Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

"Quite a busy day," Secretary Elijah remarked from the sidelines. Despite the calm in his tone, his eyes scanned the bustling conference hall, taking in one world-shaking revelation after another.

Indeed, several momentous announcements had been made in the space of a few hours. Even Matt Murdock, a renowned culture medium specialist, had just presented a new formula that could reduce the market price of culture medium to a mere fifteen percent of its current cost. 

If implemented on a global scale, many biotech companies would be forced to sell off their excess inventory at drastically lower prices or risk catastrophic losses.

None of this troubled Ethan, who sat quietly in his chair, lost in thought. 

"If the cost of the growth medium drops to fifteen percent, I can lower the retail price of Pokémon to just tens of thousands of dollars," he reasoned, turning over ideas in his mind. Though the margins per unit might be smaller, the increase in volume could be enormous. 

After all, Pokémon Biotech's only major expense was the nutrient solution itself. Unlike other companies that had to fund expensive research just to create new genetic organisms, Ethan had his own unconventional method that he kept strictly secret.

The next few speakers gave presentations on genetic engineering, sharing either updated theories or incremental improvements. The audience followed with moderate interest, though none of these talks came close to the electrifying buzz created by Matt Murdock's formula. Then a white-coated scientist took the stage, a slight grin tugging at his lips.

"Hello, everyone," he began in a crisp, confident voice. "I'm Fern Bell, currently working at Lab #28 under the Northam Group. Today I'm going to present improvements in our gene editing methods. They may not be revolutionary, but I think you'll find them valuable." He spoke as if fully aware of the superiority the Northam Group enjoyed in the marketplace. There was a hush as the audience leaned forward, attentive.

Fern's presentation made it clear that even the less cutting-edge updates from the Northam Group surpassed the standard procedures of many other labs. 

Over the years, the company's position as the world's largest biotech conglomerate had allowed it to amass a vast network of labs, unparalleled research data, and legions of top-notch scientists. While these particular insights were probably outdated within the Northam Group itself, they were still advanced compared to the industry as a whole.

Having made his main points, Fern was about to close when he threw in a sudden curveball: "By the way, we've seen a lot of remarkable developments here today. But there's one person we haven't heard from yet. Mr. Ethan Grave, I believe the entire world is eager to learn about your evolutionary gene technology. Would you care to say a few words?"

A small ripple stirred in the audience. Eyes turned in Ethan's direction, while some parted to reveal Hobbes, a high-ranking representative of the Northam Group, sitting near the front. 

Hobbes smiled faintly, his expression unreadable. The plan was obvious enough: lure Ethan onto the stage in the hope that he would reveal vital clues as to how Pokémon Biotech managed such dramatic developments. Even a stray clue could be picked up by the Northam Group's massive research arm.

Ethan, however, remained motionless. Slumped comfortably in his chair, he showed no sign of getting up. Secretary Elijah, standing beside him, raised an eyebrow, quietly urging him to take the microphone, if only to maintain his good will as host in Tarvok City. But Ethan's expression was unreadable.

Finally, he shrugged. "My apologies. I didn't come prepared to speak." His voice carried just loud enough to be heard. "It's also a big company secret. There's nothing I can share."

Several polite coughs broke the silence as the crowd processed his blunt refusal. Fern's smile hardened. "Mr. Grave, is it not a bit selfish to withhold even the smallest tip? Many scholars here have freely given partial results. Are you unwilling to contribute to the broader field of genetic biology?"

Ethan glanced in Hobbes' direction, noting the faint satisfaction in the man's eyes. "So this is their plan," he thought. If he made a speech, they could fish out some knowledge about his technology. But Ethan had no intention of playing along. "I'm not going to stand up in front of everyone and give away my trade secrets," he said calmly. "If the Northam Group is so generous, why don't they disclose all their advanced research so we can make a truly monumental leap in bioengineering?"

Fern gave a caustic laugh. "Mr. Grave, I'm here on my own behalf, not on behalf of the Northam Group. Let's leave them out of this."

"And I'm a three year old child who's going to believe that?" Ethan scoffed. "Even if you're acting in a personal capacity, I see no reason to help you rummage through our proprietary data."

A slight twitch tugged at Fern's lips. "Don't you fear a dip in your international reputation?" he pressed. "People might brand you as an information hoarder who refuses to share your brilliant findings for the greater good."

Ethan gave him a wry grin. "What do I care what random people think? Is that supposed to scare me? If you want an equal exchange, show me something that matches my evolutionary technology in scope and value. Then we can talk."

Small gasps rippled through the crowd. Fern's cheeks flushed. "You arrogant..."

"Careful," Ethan interrupted, his voice suddenly cold. "You're trying to shame me into handing over technology. I call that garbage behavior. If you're a real scientist, put your energy into real breakthroughs, not manipulative schemes."

Fern's face twisted in anger. "You! Nobody talks to me like that. I've published more papers than you ever will."

"Enough." Ethan stood up, effectively cutting Fern off. "If you want to settle this, let's do it the way we're doing it now: a fight between genetic creatures. Bring yours down to the open area on the lower level and we'll see who has the better hand. If you're afraid, you can leave, and I won't mock you for it."

The challenge was bold but effective. The crowd shifted, excited murmurs spreading like wildfire. The modern biotech community had popularized showdowns between newly engineered organisms in recent years-a way to demonstrate actual capabilities, not just theoretical slides or carefully curated data sets.

Fern straightened. "I'm not afraid," he replied. "Your Pikachu's lightning abilities are nothing special. Our Northam Group's Black Electric Panther puts any electric-based organism to shame."

At his signal, a sleek black panther padded onto the stage, muscles rippling beneath its inky black fur. A faint crackle of static flickered around its paws, and a low, menacing growl rumbled in its throat. Even from several rows away, onlookers could sense the fearsome aura of a predator.

Ethan, for his part, just chuckled. "Looks like a big cat with a personality problem to me."

A hush fell over the hall. Nearby, Pikachu, Squirtle, and Charmander looked almost comical in comparison: tiny, bright-eyed, and cute as they gazed up at the massive panther. Still, the tension in the room was palpable. Could Ethan's smaller creatures possibly stand a chance in open combat against such a formidable beast?

If Fern's panther had deadly fighting skills, it could tear the smaller Pokémon to shreds. Still, no one here wanted a real bloodbath, and most biotech duels enforced safety protocols. The question was whether Ethan would reveal some deeper secret of his designs in defense of his creatures, or if this challenge was exactly what he needed to outmaneuver Northam's ploy.

In the row behind them, attendees whispered, cell phones raised to capture the scene or broadcast it live. After all, if a public showdown were to take place, it would undoubtedly be the highlight of the entire conference.

Without waiting for further debate, Ethan stood ready to follow Fern out of the auditorium. "If you're serious, let's get on with it," he said, his voice cool and calm. "We can see which of us is really 'garbage.'"

A hush fell. Fern bristled, while the black panther paced the stage restlessly, tail flicking in excitement. At the mention of a duel, the audience stirred as if jolted by a collective electric current. Even Secretary Elijah, who had initially hoped for a dignified resolution, said nothing. The challenge was out in the open now, and it was far too late to retract it.

...

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