Chapter 98: The Emergence of Catterpie

So guys I have news, James Hunt (an important side character) is actually a woman and not a man. you can refer back to the first chapter where the first researcher was introduced (she had Annie's name) but all of a sudden Annie became his secretary, then James just came out of the woodwork, so I don't know. If anything, I will find a way to either make James a woman by changing the name a bit, or just keep her male and edit a lot of shit.

...

For the past three days, Ethan had watched a set of large eggs in the incubator grow at a remarkable rate. It had only taken three days in the culture tanks for these eggs to form, and now, after three and a half more days in the incubator, they were already showing signs of hatching.

Standing in front of the brightly lit incubator, Ethan shone a beam of light on the glass, discovering subtle movement within. He could see something green wriggling around, possibly biting into the eggshell from the inside. Nearby, James hovered with a mixture of anticipation and curiosity.

"Mr. Grave," James asked, eyes fixed on the writhing silhouettes inside, "what exactly are they?"

Ethan blinked, looking playfully mysterious. "They're sure to be a crowd pleaser," he said, deflecting the question. He lowered his voice conspiratorially, remembering how he'd teased James that these Pokémon would be adorable. "I'm sure you'll like them."

(TN: For about ten chapters now, this book has been trying to turn James into a woman, I've edited certain chapters extensively so you wouldn't notice).

James' interest was piqued further; he had privately expected something fluffy or aquatic, given Ethan's vague hints.

Outside, a small crowd of lab employees gathered around the observation window. The news that a new Pokémon was about to hatch caused a flurry of excitement. Some employees whispered that James had predicted a cute, cuddly design. Others just shrugged, knowing that Ethan's surprises could be either adorable or bizarre.

Suddenly, one of the eggs wobbled and cracked. James moved closer, a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "It's cracking!" he exclaimed. A second egg also shook, and bits of shell fell away, revealing a sliver of bright green. Several spectators muttered excitedly and moved forward to get a better look.

Soon, the first hatchling emerged. A hush fell over the crowd. Then came a collective gasp. There, wriggling out, was a plump green caterpillar-like creature with a Y-shaped red antenna on its head, large black eyes, and segments of pale yellow swirling along its sides. It raised its head and wobbled on stubby legs.

James' face went blank. His beaming smile froze, replaced by shock. "A... bug?" he whispered. The lab staff all stared, unsure of how to react. The newcomer was undeniably a large caterpillar, the exact opposite of the fluffy, sweet creation some had conjured up in their imaginations.

Ethan hid a grin. "Isn't it charming?" he teased. "Catterpie." He put his hand on the glass. "It's quite harmless. Think of it as a large baby insect. Although I'd say it's kind of cute, in a weird way."

James let out a shaky breath, a hint of betrayal coloring his voice. "Mr. Grave, you said this was something I would like. I... I hate squishy creatures." His face filled with indignation. The other employees, unsure whether to laugh or not, exchanged mocking glances.

A few employees stepped forward for a closer look. Another crack at the back of the incubator indicated that more eggs were hatching. Sure enough, several green bodies crawled out of their shells. In all, 200 Catterpie eggs were in the process of shell smashing, all forming a cluster of green, wiggling larvae.

One employee mumbled awkwardly, "We know insects are a tough sell in the gene biology market, right? Humans are typically squeamish."

Ethan let out a short laugh and gently reached in to pick up the first hatched Catterpie. It wriggled slightly, its big eyes blinking with curiosity, and a faint squeak came from its tiny mandibles. "Feel how soft it is," he said, gesturing for anyone brave enough to touch it. Some shook their heads in disgust; others tentatively stepped closer.

James gripped his elbows. "This is not adorable," he snapped. "It's... it's a big caterpillar."

Ethan raised his eyebrows. "Well, Director Hunt, you might be surprised. If you raise a Catterpie carefully, it can turn into something beautiful. Imagine it turning into a cocoon, then a butterfly, a butterfree to be exact. That's the second evolution, or perhaps I should say the second transformation."

The staff exhaled in unison, snapping to attention at the mention of "two evolutions. Normally, they assumed a Pokémon could only evolve once, so the idea of going from worm to cocoon to final form intrigued them.

"I'm planning to price Catterpie at about $3,000," Ethan announced, stroking the beetle's green exoskeleton. "The cost of manufacturing it is quite negligible. That means a path to a fully evolved Butterfree, all for the lowest Pokémon price yet."

James stared at the larva cradled in Ethan's arms. "Three thousand? That's practically nothing. Does that even cover production costs and overhead?"

