Chapter 44: Chapter 43: Squirtle Squad!
Zidaine hesitated. If it hadn't been for the Chief's insistence, he wouldn't have bothered to come to what he assumed was a waste of time.
How much water could such a small creature hold? The idea of these "blue turtles" fighting large fires seemed ridiculous.
"Mr. Grave, can they really do that? I mean, look at Squirtle, he's no bigger than an infant," said one firefighter, trying to catch Zidaine's eye for approval.
Ethan Grave calmly replied, "Whether they can or not, you'll see for yourself. Secretary Elijah has already witnessed their abilities. You see his calm demeanor, he has no doubts."
"That's right," Secretary Elijah said with a confident smile.
Ethan picked up a running Squirtle, rubbed its smooth head, and said, "Don't let their small size fool you. The water output of a single Squirtle is considerable. While they are young, once mature, a team of Squirtles will outperform a standard fire truck in efficiency."
He set the squirming Squirtle down, pulled out a whistle, and blew sharply. Immediately, the playful Squirtles stopped what they were doing and lined up in four rows.
"Jenny Jennie~"
"Jennie!"
Although the formation wasn't neat, their discipline was remarkable.
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"There's something to it," Zidaine said, his skepticism beginning to fade. Seeing their orderly response to a single whistle demonstrated intelligence and trainability.
Ethan explained, "They're highly intelligent, like children. It only took half a day of training for them to line up like that."
"Half a day?" Coleman and his team exchanged looks of amazement. With more training, these Squirtles could form a disciplined, highly capable squad.
Secretary Elijah, who hadn't seen this level of discipline on his last visit, was quietly impressed. Ethan's projects always seemed to exceed expectations.
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Ethan quickly selected ten Squirtles from the lineup. Each wore a small nameplate, so they were familiar with their names. "Yes, they even know their names," Ethan remarked as the Squirtles gathered around him.
"Let's move aside," Ethan instructed. "It's time for them to perform."
The group stepped back as Ethan instructed the ten Squirtles to aim their Water Gun attacks at the designated area.
"Use Water Gun, now!"
The Squirtles took a deep breath and unleashed powerful streams of water. Together, the streams formed a massive, continuous water column that resembled a small waterfall. The ground quickly became saturated, and the playground's drainage system worked overtime to carry the water away.
Coleman and his team stared in disbelief, their eyes darting between the flow of water and the small, round bodies of the Squirtles. "How can they hold so much water?" muttered one officer.
The stream lasted over ten seconds before Ethan, concerned about overexertion, signaled them to stop. The Squirtles, visibly tired, were quickly attended to by lab personnel who provided them with nutritional supplements. In return, the Squirtles affectionately rubbed their heads against their caretakers.
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Ethan addressed the fire department. "These Squirtles are in their infancy. After six months or a year, their capacity and endurance will improve significantly. Imagine deploying a team of Squirtles to a fire scene quickly, efficiently, and unaffected by traffic jams. Unlike cumbersome fire trucks, Squirtles can be transported on motorcycles, dramatically increasing response times."
Ethan stroked the head of a Squirtle, his tone filled with genuine care. "When Squirtles are sold, I prefer to sell them to fire departments where they will be cared for and used for the greater good."
He couldn't help but imagine a future where Squirtles starred in a "Squirtle Special Forces" movie, inspired by real firefighting efforts.
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Zidaine and his team huddled to discuss what they had just seen. After five minutes, Coleman came back with a question. "If our fire department wants to buy ten Squirtles, what's the cost?"
Ethan and Secretary Elijah exchanged knowing glances. "If it's for the fire department, we offer a generous discount," Ethan began. "Currently, the cost of training each Squirtle is about $80,000."
"$80,000?" Coleman was pleasantly surprised, as he had expected the cost to be in the hundreds of thousands. That price was well within their budget.
Ethan continued, "For orders of ten or more, the price per unit will be $90,000. What do you think, Commander Coleman?"
In truth, the cost of producing a Squirtle was closer to $50,000, with the most significant expenses being nutrient solutions and incubation. At $90,000 per unit, the profit margin was healthy, but Ethan was focused on future orders. If this deal went through, other fire departments would soon follow, ensuring a steady stream of demand.
Coleman smiled. "That's a fair deal. I'll start the paperwork to secure funding for ten Squirtles. Looks like we'll be forming the first Squirtle fire brigade ever!"
Ethan nodded in satisfaction. The first step in integrating Pokémon into public safety had been a resounding success.