Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of Pokémon Biotech's office. Ethan leaned back in his chair, idly waiting for the system's triangular dice to cool down. He'd felt a strange sense of anticipation all day, certain that the dice's reset period would be over by evening.

Just then, Annie walked in, looking slightly annoyed. She was carrying a folder of paperwork under one arm. "Mr. Grave," she began, "we received word that Shevaun Smith wants another meeting. He claims he needs to discuss a contract termination on behalf of Mr. Sullivan, it's the same old story about him joining the Biolife Alliance."

Ethan rubbed his temples, remembering the last time Shevaun had dropped by unannounced. Charles, who had barely survived the Ice and Fire Alliance's assassination attempt, had apparently ordered all Biolife Alliance members to cut ties with Pokémon Biotech. This included Shevaun, who was forced to cancel his endorsement deal with Ethan and face a five million dollar fine.

"They've already come twice today," Ethan said, stifling a yawn. "And I turned them away both times. I won't let them cancel the contract without paying. That's the law, right?"

Annie nodded slightly. "Exactly. If they're determined to break the contract, they have to pay the fee. Mr. Smith's visits haven't changed your attitude, so... shall I show him in or ask him to leave?"

Ethan half-smiled. "Let him in. Might as well hear him out again, if only for entertainment."

---

Moments later, Shevaun entered, wearing his best grin. He bowed slightly. "Mr. Grave, it's been so long, a day without seeing you feels like three years. How's your afternoon?"

"Cut the sweet talk," Ethan replied coldly. "If this is about canceling the contract, you know my terms. Pay me five million dollars for breach of contract, or keep your deal with Pokémon Biotech. I can hold my own in any legal showdown you might be planning."

Shevaun's forced smile faltered. He shifted uncomfortably, knowing that Secretary Elijah had already warned them that Ethan had high-level backers in Tarvok City, including the city's mayor. Even if Charles Sullivan provided lawyers, it might not be enough.

"Well," Shevaun managed, "Mr. Sullivan has grown distant since the assassination attempt. Getting him to sign off on this in person is almost impossible, let alone seeing him face to face. And I can't risk upsetting him further by ignoring his demands."

Ethan just shrugged. "I understand that. But why keep following his orders if you can't even reach him? Seems like a pointless effort."

"It's complicated," Shevaun said, biting his lip.

A corner of Ethan's mouth twitched. "Here's a simple option: quit the Biolife Alliance. After all, Charles Sullivan was almost killed by the assassins of the Ice and Fire Alliance, who knows if they'll target his associates next?" He paused, letting the implication sink in. "Not to mention, if you cut ties with him, you won't be bound by the contract with us. You might even be safer."

Shevaun paled at the mention of killers, then sighed. "I'll... think about it."

"Good. In the meantime, I'm done arguing. If you can't make up your mind, don't waste my time."

Seeing no way forward, Shevaun gave a polite nod and backed away, slipping out of the office.

---

Once Shevaun was gone, Ethan Grave leaned back and massaged the bridge of his nose. "So much nonsense," he muttered. "All this because Charles Sullivan survived."

Annie could feel Ethan's frustration. "Any ideas on how to deal with him?"

Ethan's eyes twinkled with a flicker of mischief. "Actually, yes. The name Ice and Fire Alliance is still fresh in people's minds. Maybe we can... use that to our advantage in a purely business sense. I'll keep you posted if I decide to play that angle."

He didn't elaborate, leaving Annie slightly curious. But she recognized that Ethan's best moves often began as half-formed ideas he liked to ponder alone.

---

Late that night, Ethan stood at the office window. Down in the courtyard, Pikachu, Squirtle, and Charmander tussled over a small pile of snacks, squealing and growling in their playful dispute. The scuffle made Ethan chuckle, reminding him how quickly Pokémon could go from docile to dramatic.

Turning back to his desk, he opened the system interface. The triangular cube icon flashed, indicating that it was ready. Heart pounding with excitement, Ethan clicked to start the roll.

After a brief animation, the dice landed on a 4.

Ethan felt a surge of elation. "I finally got a '4' on the dice."

The system recognized the result by awarding him four points to unlock new Pokémon entries. He'd already planned how to spend them. First, he wanted Growlithe, a loyal, fire-type pup that would make an ideal candidate for police dog training. He entered the selection into the system.

Squirtle had effectively become a firefighting unit; in the same way, Growlithe could support local police efforts. Ethan was certain that many precincts would be thrilled to adopt the species if it proved stable and cooperative.

Suddenly, a prompt flashed in front of him:

You have unlocked Growlithe. Lucky mechanism triggered +1 Evo Pill.

Ethan grinned. "That's another guaranteed evolution item."

He moved on, using the next two items to unlock Audino and Happiny, both known for their gentle nature and potential as "healthcare Pokémon." The final list of four also included one last special selection: Ditto, the shape-shifting goo that could mimic almost anything.

Once again, the system rewarded him. 

A new message appeared:

You have now unlocked 10 Pokémon. The World Event "Palkia's Gift" will be triggered upon the birth of the 10th species...

Frowning, Ethan scrolled through the explanation. Palkia's Gift had to do with meteorites falling from the sky, imbued with spatial energy. The system claimed that these stones could be used to create a technology similar to a Poké Ball, an item capable of storing Pokémon in a compact dimension.

It sounded both incredible and terrifying. If meteorites with advanced "Space Distortion" properties rained down on the Alverez Kingdom, the entire world might demand them. Governments would intervene. Corporations would fight for the technology.

Ethan rubbed his forehead. "Poké Balls would be an absolute game changer," he muttered. "But as word spreads, I'll be under immense pressure from all sides. States will want them, rival groups will try to steal them. Is it even safe to continue?"

He scrolled through more details. Palkia, the mythical being that controlled space, would cause these stones to fall from the sky. It was difficult to glean the exact timing or details from the system's cryptic text.

---

Finally, he noted the system's final surprise: an item called a Molting Fossil, which could be soaked in distilled water to create a "molting fluid" that gave Pokémon a chance, though not a guarantee, of evolving. The success rate was a modest 8%, depending on factors such as confidence, environment, and willingness.

Ethan frowned thoughtfully. "So it's a less reliable approach than the Evo pills, but it can be mass-produced. Could prove interesting... or potentially dangerous if the formula gets out."

He turned off the interface and thought about the future. This incessant wave of events, random assassinations, commercial rivalries, and now the hint of a cosmic "world event" seemed to be converging all at once.

"If meteorites are raining down, I'll have to navigate the scramble for them carefully," he thought. But at least I have a head start on the technology behind controlling Pokémon in miniature dimensions.

For now, though, Ethan put his worries aside. He checked on the three Pokémon in the courtyard, making sure they'd resolved their snacktime skirmish. Tomorrow was another day, one that could bring not only new Pokémon, but a whole new dimension of possibilities to the world he was constantly reshaping.

...

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