Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

A hush fell over the conference room. Henry's grand revelation, his claim that Ethan Grave had developed an entirely new method of water production via hydrogen-oxygen catalysis, hung in the air and changed the way every scientist in the room viewed the unassuming Squirtle. 

Whispered conversations flitted through the rows, mixing awe with curiosity and, in some cases, healthy skepticism.

On stage, Henry basked in the afterglow of applause, while Ethan found himself surrounded by admiring glances. Conversation piled up around him:

"I always assumed that Squirtle stored water somewhere in its body, like a reservoir. We never thought it would make water molecules on the fly!"

"How many other breakthroughs could Pokémon Biotech be sitting on right now?"

"Henry's no slouch himself, admitting he's behind means Ethan's knowledge is on another level!"

Ethan, for his part, felt strangely caught in the middle. "Is this really the process behind Squirtle's abilities?" he wondered. 

The crowd's acceptance of Henry's theory forced Ethan to act like a master who'd just had his secrets revealed. He offered only measured nods, each gesture carefully timed to imply agreement without explicitly endorsing Henry's speculation.

Henry turned away from the podium, stepping down to a flood of compliments. He circled back to the front row and rejoined Ethan and Secretary Elijah, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Am I guessing right, Mr. Grave?" he pressed again in a low voice.

Ethan cleared his throat and forced a small, enigmatic smile. "It makes sense," he replied. He kept his words deliberately vague, neither confirming nor denying. If Henry's guess is wrong, that's fine, let him believe what he wants, Ethan thought. But if he's right, I can't exactly reveal the truth anyway. The system behind Pokémon Biotech's miracles was not something he could easily articulate in scientific terms.

Applause erupted from the nearby seats as Henry finished his dramatic revelation. Secretary Elijah leaned over and clapped politely. "That man basically gave you free publicity," he said under his breath. "Everyone is even more convinced of your genius now."

"I didn't ask for it," Ethan muttered, faking a grateful wave to the onlookers. He watched Henry sink into his seat with a smug grin.

When the applause died down, Henry turned to Ethan with boyish enthusiasm. "So, did you like my speech?" he asked. "I tried to present it in a way that highlighted your brilliance. If we work together in the future, we could combine your evolutionary gene technology with my water catalysis approach, just think of the possibilities!"

Ethan coughed and clapped a few times to hide his discomfort. "I, uh, appreciate your efforts. As for collaboration... let's just say I'm not looking for a partner right now."

Henry's smile froze for a split second before recovering and shrugging gracefully. "Then I'll just have to keep improving until you decide I'm worthy," he said, struggling to maintain a good-natured tone. A fierce determination flickered in his eyes, telling Ethan that this man would not back down easily.

Secretary Elijah, overhearing the exchange, whispered in Ethan's ear after Henry turned away. "He's notorious for admiring the strongest minds. Until recently, Henry idolized another famous researcher, but as soon as he surpassed that individual, he dropped him completely. Watch out, if he thinks you're the pinnacle, he'll keep pestering you until he thinks he's surpassed you."

Ethan shrugged. "Let him try. The technology I have can't be matched by typical means."

They were interrupted by a new speaker stepping up to the podium. This time it was Matt Murdock, an elderly gentleman from the Alverez Kingdom who commanded quiet respect in biotech circles. Though he hadn't made waves in recent years, he was rumored to be working on a new type of growth medium that could cut production costs by a staggering margin.

He cleared his throat and began. "Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Matt Murdock, and I'd like to share with you the progress my team has made in developing a next-generation culture solution."

Ethan, whose mind had been drifting, straightened up the moment Matt mentioned "cost reduction". The words hung in the air like a magnet, drawing the attention of the entire audience.

"For decades," Matt explained, "the cost of advanced culture media has remained prohibitively high, limiting the scope of genetic experimentation for many smaller labs and creating barriers to widespread distribution of new organisms. My team's new formula, tested over the past six months, has brought the cost down to about fifteen percent of the current market standard."

A collective gasp spread through the room, followed by excited whispers. Even Henry, who had just finished his triumphant speech, leaned forward, eyes wide. Meanwhile, Ethan felt a wave of interest pass through him: lower prices for the media could drastically reduce Pokémon Biotech's overhead costs. That, in turn, meant lowering the cost of producing new Pokémon, a step toward his dream of making genetically engineered pets more accessible to the masses.

Matt gestured to the large projector screen above the stage. Images and graphs began to appear: chemical structures, spreadsheets full of data, and side-by-side comparisons of results from old recipes versus the new. 

The man's calm, measured tone picked up as he recounted the challenges his team had faced: sourcing cheaper but high-quality raw materials, ensuring stable pH levels over multiple growth cycles, and perfecting a unique additive that increased nutrient uptake without expensive synthetic enhancers.

In the audience, some people tapped notes into their tablets; others began quietly texting their company contacts. The buzz of interest was like an invisible current. If Matt's formula was even half as effective as he claimed, the entire biotech economy could be turned on its head. Smaller startups could suddenly afford to grow advanced organisms. Large corporations could see their profits fluctuate. The ramifications were enormous.

