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Upon reaching Professor Evergreen's research institute, Kalia recalled her Charizard and gently knocked on the door before entering with Louis.
The staff greeted Kalia warmly; she was quite familiar at the institute, known by everyone due to previous conversations during her visits.
"Is Professor Evergreen here? I need to speak with him," Kalia asked softly, mindful not to disturb the researchers deeply engrossed in their work.
"Yes, he is. Let me guide you," replied a young staffer, then turning towards Louis, "Is this your little brother?"
Kalia shook her head and explained, "No, actually, the item Professor Evergreen requested was found from him. He aspires to be a Trainer, so I wanted to ask if the doctor could provide him with a starter Pokemon."
"You've come at just the right time. The League recently delivered a batch of starter Pokemon," the staffer informed her.
Following the staffer, Kalia entered one of the inner rooms of the research institute where Professor Evergreen was intensely focused on his studies.
After waiting patiently for a brief moment, Professor Evergreen took a short break, allowing Kalia to speak up, "Professor, I'm here."
"Oh, Kalia, you're here." Professor Evergreen turned briefly to acknowledge her arrival before removing his lab coat and washing his hands.
"Did you check the information I sent you?" With a smile, Professor Evergreen dried his hands with a towel and approached Kalia.
"Yes, I did, and I've already found it," Kalia replied as she opened an empty Poké Ball, revealing a Meteorite Shard that gently fell to the ground. She carefully picked it up.
"Hmm, so you found it this quickly?" Professor Evergreen expressed surprise, initially not expecting much hope and planning to find one himself.
Kalia's swift success astonished him, indicating how seriously she took his request; otherwise, such rapid retrieval would have been improbable.
"Let me take a look." Professor Evergreen's expression turned serious as he accepted the Meteorite Shard and began examining it closely, continuously rotating it in his hand.
"It's indeed the type of meteorite we need. I'm amazed you found it so quickly, Kalia. Thank you very much; this will greatly assist my research." Professor Evergreen's face beamed with satisfaction, growing more pleased the longer he studied the shard.
During his previous research on Z-crystals, he discovered that they were extracted from specific meteorites, making their production relatively straightforward. However, cracking the technology behind Z-Rings proved to be challenging.
He suspected that the latent power within Pokemon might also be connected to these meteorites. After collecting various samples, he found that certain components in this colorful meteorite seemed related to some Pokemon species.
After several experiments, his materials ran out. To further investigate the relationship between the meteorite and Pokemon, he had asked Kalia to search for more of these specific meteorites.
With such a large Meteorite Shard, he now had enough material to complete his study. Although this was just the beginning, given his extensive experience researching Pokemon, uncovering their hidden powers seemed entirely possible.
"Professor, we owe finding this Meteorite Shard to him; I got it from Louis. He's eager to become a new Trainer, having just turned ten years old, and he wishes for a starter Pokémon," Kalia explained, seeing Professor Evergreen's excitement.
At this moment, Professor Evergreen finally noticed Louis. The boy appeared quite small and thin; judging by his attire, he seemed to be from humble means.
Louis looked at Professor Evergreen, feeling honestly quite courageous just for accompanying Kalia here. Now standing inside the research institute, he felt somewhat intimidated.
However, for the chance to receive a starter Pokémon, he didn't back down. Nervous yet determined, he politely asked, "Professor Evergreen, could you please give me a Pokémon?"
Professor Evergreen smiled warmly. The Meteorite Shard was immensely valuable to him. Originally, he had planned to request a small piece from the ancient museum, which would have required significant compensation. However, for the sake of his research, it was worth it.
With Kalia obtaining the Meteorite Shard from this young boy almost effortlessly, merely in exchange for a starter Pokémon, Professor Evergreen naturally had no objections.
The value of a starter Pokémon is subjective; while highly sought after, its ultimate potential depends on the Trainer's nurturing. Different Trainers can achieve varying levels of success with the same Pokémon.
Allowing Louis to choose a starter Pokémon posed no issue at all. If exchanging such a choice for the Meteorite Shard was possible, Professor Evergreen was more than willing.
"No problem at all. Compared to the Meteorite Shard, choosing a starter Pokémon is straightforward. Please wait a moment; I'll bring them out for you to decide," Professor Evergreen assured Louis.
First, he carefully stored the Meteorite before retrieving a box and returning with it, which he promptly opened.
Inside lay three Poké Balls resting on soft cushions, each labeled with the name of the respective Pokémon.
"These are the three designated starter Pokémon by the League: Treecko, Torchic, and Mudkip. Which one would you like?" asked Professor Evergreen.
Louis queried, "Why isn't Charmander included?"
Kalia explained from the side, "Louis, Charmander is a starter Pokémon exclusive to the Ellie Region. They're quite rare in the Sebas region. If you want one, you can try capturing it later."
"Then I choose Mudkip. That way, when I encounter a Charmander, it should be easier to capture, right?" After some thought, Louis decided on Mudkip because Water-types have an advantage over Fire-types. This would make capturing a future Fire-type Charmander much simpler.
"Mudkip it is; from now on, this will be your Pokémon." Professor Evergreen picked up the Poké Ball containing Mudkip and handed it to Louis.
"Go ahead and open it."
"Alright." Holding the red-and-white spherical Poké Ball with excitement, Louis fumbled for a moment before pressing the central red button.
With a pop, the Poké Ball opened, releasing a blue Mudkip onto the ground. It appeared slightly dazed, immediately focusing its gaze on Louis.
"Mudkip may seem unfamiliar with you at first," Kalia suggested, "Try giving it a gentle hug to bond."
Nodding, Louis approached Mudkip. As one of the League's starter Pokémon, Mudkip wouldn't actively attack humans but instead seemed quite delighted, emitting joyful cries.
Louis carefully lifted Mudkip, feeling its slightly gooey body. The Pokémon was remarkably light, making it easy to hold.
Embracing Mudkip, Louis felt incredibly fortunate. He finally had his very own Pokémon - and not just any, but the rare Mudkip! His excitement at that moment was beyond words.
"Good luck! The path of a Trainer is not as straightforward as it may seem," Professor Evergreen smiled before quickly heading back to his research lab for further studies.
"Kalia, please take Louis out and have some fun together. I'll be immersed in my research these next few days, so don't leave just yet; there's still something I need your assistance with."
"Yes, Professor," Kalia nodded. Since her help was required, she decided to stay temporarily, postponing her plans to challenge the Fighting-type gym until later.
Over the following days, Kalia spent time exploring Rhine City with Louis, also taking the opportunity to teach him fundamental knowledge about Pokemon.
After three swift days, Kalia found a moment to escort Louis back to Rockcliff City, leaving him to continue his journey independently from that point on.
In the research lab, Kalia observed Professor Evergreen conducting experiments, feeling awed even though she couldn't fully comprehend his work.
"Kalia, let your Grovyle come out now, I want to perform an experiment," Professor Evergreen suddenly instructed.
"Professor, it's no longer a Grovyle but a Sceptile now," Kalia explained, subsequently releasing Sceptile.
"It has evolved! Don't worry; this research won't harm your Pokemon. In fact, it might even bring significant benefits," Professor Evergreen reassured her, seemingly picking up on Kalia's concern. This was understandable, as all Trainers deeply care for their Pokemon.
Hearing the doctor's assurance, Kalia sighed with relief and looked at Sceptile, asking, "What do I need to do?"