Chapter 3: Making a new Friend
Stark Workshop. April 1992
A year ago, Tony Stark inherited Stark Industries after his parents died, he was only 21 but he took his fathers company to new heights. His best friend, Rhodey, joined the air force and became a liaison between Stark Industries and the army. This made Tony the youngest billionaire in history. With help from his business partner Obadiah Stane, he revolutionized his company to make technology beyond their time and now he was close to doing something only few humans have succeeded, making a Pokémon.
Tony was in his workshop along with Nine and Metang who evolved from Beldum two years ago. He was in front of a computer inputting the algorithm code to bring a Pokémon to life when Rhodey walked in the room along with his Scizor. He looked around shocked at the clutter around the usually clean room. He saw Tony at his desk with bags under his eyes and sporting a five o'clock shadow. He sniffed the room and gagged.
"Tony I can tell your busy but even a billionaire with an IQ of over 200 would notice if something died in this room." Tony wasn't listening he was still pecking the keyboard until Rhodey clapped his hands.
Tony grinned, "Oh hey Rhodey! Glad you're here I need a witness for this." Nine and Metang glared at him and Tony realized his mistake, "A human witness I mean."
Rhodey bitterly said, "A witness to what? If it's your lack of hygiene I gotta tell even the Diglett's can smell it from underground." Rhodey gagged again and asked, "Seriously man when was the last time you showered or slept?"
Tony was observing his latest creation, "Oh sweet simple Rhodey, why sleep or bathe when you can create a Pokémon?"
"Because…wait what?" Rhodey wanted to know if he heard that last thing right, "Did you just say your creating a Pokémon?" Scizor cocked his steel head.
Tony was still typing and half listening to his friend, "That's right."
Rhodey suddenly had a disturbing thought in his head, "How?" he said that one word in an uneasy tone.
Tony smirked, "Relax even I have standards, it's a little something that I dusted out of my dad's unfinished projects." He got up from his desk and walked around the model to make sure it was connected to the computer, "See in 1947 right after the ENIAC was completed Eckert and Mauchly thought that could make a Pokémon entirely out of programming code. They made models that would rely solely on code no food no air just numbers, but they failed spectacularly every time!"
Rhodey became interested, "Well how many times did they try?"
"On record 35 times"
"And what does this have to do with your father?"
Tony went back to the computer to input the last code, "Well a few months after their last epic failure they recruited my father and he took it cause…well who doesn't want to create another Pokémon? Anyway, dad tried to make the model work but for some reason it didn't, that reason was that they were held back by the technology of their time. Dad put it in his unfinished project files for a later date but then…"
Rhodey understood his friends silence and Tony perked up again to explain more.
"I looked through his files and this my friend is the only one that caught my eye."
Rhodey was still unconvinced, "Okay I'll buy this for a second, lets say that you do create a Pokémon then what? It can only be classified as a Pokémon if it was bred by actual Pokémon or if it has special moves how are you gonna spin this to whoever names the Pokémon a Pokémon?"
"That is an excellent question and as usual I have the answers. Magnemite and our buddy Metang here weren't classified as Pokémon cause their man made that was until the committee made it so that even inorganic creatures like them can be considered Pokémon cause they have special attacks like biological Pokémon. As for the moves I've programmed a new move that I think you'll like, conversion."
Rhodey was confused, "What's conversion?"
"It scans it's opponent's Pokémon and it changes its type to the opponent's type."
"It can mimic it's opponent's attack? Like a Ditto?"
Tony used words that Rhodey would understand, "Yes and no, see Ditto transforms completely when they see the Pokémon their against, except for those beady little eyes that creep me out, it can change its appearance, its type and its attacks, but this Pokémon doesn't. It can only copy the opponent's type once the opponent makes the first move then it analyzes the move and changes into the type of Pokémon that uses this move. It's quite simple really." Rhodey and Scizor looked at each other in confusion.
Rhodey scoffed, "Yeah simple is how you describe making a new Pokémon." Tony was still in front of the computer going over his algorithm for the 50th time to make sure it doesn't blow up his mansion.
Tony shot up from his desk and shouted, "Yes! I finally finished the coding I just need to transfer it to the model."
