"Why did you want us to come over, Professor Oak?" Ash Ketchum asked as he, Misty, and Brock entered the Oak Pokémon Research Laboratory.
"Ah, there you all are," Professor Oak smiled at his young visitors. "The reason I asked you to come over is because I need your help for my latest research."
"We'll be glad to help you in any way we can, Professor," Misty replied eagerly as Togepi chirruped happily in her arms.
"What's your research about?" asked Brock.
"As all of you know, my primary research interest is the human- Pokémon bond," Professor Oak explained as he began programming a machine sitting on a nearby lab table. "I have a hypothesis that Pokémon and trainers that share a strong bond also share similar physiological parameters. The Pokémon and its trainer are so interconnected that they function as one both mentally and physically."
"Which means, in plain English?" a confused Ash asked, overwhelmed by the scientific jargon.
"It means that Pokémon and trainers that share a strong bond work as one," Professor Oak smiled.
"That's true," Misty agreed. "Sometimes it seems like I know exactly what Goldeen is thinking, and sometimes it seems like Goldeen knows what I'm going to command before I even say it."
"That's exactly what I mean, Misty" Professor Oak said enthusiastically. "You and Goldeen share such a strong bond that you work together as one."
"So how can we help you, Professor?" Brock asked as he curiously studied the machine that Professor Oak was attempting to program.
"Well, the physiologic parameter I'm currently exploring is brain waves. I have a hypothesis that humans and Pokémon that share a strong bond will have similar electroencephalograms under certain conditions." Professor Oak held up a mass of wires and electrodes. "So who's going to be my first volunteer?"
The three friends gulped anxiously.
"Uh, I think I'll pass," Brock declined.
"Ash can go first," Misty volunteered quickly as she pointed in his direction.
"No way!" Ash said as he began to back out the door.
"Oh, come on," said Professor Oak. "An EEG doesn't hurt."
The three youths stared at him skeptically.
Professor Oak sighed. "All right, I'll prove it to you. Tracey, can you come here for a minute?"
His young assistant looked up from the Weedle that he was feeding and came over to his boss. "What's up, Professor?"
"Tracey, I need your help in convincing Ash, Misty, and Brock that an EEG is perfectly harmless. It's for the physio study."
"Oh sure," Tracey said eagerly as he started sticking the electrodes on his forehead. "We've done this once already today. It feels a little strange, but it doesn't hurt. Shall we use Venonat again, Professor?"
"How about Marill this time?" Professor Oak said as he finished hooking up Tracey to the machine.
"Okay. Marill, I choose you!" Tracey threw a Poke ball, and a bright blue Pokémon appeared.
"Marill!" the water Pokémon cried happily. It gave its trainer a puzzled glance as Tracey began attaching electrodes to its head.
"It's okay, Marill," Tracey reassured his friend. "It feels a little tickly, but it doesn't hurt."
When the boy and the Pokémon were hooked up to the machine, Professor Oak began his experiment.
"Okay, Tracey, we'll do this the same as this morning. I want the both of you to relax and think about something happy."
"Happy…hmmm. I know! Remember yesterday morning when Mrs. Ketchum brought us that yummy banana bread, Marill?"
"Marill!" the Pokémon squeaked happily in agreement.
"That bread was so good," continued Tracey, momentarily lost in the memory of the delicious treat. "Especially after Professor Oak burned the scrambled eggs and we couldn't eat them because they tasted so awful."
"Marill," the Pokémon agreed, rubbing its tummy.
Tracey, realizing that he had just insulted his boss's cooking, looked up and saw Professor Oak frowning at him.
"That's okay, Professor Oak," said Brock. "Cooking is an art. If you'd like, I can come over and give you some lessons."
Professor Oak gave him a withering look and turned his attention back to his experiment. "Okay, Tracey, you and Marill think about something happy again. And this time, keep your comments about my culinary skills to yourself."
Tracey gulped then tried to focus on another happy memory. "Hmmm…I know. How about the time the two of us went surfing at Clementine Island, Marill? We had a lot of fun that day."
"Marill!" the Pokémon nodded as it smiled.
"There. Come here and take a look, everyone," Professor Oak motioned to the three youths that were watching the experiment curiously. "Do you see that?" he said, pointing to the pair of readouts on the computer screen.
"It looks just like a bunch of squiggles to me," Ash commented.
"Those are Tracey and Marill's brain waves. Do you notice anything about them?"
