Pokemon Scientist

"Nana, accompany… accompany me…"

Allen shamelessly acted cute, knowing he still didn't have enough information. He needed his grandmother's help to gather more, but she was busy in the kitchen and couldn't assist him at the moment.

With a small pout, Allen shook his head in disappointment and wandered over to the corner to play in the mud. Well… lately, he had discovered that kneading mud was actually quite fun.

A moment later, it happened—the sound of the oven door opening, followed by the warm, sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies spreading through the house and out into the yard.

The instant the delicious scent hit his nose, Allen flung away the small branch he had been playing with and stomped right out of the mud pit without hesitation.

Cookies were far more important than mud!

He stormed into the kitchen, covered in mud from head to toe. Never in his life had he expected this to happen.

"SLUGMA!"

His eyes sparkled as he spotted Slugma, its molten body dotted with small rocks that had hardened over time. Grandma Dracelia often helped clean them off, making sure Slugma stayed comfortable.

But the moment Slugma noticed Allen staring so intently, it panicked. With a startled gloop, it quickly turned around and hurriedly slithered away, desperately trying to escape.

"Hahaha!" Grandma Dracelia burst into laughter, watching Slugma wiggle away in fear of whatever Allen had in mind.

Unfortunately, the laughter faded just as quickly—especially when Grandma Dracelia's sharp eyes locked onto the mud smeared all over little Allen's body and his dirt-covered hands.

Without hesitation, she reached out to grab him. Allen's eyes widened in alarm—Danger!

With a squeak, he dodged to the side. But how could he possibly escape from Grandma's experienced hands? She wasn't alone, after all.

Miltank and Buneary quickly joined in.

Buneary, thinking this was a fun game, eagerly bounced around, giggling as she joined the chase. Bulla, on the other hand, was serious about her task, determined to catch him no matter what.

Within seconds, Allen was scooped up effortlessly. He wiggled twice like a little turtle flipped onto its back before realizing there was no hope of escape. With a long, dramatic sigh, he flopped into Bulla's arms, completely surrendering.

"Alright, Bulla, take him for a bath now," Grandma Dracelia said instructed.

'No! This couldn't be happening!'

'Won't the cookies be cold by the time I come back?'

'Cold cookies aren't delicious…'

Not ready to admit defeat, Allen clung tightly onto Bulla's neck, his big eyes turning glassy as he shook his head furiously.

"No… no… Bulla… Nana…" he pleaded pitifully.

Bulla, being the soft-hearted one, hesitated. She didn't want to use too much force and risk hurting him, so she turned to Grandma with a helpless look.

"Mill~ Mill~"

Grandma Dracelia sighed, following Allen's gaze—and of course, it was locked onto the plate of freshly baked cookies sitting temptingly on the table.

"With your current state, do you really think you should be eating those?" she asked, crossing her arms.

But Allen had already thought ahead. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth wide and chirped, "Ahhhh——"

No need to worry, Grandma! Even if my hands are dirty, there's still a clean paw to help!

"Buneary~!"

Bun, thinking this was a brand-new game, happily raised her paw, ready to feed him. So, the left paw was for her, and the right paw was for Allen.

Grandma Dracelia: "…"

At that moment, she realized—this little troublemaker was way too clever for his own good.

Allen had just eaten one or two pieces when he noticed Bulla moving the plate away from him, making him anxious. But Grandma Dracelia wasn't one to indulge him. Before he could protest, he found himself scooped up by Bulla and carried off for a bath.

By the time he was scrubbed clean and dressed in fresh clothes, he stepped out of the bathroom—just as the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong—

"Allen! Pappy's home!"

Allen, freshly bathed and as good as new, perked up at the familiar voice.

A rush of cold air slipped in as Grandpa Drayton stepped inside. Beside him stood Electabuzz, its yellow fur slightly ruffled from the chilly air outside.

"Pappy!" he squealed, arms outstretched as he broke into an unsteady run toward him, shivering from the cold.

"Oh, Allen!"

Grandpa Drayton, just returning home from foraging, stretched out his arms and scooped up his darling boy in a warm embrace.

Ironically, while the area outside Route 211 is dangerous in winter, it is also the only time when the townspeople, especially the elders, encourage others to explore it.

The reason is simple: travelers and trainers.

They often seek out areas with plenty of wild Pokémon to train or gain experience.

For aspiring trainers, this is their final chance to hone their abilities before next year's league circuit.

For veterans, it's the perfect time to scout rising talents or hunt for aspiring trainers to earn some extra money.

And for professionals, it's their last opportunity to gain valuable experience—all in preparation for the prestigious World Coronation Series in Wyndon at the year's end.

