Let you make a game, what the hell is Pokemon?.

Chapter 162 This is what Pokémon should be like! (4k)

Meanwhile, Zero Island.

In the deep blue nutrient solution, Mewtwo floated with its eyes closed. Countless intricate pipes connected to its body, and its immense spiritual power, even in its slumber, exerted a palpable pressure on the entire space.

The data from the recently concluded ability test was scrolling densely on a huge screen to the side.

"Energy output is stable, and the mental energy wavelength continues to optimize, far exceeding expectations." The chief researcher reported to the man sitting on the sofa behind him, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Lord Banki, congratulations, he is even more perfect than I imagined."

Banmu crossed his legs, gently stroking the chin of the cat boss at his feet with one hand, his gaze fixed intently on the data on the screen, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

Mewtwo, the legendary Pokémon created by Team Rocket with their own resources, is gradually moving from plan to reality. This will be Team Rocket's ultimate weapon to redefine the world order!
“Very good. Continue monitoring, and record and analyze any slight fluctuations.” Banmu’s voice was deep and authoritative. “Its controllability is the focus of the next stage.”

"Yes, sir!" The researcher bowed respectfully to Itagaki.

Just then, the alloy door of the laboratory opened, and a subordinate dressed in the uniform of a high-ranking official rushed in, his expression solemn with a hint of disbelief.

He approached Banmu, bowed respectfully, and after a brief hesitation, lowered his voice and spoke:
"Uh, Lord Itagaki, regarding the incident where the Seventh Base in the Kanto region was suddenly raided and exposed by the Alliance Investigators, we... we may have found the reason."

Giovanni finally shifted his gaze from Mewtwo to the officer's face, his eyes sharp: "Speak."

The officer took a deep breath, seemingly not quite believing what he was about to say: "According to intelligence sent back at great risk by members infiltrating the alliance... the reason they were able to pinpoint and raid our base is because... because of a game."

The faint hum of the instruments seemed to have vanished from the lab. The chief researcher in the white lab coat next to him couldn't help but push up his glasses, looking at him with a "Are you kidding me?" expression.

Banmu paused slightly as he stroked the cat. He remained silent for two seconds before slowly speaking, his tone cold and carrying a pressure that seemed to freeze the air: "You mean... a game?"

"Yes...yes, sir." The officer forced a smile and proceeded to provide the detailed intelligence. "To be precise, it's a simulation game called *Pokémon Emerald*. According to intelligence, that game...perfectly replicates the location of our base, and even...even includes some of our secret experiments. Cynthia and Lance learned about it from the League by playing this game..."

“Absurd.” Itagi’s voice remained calm, but those who knew him well could hear the underlying tension beneath that calm.

Giovanni rules Team Rocket's dark empire beneath Kanto and has seen countless storms, but how could he possibly believe that someone is trying to undermine him through a "game"?

However, the cadre's next words finally caused a real crack to appear on his usually impassive face.

"Furthermore... our intelligence agents in the Hoenn region have also reported that Izumi, a senior member of Team Aqua, and Himura, a senior member of Team Magma, have significantly reduced their activity levels recently. Upon investigation, it appears that they... as well as Archie and Redmoon, the two leaders, have recently become... addicted to the game Emerald. Moreover, they have ordered all members of the organization at the elite level and above to enter the game and... 'strategize'."

"...?" Itagaki's brows furrowed completely.

Even with his knowledge and shrewdness, he felt a cognitive shock at this moment.

Cynthia and Wataru found the base through the game, which can be understood as a consequence of their information being leaked.

But how could those two ambitious guys, Water Wutong and Red Flame Pine, who are obsessed with expanding the ocean and land, be so addicted to a game? They even force their subordinates to play it?
What exactly is going on?

What exactly is that game called Emerald?
A long silence fell over the laboratory. Banmu's fingers slowly stroked the cat's soft fur, his mind racing, piecing together all the illogical fragments of information.

A game that can predict Team Rocket's secret base and simultaneously captivate the leaders of two rival organizations...

Perhaps hidden within this is a huge secret, or... value, that transcends the game itself.

Otherwise, none of this can be explained.