"Yeah," Misty noticed as she looked at the computer screen. "They look almost exactly the same."
"Excellent observation, Misty. You're correct," Professor Oak congratulated her as Misty smiled smugly in Ash's direction. "That's the point of this experiment. I've discovered that Pokémon and humans that share a strong bond have almost identical brain waves. And it's not just during happy thoughts, either." Professor Oak turned his attention back to his test subjects. "Okay, Tracey. You and Marill think about something sad."
"The Professor's cooking," Tracey whispered to his Pokémon, hoping that his boss wouldn't overhear. Both Brock and Misty stifled a giggle.
Ignoring the commentary about his lack of prowess in the kitchen, Professor Oak focused on the experiment once more. "See that? The brain waves are almost identical again."
Ash turned his head back and forth then nearly upside down as he looked at the wavy lines on the computer screen. He still couldn't figure out what was going on.
"Now I want the two of you to think about the most exciting battle you've had," Professor Oak told his assistant.
"How about the time we wiped out Team Rocket on Mandarin Island, Marill?" Tracey told his Pokémon.
"Marill!" the Pokémon said as a determined expression appeared on its face.
"Wow, they're in perfect sync," commented Brock as he watched the two wavy lines on the computer's screen line up perfectly. "That's amazing."
"Excellent," Professor Oak beamed as he saved the data and began taking some additional notes. "Okay, Tracey. You and Marill are done."
"I want to be next, Professor Oak!" Misty volunteered.
"No, pick me!" said Ash as he pushed his way in front of her.
"Too late, guys," said Tracey. He was already hooking up the electrodes to Brock's forehead.
"Which Pokémon would you like to study, Professor?" Brock asked.
"Well, Onix is a little bit big for the electrodes. How about one of your smaller Pokémon?"
"I know. Go, Golbat!" Brock's large bat Pokémon appeared with a cry.
After hooking up the Pokémon to the other set of electrodes, Professor Oak began his experiment again. "Okay, Brock. I want you and Golbat to think of a happy memory that the two of you shared."
"How about the time you met Doctor Anna and Mimi?" suggested Ash.
"Who are Doctor Anna and Mimi?" asked Professor Oak.
"We met them in Johto. Doctor Anna runs a clinic in an old castle and she uses her Zubat, Mimi, to do ultrasound checkups on people and their Pokémon," Misty explained.
"How fascinating," said Professor Oak. "That's an extraordinary example of human- Pokémon cooperation. I must get in touch with her." He turned his attention back to the readout on the screen and chuckled. "Looks like Doctor Anna and Mimi made the two of you pretty happy."
"Hee-hee, Doctor Anna…" Brock blushed.
"Okay, Brock. That's enough. Now I want for the two of you to think about something sad." When the readouts on the screen didn't change, Professor Oak looked up and noticed that both the boy and his Pokémon had goofy grins on their faces. "Brock? Did you hear me?"
Neither Brock nor Golbat responded, as both were lost in their Doctor Anna/Mimi – induced reverie.
"It's no use, Professor," Ash told him. "When Brock thinks about girls, he's in another world."
"Or on another planet," said Misty. "Want me to snap him out of it?" she said as she reached for a nearby mallet.
"No, that's all right, Misty," said Professor Oak. "Why don't you have a try now?"
"Okay, Professor," Misty said eagerly as she helped Tracey pull the electrodes off of the love-struck Brock and Golbat. "Come on, Togepi. This'll be fun."
"Actually, Misty, I was interested in Psyduck," Professor Oak replied as he reset the machine.
"Psyduck?! You can't be serious, Professor Oak!" Misty said as she stared at him in disbelief.
"Oh, but I am. You see, Ash has mentioned to me on more than one occasion about the special bond that you and Psyduck share."
"Oh, he did, did he?" snarled Misty as she glared at Ash, who was suddenly very interested in the stack of papers sitting on Professor Oak's desk. "Oh, all right. Come on out, Psyduck."
The confused-looking Pokémon appeared as Misty threw her Poké ball. "Psy?"
"Okay, Misty, I want you and Psyduck to think of something that made you both happy," Professor Oak said after Tracey finished hooking up Misty and her Pokémon to the EEG.
"Any day without Psyduck is a happy one," Misty grumbled as she looked over at her dazed-looking Pokémon. "Okay, Psyduck, how about the time I thought you had evolved into Golduck?"
"Hmm, that's odd."
