The Pokemon world is a vast and mysterious place. There are hundreds of these mysterious creatures, and every day, even more are discovered. However, no matter how open-minded the scientists on this world claim they are, a few facts are always set in stone. One, pokemon cannot change into other pokemon unless they are evolving. But even if they are evolving, each creature has only one other they can become. The one exception to this fact is eevee, but we will come back to that in a minute.

Two, a pokemon of one type cannot change to the type of another. The only exception to this rule is if a pokemon evolves. In those circumstances, though, a type is never changed, while sometimes an additional type is added. Alola pokemon are not noted in this fact as an exception because they are born a different typing than the standard, not turned.

Three, and most important of all, pokemon are stagnant. Now, I don't mean that they never age, or never grow stronger, because they do. What I'm trying to say, is that pokemon biology is steady. It cannot overcome an attack equal to its own if the attack is of a dominant typing. For example, if an equally powerful water type and fire type both attacked with an elemental attack of their own type, the water type would win because it is strong over fire. At the same time, the water type would lose against an equally powerful electric type. And in the long run, a pokemon cannot overcome those limitations. It cannot be trained to withstand, or even triumph, over an attack stronger to its own typing.

I mentioned earlier that eevee's were an exception to rule number one, correct? That is because it is the only pokemon without a stagnant physiology. Its energy is always changing, which allows it the privilege to evolve into multiple different pokemon of many different types. Other than the noted exceptions, there are no other statements. These rules are fact.

However, science is always evolving. New discoveries are made everyday, so can we take anything we learn as a fact without actively trying to prove it wrong? Well, that is where we begin our story. Inside a small little town, there lived a small little boy who dreamed that he would be the very best that no one ever was. It is his story that we follow, as his actions changed the very foundation of the pokemon world as we know it.

Inside of a quaint little town called Pallet Town, the sound of whimpering could be heard. A little yellow mouse with three brown stripes on its back, two red circular cheeks, and elongated black-tipped ears could be seen hiding in the brush . Its naturally zig-zagged tail was lying weakly on the ground. One of its hind paws had a nasty bite in it that was oozing pus and glowed a slight purple. It cried weakly in pain, unaware that anyone was nearby to hear it.

Ash Ketchum was a curious eight year old boy, and very brave, but those traits often caused him to get into mischief. In fact, that was why he was currently in his current predicament. The other boys in town had dared him to venture into the forest in order to find a toy pokeball they claimed had been lost inside, despite the dangers of wild pokemon. Of course, they were lying, but the spiky, black-haired boy was full of courage and had a desire to prove himself, despite their taunts. So, here he stands, lost in the forest with no idea which way to go. That was, until he heard a faint whimpering coming from the brush to his left. When he peered between the leaves, he discovered an injured pikachu.

Ash had been taught by his mother to try and avoid wild pokemon at all costs, but decided to make his presence known to the creature anyways.

"Hey, you look pretty bad, huh? I don't think a band-aid is going to help much. Why don't I take you to Professor Oak's lab? He's a pokemon researcher, so I bet he knows how to fix you up really quick!"

The pikachu glanced up at Ash when he began to speak, but didn't have enough energy to do anything except growl weakly. It did listen to Ash's words, but decided it didn't matter either way. It would either die here in the forest, or go wherever this kid wanted to take him. Honestly, the second at least had a chance of survival, so he decided not to bite when the human gently picked him up.

Ash knew that this pokemon was not going to last very long, so as soon as the creature was secure in his arms, he jogged off in a random direction. Although he had been lost before, now it seemed that his gut was telling him instinctively which direction to go. Sure enough, within a few minutes, he could see the laboratory through the tree branches ahead of him.

Once clear of the leaves and other debris littering the ground, Ash increased his pase and dashed up the grassy hill to Professor Oak's door. Gasping for air, Ash kicked the door, unable to use his hands to knock because they were occupied. It seemed that Ash was in luck, for it wasn't a lab tech that answered the door, but the Professor himself.

"Now, what could possibly be so important that...Oh my! Quick, come in and follow me to the operating room. There's no time to waste!"