Ethan shrugged, unconcerned. "They're extremely fast to breed, only three days in the culture tanks and maybe another handful in the incubators. Plus, they don't need expensive nutrient solutions to thrive. They can eat leaves, which is typical for a bug. Even if they scare some people away, it's likely that many new trainers will want a cheap Pokémon with a fast growth cycle."

One researcher hesitantly reached out to pat the surface of Catterpie's plump body. "It's not as slimy as I expected," she muttered, half impressed. "Kind of rubbery, actually." The creature gave a cheerful squeal.

James managed a half forced laugh and stepped away. "All right. A bug is a bug. But if it turns into a big butterfly in a few months, some people might find that appealing. You might get the silkworm lovers who enjoy metamorphosis."

Ethan nodded firmly. "Exactly. Not everyone is allergic to insects. Some, especially in niche markets, might love the idea of seeing a real metamorphosis. Once they become butterfree, they're quite pretty, with bright wings. Probably a draw for those who want a short evolutionary cycle."

The rest of the staff was excited, still unsure how the public would react. But one thing was clear: Ethan had once again broken the mold. Another new species, a beetle type with the potential for multiple evolutions, would soon join the ranks of the growing Pokémon ecosystem.

---

While the staff fed the newborn Catterpie leaf-based nutrient mixtures, Ethan walked with James to a side corridor, crossing his arms and looking at him with mild annoyance. "I can't believe you let me think it was a cute, fluffy Pokémon. I got excited for no reason."

Ethan grinned. "It is 'cute' in its own way. Sorry if it's not your style." He then pointed to some newly hatched larvae wriggling on a tray. "Don't think of them as disgusting. Think of the final form as a beautiful butterfly fluttering overhead."

James wrinkled his nose, but seemed to accept. "Fine. At least it's cheap, so we might get some extra buyers who couldn't afford previous Pokémon. If it evolves within months, that's a big selling point."

Ethan agreed. "Yes, and it expands our market. Not everyone can spend hundreds of thousands, but 3,000 is within reach for a wide range of people." He paused, a twinkle in his eye. "And the best part? If they become Butterfree quickly, the owners won't have to wait years for an evolution. They get to see the metamorphosis in real time."

The two continued to discuss the logistics of storing so many catterpies, the step-by-step instructions for owners, and making sure the lab was prepared for any negative reactions from employees who didn't like bugs. All the while, newly hatched caterpillars wriggled in containers or crawled carefully on gloved hands. Some staff members got over their initial disgust and found that the critters weren't as scary as they'd feared.

When they returned to the main lab area, the swirl of chatter about Catterpie's short evolutionary cycle was in full swing. "So they can become metapods after a few weeks?" one technician asked.

Ethan nodded. "Yes, then it could be another few weeks or so from Metapod to Butterfree. The whole span could be two months in total, if they are well fed. Some accelerate faster. It's an easy first Pokémon for many."

James let out a breath. "I guess that's one way to justify your 'cute little creature' claim," he teased, half-smiling. "I'll give them a second chance once they're butter-free."

Ethan just chuckled and watched as a Catterpie slowly crawled over a janitor's arm. "You may be the only one they can't coax, Director Hunt. But I predict a decent chunk of the public will be all over these little bugs."

---

The news inevitably spread quickly through the building. In a hallway, Ethan overheard two interns whispering: "So that's nine new species now, if we count Catterpie?" "Eight last time, plus this one, yeah. Hard to keep up with Mr. Grave's pace."

Others, older, shrugged. "That's standard for him. We just do our part to make sure each new release is well managed."

Ethan listened with faint amusement. He walked to his office, mentally planning the official launch. Meanwhile, the memory of the nuclear waste fiasco lurked in his mind, reminding him that not all new Pokémon were for fun; some, like Suicune, were designed to solve real global threats. Still, Catterpie showed how Pokémon could enter everyday life as simple pets, bridging the gap between beginners and advanced trainers. It reinforced the idea that his creations could serve any niche, from the casual hobbyist to the crisis-ridden environment.

---

By late afternoon, the lab staff had sorted the newly hatched Catterpies into secure enclosures, noting the health of each and labeling them. James, still skittish, watched from a distance but nodded approvingly at how smoothly it went. Ethan, leaning against a cabinet, admired the bright green caterpillars.

He turned to James with a mischievous grin and muttered, "See? The more contact you have with them, the less scary they seem, right?"

James just rolled his eyes. "We'll see if they stay harmless. I still prefer something... less wiggly."

Ethan shrugged playfully. "Butter-free soon, remember? Mark my words." Then he left to finalize the product listing for Catterpie, setting the price at $3,000, a number guaranteed to shake up the market. As he left, he tapped one of the glass cases, where a brand-new caterpillar squeaked with curiosity. "Welcome to the world, little ones. Let's see how you change it."