"...and so," Matt concluded, "I am making this formula available for licensing. If you are interested, you can contact me or my team after the session. We are willing to discuss terms. Our hope is that by lowering the barrier to entry, we can spur innovation throughout the Alverez Kingdom and beyond."

He bowed and stepped back. A moment of stunned silence gave way to enthusiastic applause. Camera flashes crackled like distant fireworks. Several audience members jumped to their feet, already heading for the exits, presumably to make urgent calls to their superiors. Ethan caught a glimpse of Henry tapping furiously on his cell phone. Nearby, Secretary Elijah typed notes on a device of her own, her expression taut with concentration.

"A fifteen percent cost ratio," Ethan breathed, gently placing a hand on the Pikachu that had been dozing at his feet. That might be bigger than anything else that was revealed today. 

Even bigger than Henry's hunch about Squirtle. He envisioned a future in which Pokémon Biotech could accelerate its experiments, expand its distribution, and still maintain a healthy bottom line. Perhaps the idea of a "civilian price" for Pokémon, once an ambitious dream, was moving closer to reality.

Leaning back in his chair, Ethan scanned the room. Many of the participants looked giddy, like children who'd just been given the keys to a candy store. A few seemed anxious; probably those with vested interests in existing, expensive cultural solutions. Others wore cautious, calculating expressions, no doubt running cost-benefit analyses in their heads.

Henry ended his call and turned to Ethan with a grin. "You heard him, right? The market's about to get a massive shake-up." He paused. "Imagine combining that with your breakthroughs in genetic evolution. It'd be a revolution."

Still, the cautious side of Ethan's mind reminded him that licensing agreements weren't always straightforward. They typically involved non-disclosure clauses, revenue sharing, and large upfront payments. But if Matt is serious about spurring innovation, perhaps his terms will be somewhat reasonable, Ethan thought.

Up on stage, Matt stayed and fielded some impromptu questions from a handful of attendees brave enough to approach him directly. Ethan's curiosity was piqued; he considered the possibility of securing an early partnership with Matt. His thoughts were interrupted by the reappearance of Secretary Elijah, who stepped forward to make a brief announcement on behalf of the organizers.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, his voice echoing through the amplified speakers, "we will take a short break. When we reconvene, we invite further discussion, technical questions, or direct engagement with the morning's presenters."

Immediately, the gathering loosened up. Rows of chairs scraped against the polished floor as attendees drifted away to stretch their legs or line up for refreshments. 

A swirl of conversation, like water released from a dam, flooded the open space. Some made a beeline for Matt; others rushed over to Henry, presumably to learn more about his research or form possible collaborations. Reporters fanned out, hoping to get exclusive photos or quick interviews with the biggest names at the event.

Ethan rose carefully, stepping around Squirtle and Charmander, who had settled near his seat during the speeches. Pikachu jumped up, alert and ready to follow. Before Ethan could decide what to do next, Henry approached with a conspiratorial smile. "Well, we've certainly had a morning of surprises," he remarked. "Would you like to join me for lunch, Mr. Grave? I'd love to kick around some ideas, purely theoretical, of course."

Although Henry's invitation sounded sincere, Ethan hesitated. The man's intensity was formidable, and Ethan sensed an undercurrent of dogged ambition that might lead to prying questions. Still, Henry had done him a favor of sorts by inadvertently glorifying Squirtle. A polite refusal might be too cold.

Ethan nodded, adopting the same diplomatic tone as before. "Lunch sounds good. I'll need a moment, though, to arrange something with Secretary Elijah."

Henry's face lit up. "Excellent, I'll be waiting by the escalators," he said and bounded off with that unstoppable energy. Watching him go, Ethan exhaled. So much for a quiet dinner. Still, if I can keep him at arm's length while I learn a little more about the media developments... maybe it's worth it.

Secretary Elijah glanced over. "You're really going?" she asked cautiously. "Henry's type can be persistent. He'll squeeze you for information if he gets half a chance."

"I'll be fine," Ethan replied, forcing a small smile. "Besides, I need to learn more about what he's up to and see if his connections could be beneficial to Pokémon Biotech."

From across the hall, Lina Cobbs caught Ethan's eye for a split second before turning away, as if embarrassed to be seen. Elsewhere, cameras flashed near Matt, capturing his triumphant grin. A swirling tapestry of ambition, curiosity, and politics enveloped the entire auditorium.

In the midst of it all, Ethan Grave and his three Pokémon made their way to the escalators, stepping gingerly around clusters of scaly, feathered, and furry genetic marvels. 

The first session of the conference had already rocked the biotech world with Henry's speculations and Matt's cost-cutting formula. But Ethan's mind told him that there would be more waves before the day was out. He silently braced himself for lunch with Henry, a meal that could prove as intense and revealing as the formal presentations themselves.

...

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