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

Chapter 185 Sakaki: It's so good, is this a pledge of loyalty from the employees?

at the same time.

In Giovanni's private room at Team Rocket's secret base on an island in the Kanto region, only the light from his computer screen flickers.

Giovanni leaned back in his high-backed chair, let out a long sigh, and rubbed his slightly sore eyes. The message on the screen, "[Defeated Gym Leader Cuckoo!]", was particularly eye-catching.

“It’s over…” he muttered to himself, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction in his voice.

Although he realized shortly after the game started, this game called "Pokémon Emerald" was anything but ordinary and extremely challenging.

However, the difficulty of this first Rock-type Gym far exceeded his expectations.

The strength and characteristics of Dujuan's Pokémon were not what one would expect from a beginner village gym. He tried countless times, adjusting his strategy, before finally seizing an opportunity to win by a narrow margin.

At this moment, a long-lost, exhilarating sense of victory welled up in my heart, as if I had returned to the days when I was young and challenged others as a trainer. I hadn't felt this way in a long time.

But Sakaki is Sakaki after all, and this emotion only lasted for a few seconds.

He glanced at the time in the lower left corner of the screen and immediately frowned.

"It's already this late?"

He was a little surprised.

Before I knew it, most of the day had been wasted in this constant cycle of "loading save/starting over/challenging".

The simulated natural light system outside the window has already switched to night mode.

A complex emotion replaced the previous feeling of exhilaration.

As the leader of Team Rocket, who controls a vast underground empire, he has mountains of decisions and matters to attend to every day, and his time is precisely calculated down to the minute.

Self-discipline and efficiency are the keys to his success today.

But now, he has wasted an entire afternoon and evening in front of the screen for a game, while the documents that need his signature piled up on the corner of the table remain untouched.

“Really…” Sakaki shook his head slightly, took a deep breath, and tried to dispel the thought in his mind about whether or not to go to the next town.

The initial purpose of playing this game was to investigate the clues about "Rainbow Rocket Team" and to explore whether there were any secrets hidden behind the game that would benefit Team Rocket.

His real-world ambitions are what truly matter; indulging in the virtual world is not something he should be doing.

Can everything in the game strengthen Team Rocket's power?

Obviously not.

With that thought in mind, he decisively got up and prepared to leave the room to deal with the important matters that had been delayed.

However, just as he stood up and slid his chair back, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.

"Come in." Sakaki instantly regained his usual authoritative tone and replied in a deep voice.

At this time, if a subordinate knocks on the door without being summoned, it's most likely that some emergency has occurred.

His eyes sharpened, and several possibilities flashed through his mind.

Was it a surprise inspection by the alliance? Or did an operation in some region go wrong?
The door was pushed open, and an elite player in a Rockets uniform strode in, his expression a mix of tension and an indescribable strangeness.
"Boss!" The team member immediately knelt down on one knee, his tone tense and urgent.

"What is it?" Sakaki asked directly, leaning forward slightly, bracing himself for bad news.

"No...no, boss. Everything's normal." The team member quickly shook his head.

Sakaki frowned even more: "What is it? Tell me."

The teammate's expression became even more complicated. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure of how to begin, before finally handing his portable computer terminal to Sakaki. A video on the screen was paused on a certain scene.

"Sir... this... I feel I must report this to you immediately. You... you can see for yourself. It's news and videos about the Pokémon Emerald game..."

Sakaki took the terminal with a puzzled look, his gaze falling on the screen. The video title was sensational, and the background appeared to be an ornately decorated live-streaming room. He pressed play.

In the video, Kishu, the Electric-type Gym Leader of Brilliant City in the Padina region, is excitedly speaking to the camera when a red box suddenly appears on the table. She opens the box, takes out a seemingly ordinary candy, and feeds it to her Electivire. The next second, the Electivire is enveloped in an evolutionary glow… followed by the so-called “Special Attack Boost” test, showing an insulating target being shattered by lightning…

Meanwhile, news summaries scrolled across the screen: "Mysterious Game Distributes Physical Rewards Remotely!" "Magic Candy Really Exists, Instantly Leveling Up Pokémon!" "League Investigates, 'Wind Studio's' Identity Remains a Mystery!"

Sakaki paused for a moment.

then.

"???"

For the first time, an almost blank expression of astonishment appeared on his usually composed face.

His brain raced as he tried to comprehend the absurd information before him.

Special effects?

That was his first reaction. But the video's clarity, the realism of the surrounding environment, especially the fact that the Gym Leader of Padia and her Froakie were real people and Pokémon, and the League's investigation couldn't be faked...

Moreover, he himself had just personally experienced the extraordinary challenges of this game.

So... all of this is true?
The thought exploded in his mind like a thunderclap.

He abruptly raised his head, looking at the subordinate who was cautiously observing his reaction, his voice slightly hoarse without him even realizing it: "This video... is the source reliable? Has its authenticity been confirmed?"

"Boss, it's absolutely true! It's going viral all over the internet! The Padia Alliance has already sent people to investigate, and many players are showing off the items they received on social media! This way of appearing out of nowhere, along with a few rare rewards like the Magic Candy, has completely ignited public opinion! Our intelligence department's analysis suggests that the possibility of it being fake is... extremely low!"

His subordinate's words were like a heavy hammer blow, shattering Sakaki's last remaining doubts.

