August 29, 2013
Day 37
Unknown Route, NE Hoenn
Prof. Harrison Birch
Daily Log, 4:35 p.m.
It has been over a month since I first ventured into the tropical northeastern region of Hoenn. I am surrounded by deep jungle, rich in vibrant Pokémon. There are thousands of plant varieties here as well; including several previously undiscovered species of berries that have been added to my database.
I have two reasons for being in such a remote, untraveled area – my research reason and my real reason. My research reason, which was necessary in order to obtain the grant money for this trip, is that I am studying how humidity levels affect the growth of brelooms' toxic spores. It is certainly not the most interesting research project in the world, although the breloom populations are quite numerous and my daily data can be recorded quickly. This is important, because it gives me free time to pursue my real reason for being here. And it, unlike my breloom research, is far more difficult.
Also, unlike brelooms, wild sceptile are a rare sight in these jungles. They live in large groups, but are extremely elusive and have complex migration patterns that vary from year to year. I've spent nearly a decade researching the local populations near Littleroot Town, but they are far smaller and easier to track. Plus, they do not require traipsing through a massive jungle for weeks on end.
My knowledge of their language is very basic, which makes communicating with the handful of sceptile I've managed to come into contact with difficult. But today I finally had a breakthrough. High in the trees, a large reptilian creature was foraging for berries. I kindly offered it one, and managed to convince it that I meant no harm. They are very flighty creatures, and I was amazed at this one's willingness to speak with me.
It was a young female, just barely evolved into her full form, with her branch-like tail still soft and the seedpods on her back still budding. As excited as I was to speak with her, I still didn't expect her to know anything about the jungle girl. But she did.
"Sc-scep-ep-tile-scep," she spoke in her native tongue.
She hadn't seen the girl in years.
Yet the jungle girl isn't a girl anymore, I thought to myself. I thanked the sceptile for her help, and as she wandered off, I sat down on a fallen log and began to think. She'd be as old as I am, and likely gnarled beyond her years from a rigid life. Yet, with that sceptile's brief words, I have lost almost all hope of ever finding her. She could have returned to civilization. She could be dead. She could still be out there, swinging through the trees like she did at seventeen.
I have decided to pack up tonight and head home. After all, I haven't seen her in almost thirty years…
…she could be anywhere, wandering, climbing, jumping from tree to tree, just like them.
She's wild as a sceptile, that is the only thing for certain.