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.

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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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III

Arc III · Kanto — In Progress

Over the Mountain

Chapters 29–40 · 7 summaries

Summaries are being written progressively as the arc is completed.

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Chapters Coming Soon

Summaries for chapters 36–144 will be added progressively. Until then, read them at daystareld.com.

36The Shape of Things to Come 37Resolve 38Learning from Failure 39Hearsay 40Interlude VI – And Every Common Sight 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