(Don’t panic! This post was written after I was involved in a car accident and is just meant to be in case I die before Pokemon is finished. You can safely ignore it as a bit of morbid pre-morteming if new chapters of the story are still being published every month, or if there’s some super apologetic post explaining why I’ve missed an update. 

If you’re here and neither of those things are true… okay, you can panic a little.)

Hey everyone. Looks like I’ve gone and joined the illustrious ranks of Charles Dickens, Geoffrey Chaucer, Robert Jordan, and (hopefully not but at this rate probably) George R. R. Martin in dying with my work unfinished. I sincerely apologize for that: I probably tried my hardest not to, with thoughts of you, my dear readers, likely near the forefront of my urgent reasons to survive whatever killed me.

There are a lot of really good, unfinished web serials and fanfics on the web. I’d like to think Origin of Species qualifies for that first adjective, but it would really suck if it got stuck with the second as well. At this moment I don’t really have anyone in mind to continue the story without my guidance, but in case any permission is needed, I hereby give it to anyone who thinks they can do the job.

To aid in that effort, I’ve created a document detailing the major events and results of various subplots for the remainder of the story past chapter 63. To those who think themselves worthy, I’ve placed this document behind an encrypted password, the answer of which is carefully hidden within the first 63 chapters of the text. A diligent (and dare I say rational) mind will be able to glean the location of the hidden document, and its password, and thereby demonstrate that they’re truly fit to take up the torch.

Nah, just kidding, I’ve actually given it to Alexander Wales to post on /r/rational. That seemed like much less work.

To my patrons, my deepest gratitude for all your support over the years. You’ve been more motivating than you know in making sure that I stick to my deadline (insufficient as it ended up being) no matter what craziness happened month to month. To those diligent typo highlighters, thank you so much for keeping the story’s form as close to a published novel’s as it could be. I wouldn’t have caught half the mistakes I made on my own, no matter how many times I reread it. To everyone who helped me with the science or mathy parts that I inevitably still probably got at least somewhat wrong, thank you for all your patience and help.

And to all my readers in general, thanks for giving me a taste of the pure joy of mental telepathy. Crude as it was, it was sufficient to share the worlds in my head for others to play in, and the characters to love and laugh and cry with.

Stay curious. Notice confusion. Admit when you’re wrong. Be the hero you yearn to be in your most secret heart. When you’ve figured out a little bit of how to do that, do your best to humbly teach others what worked for you.

Don’t just rage against the dying of the light: try to make the world a little bit brighter while you can. I hope I have for all of you.