A/N: DO NOT ATTEMPT THE EXPERIMENT DEPICTED IN THIS ONE-SHOT.

After a day at Sinister Woods, their Toolbox filled to the brim from all the items they'd brought home with them, a Cyndaquil and a Treecko were walking through Treasure Town.

"We did well today!" Arlo reached into the Toolbox and helped himself to an Oran Berry. His back flared up from the tangy juice overwhelming the entire inside of his mouth.

"Eh," Jaser said without enthusiasm. "I wish we'd gotten more new recruits today. Maybe we're not beating up enough Pokémon?"

"Yeah… about that. Jaser, I need to ask," Arlo interjected. "That Ampharos we encountered was pink instead of yellow. He also sparkled. Why was that?"

"Well," Jaser began, "that was what's called a Shiny Pokémon."

Arlo stopped, in front of the bridge heading out of Treasure Town and toward the house Jaser had so kindly gifted him shortly after his arrival in the Pokémon world. "Shiny Pokémon?"

"Yeah, usually, members of a species are only slightly different shades of pretty much the same color. But a minute percentage are a completely different color."

"I see." Arlo nodded. "And is it something you're born with?"

"Yep! At least, that's what everyone thinks. I still have yet to test out my theory on turning a regular Pokémon into a shiny one."

Before Arlo had a chance to ask what that was, Jaser went straight up to the Kecleon brothers' shop counter, and pointed at the bottom shelf, asking for a certain item. He paid for what turned out to be a large metal cylinder.

"A liter of glossy paint." Jaser proudly held it up for Arlo to see. "I'm gonna chug this entire can and with any luck, it'll turn me shiny."

"...Please don't do that." Arlo's voice was filled with dread.

"For science, Arlo!" The Treecko sidestepped his Cyndaquil friend and sat down in front of the hut. After opening the can, he showed it to Arlo. The thick, translucent substance glistened in the sun. "See, no need to worry! I made sure it was clear to make this a fair test. Now, help me tip the can, would you? It's a little on the heavy side."

"No. I am not helping you with this." Arlo turned and retreated into his home.

'What a spoilsport,' Jaser remarked mentally. Nonetheless, he opened his mouth wide and held the can with both hands and leant back slowly to tip the can such that the paint poured out into his waiting maw. He coughed and gagged from the taste, but then collected himself and resumed drinking, doing his very best to ignore the gag reflex.

He swallowed. Okay, that was the first portion of paint done. He just had to do the same again until the can was empty.

Twenty seconds later…

"SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!" Arlo screamed desperately as far as his voice would reach, while Jaser convulsed on the ground next to him.

Alarmed, the townsfolk saw the Treecko, unresponsive as he twitched and vibrated in various places, and within minutes, a group of Chansey paramedics were on the scene, carrying him away on a stretcher while Arlo followed.

Jaser's eyes opened, and he was immediately greeted with a group of abstract forms that soon revealed themselves to be Arlo, a Chansey, and various pieces of hospital equipment. "...Hey there, guys."

"Jaser! You're alive!" Arlo exclaimed, overjoyed that his friend was once again with him.

The Chansey seemed to be just about the opposite of Arlo's demeanor, opting to shoot Jaser a judgemental look. "I hope your little science experiment was worth the permanent side effects."

Jaser's face fell. "...What?"

"Yeah, while we able to pump out most of the paint, some of it got absorbed into your skin pores and altered your body's color."

Jaser leapt out of the bed and took a look at himself in the mirror. His previously light green hide was now closer to turquoise. His belly was a cream color, and finally, his tail had taken on the shade of red his belly should have been.

"...Doctor, do you have any pictures of what the average Shiny Treecko looks like?"

After a few moments, the Chansey handed him a book, opened to the pages depicting a regular Treecko, and next to it, a Shiny Treecko.

In disbelief, Jaser looked back and forth between the book and his reflection. "...Holy shit! Technically, it worked!"

Chansey immediately apologized for her rudeness and congratulated Jaser on his ingenious scientific mind. Everyone in the hospital entered the room and applauded him. He then won the Nobel Prize for whatever category this would count for. And then after that…

Jaser found himself sitting in a chair. It appeared he was inside Arlo's hut. "Huh? What just happened?"

"I believe I can explain," Arlo told him pointedly, appearing in front of him. "The doctor said you've lost control of your motor functions for a week and will have to stay in that wheelchair until they come back."

"WHAT?!" Jaser found indeed that he couldn't move. He became increasingly frightened as he attempted to somehow exit his current sitting position, but alas to no avail.

Arlo sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be this way… you messed yourself up for nothing."

"Nothing? But… but I turned Shiny."

"Nope, you're still a regular Treecko," Arlo clarified. "While you were still asleep, it sounded like you were having some kind of dream where that happened. Incidentally, do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"...No? What makes you ask that?"

"Because until your motor functions come back, I'm going to need you to tell me whenever you need to go, because I do not particularly feel like cleaning up your chair or my floor."

Now that there was silence, the two of them sat and contemplated the situation.

This went on for half a minute or so before Arlo decided that some mental stimulation was necessary if they were going to cope. "Do you want to play a board game, Jaser? I could do your moves for you. Or how about I read you a book?"

"The book sounds good," Jaser replied. "Can you fetch me Pro Skateboarding Stunts? I need to figure out how we can repurpose them for thi—"

"No."