Nodding, Ash followed Professor Oak to said room, and once noticing the operating table gleaming spotlessly in the center, proceeded to lay the pikachu down as gently as possible. Meanwhile, Professor Oak bustled hurriedly around the lab, gathering gleaming surgical tools and bottles of mysterious substances. Once everything had been collected, he snapped on some blue surgical gloves and gestured Ash to do so as well.

"All of my lab techs are on a safari to learn about pokemon habits in the wild. They should be back tomorrow, but unfortunately, this rattata won't last that long. As long as you follow my instructions to the letter, we should be fine."

And so, Ash helped in his first surgery. Of course, no eight year old should see the inside of an animal at that age, but Ash seemed to take it fine. In fact, he flourished. He would ask questions about what body parts he was viewing, and why this part did what it did. In between, he delivered things like iodine for sanitation, or he dabbed away the blood that started to pool. While Professor Oak was draining the pikachu's leg, Ash asked about the purple color coming from it.

"Why, Ash my boy, that is because the leg is poisoned. Any body part that has been poisoned will have this purplish coloring to it. Judging by the size and shape of the wound, plus it's poisonous properties, this was probably a poison fang attack from an evolved snake pokemon species. Specifically, an arbok. No worries, though. You got it to me just in time. Any longer, and I would doubt it's survival abilities."

Soon enough, the pikachu was all stitched up and being relocated to the recovery room. It would be unconscious for a while yet, having been given morphine by Professor Oak, so the two humans retired to a modest sitting room for a break. It was while they were resting that Professor Oak began to speak.

"You know, boy, you show a high aptitude for the kind of work we do here. I noticed your interest in pokemon biology, would you happen to be interested in becoming a researcher one day?"

Ash boldly replied, "Nuh-uh, I'm going to be a pokemon master!"

Professor Oak chuckled, "Ah, youth these days. Well, even if you don't want to be a researcher, you can still learn biology and whatnot from here. Knowledge will only help you on your journey."

Ash's brown eyes studied the man across from him. Professor Oak was an older man in his sixties, with faint sandy-colored hair steadily growing greyer every day. His face held many wrinkles, but it was his laugh lines that stood out the most. He was a man who was once just like Ash, but age had slowly replaced his bravado with wisdom. His eyes regarded Ash with not contempt, like the Pallet Town boys. Nor did he look at Ash like he was a child, and was just humoring him. You see, most people believed that because Ash was reckless sometimes, he was unintelligent. However, that was not the case, and Professor Oak was probably the first one to see it, and Ash knew it.

"I think…" Ash stated slowly, "that would be pretty awesome. But can I just read basic biology stuff, and maybe stuff about pikachu? He seems pretty cool, and I've never seen one before."

It was true, what Ash said. Pikachu were not native to the area around Pallet town, and were generally a rarer pokemon. Not because of their power, but because of their nature. They lived in colonies deep inside forested areas along route five, between Cerulean City and Celadon City. They tended to retreat from any human interaction, and hide away from any and all trainers. By that time, trainers had a powerful team, and adding a weaker pikachu to their team dynamics threw everything off anyways, so the electric mice threw everything off.

Ash was interrupted from his internal musing when Professor Oak spoke up.

"Why, that sounds perfectly reasonable. Yes, in fact, I have an idea. Pikachu is going to have a bit of a recovery time. Not too bad, only two weeks or so, but that should give me enough time to see what you can do. I have a book on electric type recovery procedures, and one on pikachu in general. They're both relatively short too. I'll give them to you, but in exchange, I want you to handle pikachu's aftercare. At the end of the two weeks, I'll give pikachu an exam and if I like what I see, I'll make you a honorary lab tech here with me. You'll get unlimited access to my library, and I'll also throw in a surprise reward. What do you say?

Ash's eyes had steadily grown brighter and brighter. Now, they were burning with a passion so great, the flames couldn't be extinguished.

"I'll do it Professor, you'll see. Pikachu will be the healthiest it's ever been once I'm done!"