"What model?"
Tony grinned, "I'm glad you asked." He pulled Rhodey towards a white sheet covering something, "Lieutenant Colonel James Rupert Rhodes my best friend, my brother in arms and apprentice it gives me great pleasure- "
Rhodey interrupted, "Is the speech necessary man?"
Tony continued, "for you to be the second person who will witness the creation of quite possible the greatest Pokémon in history!" Tony pulled the sheet off, "Porygon!"
Rhodey looked at the model and saw a lot of flat surfaces covered in red and blue.
Rhodey asked, "What is this?"
"It's Porygon did you not listen to the speech I just graciously gave? What do you think?"
Rhodey stared at it for a moment, "You remember Elementary Geometry when the teacher would make you memorize every weird looking shape?"
Tony curled his lips, "I don't actually I skipped Elementary when I was 8."
Rhodey continued, "Well all those shapes it looks like you mashed them together and painted it red and blue."
"For your information I modeled it after a polygon and an origami. Why do you think I named it Porygon? And second it was either this or the model dad made originally."
"Which was?"
"A black orb with red eyes. If people wanted a Pokémon that looked like that they should get a Gastly who hasn't slept for 500 years."
Rhodey asked, "Don't you think it's a bit…flashy?"
"You call it flashy I call it being bold, now shall we reenact Frankenstein and bring this bad boy to life?"
"Wait are you absolutely sure this is safe?"
Tony teased, "Define safe?"
"What are the chances this thing will blow up the mansion and us?"
Tony reassured his friend, "Relax I've done the math a million and five times and if my math is right and it usually is there's a 76% chance that this thing will be brought to digital life."
Rhodey was still unsure, "What about the other 24%?"
"Those are the chances that this beautiful mansion along with us and our Pokémon will be blown to Timbuktu, which reminds me Nine!" Nine immediately stood up, "Why don't you show your good buddy Scizor the bunker room down the hall while me and Uncle Rhodey have some alone time." Nine nodded and showed Scizor the bunker.
"What about Metang?"
Tony was preparing to input the code, "I need it down here we need a shield, Met! As soon as I press enter you use light screen on all three of us got it?"
Metang shook his head, "Met!"
Rhodey was nervous, "I'm warning you if you kill me I'm gonna haunt your spoiled ass."
Tony quipped, "I look forward to seeing you in ghost form." He pressed enter and Metang used light screen and all of them waited for the results.
The code was already inside the model, some sparks flew out of it harmlessly, but then the model began to shake frightening them. The model made incoherent noises and shook uncontrollably for a minute causing the two men to duck on the floor and cover their ears. Suddenly a ding when off as if there was a timer and the shaking stopped. Tony and Rhodey heard nothing as they stood up and saw the model was still there and completely still.
"Stand down Met" Metang stopped its light screen and both men walked slowly towards the model.
Rhodey asked, "Did it work?"
"There's only one way to find out." Tony reached his hand towards it and gave it a light touch.
Porygon slowly opened it's eyes and the first thing it saw was a young man who looked shocked to say the least, it analyzed the man's face and it's system recognized him as Tony Stark, it's creator. Porygon was delighted to meet the man who brought it life, it floated in the air and circled the man thanking him. He saw another man named James Rhodes and a Metang. A Ninetales and Scizor entered the room gaping at him.
Tony finally said, "I did it, I actually did it."
James smirked and said, "Son of a bitch did it."
Tony slowly started laughing hysterically, "I did it! I created a brand-new Pokémon! Ha ha ha!" Tony hugged his friend and lifted his feet off the ground Nine and Metang chirped and jumped happily for their master. Tony stopped cheering and stood in front of his new Pokémon wanting to greet it.
"Sorry got a bit carried away, I'm Tony Stark and I'm your creator and master." Porygon yipped electronic sounds happily and shook its tail like a dog.
Tony was delighted about this to say the least and petted Porygon, "Welcome to the family Porygon!"
Yes I decided to give Tony a Porygon. I think its unfair that a pokemon with so much potential was just thrown away and never seen again, so I thought that I would expose that potential in this story. Hope you guys enjoyed!
