The professor and I returned to Sandgem, and life continued where we left off. Dawn flew back to Johto, assuring me that the Indigo League was her next target and making me promise to keep an eye on the TV. I watched her until she disappeared over the horizon, on the back of a blue, red-winged Dragon I had never seen before.

I thought about her a lot, when I returned to Sandgem. I thought about the places her journey had taken her, about how I'd moved from one corner of the earth to the other without really experiencing anything in-between. I'd transferred from being stationary in one place to being stationary in another. Dawn was crossing seas and climbing mountains and fighting to make a name for herself. That glimpse into her lifestyle made me want more out of my mere existence as a professor's aid. I ignored it at first. I brushed it off as an infatuation with a lifestyle I'd soon realize I could never live. But the more I thought, the more I realized how much I wanted to leave. I realized how many questions I had about the universe and how it came to be, and how unfulfilled and bored I felt.

"Lucas, put Missy away. We're going to have guests in a half an hour."

Missy chirred sadly, zipping from place-to-place as her wings droned. "She won't hurt anyone," I said, in my Yanma's defense. "She's gentle. Besides, those kids who came in a couple of days ago seemed to really love her. I think you might be misjudging your demographic."

"I do remember those children," Rowan said, before taking a long, loud sip of his morning coffee. "Their parents were absolutely thrilled to see a giant Bug lifting their children into the air."

"She's not that big."

"Consider that most people who live in the Sinnoh region don't grow up seeing bugs much larger than their hands." From someone else, it would have been lighthearted, but from Rowan, the statement was stern and final. End of discussion.

I pulled a sunflower seed out of my lab coat pocket and tossed it in the air. Missy whizzed around and caught it and returned to my side in a matter of a second. I returned her to my only Poké Ball and helped Rowan make the lab look presentable.

Evolution was a field as broad as it was deep. The topic either of us might be researching at a given moment could suddenly draw parallels with three other topics, or lend credence to a thirty-year old theory. We tended to drop what we were doing in those eureka moments, and the journals and notebooks would pile up and cover our desks. In Rowan's eyes, the only thing more unsightly than a giant bug flying around was a messy desk.

The guests that day were a young couple from Jubilife named Wendy and David. Wendy was studying to become a Pokémon researcher herself. The dear old professor was more than enthusiastic to give his speech on Evolution.

In short: We don't know why some Pokémon evolve and some don't. It might be an ecological mechanism—Pokémon changing forms to fill roles in their local ecosystems. A Staravia may evolve into a Staraptor to fill a recently vacated top predator spot, or a Combee may evolve into a Vespiquen when the previous hive queen dies. Pokémon like Chatot or Girafarig may not evolve because they fulfill a very specific niche, or because they're already capable of fulfilling several ecological roles as they are. The theory is far from bulletproof, because not all Pokémon evolve on their own. Some Pokémon, like Golbat, only evolve through their friendship with a human. This begs the question: What exactly is the connection between humans and Pokémon?

The other major branch of Evolutionary biology, and my personal favorite, has more to do with the process itself rather than its purpose. Pokémon give off some kind of energy when they evolve. On a graph, this energy is very similar to the background cosmic energy of the universe, left over from its beginning. One theory states that Pokémon completely rearrange every physical aspect of themselves when they evolve. If that's true, it's possible that Pokémon access the same energies present during the creation of the universe. How much can we learn about the primordial universe by studying Pokémon evolution?

Wendy was thrilled by the lecture. Even David, who hadn't seemed as interested, was listening intently by the end. Rowan may have spoken as dryly as a desert, but he knew how to make his presentations interesting. They stayed for a few minutes after the tour, with Wendy asking the professor a few questions. I asked David if he wanted to meet Missy, but Rowan caught wind and shut me down.

When they left, the lab went back to its usual quiet. The professor worked at his computer, while I examined samples of different Burmy coats under a microscope. The only sounds in the room were the whirring of Missy's wings, and the old desk fan Rowan had sitting beside his monitor.

"So, Professor…"

"You only call me 'Professor' when you want something." Rowan didn't stop typing as he spoke. "What is it?"

