Pokemon: The Scientist’s Rebirth

Over three and a half months had passed since Ethan began his life in the Pokémon world. His days were filled with wonder, learning, and relentless determination to understand this new reality. The once-foreign environment now felt more familiar, though his goal of mastering the science behind Pokémon remained a distant horizon.

This morning, Ethan sat at the last bench of a small classroom, staring out the window as sunlight streamed in. Attending school again after years of adulthood in his previous life felt peculiar. His desk was cluttered with a datapad and a small notebook where he scribbled research ideas and hypotheses.

The teacher's voice droned on about Pokémon types and their interactions—material that was child's play for Ethan, whose mind was far ahead. He glanced down at his datapad, scrolling through a document about Pokéballs, his focus sharp despite the classroom chatter.

"Ethan, are you paying attention?" the teacher asked, narrowing her eyes.

Ethan looked up calmly. "Yes, ma'am. Fire-type moves are the most damaging against Steel-type Pokémon."

The teacher blinked, then nodded begrudgingly. "Correct."

His classmates stifled giggles. This had become routine—Ethan lost in his datapad until called out, only to deliver a perfect answer and return to his work. Some students admired him, others found him insufferably smug, though Ethan remained indifferent to their opinions.

Such basic coursework designed for a 13-year-old was a breeze for someone like him, whose adult mind still retained the sharpness from his past life.

--Recess--

As the bell rang, the students spilled out of the classroom, while some lingered chattering and laughing. Ethan was still at his desk engrossed in his reading.

"Hey, Ethan!" a loud voice interrupted.

Ethan looked up to see Gary walking over, wearing his signature smirk.

"What is it?" Ethan asked, his tone neutral but polite.

"Is today your birthday?" Gary asked, his tone ringing with the same smugness that had come to characterize his every word.

"Ash is going around secretly inviting people to his house for a party in the evening. I was just wondering if you're the birthday boy. "

Ethan's fingers froze on the datapad. His birthday? He hadn't given it any thought. He wasn't even sure when his birthday was in this new life.

Before he could respond, Ash—who had been whispering to some classmates across the room—whirled around, his face red with frustration. "Gary! Why would you tell him that? It was a surprise party!" Ash shouted, his voice high-pitched with exasperation. "Mom is making a special cake and everything!"

Gary shrugged casually, but there was a spark of mischief in his eyes. "Well, I didn't get an invite, so I was just confirming the rumor."

Ash threw his hands up in the air. "Mom told me to invite Ethan's friends, not you. You're my rival! Why would I invite you?"

Gary's smirk widened. "Ethan's friends? Clearly, his only friend here is that datapad of his. So who are you inviting, Ash—your imaginary friends?"

Ash bristled, his voice rising. "I have plenty of friends!"

Their bickering escalated until the door opened and the next teacher walked in. With one stern look, the room quieted. Ash sulked in his seat at the front, while Gary plopped down beside Ethan, still smirking.

As the teacher began the lesson, Ethan leaned over to Gary and whispered, "You can come to the party if you want. I don't mind."

Gary's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Really?"

Ethan nodded, then returned to his datapad as if nothing had happened, leaving Gary to process the unexpected invitation.

Ethan became so engrossed in his thoughts about upcoming experiments with Bulbs that he zoned out the teacher's lecture and surrounding noise.

The past few months had been a whirlwind for Ethan. While his classes were laughably simple, his research had turned out to be far more complex than he'd anticipated.

His plan to experiment with Bulbs' poison diet had hit several roadblocks. Acquiring a supply of poisonous plants for Bulbs' diet became his first major hurdle. Poisonous plants weren't exactly high-demand items, and whatever was available came at a steep price. Much more than what his limited budget can sustain.

The only viable solution was to acquire seeds and cultivate them himself. Fortunately, Professor Oak came through and used his connections with Professor Ivy from the Orange Islands to help him obtain a variety of poisonous plant seeds for cultivation.

Growing the plants wasn't simple either. Cultivating them at the Pallet PokéRanch wasn't an option—there was too much risk of other Pokémon accidentally ingesting them. Instead, Ethan had to partner with nearby Xanadu Nursery, where the plants could be cultivated safely.

Even with the seeds planted, the first batch had only recently begun blooming. His experiments had to wait.

But logistics weren't his only hurdle. Bulbs still lacked a reliable poison move to accurately measure toxicity improvements. His request for a Toxic or Venoshock TM had been denied, leaving him to find alternative methods to make do with poison powder.

Meanwhile, his research into improving Pokémon moves had turned into a labyrinth. Every new topic he studied seemed to branch into another. Understanding how TMs worked needed him to research Pokéball mechanics. That, in turn, required delving into energy distribution in Pokémon. He felt like a beginner scientist all over again, constantly chasing new threads of knowledge. And most of this knowledge hunt had to be left halfway because of his limited clearance creating more roadblocks,

Despite the delays, Ethan was finally beginning to piece things together. With a growing understanding of this world's science, he was almost ready to start practical work with Bulbs. 