As a result, the routes come alive with activity. Camps spring up everywhere, with trainers from across the region setting up ambushes or seeking wild Pokémon to spar with.

The atmosphere is vibrant, making it the perfect time to explore, as people are bustling about in every direction.

Strong wild Pokémon briefly pause their hunts, eager to grow even stronger or driven by a competitive spirit, often approaching anything they perceive as a worthy opponent.

Pokémon that have been trained by humans tend to be exceptionally powerful for their evolutionary stage and age, offering some of the best battles these wild Pokémon can encounter.

Hearing the commotion, Grandma Dracelia immediately knew her husband had returned. She set aside her knitting and rose from her chair, moving toward the door, ready to help him out of his heavy winter coat and welcome him home.

"Allen, have you been a good boy? I'll make lunch real quick, so just wait a bit, alright?"

"Yes, Nana," Allen responded without looking up, his focus still on the encyclopedia spread open before him.

Grandma Dracelia smiled warmly. 'So obedient.'

The precious incident with the mud and cookies seemed to have never existed in Grandma Dracelia's memory.

Now that the three of them were together, it was time for lunch.

"Buzz, you sit here!" Allen said, patting the empty space beside him on the mat.

The large Electric-type Pokémon blinked before letting out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Electabuzz!" With surprising gentleness for its size, Buzz lowered itself onto the mat, settling down beside the boy.

Grandpa Drayton, who had just finished hanging up his coat, chuckled as he watched the two. "He really has taken a liking to you, hasn't he, Buzz?"

Buzz let out a soft grunt of agreement, while Allen grinned, leaning against Electabuzz's warm fur and continuing with his encyclopedia.

Unbeknownst to all of them, Allen wasn't actually reading. Instead, he was using his photographic memory to access the mental spaces where he had stored clues and knowledge about Pokémon.

Inspired by his ability to recall all 1,025 Pokémon, he wanted to compile all the data and characteristics he knew and remembered.

From animal encyclopedias, wilderness survival guides, and National Geographic, he was methodically sorting and cross-referencing the data with entries from the Pokédex and Pokémon wiki to create a comprehensive flowchart and mind map.

He was working on something grand—his very own scientific Pokédex.

Though it seemed like an easy task with his photographic memory, it was anything simple. His young brain struggled under the massive load, each attempt bringing a sharp, stinging sensation, as if his brain were fighting against him.

The effort was excruciating, forcing his brain to reorganize itself in real-time, adapting to handle the strain. Despite this, Allen could feel his mind growing stronger, creating a powerful, layered system for processing and storing information.

It was like being back in university, doing all his research, thesis work, debates, and competitions. A torrent of 0s and 1s flashed in his mind, like digital code sorting itself, before he finally closed his encyclopedia with a satisfying clap.

After years of work, his mental Pokédex prototype was only halfway complete.

All that remained was to organize and chart the data, and he knew he'd be able to access the Pokédex with the same accuracy as if he'd read it a hundred times over—better, more updated, and more complete than the wiki or Pokédex he was familiar with.

Feeling lighter than ever, relieved that the brain pains were finally behind him, Allen beamed with joy.

"Buzz, you know you can actually evolve, right? You still have one more evolution! Do you want to evolve and become even stronger?"

Cynthia was still a baby, just like him, which meant there was so much more ahead. The protagonist, Ash, likely existed in this world as well, but the fact that this era was before Ash started his journey could not be denied.

To put it simply, this era was still peaceful. There were no criminal organizations targeting Legendary Pokémon yet, and Mythical Pokémon had not yet made their presence known, nor had any other unknown Pokémon that had yet to be discovered.

Hearing the question, Electabuzz tilted its head in confusion, as if to say, "What are you talking about?"

"Hahaha!" Allen laughed at Electabuzz's puzzled expression.

Then he couldn't help but chuckle even more when he noticed how Electabuzz kept stealing glances toward the back of the house. Allen knew exactly what it wanted most right now.

With a small smile, he reached out and patted the big cat beside him. Electabuzz blinked, then gave a firm nod before rising to its feet. Without hesitation, it trotted off to find its trainer, ready to help sort through the foraged items they had gathered.

Especially the Grepa Berry they had stumbled upon by chance—Electabuzz couldn't help but lick its lips in anticipation.

With an excited grin, Allen ran toward Bulla and Bun, who were peacefully napping on the soft carpet.

Miltank stretched lazily, while Buneary twitched her ears in her sleep.

Allen gently snuggled up next to Bun, careful not to disturb her, while Bulla gave a soft, contented moo, acknowledging his presence.