Professor Oak chuckled and got up to fetch the two books he promised, while asking Ash to wait for a few moments. While walking, the professor couldn't help but ponder a blurry memory in the back of his head. He thought it had some relevance, but couldn't quite recall. Regardless, the aforementioned books were retrieved quickly, and immediately after handing them to Ash, the little boy darted away to the recovery room to wait on pikachu.

In a small chair next to a crisp, white bed, was Ash Ketchum. He was rapidly devouring the text between his fingers with a ferocious hunger. As mentioned earlier, everyone in town, including his own mother, believed that Ash was much less intelligent than he really was. Because of those circumstances, teachers had held him back in school, or given him easier work. This was the first time Ash was able to read anything even remotely challenging. Laying on the bed in front of him was the pikachu from earlier. He was still unconscious, and would be for a while, and that gave Ash time to read through the books Professor Oak had given him. They were relatively thin, maybe 150 pages tops, but that was still quite a bit of reading material.

It was when Ash was a mere twenty pages from finishing the second book that pikachu began to stir. Ash had formulated some questions about certain things he had read, and was going to ask Professor Oak, but pikachu waking up had banished those thoughts. Immediately, the book was put away, page number noted, and his undivided attention rested on the rodent before him. Brown eyes met black, and a connection was formed.

In another world, Ash would have to drag a reluctant pikachu around after him before heroically risking his life to save the small mouse. This action would cause pikachu to give Ash his undying loyalty. In this world, that is not the case. Ash bringing pikachu to the hospital, and doing his best to help the mouse pokemon, ignited that spark, and the next two weeks would only strengthen it. Ash made sure that pikachu had fresh bandages every day, that the pokemon was always well-fed and in want of nothing. After a few days of recovery, the two of them would go outside to re-strengthen pikachu's leg, and to bring his speed and agility back up to where it should be. Correction, they made it better. In the meanwhile, the two grew close. Ash told pikachu about his life, and about his ambitions. He also spoke about the theories he had developed.

"Pikachu, why are types set in their ways? Why can't a charizard beat a blastoise in battle. In fact, with enough training, why can't we just change the type completely? Pokemon can learn elemental attacks from other types. You just have to change the feel of the energy. For example, pikachu produce electricity from their cheek pouches by making the energy tingly, right? Can't the attack become another element, then?"

Pikachu was just as curious as Ash was about the whole topic, and the two of them bonded over this new ambition that was growing. However, their two weeks were coming to a close, and with it, an overbearing sense of sadness. They would have to part soon, and neither of them was ready.

Professor Oak was examining pikachu. The way he moved, the flexibility in his leg, and the reaction time it had. To say he was pleased was an understatement. Ash had gone above and beyond during his trial period, and Oak was thrilled. However, he noticed just how despondently the two of them had been acting, and smiled to himself. Well now…

"Ash, I must congratulate you on a job well done. Pikachu is in top shape, even better than he was before. Now, for your reward…"

Sure, Ash was excited about his new status, and the rights to visit the library, but it was all shadowed by the fact that pikachu was going to leave soon.

"Like promised, you will receive your new title as honorary lab tech, and the bonuses that come with it. That means access to my library, and the secret privilege of being allowed a pokemon for protection, in case you ever need to do field work."

Professor Oak pulled a pokeball from his pocket with a satisfactory gleam in his eye. Ash, meanwhile, was in shock. Pikachu was the same. Did this mean…?

"Yes, Ash, this means that should you two want it, pikachu can become your first pokemon."

Professor Oak handed the ball to Ash, who treated it like a priceless treasure. He knelt down, and without a word, pikachu pressed his nose to the capture button and was sucked into the red and white orb. The ball dinged immediately, signifying a successful capture, and pikachu was let out just as quickly. They embraced, and though it really was a touching moment, Professor Oak had other things he needed to say.

"Well, I'm glad I made the right decision concerning the two of you, but there are some other things that need to be discussed. First of all, Ash, as an honorary lab tech, you have new responsibilities. These include helping me with the upkeep of this lab and all of the pokemon on it. Also, you need to clarify this with your mother and teachers. You start school again in a week, and your mother needs to approve you leaving in order to study full-time here. There is a lot of work to be done."

