Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

The sudden assassination attempt by the Ice and Fire Alliance turned out to have no direct effect on Ethan. After the chaos at the International Gene Biotechnology Exchange Conference, the media latched onto different narratives, some supportive of Ethan, others critical.

Some foreign news outlets argued that Ethan showed a lack of "commitment" by refusing to share his genetic breakthroughs, suggesting that he shouldn't be invited to future Exchange events. 

In contrast, mainstream voices claimed that Ethan had no obligation to share proprietary information. Even the powerful "Polar Bear Biological Group," a Saudi-supported company with its own national connections, publicly sided with Ethan. They criticized Fern and his antics with the Northam Group, suggesting that there might be a sinister mastermind behind his pushiness.

The Polar Bear Group had long been at odds with the Northam Group. They had heard about Ethan's harsh words to Hobbes at the conference and secretly hoped that any conflict between Ethan and the Northam Group would intensify, allowing the Polar Bear Group to benefit from the fallout. However, none of this seemed to bother Ethan. Once the event was over, he simply went about his business.

---

Back at Pokémon Biotech, Ethan resumed an ongoing task: monitoring the Pichu he had sold. The data provided by his Pokémon Monitoring System showed that many of the new Pichu owners were already training their electric mice.

It was a pleasant surprise when Ethan discovered that some trainers had successfully taught Pichu additional moves. One Pichu, for example, had mastered a brand-new skill. Intrigued by these developments, Ethan went through his usual routine one afternoon, finishing the morning's paperwork and deciding to rest a bit. Out of curiosity, he opened the Pokémon Tracker on his device and randomly checked in on various Pichu.

---

Almost all of the Pichu seemed to have settled into their owners' homes. They were being showered with affection, which reassured Ethan that the mass adoption strategy was working. He muttered to himself that with a price tag of three hundred thousand dollars, few would neglect such a special companion.

Just as he was about to switch perspectives, Ethan landed on Pichu Keke, the very first Pichu purchased by a lucky buyer named Zhou Ke. She happened to be reading aloud from the official Pokémon Biotech website:

"Pichu, a mouse Pokémon. A precursor to the evolution of Pikachu. Though small in size, it can unleash a potentially paralyzing thunder shock. Since Pichu can't store large amounts of electricity, it could shock itself if it overcharges..."

Zhou Ke paused thoughtfully. "So that's why little Keke accidentally zapped me the other day," she muttered. "It's like a teenager dealing with, uh... random energy surges." Her cheeks flushed at the analogy.

Turning back to her phone, Zhou Ke ran down a list of possible moves:

Thunder Shock, which she'd already experienced.

Charm, which made sense since Keke could easily look charming on command.

Thunder Wave, which she'd seen in action during Keke's minor misfires.

Iron Tail, which was described as channeling electrical energy into a tail, hardening it.

Electro Web, weaving a web of crackling electricity.

Iron Tail caught Zhou Ke's attention. She decided to try to teach Keke right away. Without a formal tutorial, she improvised and told the little mouse to focus the electricity in his tail. Keke struggled at first, emitting only faint sparks. Zhou Ke rewarded each attempt with a slice of pear, and offered gentle praise each time the Pichu's tail glowed even briefly.

After about twenty minutes, Keke finally formed a faintly hardened tail, proof of his initial mastery of Iron Tail. Zhou Ke beamed and hugged Keke with joy. From Ethan's point of view, it looked like Keke only needed a little push. After all, the Pichu had been practicing similar moves in the Pokémon Biotech lab under Timmy's tutelage.

Ethan chuckled. "They think they've single-handedly taught a brand-new skill," he remarked to himself. "In reality, Keke already had it in the bag. But it's good for bonding if the owners think they're teaching it."

Satisfied, he turned away from Zhou Ke's feed and watched the other Pichus. One user was a professional trainer who hadn't even read the official instructions yet and was focusing on typical genetic training methods. 

Ethan frowned at the conventional approach, which missed the unique aspects of Pokémon. He decided to have the staff send out a mass text reminder, urging new owners to consult the official Pokémon Biotech Guide. A moment later, the same trainer checked his phone, shrugged, and opened the website. Noticing references to Pichu's move list, he commented that he'd need to tweak his training regimen.

---

With that minor issue resolved, Ethan closed the Pokémon Tracking application. He had one more item on his mind: the triangular dice that unlocked new species. The last time he'd used them, he'd gained access to three different types of Pokémon, plus Mew from a bonus roll. Now it was almost time to roll again.

He leaned back in his chair and considered the possibilities. "What new Pokémon can I unlock this turn?" he mused. "And how can I best integrate them into my plans...?"

But for now, he enjoyed the silence. The day had been punctuated by swirling rumors from the Exchange Conference, though none had seriously damaged his reputation. His greatest satisfaction was watching Pichu settle into their new homes, forming bonds with grateful owners who were just discovering the depth and excitement of Pokémon training.

Quietly, Ethan reflected: If this is the first step toward a Pokémon culture in the Alverez Kingdom, we may be further along than I dared hope.

...

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