NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Pokemon?
Annie and the lab team quickly got to work. Each culture tank, a cylindrical glass container filled with pale green nutrient medium, required powering up. While the current tanks were only medium-sized and suited to small organisms, they were the only equipment Ethan had for his experiment.
"Mr. Grave, if you're really planning to invest in a new species, we'll need to empty the current tanks and replace the medium," Annie said, her finger hovering over the activation button, awaiting his final confirmation.
"Wait!" Ethan suddenly interjected, recalling the system's instructions about combining Pokémon genes with existing biological cells. Could this mean he didn't need to clear out the current medium?
"Have you changed your mind, Mr. Grave?" Annie asked, her relief palpable. She was genuinely glad he hadn't entirely abandoned caution.
"Yes, I did. No need to empty the tanks; just add the new material directly," he replied, already accessing the system interface to set Pichu's genetic attributes.
The researchers exchanged uncertain glances. This approach was unconventional—even strange.
"Mr. Grave," Annie interrupted, her patience slipping. "Leaving two seeds in the same medium can lead to nutrient competition or mutual destruction!"
Ethan, flustered but determined, cleared his throat. "This new species is… unique," he assured her. "Please step out; I'll handle this myself."
Once the room was clear, Ethan went to work, instructing the system to begin with tanks 1 through 5. The system allowed him to configure multiple tanks at once, and while he planned for slight variations, he kept the general traits consistent, adorable, sociable, and harmless.
He activated the system, watching as the genetic material was injected remotely, requiring no manual operation. The reaction was immediate. The existing cat sparrow seeds in each tank visibly disintegrated under the infusion of new genes, breaking apart as the fresh material took hold.
"Annie! Can you and the others come back in? I need you to check the tanks," he called out.
Annie and her team returned, and she approached the tanks with a scanning device, her gaze skeptical. To them, it looked like their boss had just ruined a valuable batch of seeds.
"Let me see," she muttered, studying the monitor. After a few moments, her expression shifted.
"There's movement… and the growth rate is…" She paused, astonished. "The culture medium's depleting so fast. At this rate, it won't even reach the embryonic stage without additional nutrients!"
Other researchers scrambled to check the remaining tanks, their faces mirroring Annie's shock as they observed the rapid depletion of the medium.
"So… it's working?" Ethan let out a breath, his tension finally easing.
"It appears so, Mr. Grave," Annie confirmed, her intrigue evident. "What exactly are these new creatures?"
"You'll see soon enough," he replied with a confident smile. "All I'll say for now is that it's something the market has never seen. Watch over all 100 tanks and refill the medium whenever it dips below 10%. This is our company's top priority."
The team, unaccustomed to this level of intensity from Ethan, nodded, sensing his resolve.
Outside the room, Annie hesitated, glancing back at Ethan. "Mr. Grave, where exactly did you source these seeds? I've never seen anything with such rapid growth."
"Can't I say I designed it myself?" he replied with a sly grin. "After all, I did major in biodesign."
It was a half-truth he'd need to stick with if he intended to introduce pet Pokémon on a grand scale. Eventually, he'd have to take credit for it all.
Annie's brow arched skeptically. "You?"
Ethan chuckled. "One day, you'll see I can create miracles."
He took a few steps, then turned back. "By the way, we're rebranding. From now on, the company's name will be Pokémon Biotechnology."
"Pokémon…?" Annie watched him walk away, a hint of curiosity in her gaze. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something profoundly different about him today.
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