Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

There is Somewhat of a dark twist in this chapter, quite exciting if I might add. skip chapter if you are a Kid and can't read certain things.

A Fair Warning was given.

...

The panther lay sprawled on the arena floor, unconscious or at least too stunned to get up. Silence fell over the crowd of onlookers. 

They had witnessed something unexpected: Ethan Grave's trio of small Pokémon, typically considered "cute" or "harmless," had triumphed with astonishing ease. But for many in the crowd, the biggest shock wasn't the Panther's defeat, but Fern's bizarre decision to challenge all three opponents at once.

"It ended too quickly," someone muttered. "I was expecting at least a few minutes of back and forth."

"It's Fern's own fault," another replied, shaking his head. "He insisted on one-on-three. Even if his panther is powerful, it's not invincible."

Laughter broke out among them at Fern's miscalculation. More thoughtful observers wondered if the Panther's speed might have turned the tide in a straightforward one-on-one battle with Pikachu. 

But these theories remained speculation. No one knew exactly how powerful Ethan's Pokémon were. Their moves, from Squirtle's strange Bubble to Pikachu's powerful Thunderbolt, had surprised everyone. For such a small creature, Pikachu unleashed an astonishing amount of electricity, enough to cripple the mighty Black Electric Panther in seconds.

At the edge of the arena, Fern knelt beside his stricken panther, pressing a trembling hand to its chest. After checking for a faint pulse and breath, he breathed a shuddering sigh of relief. The beast was alive, though in desperate need of medical attention. Overhead, the murmur of the crowd turned to faint chatter:

"That turtle spat bubbles, who'd have thought it would slow the panther's speed?"

"I'm more worried about that electricity. Pikachu's body is so small; how can it pack such high voltage attacks?"

"Who cares? Fern lost, and lost badly."

Meanwhile, Ethan felt a light tap on his shoulder; it was Pikachu that had jumped onto him. "You're getting heavy," Ethan grumbled, half-seriously. "If you keep eating like this, I'm going to have to forbid you from jumping on me." Pikachu, sometimes affectionately called Timmy by the team, let out an indignant squeal, insisting that it hadn't gained a pound. Ethan merely flicked the Pokémon's ear and threatened to cut its rations if it got any heavier.

He turned away from Fern's predicament, content to leave the man to his wounded pride and battered panther. As Ethan strode toward the exit, Minister Elijah joined him, his face still tinted with concern. Before either could speak, a man's polite cough sounded from behind. It was Hobbes, representing the Northam Group.

"Mr. Grave," Hobbes began carefully, "I would like to apologize on Fern's behalf. He acted impulsively and I hope this little... incident... won't sour the relationship between us."

Ethan's eyes narrowed in open skepticism. "Really? You expect me to believe that it was only Fern's personal rage that drove him to corner me? That no one else might have had a hand in provoking me to step forward?"

Hobbes forced a thin smile. "Your sense of humor is remarkable, Mr. Grave. Of course, we harbor no ill will. We'd still like to... "

"I'm not a fool," Ethan cut in, his voice cold. "You and your colleagues tried to trick me into spilling secrets. Now that it's backfired, you're hoping we can pretend it never happened?"

A muscle twitched near Hobbes' temple. "Surely we can put this behind us. If you'd accept a little courtesy from the Northam Group."

"There you go again," Ethan said, flashing a predatory smile. "Your so-called courtesy. Listen well: if you provoke me, I will not respond by bowing my head or feigning courtesy. Don't bother threatening me with the status of the Northam Group. You think you're unstoppable? Well, guess what, there are rival powers out there. If I choose to ally myself with them, see how quickly your group's advantage erodes.

Hobbes' composure cracked, if only briefly. He imagined the outraged face of the chairman of the Northam Group if Ethan Grave's evolutionary genetic technology fell into the hands of a competitor. "Mr. Grave," he said, his voice tightening, "there is no need for hostility."

