Chapter 1: The Fringe Plausibility Hypothesis

March 21, 2011

"Look at that Leonard, some people have no life." It was another day in the city of roses known as Pasadena California. The line at the local GameStop however was taken up by two nerds wearing Green Lantern T-Shirts and they were doing what they do best, talking nonsense that would go over anyone's heads.

"So, there here to get the newest Pokémon game so what?

"So What? Pokémon ran its course over 10 years ago when the TV show jumped the shark."

Drs. Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper had seen this sort of act before, a group of fans in line for the latest craze. They themselves have partaken that in their spare time. All of their downtime when not working at the university involves random trips to the Comic Center of Pasadena, grouping up with fellow nerds Howard and Raj and awkward pizza nights with ex-girlfriend and neighbor Penny. What began as a payment stop to pick up their Nintendo 3ds' had now turned into a trivial discussion on the fad itself.

"Sheldon didn't you play Pokémon back in the 90's?"

"Did I Play," Sheldon scoffed "Oh I Played all right, the card game, the gameboy, the clothes, I even remember owning my very own stuffed Squirtle."

"Really, you know I was also semi…"

"Buzinga!" I swear Leonard my classic jokes come in faster and deadlier than ever."

'Sheldon you seriously didn't know about Pokémon when it was huge?"

"The only thing I knew back in 1998 was that I was having a hard time finding a roommate and completing my doctorate."

"never mind lets get what we came here for."

"Somehow I figured seeing someone buying Pokémon today would get me off focus. I mean the its the Nintendo 3DS Leonard $250, for playing 3D Games without the glasses I'm just glad we got ours now before they all sell out in 2 days."

"Lets add (3DS Sells out) next to your failed predictions of Firefly getting renewed after Serenity came out and many others."

The duo paid for the systems and picked up copies of Wii Party and Portal 2. Their discussion of Pokémon would continue however well into lunch the next day with Howard and Raj.

"Howard did you sink into Pocket Monsters back in the 90's?" an Inquisitive Sheldon pondered

'Did I skink?" He Scoffed "I sank faster than that boat in episode 12."

Raj suddenly coughed up a mess of chewed up beans in shock and reached for a napkin. "How can you be into that stuff?" He barley gagged out still with bean juice on his lip "When Pokémon came out a friend of my parents back home went bankrupt buying the merchandise lot from a local outlet."

Sheldon twitted his fork around the can of Sierra Mist silently humming to himself. Feeling both curious and annoyed Leonard grabbed his forked hand.

"Oh Poo Leonard now I'm out of place.

"Sheldon you're not trying to hum the Pokérap are you?"

Sheldon turned back around to Leonard in shock "Good sir why would I waste time on such nonsense when there are more prevalent matters to worry about."

He went back to twitting and mumbled "Now what comes after Poliwarth, Buterfree or Marowak?"

Howard suddenly got an idea on his face and slammed his hands down hard on the table. "Guys I know a buddy of mine from MIT doing grad work at Carlsbad and he mentioned that he was working on a device which can create a portal….to another world." That got the nerds intrigued but the look on Raj's face said otherwise.

"Like on Fringe"

"No, not like Fringe" Howard Retorted obviously annoyed at the notion.

"Portal to another world Lord Denathor must here the news" Sheldon sarcastically threw back purposely annoyed. That gave Leonard all the ammunition as he turned to face Howard and flicked him square on the nose.

"What was that for?"

"You had to get Sheldon started on Fringe didn't you"

"What do you mean?"

"What he means my good acquaintance," Sheldon now into the conversation threw back his way "Is how a sci-fi show with a flashy premise could be allowed to stay on the air while Fox had the audacity to allow a great show like Firefly to have its demise after only 9 episodes."

Leonard sighed clearly a cue for Howard to finish his explanation.

"What I'm saying is this could lead to a world where Pokémon would take place and function as real creatures." You could theoretically live out the game and show in real time"

"Well I'm intrigued" Sheldon now excitedly sated "How soon can we go to Carlsbad."

"Hold on you guys don't you think it'd be easier to just have him bring the stuff hear and what about Penny?"

"Leonard," Raj quipped back "Penny doesn't like Fringe "I say Thursday at 4:00" .

"Okay then 4 it is ill go call Rex and have him set it up." Howard confirmed and then he was off. The others soon dispersed while picturing it. The whole time Howard was on the phone there was a single thought in Sheldon's head.

"Was Oppenhimer ever this curious when the bomb got built?" "Oh well lets go do this." And off they went.