Pikachu and Tini splashed around in the water, crying and giggling as they did. Meanwhile their human companion was sitting on her camping chair and staring holes into her newly purchased gizmo.

The laptop that Nina ended up buying was a rugged one equipped with a handle to be carried around like a briefcase when not in use. There were certainly slicker and more advanced models available, but she wanted something that would last her rather than a shiny new gadget that’ll break after a couple of years. Not that this was any cheaper though. Apparently, “Military Grade” in this world did not mean cheap mass produced garbage.

“Roxy did not say anything about a word or page limit, but she did specifically use the term ‘essay’. So I’m assuming they’re not looking for a doctoral thesis or anything. Especially considering that there were probably other children my age participating in… whatever this was.”

Nina looked back on her two lifetime’s worth of experiences and thought about what made her who she was. In her past life, Miles just drifted through university picking up random electives and studying whatever took his fancy for the moment before graduating with a degree in accounting. Needless to say his life after that was less than exciting.

But that did mean Nina had a wide breadth of knowledge in various esoteric subjects like history, anthropology, a bit of computer science, literature, etcetera. Note breadth, not depth. Everything she learned from her past life was surface level and introductory at best.

She had always been someone who enjoyed the act of learning more than doing, devouring books like people devoured potato chips. Though her scattered attention span meant she rarely dwelled on a topic for too long.

Case in point, Nina had tried researching the fundamentals of how a Pokeball worked since her reincarnation in this world. The schematics of the basic Pokeball were in the public domain and there was no shortage of material written on it. But she had yet to crack even the surface of how the technology worked. Mainly because she would get bored.

Apricorn balls were a different matter however, involving more artistry than science. But that was precisely why studying them was of little use. Since most of the written material was either historical records or just hocus-pocus spiritual nonsense.

One thing that Nina still enjoyed doing in both her lives was traveling. Miles was especially well traveled, if compared to your average homebody. He would often save up his money and take two weeks off the year just to roam around and soak in new cultures. But instead of going to beachside resorts, he favored just renting an Airbnb in a residential neighborhood, exploring the area and mingling with the locals.

“Let’s see here… You know, for a seven year old, I’ve had my fair share of adventures. How many other kids my age can claim to have captured a Dragon in the Safari Zone, worked behind the scenes in a Gym, battled a Gym Apprentice, played tag with a Mythical Pokemon and explored a hidden shrine dedicated to the moon.”

However, something felt missing. Nina could very well write about her adventures and do good enough. But in all her experiences, the highlights have always been the people and the Pokemon. So how does she incorporate everything into one cohesive piece? “People, Pokemon and the World. That sounds like a decent title… Not that there’s any substance to it just yet.”

The girl continued her introspection until the sky was stained red and her two Pokemon companions came over to nudge her back into reality.

“Oh wow, look at the time. We should probably head back now. Did you catch any fish, Tini?”

The little Dragon averted his gaze in guilt and Nina laughed at her partner’s evasiveness. The girl had largely left the two Pokemon to their own devices since she was too busy with her thoughts.

“It’s okay. We got, what? Half a cooler’s worth. That should be fine. Not like we’re pressed for money right now,” she said as she booped her partner on the nose.

***

Nina thanked the bus driver as usual for helping to heft the cooler up the bus. The man didn’t have to but he did it every time anyway. Nina made a mental note to buy a thank you gift for the man at some point.

Pikachu ran ahead and climbed up to their usual seat near the front, while Tini was content to just stay wrapped around Nina. The whole bus was empty today owing to how late it was, except for a familiar looking man who was sitting near the back.

“No way… Is that?”

Pikachu made a whining noise as Nina walked past her usual seat, dragging her cooler over to where the man was.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you Professor Bill. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading your paper on Eeveelutions and evolution anxiety. It was very enlightening, especially your observations on how Evolution was an active, and not passive phenomenon.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The man Nina was addressing was indeed the renowned Bill, who invented the Pokemon Transfer System. At this point in his life he was a full on Pokemon Professor and a much older man. Though he still retained his signature hairstyle while wearing a lilac purple button up.

The Pokemon Professor gave an amicable smile. “Oh my, to think that the Dratini Girl was aware of my name. I’m quite honored. Though I do wonder, what prompted a young girl to read such an old and boring paper. If I recall, I wrote that one near the start of my career.”

Nina sat down at the opposite aisle and frowned in confusion. “Well I saw a documentary about Rainbow Ranch and its Eevees and the topic of evolution anxiety was brought up. But wait, what do you mean Dratini Girl? Are you referring to the shows that Tini performs in over at the Gym. I don’t think many people know I’m his trainer though?”

Bill chuckled. “Oh my, I didn’t know that you were one of Misty’s either. Unfortunately, I’m much too busy to go see the Cerulean Sisters perform. Though they do come and visit the Cottage from time to time. No, what I mean is your activities near the shore.

“You might not be aware but our lab has a clear view of our surroundings through a special omnidirectional telescope to monitor the local wildlife, and you often show up in the feed. Our researchers have taken to calling you the Dratini Girl. Which by the way, since you know my name, may I ask for yours?”

“I-it’s M-Melina, Melina Jones,” Nina stuttered. “But most people just call me Nina. Melina is my grandma.” Her face flushed red in embarrassment at being secretly spied on. Again. “Seriously, why does this keep happening to me!”