"What, Professor?" asked Tracey.
"Well, I'm getting a readout on Misty, but I'm not getting anything for Psyduck." Tracey looked over his boss's shoulder and saw that there was a nearly flat line under the reading labeled "Psyduck". "Tracey, why don't you check those electrodes and see if they're hooked up correctly?"
Tracey examined the leads going to Psyduck's head. "Nope. They're hooked up the right way."
"That's strange. Let's try something different, then. Misty, I want you and Psyduck to think about something sad."
"You mean, other than Psyduck's abilities as a Pokémon?" Misty replied tartly. "All right, Psyduck, how about the time that guy wanted to buy you?"
"I don't understand it," Professor Oak said as he began to click several of the switches on the machine. "I'm still not getting a reading for Psyduck. Let me try something else, then. Misty, I want you and Psyduck to think about the greatest Pokémon battle the two of you had."
"All right, how about the time we defeated Team Rocket on the Pokémon in Love movie set?"
"Oh for…" cried an exasperated Professor Oak as he smacked his computer monitor in frustration. "I'm still not getting anything for Psyduck." He went over to his test subjects and started examining the leads one by one. "I don't understand it. Everything's hooked up correctly."
"Forget it, Professor Oak," said Ash. "All along we've thought that Psyduck was pretty brainless. This just proves it."
Misty gave him a dirty look as she began removing the electrodes that were attached to her forehead.
"Well, I guess it's your turn then, Ash," said Professor Oak as he helped Tracey remove the electrodes from Psyduck and started placing them on Pikachu.
"Yeah, here you go, Ash," said Misty as she forcefully slapped one the electrodes onto Ash's forehead.
"Yow! Hey! That hurt, Misty!" Ash shouted as he clutched his forehead.
"Now we'll see if you even have a brain," Misty said smugly as she stepped aside to let Tracey finish hooking up Ash to the machine. "The way you act most of the time, I don't think you do."
"What do you mean by that, Misty?!"
"All right, calm down, you two. Let's start the experiment. Ash, I want you and Pikachu to relax and think about a happy memory that the two of you shared."
After giving Misty a black look, Ash settled back on the couch and began to think. "I know. How about the time the two of us won the Orange League championship?"
"Pikachu!" the little yellow Pokémon agreed with a triumphant grin.
"Wow, look at that," said Tracey as he examined the readout on the computer. "They're in perfect sync."
"Amazing," commented Professor Oak as he began to take some notes. "I've never seen a Pokémon and its trainer so much in tune with each other like you and Pikachu are."
"That's because Pikachu and I are best friends. And someday, we're gonna be Pokémon Masters. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" the Pokémon nodded.
"Okay, Ash. Now I want you and Pikachu to think about a sad memory."
Ash thought for a second. "Oh yeah, how about the time I thought you'd be better off with those wild Pikachu and decided to leave you with them? I didn't think I'd be able to handle not having you around anymore."
"Pikachu," the Pokémon said softly in agreement.
Brock gave a low whistle as he looked at two waves dancing in perfect union on the computer screen. "It's like those two have almost some kind of psychic connection."
"Ash and Pikachu do have a pretty special bond," Misty admitted.
Professor Oak eagerly scribbled some more notes. "This is so fascinating! Now I want the two of you to think about one of your greatest battles."
"Gosh, Professor. There are so many that I don't know which one to think about." Misty rolled her eyes. "Wait, I know. How about when we won the Thunder Badge from Lieutenant Surge? That was one of the hardest battles we've ever fought."
Sparks started flying from Pikachu's cheeks as the Pokémon thought about defeating the Vermillion City Gym Leader's Raichu.
"Uh, Professor…" Tracey said anxiously as he watched the little Pokémon build up a powerful electric charge.
"Just a minute, Tracey," Professor Oak said as he took some more notes.
"Professor…"
"PIKACHU!!!!"
Pikachu then let loose with a powerful Thunderbolt that shorted out all the electrodes on the machine and blew up the computer, knocking both Professor Oak and Tracey off of their feet. Ash yelped as the electric charge surged through the electrodes on his head.
"Professor Oak? Tracey? Are you all right?" Brock asked as he helped the pair to their feet.
"I think so," a dazed Professor Oak replied. "But I can't say the same about my equipment," which was now smoking.
"Or about Ash," Misty said, pointing to the semi-electrocuted boy lying on the floor.
"Pikachu," the Pokémon said apologetically.