"Well, I've been… thinking about some things, since we went to that fundraiser in Veilstone." I'd been steeling myself to ask this for a few days, and now that I stood here actually asking, I was nervous. My mouth was dry. Rowan wasn't a rude man, but he was a blunt one.

"As have I. Cyrus emailed me expressing interest in my research. I'm considering a partnership with him."

"That's great," I lied. "But… I've been thinking about other stuff. You know, where everything came from, what happens after we die. Stuff like that. I realized I don't really have any answers, but I want to find some. I want to see the rest of Sinnoh."

The professor raised his bushy, white eyebrows. "You want to become a Pokémon trainer?"

"I don't think I have what it takes to be a trainer. I just want to see some ruins and study mythology in places that aren't here for a while. I have so many questions."

The professor scratched his chin. "The Sinnoh region is a good place for people who have questions. But it's also rugged and unforgiving. Don't commit to such an undertaking unless you know you're capable of handling it."

"This is what I want to do. I've never been surer of anything in my life."

"Hm. I think it's a good idea."

"… You do? You… you really do?!" My reply was a mixture of excitement and disbelief. I was worried for a moment I was embarrassing myself, before deciding I didn't care.

"Of course. Everyone deserves a chance to find themselves. You may as well do it while you're young. Besides, you wouldn't be much used to me with your head in the clouds all day."

I shrugged. "That's a good point. I don't know if you noticed, but I've had my head up there since we got back."

"I have."

"When can I leave?"

"Tomorrow, if it pleases you. I'll pay you during the first two weeks. It's the least I can do to make up for your years of assistance."

"Oh my god, thank you so much."

"You're welcome. And if I might recommend a heritage site, the Canalave library is an excellent place to find what you're looking for."

Missy buzzed all around the room, flinging papers into the air as she celebrated. I tried to catch as many as I could before Rowan changed his mind. I could tell she didn't love being confined to a small laboratory all day, and the prospect of being able to fly in the open air must have been exciting. When we lived on Six Island, she'd spent most of her time outside. But, Sinnoh often got too cold for her. And, as much as I hate to admit it, Professor Rowan was right, and people in this corner of Sinnoh were often scared of Bug Pokémon as big as she is.

I woke up early the following morning. Too early, I decided, considering my new lifestyle. I no longer needed structure. I deleted my alarm settings before leaving my loft in the Sandgem lab, more a symbolic gesture than anything else. I said a few goodbyes around town, to Dawn's parents, to the next door neighbors, and to Patrick the Poké Mart clerk after buying a few supplies. Then, finally, I said goodbye to Professor Rowan.

"Keep in touch," he said, clapping a huge, rough hand on my shoulder.

"I'll be sure to," I said. "I think I'm going to do what you recommended and go to Canalave first."

"Good idea." Rowan's hand fell back to his side. "I look forward to hearing about your travels. You've been an excellent assistant. Come back with all of your limbs attached."

"What about my fingers?"

"Optional." Rowan was not a man who showed much emotion, and this instance was no different. His facial expression didn't change, but the only time I'd ever heard him use sarcasm was when he was trying to pretend he had no emotions. I was touched, as strange as it might sound.

Stepping onto the road towards Jubilife felt less monumental than I thought it would. Even as it shrank into the horizon behind Missy and I, disappearing into the pine trees, I found it hard to feel anything. I expected to feel invigorated or alive, or even hollow or regretful. But all I felt was the cool midmorning breeze.

Jubilife was a city I was tired of seeing. I visited it a handful of times a year, and only when I absolutely had to. It was too congested. I never felt like I had enough breathing room in downtown Jubilife, like everyone and everything was closing in on me. I made my way to the ferry services and took a boat to Canalave, sparing as little time as possible. After sitting in a lobby for fifteen minutes at the harbor, I boarded the ship to Canalave.

The sky was cloudless, the wind tinted with sea salt. I stood leaning on the railing of the ship, one hand on my magenta hat to prevent the breeze from taking it. I watched schools of Finneon swim around the ferry, their fins glowing like stars in a Six Island night sky. That was when I felt alive. I felt more alive than anyone else on the planet. The world around me was sparking with intrigue, with answers to all of my questions.

But in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder how long the romance would last.