Time skip to January 1st, 1987
[3rd POV]
At 6am, the doors of the Apollo Enterprises store opened in The Galleria. The Galleria was the largest mall in Houston since opening in 1970. It was known for its expansive size, upscale retail stores, and diverse range of shopping options. With its iconic glass atriums and extensive selection of luxury brands, The Galleria had maintained its status as one of Houston's premier shopping destinations for many years. And it just got even better.
The Apollo Enterprises store looked quite simplistic from the outside. Unlike others, they didn't have any products advertised behind glass windows. Instead, their glass had a simple image of the sun, the logo of the company.
Inside the store, reporters and curious individuals marveled at the latest technology. The reporters were there because Apollo Enterprises had scheduled a press conference for 6pm. As usual, the reporters had gone early, and were shocked at what they found.
They found computers, phones, and a dual-screen game console (DS). A dozen of each electronic were laid out on the table for the public to try out. Along the sides of the room, there were large TV monitors, each showing clips of animated movies, anime, and gameplay.
Everyone was fascinated with what they saw. Computers in 1987 were vastly different. They were text-based with command-line interfaces. The monitors had character-based displays with limited graphical elements. These computers were large and heavy and only available for public use in certain locations like libraries.
Now, they were faced with highly advanced computers, all starting at the low price of $499.99.
So of course, it made every morning news segment. And the 11:00am news segment. And the afternoon news segment.
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Time skip to around 3:00pm.
[Main POV]
Throughout the entire day, Olivia, Emily, and I were answering calls.
"Apollo," Olivia said, "AT&T's on the line, they want to work with us to get their plans on our phones. They're promising a big discount."
I smiled. "Tell them their days are numbered. We'll be displacing their cell towers with our satellites in no time."
"We'll call you back next week," Olivia replied before hanging up.
"My lord, I'm on the phone with General Electric," Emily said, "they want to integrate computers into their manufacturing process."
"Tell them I'll call them back tomorrow."
Emily repeated my phrase before hanging up.
This was my day. I was hoping that my birthday would be less boring.
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Timeskip to 7:00pm.
[3rd POV]
Apollo arrived at the Apollo Enterprises store at 7:00pm. Was he late? Absolutely not.
He had purposefully told the reporters that he'd arrive 1 hour early. Keeping track of the news coverage, he knew every news segment would be playing his press conference live. By arriving late, he forced them to spend an hour on panels talking about his imminent arrival. In other words, more free press.
"We're here today to celebrate the opening of the first Apollo Enterprises store. I know many of you have had the pleasure of trying out of three premier products: the iPhone, the Macbook, and the Aurenium DS.
The Aurenium DS is a revolutionary dual-screen gaming console. We have released our first games: Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Green. We plan on continuing to release more games in the future and are coordinating with other gaming companies to do so.
The iPhone and Macbook are the greatest marvels of technology of this century. Our revolutionary user interface will empower those with little technical knowledge to easily explore the Internet.
The Internet is a vast ocean of information which will be the platform of future human communication. Along with regular cellphone service, we provide Internet through our many satellites, allowing for fast service in any corner of the world.
Thank you."
Immediately after finishing my speech, the questions began.
"What about the films playing on the screens?"
"Ah yes," I remarked, "What you see around us are the shows and movies Apollo Enterprises has created. The first episode of each show is available for free on our video sharing website, YouTube. The movies and all following episodes are available once released for users that purchase YouTube Premium."
Most of the reporters who had purchased a cell phone just now noticed an app that was symbolized as a white play button in a red background. Underneath the icon, the text read 'YouTube.' Opening it, they landed on the Home page with a series of recommended videos. They found the first episode of Pokémon, Full Metal Alchemist, The Promised Neverland, and Death Note.
Pokémon did not need an explanation. The main protagonist of the series is Ash Ketchum, a young Pokémon Trainer who dreams of becoming a Pokémon Master. In my past world, it was every kid's dream. To journey around the world conducting Pokémon battles, collecting Gym badges, and competing in the Pokémon League.
Along the way, Ash meets various friends and companions, including other Pokémon Trainers and Gym Leaders, who join him on his quest. They face challenges, encounter different Pokémon species, and strive to become stronger and improve their bond with their Pokémon. Ultimately, it was a story about friendship, teamwork, and perseverance.
