Summary: What do you get when you put Professor Oak and Mrs. Ketchum together in the lab in the middle of a blizzard with some strange and unknown chemicals? I intend to find out. I do so love experiments in Chemistry. R&R

Disclaimer: I don't own pokémon. I don't even own the television that my sisters and I watch the movies and play the games on.

Chapter 1-December 18

Tracy stuck his head around the corner. "I'm done cleaning up Professor. Want me to lock up on my way out?"

Professor Oak looked up from the microscope in front of him. He rubbed his hands over his stern-looking face and yawned hugely. "Oh, pardon me. That sounds like a good idea. After I finish this I think I'll just bunk upstairs."

"You sure you don't want any help?"

"No, no. You should go and enjoy your Christmas break. Aren't all of you guys going on some trip this year?"

"Yeah, Ash and Misty decided to come along with us. I think we're supposed to meet Brock there, too. Well, if you're sure. Merry Christmas, Professor Oak."

"Same to you Tracy. I'll see you after the first."

He listened for a few seconds and heard the door close and the lock click. The Professor sighed to himself. Another Christmas and I'm alone in the lab.

For the last eight years Samuel Oak had buried himself in his work during the holidays. He couldn't bear to celebrate Christmas, not since his wife Rose had died. Even though he didn't celebrate he still sent presents to his grandkids, his only family.

He sighed again and sat at his laptop. Unfortunately, he was so depressed about the holidays he found it hard to concentrate. He looked up at the clock on the wall.

"11:45. I might as well clean up. I'm not getting anything done anyway." He had been doing some research for Nurse Joy on the curative properties of Kabuto oil. He carefully wrapped the Kabuto fossil he had acquired from Ash and set it back on its shelf. He shut down his laptop and grabbed the vial of Kabuto oil that he had procured from the fossil. As he went to put it back in its proper place, he tripped over the surge protector his laptop was plugged into. He suddenly pitched forward and the vial went flying. He sat up and rubbed his nose only to see that the vial had shattered not far from him.

Another sigh escaped him. "What a way to end the evening."

He slipped on a pair of latex gloves and squatted by the mess, picking up the larger pieces. He reached out to pick up one that was quite a bit away from him. The Professor began to tip over and put his knee down to stop himself. There was an awful 'crunch' and pain shot through his leg. "Son of a …ow! God!"

He sat back against the wall and brushed the glass from his from his pants. Blood was seeping through the fabric and he rolled up his khaki pants to get a better look at the damage. He winced. Pieces of glass were sticking out of his shin where the blood welled up around them. He got up and limped across the room to clean and bandage it at the sink. He picked the glass out and applied a small amount of pressure and his leg immediately stopped bleeding. "Strange."

He shook his head as he bandaged the wound and went to clean up the mess. A few minutes later the floor was clean and the shattered vial and Kabuto oil were in a container labeled hazardous material. He limped upstairs and dropped heavily to the couch. Propping his foot on the arm, he promptly fell asleep.