Just as everyone was speculating about the source of the mysterious Growl, a yellow figure suddenly leaped out of the bushes, startling everyone.
"What is that?"
Upon closer inspection, they saw an unfamiliar creature with lightning-like stripes, resembling a yellow mouse. It stood in the middle of the road at the village entrance, staring at them with its big, watery eyes full of confusion.
"So cute!"
Though it looked like a yellow-skinned mouse, the creature was undeniably adorable. Zoe, a girl in the crowd, was captivated by the little animal's big, curious eyes. Her heart melted, and she squealed with delight.
She wanted to approach and touch it but hesitated. Despite its cuteness, nobody knew whether this unknown creature was dangerous. Zoe, being sensible, refrained from touching the creature, unsure of its temperament.
Others also found the yellow creature charming, though they didn't express it as openly as Zoe. Meanwhile, the camera crew quickly began filming the creature, recognizing that its appearance on TV could boost popularity and ratings.
"What kind of animal is this? I've never seen anything like it!"
Alex Young mused as he examined the yellow-skinned animal at the village entrance. After considering various animal images, he found none that matched, prompting him to turn to Mr. Harris and Mr. Hudson for answers:
"Mr. Harris, Mr. Hudson, do you know what kind of animal this is?"
Both Mr. Harris and Mr. Hudson shook their heads:
"No idea!"
"Not familiar at all!"
[Note: There are no Pokémon comics or animations in this world! If you disagree, show your support with recommendations and flowers!]
Seeing their confusion, Alex turned his gaze to the production team instead, avoiding Zoe and Peter, assuming they wouldn't know either.
The production team also stared at the creature in bewilderment. Unable to identify it, they quickly searched for information, but found no records of such an animal.
At this point, Peter Chang suggested:
"Could it be a genetic creation?"
"Genetic creation!"
The group turned their attention to Peter, who seemed slightly uncomfortable, and he explained:
"Since no one recognizes it and there's no online information, it's likely a new species developed by a genetics company!"
Observing the unfamiliar group at the village entrance, Pikachu tilted its head in curiosity, emitting a "Growl" sound. However, the group remained focused on guessing its origin.
Listening to Peter's theory, Mr. Hudson nodded in agreement:
"That seems like a reasonable explanation!"
But Mr. Harris voiced his doubts:
"Even the cheapest genetic organism costs at least millions. Why would it appear in a small mountain village?"
Mr. Hudson shook his head:
"That's unclear! Perhaps someone here is a high-ranking executive in a genetics company, or maybe even the owner, and brought this newly developed organism home!"
The others nodded, accepting this plausible explanation. However, Director Walker, who had been eagerly observing, disagreed:
"That's impossible! Before arriving, we learned from the village chief that the residents are impoverished and part of the nation's poverty alleviation efforts. Our mission this season includes poverty alleviation, so there are no wealthy executives or company owners here!"
"Is that so?"
Director Walker's words confused everyone further. If true, it seemed unlikely anyone in the village matched Mr. Hudson's theory.
Meanwhile, Pikachu, feeling ignored by the strangers, became slightly irritated. It raised its tiny yellow hand, gesturing at them while making a "Pika Pika" sound:
"Pikachu~Pikachu~Pikachu~Pikachu!"
Pikachu's actions and sounds finally drew everyone's attention. Noticing its apparent anger, Zoe remarked:
"Look, it seems upset that we're ignoring it. It must have a high IQ!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Mr. Hudson expressed his surprise:
"Indeed! This little guy seems highly intelligent!"
Alex Young was equally astonished:
"Its anger at being ignored is like that of a seven or eight-year-old child! Such high intelligence..."
Alex turned to Peter:
"Peter! Have you ever seen such a smart animal or genetic creation?"
Peter, observing the creature gesturing and making sounds, thought for a moment before shaking his head:
"Aside from movies and short videos, I've never seen anything like it in real life!"
Mr. Harris posed a similar question to Mr. Hudson, who gave a similar response.
Mr. Harris then speculated:
"With such intelligence, this little creature's value must be astronomical among genetic creations!"
The others agreed with Mr. Harris's assessment.
Mr. Hudson observed Pikachu:
"This must be a breakthrough from a top genetics company. It's puzzling that there's been no news online! Typically, even if a product is unfinished, breakthrough technology would be advertised far and wide. Yet, here we have a developed product with no information leaked!"
Mr. Harris shook his head:
"I don't understand this either! Perhaps the company has undisclosed motives, or maybe this little guy still has imperfections!"