But most importantly, it was the perfect advertisement for the Pokémon Game. The show provided Easter eggs, backstory and revealed hidden game mechanics that would drive watchers to play the game. It could be said that the main reason for the success of the game (to the extent that it did) was because of the show (or vice versa).
The other three shows were different.
Despite being called 'Full Metal Alchemist,' Apollo actually made 'Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood' from his memories. All in all, it was the closest thing to the perfect Shonen anime.
It follows the story of two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, who live in a world where alchemy is a powerful science. The Elric brothers embark on a journey to find the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary artifact that they hope will help them restore their bodies.
In their childhood, Edward and Alphonse attempted to use alchemy to resurrect their deceased mother, but the experiment went terribly wrong. Edward lost his left leg, and Alphonse lost his entire body. Edward sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Determined to regain their original bodies, the brothers become State Alchemists and join the military.
As State Alchemists, Edward and Alphonse delve into a world of political intrigue, dangerous encounters, and complex alchemical mysteries. They uncover a vast conspiracy involving the Philosopher's Stone, the Homunculi (artificial humans), and a dark secret known as 'The Truth.'
The series combines action, drama, humor, and philosophical elements to explore themes such redemption, the value of life, and the balance between science and morality, creating a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.
'The Promised Neverland' is set in a mysterious orphanage called Grace Field House, where a group of orphans lives happily under the care of their "Mama," Isabella. The story follows three main protagonists: Emma, Norman, and Ray.
However, the children soon discover the dark secret behind their seemingly idyllic lives. They realize that Grace Field House is not an ordinary orphanage but a farm where the children are raised as high-quality food for demonic creatures called "demons." Determined to escape and save their lives, Emma, Norman, and Ray form a plan to uncover the truth and find a way to freedom.
The dark story captivated audiences as they rooted for the children to escape. When I showed Ms. Davis the show, she got the wrong idea. It took a few hours to convince her otherwise.
'Death Note,' while killing significantly more people, was more lighthearted. The story centers around Light Yagami, a high school student who comes across a mysterious notebook called the 'Death Note.' The notebook grants its owner the ability to kill anyone whose name is written in its pages, as long as the person's face is known.
Intrigued by the power of the Death Note, Light embarks on a mission to cleanse the world of criminals and create a new world order, taking on the persona of a vigilante known as "Kira." As news of Kira's actions spreads, it attracts the attention of renowned detective L, who is determined to uncover Kira's true identity and bring him to justice.
The cat and mouse game played between them provided an intricate plot, memorable characters, and thought-provoking themes, making it one of the most popular and critically acclaimed anime and manga series of all time.
Apollo had decided to stop the anime after L died. After that, the series took a significant dive. Light started going even more off the rails, and any semblance of nuance was lost.
As for 'The Promised Neverland,' he didn't intend to make a second season. Once the first season ended and the kids escaped the orphanage, the series was never able to capture the same tension and emotional stakes that were in the first season.
For Full Metal Alchemist, he split the series into two, and decided to release the second season next year.
Additionally, Apollo made sure not to go overboard with the fan service. In his opinion, fan service was one of the key factors that held anime back early on. It gave it a perverse stigma, and it stopped most from even trying. In a more conservative time, he knew that kind of stuff wouldn't fly.
Meanwhile in the Apollo Enterprises store, another reporter raised their hand, "What about the Berlin uprising?"
"Any footage we have has been posted on YouTube."
"What?"
I held up my iPhone which was white and gold. I didn't sell any with that particular color scheme. The iPhone only came in 5 colors: silver, gold, space gray, rose gold, and midnight green.
"The iPhone comes with a camera that produces better quality footage than any other camera, given its size. Other useful features include, but are not limited to, audio recordings, flashlights, and anything a computer can do."
We sold a lot of product that day.
.
.
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AN: Thank y'all for reading this story.
This starts the "business tycoon" segment of the story. I got a list of shows/books planned.
I'm including stuff that I personally like. Consider all the name drops recommendations.
Send me your power stones please. Also drop a review for the story, thanks!