Ash nodded and stood up, pikachu still in his arms. The mouse scurried up to his shoulder and perched there, as had been common the last two weeks.

"I'll talk to my mom tonight, she's been wondering why I've been gone most of the day these last few weeks. I'll do my best to explain it to her, and have an answer for you tomorrow."

Professor Oak nodded and dismissed Ash, knowing the boy had a lot on his plate to do tonight.

It was during dinner that Ash brought up the subject. He had left pikachu in his room with instructions to remain hidden. His mom didn't know about pikachu, or the benefits of his title, because Ash knew she would never let him go if she knew he was going to get to go out in the wilderness.

"Mom, do you know how I've been gone for a while now during the day?"

Delia Ketchum nodded, her brown eyes outwardly showing calm, polite interest. Her red, mid-back length hair, which was tied in a low pony tail, slid over her shoulder at the motion. Inside, though, she was insanely curious. Her little boy didn't have any friends, and had a tendency to get into quite a bit of trouble. She had worried about him, but knew that pushing often led Ash to want to misbehave even more, thus endangering himself. Oh, she loved her little Ashy, but he really was quite dim…"

"I was helping Professor Oak at the lab. He had me help heal a pikachu, and because of how well I did, he wants me to go learn at the lab as an honorary lab tech. He said that I had to ask you though, because he wants me to leave school with your permission so I can study there. Can I please go? I wanna be a pokemon master, and Professor Oak said this would help me a lot."

On the outside, Delia seemed to be thinking about his words. On the inside, however, no thinking was going on at all. She was astonished! Her little boy was offered a place to learn at the lab? Impossible! Ash had a good heart, but he simply wasn't smart enough to have done anything of importance.

In a mad scramble for some sort of sense, Delia's mind put together some sort of weird amalgamation of facts to give a sensible reason for this information. That was when it clicked. Obviously, the Professor knew how mischievous Ash could get, and how stressed Delia was in return. Their two families had been friends for years, since before Ash was born. Because of this, the professor decided that by making Ash feel important, he could keep Ash out of harm's way by letting him feed pokemon and whatnot.

Not only that, Delia had an ulterior motive for allowing Ash this privilege. If Ash didn't pass his schooling, or its equivalent, he would be forbidden from owning pokemon or going on a pokemon journey. His father had disappeared during his journey, never to be seen from again. Delia had never wanted Ash to disappear as well, and had thaanked the heavens when she found out how unintelligent he was. The coursework the lab offered would be too hard for her baby to handle, and he would fail. It was a perfect solution! Once Deila had everything straightened out in her head, she smiled sweetly and said, "Of course you may, Ash. This is such a wonderful opportunity! I'll call the school tomorrow and let them know. You just worry about your new duties, ok?"

"Thank you, Mom!" You're the best ever!"

With that, the two of them continued dinner, blissfully unaware of each-other's hidden agenda.

What Delia didn't realize was that the title Ash had been given was a real title, and that it had benefits. Ash was lucky that Delia didn't realize that a pokemon for protection came with the package. When a trainer passed their exams to become active, they legally became adults. They were in charge of the care of their pokemon, keeping themselves alive, and even exchanging and making money. If a trainer had to call home to ask if he could have some money to battle, the journey would become redundant. Not to mention, if the trainer won a league, the prize money needed a place to go that was useful to the trainer. By passing the test, trainers showed they were intelligent enough to take care of themselves, and receiving their first pokemon was a symbolic way to show that. Delia knew that, of course, but as she didn't know Ash had received a pokemon, she didn't know that Ash had technically become eligible to go on a journey without ever passing an official test. The honorary lab tech title just made sure that Ash had the papers to prove he was legal, and hadn't just stole a pokemon or gotten lucky.

Ash, on the other hand, had no idea about his mother's motives for allowing him to leave school. He knew she didn't know about his intelligence, but not her secret goals in life. It would all come to a head two years from now, when Ash finally decided to go on his journey.