Pokémon:

The Origin of Species

Chapter summaries & read-along

A rationalist Pokémon fanfiction exploring what would really happen if a scientifically-minded trainer entered the Pokémon world. Inspired by Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, it communicates real rational and scientific principles through Red's journey.

Start Reading → Original series ↗

Available Arcs

Arc I · Kanto

Origins

Chapters 1–18 · 18 summaries

Arc 1 is the origin in every sense: the morning Red Verres leaves Pallet Town, the forming of the trio who will carry the story, and the first hard lessons of a world where children are sent out among monsters. Red — pulled from…

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01 Unreliable Predictions Reading 02 Fallacy of the Single Cause 03 Memetics 101 04 Operant Conditioning 05 Personhood Theory 06 Interlude I – The First Night 07 Optimism Bias 08 Priorities 09 Delayed Gratification 10 Avoidance 11 Risk Assessment 12 Interlude II – Shadows 13 Theory Induced Blindness 14 Desensitization 15 False Dichotomies 16 Diversions 17 Tradeoffs 18 Interlude III – Son of Stone

Arc II · Kanto

The Road & Persuasion

Chapters 19–28 · 10 summaries

Arc 2 is the still point between journeys: a month in Pewter City, where the trio stops moving and turns inward, each taking on a project that tests a different kind of power. The surface is the first Gym, but the real subject is…

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19 Great Expectations 20 Body and Mind 21 Sample Bias 22 The Decisive Path, Part I 23 The Decisive Path, Part II 24 The Art of Persuasion, Part I 25 The Art of Persuasion, Part II 26 The Right Questions 27 Challenges 28 Interlude IV – 2.351

III

Arc III · Kanto

Over the Mountain

Chapters 29–40 · 12 summaries

The journey through Mount Moon and the arrival in Cerulean City shifts the trio's focus from individual projects to confronting systems of power, existential risks, and their own mental limitations. The arc opens with the trio…

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29 On the Road Again 30 Over the Mountain 31 Distractions 32 Decisions 33 Interlude V – Double Binds 34 Redefining Priorities 35 Deception 36 The Shape of Things to Come 37 Resolve 38 Learning from Failure 39 Hearsay 40 Interlude VI – And Every Common Sight

Chapters Coming Soon

Summaries for chapters 41–144 will be added progressively. Until then, read them at daystareld.com.

41Adaptability 42Making Do 43Risk and Reward 44Premortem 45Goal Factoring 46Interlude VII – Connections 47Courage 48Popularity 49The Paradox of Choice 50Comfort Zone Expansion 51Link 52Departing 53Out of the Blue 54Into the Black 55Accountability 56At Sea 57Autoargumentation 58Precipitate 59Interlude VIII – Organization 60Interlude IX – Thunder 61Storm 62Trust 63Interlude X – Judgement 64Purpose 65Fearless 66Interlude XI – Pyre 67Postmortem 68Internal Family Systems 69Missions 70Mind Boggling 71Imposter Syndrome 72Gaze Forward 73Teamwork 74Choices 75Interlude XII – Children of the Mind 76Chrysalis 77Focusing 78Merger 79Status Effects 80Nonviolent Communication 81Interlude XIII – Titans 82Interlude XIV – Titans II 83Interlude XV – Titans III 84What Comes Next 85Interlude XVI – The Vaulted Sky 86Interlude XVII – The Needs of the Few 87Ghost Town 88Heeding Whispers 89Hearing Shouts 90Coalition 91Interlude XVIII – Discoveries 92Authenticity 93Qualitative Research 94Tilt 95Eliminate the Impossible 96Moral Reasoning 97Raw Data 98Interlude XIX – Remnant 99Interlude XX – Change 100Collaboration 101Gauntlet 102Conviction 103Interlude XXI – Warnings 104Secrets 105Meta-Honesty 106Interlude XXII – Tools 107Perception 108Mistake Theory 109Market Theory 110Conflict Theory 111Shell Game 112Hunted 113A New Age 114Interlude XXIII – Law 115Limelight 116Conspiracies 117Interlude XXIV – Equilibria 118Responsibility 119Coverup 120Agency 121Precedes 122Inside Out 123Drastic Action 124Unearthed 125Interlude XXV – Shared Weight 126Interlude XXVI – Where the Heart Can Bloom 127Tests 128Double Duty 129Reframe 130Unadorned 131Lines of Retreat 132Interlude XXVII – Implicit Knowledge 133Interlude XXVIII – Null Reference 134Invasion 135Shell Game II 136Multitudes 137Interlude XXIX – Omens 138Interlude XXX – How My Light Is Spent 139Borrowed Strength 140Inheritance 141Sacrifice 142Learned Efficacy 143Countermeasures 144Double Crux