"I think there is," Ethan replied. Without another word, he brushed past Hobbes and walked out of the open combat area.

Secretary Elijah followed close behind, torn between relief that Ethan had emerged unscathed and disbelief at how brazenly he'd rebuffed the Northam Group. Normally, no one in the Alverez Kingdom, or anywhere for that matter, dared insult them. But Ethan wasn't "no one"; he was a man with the power to create evolving Pokémon who held a closely guarded secret. Others might fear retaliation, but Ethan had proven that he was not easily intimidated.

"Shall we return to the Exchange Conference?" Secretary Elijah ventured, eyeing the hallway that led back upstairs.

Ethan shook his head. "I've had enough. It's all posturing and nonsense." He sighed. "I've seen what I wanted to see. That's enough drama for one day."

Secretary Elijah looked uncomfortable for a moment. "I was planning to attend the Biolife Alliance meeting on the first floor, which is happening at the same time. Charles Sullivan is attending, along with many other bigwigs. I was hoping to help you reconcile with him, didn't you two have some conflict?"

"Charles Sullivan can do what he wants." Ethan shrugged. "You think you can stop him if he tries something? No offense, Elijah, but no one here in Tarvok City can control that man. I'm not going to kneel just because he's the head of the Panex Group. Besides, I'm not so easily cornered by petty tactics."

Secretary Elijah exhaled. "I see. Well, in that case, I'll run a quick errand at the Biolife Alliance conference. I need to let them know that the city leadership still stands behind Pokémon Biotech. Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"Nope. I'm going home." Ethan gave a short, dismissive wave. He whistled for Pikachu, Squirtle and Charmander to follow. He'd arrived earlier in Secretary Elijah's chauffeured car, but now that he was leaving on his own, he'd have to hail a cab outside the convention center.

Stepping outside, he found the typical hustle and bustle of the city. Foot traffic was heavier than usual because of the conference. Ethan opened a ride-hailing app on his phone, only to find that it required him to re-register. Exasperated, he spent a few minutes scrolling through the sign-up pages before requesting a ride. Several more minutes passed with no sign of his vehicle.

Finally, a car pulled up. Just as Ethan put one foot in the passenger seat, a deafening boom shattered the relative calm. The sound came from above, drawing startled cries from the crowd at the convention entrance. Hearts pounded in collective alarm as they craned their necks. High on the third floor of the building, glass windows exploded outward as if some tremendous force had struck them from the inside.

Ethan spun around to see a figure plummeting from the shattered window in a haze of shattered glass. The body landed with a sickening thud on the pavement not far from him. A jolt of horror shook him as he recognized the person sprawled on the ground, blood streaming from a severe wound at the throat. A single, ragged breath escaped before the figure went still.

"Secretary Sloan?" Ethan gasped. Charles Sullivan's longtime confidant. Secretary Sloan's eyes were wide open in shock, staring at nothing. Shards of glass and bloody streaks littered the sidewalk beneath him.

Screams erupted from onlookers. Some rushed to call paramedics, others to alert security. Clutching the cab door for balance, Ethan staggered backward. He had never expected this day of conflict to turn so nightmarish.

The blood pooling around Secretary Sloan's collar told him it was almost certainly too late. Whatever had happened on the third floor was no ordinary accident. His mind raced, adrenaline surging. What the hell was going on up there?

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Then the wail of an approaching siren brought him back to reality. He reached for his phone with trembling fingers, unsure if he should call for help or a trusted friend. Secretary Elijah was still inside, presumably on his way to the Biolife Alliance conference. Was he safe?

As the scene erupted into frantic chaos, Ethan felt a knot of fear tighten in his gut. A heated biotech rivalry was one thing; the apparent murder of someone so close to Charles Sullivan was quite another. It seemed that the day's drama was far from over.

...

If you wanna read 35 chapters ahead of the free release hit up my

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

patreon.com/chibi_mon_mon