Professor Joy is rarely in her office, but she allows cadets to consult her in the Stables, where she is more often found. Today, however, you do find her in the office, which makes you glad that you decided to check first before making any assumptions.
You knock on the open door.
"Excuse me, Professor..?"
She looks up from the sheaf of papers she's riffling through, then smiles. "Cadet Yoshimura. Come in."
You do as the Professor says, and she puts aside her papers, gesturing for you to take a seat.
"How's your research coming along?"
You nod. "I've pretty much decided on Oddish, but I just have a few questions..."
"Go ahead."
"Okay, umm. So. The general outline of my Oddish capture plan is track a strong Oddish at night, wait for it to dig itself a hole for the day, put a steel mesh and then a fabric bag over it, dig it up carefully, send it to sleep with Sleep Powder, add more restraints, and then capture it. Could you give me your feedback on this plan?"
"Oh, dear." She sighs. "I wish you came to me a little bit sooner, so I could give you more help. Alright, the main problem with your plan is that Oddish, like many Poison-type Pokémon, is highly resistant to various drugs and toxins, including Sleep Powder. This is due to their innate Poison element counteracting any toxins in their system."
"I... I see."
"Yes. And Oddish, despite being a first-evolutionary-stage Pokémon, has a relatively strong Poison element for its threat level. That's not to say that drugs and tranquillisers will be completely ineffective, but expect its resistance to be really high. High enough so that not only will you need a much larger dose of whatever you decide to drug it with, but also that it will wear off really quickly.
That's why Poison-type Pokémon are notoriously hard to capture. That said, restraining a sleeping Oddish is a pretty good plan, but how are you planning to put it in a Pokéball if it's in wrapped up in steel mesh and fabric?"
"I'll revise my plan. But... the same applies for, say, a Nidoran?"
"Yes. Nidoran's Poison element isn't as strong as Oddish, but it's still resistant to all manners of drugs."
"Is there any benefit to capturing an Oddish with a stronger Poison element, though?"
"Is there a benefit to having a stronger Pokémon?" She asks you back in a tone that, while gentle, makes it obvious she thinks it's a stupid question. But then she continues, "most of the time, it's recommenced to start with a younger, weaker Pokémon, as they are easier to capture, tend to grow faster under training compared to in the wild, and are easier to tame. This means they'll reach their prime at a younger age and be combat-effective for more time before they live out their lifespan. But for Pokémon that grow slowly or have long lifespans, especially for your Starter, it might be wise to start with an older, stronger Pokémon that is more immediately useful in the field. You should already know this, cadet Yoshimura."
"So that means a younger Oddish will be easier to tame than an older Oddish, or a Gloom, right?"
"Yes, cadet Yoshimura, that is what I was saying..."
"Once I do capture an Oddish, what's the best way to bribe it into liking me? Will planting it in nice potting soil work?"
"The way to tame most Pokémon is the same -- reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour, while making sure to assert your dominance. Remember that it is more important for your Pokémon to listen to your orders than for it to like you."
"So... if I capture an Oddish in the middle of its evolution, will it make it harder to tame it?"
"Mm. Capturing an Oddish in the middle of its evolution will guarantee capture. But while it is likely to make it resent you, it doesn't mean it will make it harder to tame it. On the contrary, it will make it easier to dominate it after a failed evolution. However, the fact that it is likely close to the end of its lifespan might make it difficult to induce evolution before it expires."
"I see... Then, is there a way to tell when my Oddish is ready to evolve?"
"Unfortunately, there is no way to guarantee when your Oddish is ready or not to evolve." She shakes her head. "The typical factors are still the same: check its leaves for size and lustre. Bigger and more lustrous leaves will be indication of a better likelihood of evolution, although there are no guarantees. Oddish with smaller and duller leaves have succeeding evolving before, where others have failed."
"Then, is there a benefit to delaying its evolution until when it's stronger before the attempt?"
She nods. "A stronger Oddish will have better chances of evolving, and both the evolution and recuperation process will take less time."
"I understand," you say. "I'm also concerned about Gloom's scent, but I understand I can train it not to smell. How difficult is that training, and can you tell me more about the specifics?"
"We've already talked about the carrot and stick method, and it's been established that Pokémon are perfectly capable of understanding human speech. But if you wish for a Gloom to suppress its natural odour, it is a good idea to build a good relationship with it, despite my earlier advice. I've never personally trained a Gloom, but I hear that keeping them happy and satiated will do the trick."
"Is there some way to steer my Oddish towards a future as a Vileplume or Bellossom, depending on which I prefer? I am leaning towards a Bellossom, which I have read is rare. Will getting my Oddish to evolve into one be a problem?"
"That's basic information you should be researching on your own, cadet Yoshimura."
"Umm, okay. I just have a few more questions."
Professor Joy seems to have grown a little bit impatient with you, but she nods at you regardless. Hey, it's not your fault academics aren't your strong suit, right? "That's what I'm here for, cadet Yoshimura."
"I'll be collaborating with cadets Silver and Kitchenham, and I feel it's a good idea to understand their picks a little better... So firstly, is there a special anti-venom that's more effective against the Nidoran line's venom?"
She sighs. "Honestly, this is stuff you should be asking Professor Blaustein, but again, this is basic information. All modern-day antidotes are engineered from elemental poisons and venoms, and are effective on all but the most virulent of toxins."
"Thank you, Professor," you say bashfully. You must have missed that in one of your classes or something. "Is it likely for a Nidoran to be off alone away from its Kingdom?"
"It's not uncommon to find small groups of Nidoran some distance away from their more evolved forms, but they typically don't wander off that far away. Lone specimens are a little bit more uncommon, but it still happens every once in a while. You should be careful, regardless, and act fast if you see one."
"Got it."
"Is there anything else?"
"Just... three last questions. How does an injured Kangaskhan act? What kinds of natural predators does it have, and what Pokémon would be attracted to a bleeding, dying one?"
"Depending on the situation, Kangaskhan may go berserk or flee when they're injured. If you're going to the Safari Zone, you should already be aware that Dragonair and Dragonite are Kangaskhan's only natural predators. Nidoqueen are also known to have a rivalry with Kangaskhan. And as for the scavengers that might be attracted to a dying prey... In the Safari Zone, you might want to look out for Venomoth, Parasect, Exeggcute... or even Gloom, Weepinbell, or Tangela."
"That's all of my questions, Professor! Thank you so much for your time."
"It's not a problem." She smiles. "Feel free to come again if you have any further questions."
▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
It is the 16th day of the Latewinter, in the 48th year of the New Pokémon Calendar.
Your interviews are in 6 Days.
What do you do next?
[x] Study Gary's Notes (1 Day)
→ [x] Scyther (preliminary)
→ [x] Kangaskhan (preliminary)
→ [x] Nidoran (preliminary)
→ [x] Safari Zone West (Safari Area 3) (in-depth)
→ [x] Safari Zone North (Safari Area 2) (in-depth)
→ [x] Safari Zone East (Safari Area 1) (in-depth)
[x] Do preliminary research on a Pokémon. (2 Days)
→ [x] What Pokémon?
[x] Talk to someone. (1 Day)
→ [x] Topic?
[x] Do some training. (1 Day)
→ [x] STR : Focus on training your body.
→ [x] AGI : Focus on training your reflexes.
[x] Write-in.
