Pokemon: Behold the Father of All Pokemons

Ethan led the way into the breeding room, holding the blob-like Pokémon in his arms. All around them, freshly fed Pokémon babies frolicked in a bright, padded play area. When these little ones noticed the strange, quivering, goo-like thing in Ethan's grasp, they backed away, curious but wary.

Gently, he lowered Ditto to the ground. A chorus of soft coos and uncertain squeaks rippled through the baby Pokémon. Ditto gave a startled gurgle and flattened out, as if trying to avoid being noticed.

Off to the side, James Hunt felt a pang of pity. It wasn't much to look at, he thought. In fact, Ditto was probably the strangest creation Ethan had introduced so far. "It might look a little out of place," James muttered.

Ethan, however, wore an easy smile. "They'll get used to each other soon," he said. "Give them time."

---

A few researchers gathered around, also intrigued by the purple newcomer. Some offered ideas for names.

"'Slime Monster'? 'Purple Clay Monster'?" one suggested.

"Or 'Nini'? That's kind of cute, right?" another chimed in.

James blinked. "But there's nothing cute about this... puddle of goo. Unless you count the beady eyes."

A handful of them tried to find the charm in Ditto's tiny eyes while James sighed and shook his head. Ethan just watched and kept quiet. Ditto hadn't shown any special abilities yet, so he didn't want to lock in a name that might miss the mark.

Just then, a startled scream escaped James: "Ah!"

Everyone turned to see what had happened. Ditto's "arm," if you could call it that, had rippled and briefly turned into a tiny Pichu paw. Gasps and exclamations spread among the explorers.

---

"This is incredible!" someone said in awe. "Did it just copy Pichu's limb?"

Ditto blushed with joy, if a shapeless blob could blush, before returning to its natural form. It let out a playful trill, as if celebrating its newfound ability.

Ethan's eyes lit up with excitement. "Just what I was hoping for. A transformation ability." He nodded to the group. "Let's call it Ditto. Suits his nature."

Some people still liked the name "Nini," but they conceded that Ditto was more to the point. Meanwhile, the little blob tried again, half-shifting into something resembling Squirtle's tail, then wobbling back to normal.

"Don't push yourself," Ethan said, patting Ditto on the head. "You're still young. Let your body adjust."

Ditto made a happy squeal, then polished off a tube of nourishing cream, spitting out the shell moments later. The onlookers burst into relieved laughter.

---

Around noon, Ethan took his leave, leaving Ditto to mingle with the other baby Pokémon. When he returned to the main office, his first act was to call Annie, his secretary.

"I need a small factory," he told her. "Somewhere near Lab #2 or near the park. We'll be producing purified water soon."

"Purified water?" Annie repeated curiously. "Sure. Nothing too big then?"

"Not too big," Ethan confirmed. "We'll need some special containers. The cost should stay low as long as the place is secure and we can handle regular shipments."

Hanging up, Ethan pulled a dark, wrinkled object from his pocket. The molting fossil was the key to making a new evolutionary fluid. The recipe was simple: soak the fossil in distilled water, and a Pokémon that sipped the resulting solution would have a small chance of evolving, though with no guarantees.

"No one needs to know," he thought. The production process is too simple. If word got out, the competition would be all over it.

---

Ethan considered the possibilities as he turned the fossil between his fingers. Once Pokémon became more widespread, Evolution Fluid could make him thousands of dollars a bottle, practically free money.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he muttered. "Most people don't even own Pokémon yet. When demand spikes, I'll be ready."

He also considered security; forging the liquid in a simple outdoor facility would risk leaks. He needed skilled, loyal employees who wouldn't pry into the fossil's secrets. So the lab workers were the only ones he trusted; anyone else might inadvertently reveal too much.

---

For two days, Ethan split his time between the lab and the company. Shevaun Smith kept calling, begging for leniency in this contract dispute. But Ethan's position never wavered: "A deal's a deal. You break it, you owe me five million. I don't care what Charles Sullivan or Biolife Alliance says.

At the same time, Ethan instructed certain staff members to gather information on other Biolife Alliance members, just in case. It's better to know exactly who is aligned with Sullivan, he reasoned.

In the end, nothing changed. Shevaun left empty-handed, and Ethan remained calm, certain that the future would reveal who really had the advantage.

...

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