A few minutes later, he raised his hand, interrupting the cadre who seemed to want to say something more.

"That's enough." He stood up, and the cat boss nimbly jumped off the sofa. "The intelligence department will continue to investigate the owner and background of this game, using all available resources."

"Yes, my lord!"

Then, under the somewhat dazed gazes of the chief researcher and the staff, Boss Banmu walked to the personal terminal on the side of the laboratory, and while operating it, gave instructions in a tone devoid of emotion:

"Get me a game account. I want to see... just what this game is all about."

Meanwhile, on the Psyduck live streaming platform, in one of the top three most popular live stream rooms, the chat was scrolling rapidly.

[Miss Ruri is so cute today! What new game are you playing today?]

Cheers to Liuli's beauty!

[Why don't you try the Emerald? It's super popular right now!]

In front of the camera, a beautiful young woman with long, smooth platinum blonde hair and a delicate feather hair clip on the side of her hair is smiling sweetly at the microphone.

She is 'Liuli', a newly popular beauty streamer on the Psyduck platform, who has attracted a large number of fans with her outstanding appearance and lively interaction.

"Good evening everyone! Thank you 'Flying Ball Knocks on Your Forehead' for the gift!" Ruri made a heart shape with her hands towards the camera, and the live chat immediately sprang to life. "Today, we're going to experience a new game that's touted as having a huge investment and super-powerful marketing! It's Pokémon Blaze, a major release from DreamWorks! It looks amazing!"

As she spoke, she opened the game interface.

The dazzling CG animations and exciting electronic sound effects certainly have the feel of a major studio.

"Wow, it's pixel art style! That's quite rare!"

Liuli skillfully created a character and entered the game.

"Oh my! Newbie perk! Ten consecutive pulls to start... let's see what I get... wow! A glitter! It's a trial card for the pseudo-legendary monster 'Tyranitar'! Even though it's only for three days... that's pretty lucky!"

The game progressed quickly, but after only a few minutes, a prominent prompt popped up on the screen.

【【Supreme Growth Pack】! Limited-time offer, only 1280 to instantly and permanently obtain the pseudo-legendary Pokémon 'Garuda'! Also includes exclusive equipment and a max-level EXP book!】

“This…” Liuli blinked her big eyes, showing a hesitant expression.

"It feels... a bit pricey? But for the sake of the live stream, and to show everyone the experience of spending money, I'll just have to buy it now!"

After the payment was successful, Garchomp was acquired, its level was instantly maxed out, and clearing stages became a mindless stomp.

"Hmm! Not bad! This feeling of instant kill is quite relaxing to play occasionally!" Liuli controlled her character with gorgeous special effects, running around on the seemingly monotonous map. "Dream Factory has really got the 'fun' part right, but you have to spend some money, sigh."

However, different opinions began to emerge in her live stream chat at this point:

[Is that all? Just more grinding?]

[The map is so rudimentary, it's all just textures, and the pixel quality is ridiculously low.] [Exactly. I knew it. With Dream Factory's track record, the arena will probably be dominated by whales in the future, just like in Battle Road.]

[Liuli, please compare it to Emerald before you praise it! I'm begging you!]

"Emerald?"

"Oh, it's that indie game that's been getting a lot of buzz lately, right?"

Liuli saw the comments and tilted her head slightly.

"I heard it's made by a relatively unknown producer, so it can't compare to the big studios. But since everyone recommends it, let's download it and give it a try."

She had heard about this game several times recently, but she definitely wouldn't have tried it if it weren't for the numerous requests from viewers in the chat.

With a touch of curiosity and not-too-high expectations, she switched out of the game and found the download page for Pokémon Emerald.

The game is small and downloaded quickly.

"Alright, let's see what this game, which many people call a masterpiece, is really like."

Liuli created a character and entered the game.

The game started with the familiar process of choosing a starter Pokémon, but the exquisite pixel art and smooth animations took her a slight breath: "Huh? This art style... the details are so rich, and the UI is also quite simple and comfortable."

The quality was truly beyond her expectations.

Five minutes passed.

"Hmm... the starting process seems pretty much the same, you get a Pokémon and go on an adventure."

