Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

Ethan looked at the time on his phone, took a deep breath, and leaned back in his office chair. The live broadcast had ended half an hour ago, but its effects were still reverberating across every major platform.

Videos of Squirtle's water gun demonstration were spreading like wildfire. Doubters, trolls, and fascinated viewers alike were forced to acknowledge that the footage was uncut and authentic - yet another bold breakthrough by Ethan.

He switched to Weibo to gauge the fallout. Sure enough, comments

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exploded under his latest post:

Ethan (@EthanGraveOfficial): "Is it comfortable to get slapped in the face for guessing charades?"

Judging by the surge in likes and retweets, everyone knew exactly who he was calling out: Jerry. By the time the live broadcast showed Squirtle spewing a powerful jet of water, Jerry had rushed to delete his cryptic Weibo taunt. A momentary crisis, apparently. Ethan smiled.

"I wonder what he'll do now," he muttered, drumming his fingers on the desk.

---

Jerry's Office

Not far away, Jerry let out an animal growl and hurled his phone across the room. It slammed into a pile of documents before clattering to the hardwood floor, leaving a hairline crack on the screen. In the tense silence, Lina, her arms crossed by the window, hesitated to speak.

"Damn it," Jerry finally muttered, his eyes blazing with anger. "He's pulled another stunt. Another brand-new technology, just like that."

His voice quivered with a mixture of frustration and begrudging awe. To him, Squirtle's ability to store large amounts of water in its compact shell made a mockery of everything he thought he knew about biology.

Lina gave him a worried look. "Jerry... calm down. This isn't good for your health."

Jerry forced himself to inhale, only half managing to steady his breathing. He turned in his chair, then glared at her. "You're the biotech expert around here. You must have some idea how he did it, right?"

His words sounded desperate, but Lina could only shrug helplessly. "I-I don't know," she admitted. "I can guess how a genetically modified organism could produce electricity or even a simple flame, but this kind of water storage? It's like Ethan rewrote the code for advanced biological engineering all by himself. If that's true, it'll be almost impossible for outsiders to replicate."

Jerry's face darkened, a vein throbbing at his temple. "I don't think this was Ethan's idea. He used to be a nobody, a scumbag. Someone told me he even insulted Charles, who's gunning for him now. Let's see how smug he can be when this kicks in."

Lina pursed her lips. On some level, she understood that Jerry's anger was rooted in envy. But the truth was that if a biotech company had real strength, it would eventually rise above any hostile alliance, even something like the Biolife Alliance that Panex Group was spearheading.

Especially with Ethan's momentum. People were already calling him a "design genius," and some even claimed that he was at the forefront of international biotech.

"If it's a dragon," Lina thought, "it'll take to the skies in time."

---

Northam Group (Southern Branch), Tarvok City

Sennuo, the local branch of the Northam Group, buzzed with tense energy. Hobbes, the man in charge of this office, had locked himself in his personal conference room. Documents were scattered across the table: photos of Squirtle, screenshots of the live feed, and early speculation from senior scientists. On a nearby laptop, a video was paused at the moment Squirtle unleashed his water cannon.

He frowned and rubbed his chin. "Totally unscientific," he muttered, though he knew from experience that dismissing something as "unscientific" didn't hold up when the evidence piled up.

A ringing sound snapped him out of his thoughts. The phone's screen showed Headquarters. Hobbes tapped the answer button and immediately straightened when he saw the stern face of Robert Lynas.

The ashen-haired, steely-eyed Robert was the chairman of the Northam Group, often referred to as the "Hand of God". Under his leadership, the company had once launched a breakthrough species that revolutionized biotechnology. Some said he could turn decay into magic.

"Chairman," Hobbes greeted, bowing his head.

Robert's expression was stony. "I've just come from a board meeting," he said in crisp English. "We discussed your suggestion to approach Ethan again. The board agreed that if this technology truly catapults our research forward, we're willing to increase our offer."

Hobbes cleared his throat. "Yes, sir. But there's a new twist. A few hours ago, the Pokémon Biotechnology Company dropped another bombshell. They unveiled a new Pokémon called 'Squirtle' that can store an enormous amount of water in its body. I, uh, just watched the live broadcast. It's... unprecedented."

Robert's eyebrows rose slightly. A flicker of fascination crossed his features. This was the second major breakthrough from Ethan's team in quick succession, first the Evo Pill technology behind Pichu's power, and now a water reservoir ability.

"Two advances so soon," he mused. "We underestimated him."

Hobbes gave a tight smile. "Yes, sir. We'll have to rethink our strategy. Other global players may be lining up with blank checks."

"Let them line up," Robert snapped, impatience in his voice. "We're still the Northam Group. I'm not going to let an independent designer overshadow us."

"Of course, sir," Hobbes said. "Still, he turned down our last proposal."

Robert tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. "I'll speak to the board again. We may have to offer a deeper partnership, funding, research collaboration, whatever it takes. We can't let this slip through our fingers."

He narrowed his eyes. "Keep me updated. Daily. Every new Pokémon, every new experiment, everything."

"Yes, Chairman."

Robert ended the call, leaving Hobbes alone in the conference room. Hobbes took a long breath and closed the laptop, but his mind still pictured the smiling Squirtle spraying water like a miniature fire hose.

"Unbelievable," he muttered. "Yet it's real."

---

Pokémon Biotechnology Company

Ethan set his phone on the desk and leaned back, gazing out the window at the glow of Tarvok City. Night had fallen, the skyline shimmering with neon lights. For a moment, the excitement of the day faded into a quiet sense of pride.

They doubt me, he thought. And that's okay. Let the results speak for themselves.

Squirtle's popularity was already skyrocketing, and the swirl of viral videos might soon eclipse even Pichu's initial buzz. Eager buyers, curious journalists, and ambitious researchers flooded Ethan's inbox. Some congratulated him. Some begged for details. A few offered obscene amounts of money for the water reservoir gene.

He exhaled. This is about more than money now, he reminded himself. This is about rewriting the rules of genetic biology.

There was a soft knock at the door. Annie peeked in. "Ethan, it's getting late. You should go home."

He gestured for her to come in. "I guess you're right. I just can't shake the feeling that a storm is brewing."

Annie stepped closer and placed a stack of files on his desk. "Updates on the marketing of the Pichu shipments, plus new inquiries from potential buyers." She hesitated. "They say there's a storm brewing. You're not worried about the Biolife Alliance or the Panex Group ganging up on us?"

Ethan shrugged, a slight smile on his lips. "Competition is inevitable. Let them come. If they think they can corner us, they'll be disappointed. We have many more surprises up our sleeves."

His mind drifted to a top-secret project in the lab, a genetically complex Pokémon being raised in a massive culture tank. So complex, in fact, that even the best nutrient solutions had trouble keeping up. Mew, he thought, the next giant leap in biotechnology.

He gathered his things, the day's events dancing through his mind: Jerry's outburst, Northam's renewed interest, Pichu's upcoming shipments, Squirtle's instant stardom. The momentum around him felt unstoppable.

As Ethan turned off the office lights, he took one last look at the glowing skyline. He could almost feel the hum of potential in the air, like static before a thunderstorm.

A slow smile spread over his face. Let them come.

...

Come one and all, and experience this magic trick, but you have to pay the price or there'll be no dice, so come on down to:

patreon.com/chibi_mon_mon