Dedication: This fanfic is a blatantly obvious gift for Gema J. Gall, to celebrate the birthday of her favorite character of all time (and to reference another.)
Disclaimer/Timeline: I don't own Pokemon, the anime referenced here, the characters used from it, Silph Co, or anything else besides the plot. This fic is based on the games, not the anime; specifically Red and Blue/Fire Red and Leaf Green, and takes place between them and Gold/Silver/Crystal.
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The current president of Silph Co.'s rise to the seat had been interesting, to say the least. In fact, given his circumstances, it was almost a miracle. Two years prior, when he had been the head of their Pokemon Technological Department, Team Rocket had taken over the company. With his usual Pokemon team at home, his lab assistants either traitors or useless, and his little brother there (it just HAD to be Bring Your Family Member To Work Day,) he was forced to go along with them.
Over the strenuous weeks of designing weapons for illegal catchings, and coming up with blueprints for a certifiably insane 'Forced Evolution Wave', he eventually found out the truth; his father, the company's vice president, had been the one to assist Giovanni in his taking control of the building. Though he'd already developed a grude against his power-hungry father, he figured that, if they were ever saved, this would destroy his own hard-earned position, as well. Frustrated and angry, he began plans for a way to esape with his brother... and that was the day he met Red.
His own encounter with the boy who, despite hardly being older than his brother, would soon become the Pokemon League Champion, was brief, stunning, and somewhat emasculating. He'd warped in through one of the buildings warp panels, swiftly defeated EVERY Rocket and treacherous scientist in the room, asked him to keep calm and wait until it was safe, then warped out. He wasn't really able to get over the shock until Red reappeared, grumbling over the confusing teleport system, then quickly warped away again.
A few hours later, the intercom system came on, but instead of Giovanni's barking to hurry up with a design was the president's thrilled voice. The entire staff was called together as medics and police swarmed the building. The injured (human and Pokemon) were healed, the guilty were arrested, his father had jumped from the eleventh floor window when Red's Gyarados glared at him, and the president was announcing his imminent retirement. After a heartwarming speech about how strong his employees were to get through this (followed by a brutal but true statement that this only happened because they couldn't fight) he revealed that, in six months, he'd choose his successor through a tournament held for the higher ups. Until then, they were all on paid vacation to spend time with their family and Pokemon.
His brother, who was about to start his own journey in half a year, cheered at the chance to spend some time with him. He himself, however, knew this would likely be his only chance at even remaining at Silph, due to his father's actions. So he prepped his once casual Pokemon team, made arrangements for the two of them to visit key training/catching spots throughout Kanto and Johto, and they set out. Even his Pokemon jumped at the chance to grow stronger, seeing as their interest was the same; they all wanted to be the best.
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Leaving that half-year training journey for another day, we move forward to the present, long after he annihilated the competition and became the head of the world's most renowned technological company. He had changed the way things were run, improved his image from a possible traitor to a brilliant (but cold) buisinessman, and broadened the company's influence even into the other regions. He'd made millions, donated vast sums to charity, and helped make the world a better place-
"Bored." He mumbled, searching through records for the hundreth time that day. "So very bored."
-...and had had very little to do for months. With critical patents at an unusual low, his employees too scared to slack off, and the fifth floor's Ratata problem cleared up, he had nothing to actually challenge him. Aside from the task of finding said challenge.
Wondering for a moment if trying to hack in Prof. Oak's database was worth the risk, he noticed on odd file in the former president's folder. It was in the same section as MasterBall.txt, which was really all he'd looked at. The idea to make them only in limited quantities for emergencies or prizes had worked well, and he'd even come up with a way to make the design uncopyable... but he'd forgetten to check the adjacent file.
"'Project M2'..."He read aloud. "Heh, looks like Rocket's leader forgot to erase something before running away. 'Although the invention of a Pokeball with a 100 percent catch rate was high in priority from the start, we now face a much more pressing demand for it. The specimen has escaped from its controlled battle experiment facility, and its whereabouts are currently unknown (though it is theorized to prefer secluded areas, like the original version.) . Given the low success of any normal Pokeball catching legendary Pokemon, and adding in the subject's own unmatched abilities, it will probably be impossible to restrain with anything less than the 'Perfect Catch' system of a Master Ball.'"
Suddenly, his interest was focused. So this was the reason for the takeover... the reason he had this position today. "They needed a perfect Pokeball...to catch a perfect Pokemon? And the term 'specimen...'"
He wondered just how strong this creature was... and, more importantly, he wondered if the report itself was true. "An otherwise uncatchable Pokemon, stronger than any other..."
It was a hardly a minute before he reached a decision.
'If only to prove my company's prowess...'
'If only to take a break from this daily cycle of boredom...'
'If only to be the best... I'm going to catch that Pokemon!'
Grabbing his Pokeballs, a single Master Ball, his Item Briefcase, and changing from his purple office duster to his multi-purpose white, he sent a short message over the intercom to his top assistant. "Rollin, I'm going on a training vacation. If I come back to find the company taken over, I'll feed you to a school of Carvanhas."
Without waiting to hear the startled and confused questions coming to him, he took the elevator to the ground floor, and left the building. He checked his Pokenav to plan his first move. "'Specimen' obviously brings Cinnabar into the picture; it's far off, but that's the idea, anyway."
And so it began. As he moved for Saffron City's southern gate, Silph Co.'s young president never guessed he was also moving towards fateful encounters, or an incredible destiny, or some predestined role. Then again, he didn't believe in those things, anyway. The only thing Seto Kaiba believed in was the future. And that being the best made your future the best.
So he would be.
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Originally Posted: October 25th, 2006.