---Evening---

The last class ended, and Ethan spent the next couple of hours running errands for Oak Coral as part of his Research Intern duties. By the time he returned to Delia's house, dusk had painted the sky in soft hues.

As he pushed open the front door, a chorus of voices startled him. "Happy Birthday, Ethan!"

He froze in the doorway, startled by the loud, cheerful voices. The living room was decorated with colorful streamers, and familiar faces greeted him: Ash, Delia, Gary, Professor Oak, Jacob, and even a few classmates and staff from Oak Coral.

For a moment, Ethan was too stunned to speak, memories of the morning's conversation about a party flooding back. He had completely forgotten essentially making it a real surprise despite the earlier reveal by Gary.

Delia stepped forward with a beautifully decorated cake. "Come on, Ethan, Come in and make a wish!"

Ethan walked forward and stared at the flickering candles for a moment before blowing them out. Everyone clapped as he cut the cake and distributed slices.

As the party continued, guests presented their gifts:

Delia handed him a soft, hand-knitted sweater. "Winter is coming. I thought you'd like something cozy," she said with a smile.

Jacob grinned as he presented a limited edition cap with a Bulbasaur design. "For the youngest researcher who seems a little too obsessed with Bulbasaurs!"

Gary, surprisingly thoughtful, offered a box of sweets. "Something to keep your brain running while you're glued to that datapad," he quipped.

Ash proudly handed over a smooth, glimmering stone. "Found this on one of my adventures. Figured you'd like it."

"Really, Ash? An adventure when you've barely explored beyond your backyard and school grounds?" Gary teased.

"Hey, I've gone on plenty of adventures around town. I even went into the Route 1 forest once. I found this there!" Ash retorted.

"An adventure in the forest?" Delia repeated sweetly, her tone laced with danger.

Ash gulped in dread, realizing his blunder, while Gary snickered.

Professor Oak then stepped forward, presenting Ethan with a small box. Inside was a classic red-and-white Pokéball, which immediately sparked protests from Gary and Ash.

"Wait! He's getting a Pokémon?" Gary exclaimed vexed, gone was his earlier smugness.

"He's not even 18 yet! He can't own a Pokémon," Ash added, crossing his arms in jealousy.

Oak laughed lightly. "Hold your horses, boys. This is an empty Pokéball for the Bulbasaur Ethan is working with. He'll need it if he is to make use of this other gift." Oak said pointing to a silver disk besides the Pokeball in the box he gifted.

Ethan looked at the silver disc with profound curiosity. "Professor, is this...?"

Oak nodded. "It's a Toxic TM. I heard you made a request for one for your research."

"Thank you, Professor." Ethan said. "This will make my research much easier."

"What's a TM?" Ash asked, puzzled by the item.

"It's an item that can teach a Pokémon a new move," Gary teased, "You really don't know? Such a country bumpkin!"

"Gary don't talk like that," Oak interjected. "TMs are a recent development in the Pokémon world, so it's understandable if not everyone knows about them. You'll learn more about them in your later school years."

"A TM can only work on a Pokémon inside a Poké Ball," Oak explained. "So, Ethan will need this Poké Ball to teach the move to Bulbasaur."

"But he hasn't passed the ICAT yet, so he can't have a Pokémon, right?" the boys still grumbled.

"Correct," Oak confirmed. "He can only use this Poké Ball to transport Bulbasaur to various facilities for testing and feeding. The rest of the time, Bulbasaur must remain in the enclosure. He's not authorized to take it home." Oak said while looking at Ethan.

Ethan nodding in understanding said, "Don't worry, Professor. I'll strictly use it for research purposes only."

"Well, I must be going, Enjoy the party, everyone. And Gary, make sure you're home before dark." Oak said and disappeared in a shimmer of light.

The evening passed in a blur of laughter, conversation, and good food prepared by Delia. As the guests trickled out, and Ash rushed back to his room to escape from his mother ire on his earlier bold statement. Ethan stayed behind to help clean up.

"You've had a long day, Ethan. Go rest. I'll take care of this," Delia said, waving him off.

Ethan shook his head. "No, I want to help. And... thank you for organizing all of this. It's the first time anyone's ever celebrated my birthday."

Delia paused, her eyes softening. "You're welcome, Ethan. Everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday."

Ethan stood still, contemplating on Delia's word.

Seeing him distracted she asked "Do you need a comfort hug."

 "Of course, who could say no to a hottie like you?" Ethan replied, embracing her.

"Glad to see you're back to your usual flirty self," Delia teased.

Ethan hugged her tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. As her intoxicating scent and softness began to awaken his teenage hormones, he quickly disengaged, helping to clean while discreetly managing the rising discomfort in his pants.