she and her Pokemon would have when the boat stopped in Vermilion.