“I’m sorry, I probably should have asked for your permission before fishing near your property. My friend Kumiko, who works with the Sea Rangers, told me about that place and I thought it was okay.”

“Nice to meet you, Nina. And no worries, you’re quite alright,” assured Bill.

“We don’t own anything beyond the boundaries of the Cottage. And my researchers get quite a bit of enjoyment from watching over you, some of them have even taken to spending their breaks in the observatory whenever you’re present. They say that the sight of you and your Pokemon is ‘healing’,” said the man, causing Nina to flush an even deeper red.

“Though if you feel uncomfortable, do let me know and I’ll make sure to tell them off. I can imagine such clandestine observations may come across as being a breach of privacy.”

Nina shook her head vigorously. “No, no it’s alright. I just… something similar happened not too long ago and I was just taken aback, you know? Because I mean, you’re THE Bill. And here I am talking to you in a bus of all places. I don’t mean to presume or anything but I would think that you have a personal chauffeur or a Pokemon you can ride or something.”

Bill chuckled in amusement. “I do have a chauffeur, yes. But every now and again I like to take the bus and say hi to Norm over there.” Bill waved towards the front, and the bus driver, who Nina had just learned was named Norm, waved back in the rear view mirror.

“And I must say, your Dratini looks marvelous!” He exclaimed. “Would it be alright if I examined him? It has been quite some time since I encountered one of his kind.”

“I’m fine, but what about you, Tini? Are you okay with letting the nice man take a look at you?”

“Dra!” Cried Tini, as the little blue noodle slithered over to boop Bill on the hand.

The man laughed out in amusement and began gently caressing the Dragon. “It’s always such a joy to interact with a Dratini. And I can see that yours is still shedding healthily. That’s good, most normal trainers who come across a Dragon Type always make the mistake of evolving them too soon. The wisdom of Dragon Tamers tells us that it’s important to allow a Dragon time to live through its juvenile phase.”

Nina scratched her head. “Actually, Tini has been holding off on his evolution because I’m still under age — also we don’t have the money to feed a Dragonair. But that’s good to know actually. Is there somewhere I can read up more about the topic?”

Bill gave a helpless smile. “No, unfortunately. The eminent Dragon Clans aren’t keen on sharing their secrets. And they tend to have enough political sway to ensure that their secrets stay secret. Even Samuel Oak will find himself quite helpless in their presence.”

“Then would it be possible for you to tell me more. I promise I’ll keep it a secret,” begged Nina, fully employing her Baby-Doll Eyes in tandem.

Bill chuckled at the cute little girl in front of him. “Oh my, how can I say no to such an adorable face. It seems your time with the Cerulean Sisters has not been wasted. Those Vulpixes can be quite charming when they want to.

“I will say this. The biggest change to a Pokemon upon evolution lies in their increased capacity to store Type Energy. But it is precisely because infant Pokemon have so little Type Energy that they learn to better sense their environments and make more efficient use of what is available to them.”

He then went on to explain that trainers who allow their Pokemon the time to grow will end up with a fully evolved form that is much more deft in its Energy manipulation along with greater stamina and an overall more powerful moveset.

Nina scribbled furiously in her notebook, pausing once in a while to ask clarifying questions about the professor’s lecture. “Would this also apply to second phase evolution like Dragonair?”

Bill hummed. “This varies on a species by species basis. For some, the second phase is merely transitory. So to stick with the theme of Dragons, Shelgon would be a good example of this. One of the more intriguing aspects of Dragonair is that of those observed in the wild, there are some Dragonair that never evolve into becoming a Dragonite. So make of that information what you will.”

Nina nodded and continued her scribbling. “Thank you, professor. I’ll make sure to put this knowledge to good use. To tell the truth, I was really worried in the beginning about whether or not I was doing a disservice to Tini by holding him back. But I feel much better now.”

Bill smiled. “Your love for your Pokemon is clear for anyone to see. And no need to worry about your Dratini’s development. Dragon Types out in the wild may take decades to fully evolve. That’s just a common trait among the Type, and one of the reasons why they’re so rare. The latter of which we can consider to be a blessing.”

Nina did not want to bother the man too much. With any luck, she was hoping to form a longer lasting relationship with the Professor. So they moved on to chatting about lighter topics. The girl talked about the things she did out by the sea, fishing for Tini and practicing the moves he learned in the Gym and so on.

The older man patiently listened with a nostalgic look, as if he was reminiscing about his younger days. “You know, I almost got a Dratini as my starter… I wonder what would have happened had I journeyed with Dratini instead of Eevee all those years ago. Maybe I wouldn’t have been a Pokemon Professor and went on to become Champion instead.”

Bill laughed out loud. “Can you imagine? A Champion named Bill. How lame would that be? Haha!”

“Well I’m glad you became the person you are today. I can’t even imagine a world without all of your inventions and discoveries,” said Nina. “Regrets are for people who are unhappy with their life. If you like the person you are right now, then all the past mistakes and regrets you experienced were necessary to build up to this point.”

Bill took in the visage of his fellow commuter and renewed his assessment of her. His face looked like the one he wore when he came across an interesting research subject. “Indeed, Nina. I couldn’t agree more.” He murmured.

“Well then, I believe my stop is coming up. But before I leave, allow me to formally invite you to come visit the Sea Cottage sometime. I’ll make sure to give you a proper tour and not the one my wife gives to the tourists.”