Chapter 5 – The First Success
The days passed quickly.
Ryan's life fell into a simple routine.
School in the morning.
Drawing manga in the afternoon.
And late at night, quietly studying newspapers and books about the financial markets.
Even though he was only ten, he knew something very important.
The real opportunities were coming soon.
Several major financial crises would happen in the next few years, and if he didn't prepare early, he would miss those chances completely.
But before thinking about investing, he needed money.
And right now, that money depended on the success of Pokémon.
Soon the date finally arrived.
April 30, 1994.
The first chapter of Pokémon was officially released in Dawn Publishing's weekly magazine.
Ryan and his friends had already made plans to meet that Saturday and visit a bookstore together.
When they arrived at the store, Ryan immediately noticed something unexpected.
There was a line outside the shop.
Most of the people waiting were children with their parents.
There were also a few teenagers and adults who liked manga.
Rachel looked at the line and laughed.
"Wow, Ryan. Looks like your book is pretty popular."
Ryan tried to stay calm, but inside he was still nervous.
Popularity during promotion was one thing.
But whether readers actually liked the story was another matter.
After waiting for a while, they finally entered the store.
Inside, Ryan could hear children shouting excitedly.
"Mom! I want this one!"
"Look! This creature is so cute!"
"I want a Pikachu!"
Some kids were already flipping through the pages while their parents watched helplessly.
Many of them begged their parents to buy the magazine.
Ryan quietly watched the scene.
The reaction from the children was exactly what he expected.
The concept of collecting cute creatures was extremely attractive to them.
The older manga readers also seemed interested, though they were more reserved.
After all, it was only the first chapter.
"Hey genius," Chandler suddenly said, nudging Ryan with his elbow.
"If you become famous, don't forget us."
Rachel nodded dramatically.
"Yeah, remember your first fans."
Ryan rolled his eyes.
"You two are already annoying enough."
Raj laughed quietly beside them.
They spent the next few hours visiting several other bookstores.
Some stores had small lines.
Others were quiet.
Since this was only the first chapter, Ryan didn't think too much about it.
Eventually the group said goodbye and returned home.
---
At the same time, inside Dawn Publishing, the atmosphere was tense.
Sam arrived early that morning to review the first sales reports.
The editors gathered around the meeting table as the numbers came in.
At first everyone remained quiet.
Then one of the editors suddenly said,
"The first printing is sold out."
The room became silent for a moment.
"Already?" someone asked.
"Yes," another editor replied. "Most of the sales came from parents buying the magazine for their children."
Excitement immediately spread through the office.
But Sam quickly raised his hand.
"Calm down."
Everyone looked at him.
"This is only the first chapter."
"The sales might be boosted by publicity."
He paused before continuing.
"We need to see whether readers continue buying the next chapters."
Still, even Sam couldn't completely hide his excitement.
The magazine had only printed 10,000 copies for the first run, and those copies were sold mainly in New York.
Selling out on the first day was already a very good sign.
"Prepare another print run," Sam ordered.
The editors nodded immediately.
Deep down, many of them were already thinking the same thing.
They might have just discovered a gold mine.
But they needed more data before confirming it.
---
Back at home, Ryan's parents had also heard the news.
"The first printing sold out?" his father asked.
"That's impressive," his mother said with a proud smile.
But both of them remained calm.
After all, this was only the first chapter.
Long-term success depended on consistency.
After dinner, Ryan returned to his room.
The desk was still covered with manuscripts.
He sat down and thought quietly.
Pokémon had already started.
Now it was time to prepare the next step.
The next morning during breakfast, Ryan spoke to his mother.
"Mom," he said.
"Yes?"
"I want to start publishing Naruto and One Piece soon."
His mother looked at him with interest.
"Already?"
Ryan nodded.
"If Pokémon continues to do well, it will be the perfect time."
Mio thought for a moment before smiling.
"Alright. I'll talk to Sam."
Later that day, Ryan also received phone calls from his friends.
Rachel was the first.
"Congratulations!" she said excitedly.
Chandler immediately joined the call.
"So, Mr. Genius Author, when do we get free copies?"
Raj also congratulated him shyly.
Ryan smiled while holding the phone.
It was an old Nokia mobile phone, nothing like the smartphones he remembered from his previous life.
For a moment, he felt slightly nostalgic.
But then he looked at the stack of manuscripts on his desk.
Pokémon was only the beginning.
Soon Naruto and One Piece would also appear.
And once the money started flowing in…
Ryan would finally be ready to enter the financial markets.