She guided her character out of the town.

Ten minutes passed.

"Wait... what's with this formidable rival?! How is he able to counter me?"

As Liuli watched her formidable opponent on the screen, whose every choice countered her skills, the ease on her face gradually disappeared, replaced by a hint of panic.

"My skill can miss? And how come his damage is so high?!"

Once, twice, three times... defeated by a formidable rival three times in a row, forced to return to the Pokémon Center below.

The live stream chat instantly became lively:

[Haha, welcome to the real world of Pokémon!]

[This game doesn't have a recharge button, good luck streamer!]

The anchor's expression gradually turned serious!

[Your formidable rival has taught countless people a lesson; now it's your turn!]

Liuli took a deep breath. Although this was the first time she had failed so many times in a row in a game, it actually made her more determined to win.

She temporarily turned off the bullet comments and stared intently at the screen, carefully studying her rival's solution.

Finally, on her fourth attempt, she used Sand Rush, which she had learned from Mudkip, to narrowly win by a hair's breadth, even as her opponent Treecko missed three moves in a row.

"Ha...I won!" She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

It felt exhausting...like fighting a tough battle, but the joy of victory was incredibly fulfilling.
To be honest, I've never felt this way before.

Then, she continued her journey. Traversing the meticulously designed Route 101, exploring every corner of Ancient Town, and discovering hidden items... half an hour later.

As the game progressed, Liuli's expression changed from initial ease and curiosity to utter shock and immersion.

The background music was incredibly captivating and changed with the scene.

And there are also complex maps where every patch of grass and every path might hide items, encouraging exploration.

The simple puzzles that require a little thought to solve, and the NPCs with diverse personalities and interesting dialogues.
Even every battle in the wild requires thinking about team composition and skill combinations…

There are no overwhelming pop-ups for recharge, no simplistic numerical crushing; what you get is solid content, thoughtful details, and an adventurous journey full of challenges and a sense of accomplishment.

She was engrossed in playing, occasionally exclaiming, "So this is how you can walk around here!", "This background music is so nice!", "This NPC is so funny to talk to!"

Finally, she stopped operating, took a deep breath, looked at the camera, her face filled with disbelief and heartfelt admiration:

"I...I take back what I said before. Family, this game...the map design, the music, the overall atmosphere, the depth of the combat system...it's completely...completely on a different level!"

"I used to wonder, how could an indie game be any better than a big-budget production like DreamWorks? Now I understand. There's no comparison at all!"

"Dream Factory is just a pay-to-win experience device, but this... this is the real adventure in the Pokémon world!"

The live chat was instantly flooded with comments like "Haha, this is so good!", "Welcome to the Emerald army!", and "Liuli has finally discovered a treasure game!"

Meanwhile, the streamer, Liuli, was completely captivated by the charm of Emerald, forgetting the time and the so-called masterpiece next to her called "Blazing Flame".

Soon, clips of Liuli's live stream were uploaded online.

In particular, her drastically different "it's actually good" reaction was quickly edited into videos by fans and amusement-seekers, accompanied by titles such as "Dream Factory suffers public execution," "On the difference between pay-to-win games and genuine masterpieces," and "Love & Redemption: I was wrong, Emerald is the real god," which went viral on major video websites and social media platforms.

This was like a drop of water thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly igniting a long-simmering public opinion—after all, people had long been unhappy with DreamWorks.

On the official Pokémon Blaze discussion forum of Trainer's Camp, the largest gaming forum, posts are refreshing at an astonishing rate:

[Does Dream Factory feel embarrassed now? They spent so much money on advertising, only to be utterly humiliated by an indie game!]

"After watching Liuli's live stream, I burst out laughing. What is this 'Blazing Flame'? What is it besides a reskinned version with pay-to-win elements? The map is so empty you could fit fifty Tauros in it, the plot is childish like it's for Caterpie, and the battle system is ridiculous. Look at 'Emerald', the map details, the formidable AI opponents, the music and atmosphere... Has the technical prowess of a company as big as Dream Factory been eaten by dogs?"

[For rational discussion, is "Blazing Flame" a blatant rip-off of "Emerald"?]

(End of this chapter)