He sat back down in his chair, his gaze fixed on the frozen image of the shattered target fragments on the screen, a wave of shock washing over him. Game rewards…could carry over into real life?!
That game he just thought "couldn't strengthen Team Rocket"... actually possesses the magical power to turn virtual reality into reality?!

Wait, what does this mean?
This means that if he can obtain those rare items in this game... such as Rare Candy that can instantly raise a Pokémon's level, or various supplements that can greatly enhance the power of moves... or even, are there even more overpowered things in the game?
For example... an item that allows you to control Pokémon with 100% accuracy? Or... a clue to a legendary Pokémon?

An unprecedented emotion instantly overwhelmed Giovanni's regret for wasting his time.

This isn't a game; it's a vast, untapped treasure trove waiting to be discovered!

It's a shortcut that could instantly boost the Rockets' strength, even allowing them to surpass the league!
What job? What document?
Compared to this earth-shattering discovery, those daily affairs are simply unimportant!

correct
“Team Rainbow Rocket…” Giovanni murmured to himself, his eyes growing sharper and brighter.

He now has a completely new and incredibly passionate understanding of that name.

He suddenly realized that since the game could send rewards to the real world remotely, then everything in the game, including Team Rainbow Rocket, was very likely real!
He waved his hand, dismissing the subordinate who had given the report.

He was alone in the room again, with only the computer still displaying the game screen.

Without any hesitation, Sakaki gripped the mouse again. This time, his eyes were no longer filled with inquiry and leisure, but with a clear ambition and excitement.

He skillfully controlled his character to leave the gym, opened his backpack, and looked at the few Poké Balls and healing items inside.

He used to think it was just game data, but now he feels it's completely different.

"I must accelerate the process... to obtain more rewards!" he thought to himself. "Rankings! That global ranking! Top 5%... Top 100..."

He recalled the reward rules he had seen when browsing the game description. He had previously scoffed at the so-called rankings, but now they had become his most important goal.

Forget about self-discipline and work for now.

Right now, conquering this game and maximizing its "real-world rewards" is Team Rocket's most important and top priority "job"!
Without the slightest delay, he controlled his game character, leading his Beedrill, which had just defeated the gym and leveled up, and headed towards the next town without hesitation.

The dim light from the screen illuminated his serious yet ambitious face, enveloping his figure in a fluorescent glow.

Meanwhile, in a rather unassuming café room in Saffron City, Kanto region, the atmosphere was somewhat somber. Seated around the table were the core employees who had collectively resigned from Dream Factory a few days prior, including the programmer, Xiao Li, who had been the first to slam his employee badge down, along with several planners and artists.

"Sigh, I've sent out dozens of resumes, and a few companies have replied, but the offers... are even less attractive than when I was working overtime at Dream Factory." A planner wearing black-rimmed glasses sighed, stirring his now-cold coffee.

"It's normal. The industry is in a slump right now, and everyone's tightening their belts. Besides, some companies are worried that our mass exodus is a problem," another, more mature-looking artist chimed in, his tone full of helplessness.

Xiao Li gulped down a mouthful of ice water, somewhat resentful: "Are we really going to have to go back after just escaping the wolf's den? Just thinking about it is frustrating! If only... if only we could go to that 'Wind Studio.' That's what a real game is!"

Upon hearing this, the private room fell silent for a moment, everyone's eyes lit up for a second, then dimmed again.

"Wind Studio...who wouldn't want to go there?" The planner gave a wry smile. "But the problem is, this studio is too mysterious. We can't even find an official website, and there's not a trace of recruitment information. It's even harder to find than the legendary Pokémon."

"Yeah, they just appeared out of nowhere, interacting with players only through the game. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't find a way in," the artist chimed in.

The group fell silent again, with only the soft background music of the coffee shop echoing in the background.

It's refreshing to abandon darkness and embrace the light, but the future remains uncertain.

Suddenly, the former marketing department member who hadn't said much raised his head, his eyes flickered, and he lowered his voice and said, "Brothers, I have an idea... It might be a bit risky, but it might work."

"What's your idea? Tell me quickly!" Xiao Li urged.

"Think about it, why has Wind Studio maintained such secrecy? It's likely because they don't want to be disturbed by the outside world, or they have their own plans. If we just wait like this, they'll never know we exist." He paused, looked around, and continued, "But what if we... actively create some 'stir' to show our stance and determination?"

"A commotion? What commotion?"

“For example… we’ll package up and expose all of Dream Factory’s shady dealings!” The marketing team member’s voice was even lower, but with a hint of determination. “Evidence of plagiarism, the inside story of maliciously suppressing small studios, data on falsified revenue, Cui Yu’s underhanded practices… we have some of those in hand.”

"By spreading this word, not only will Dream Factory be completely discredited, but more importantly, it's like a pledge of allegiance to Wind Studio! It shows that we've completely broken with our past work and possess the industry intelligence and practical experience they might need!"

The private room fell silent again, with only the heavy breathing of a few people audible.

This proposal is too bold. Once it's done, there's no turning back, and it's very likely to offend all stakeholders in the industry who have ties to Dream Factory.

Xiao Li slammed his hand on the table, but this time he controlled the force so as not to attract attention from those outside: "Let's do it! What's there to be afraid of! We're already in this state, what else do we have to lose? Rather than wasting our lives in those struggling companies, let's take a gamble! What if that studio takes a liking to us?"

"Yes! I agree! This is much better than sending out resumes aimlessly!"

"Count me in! I've disliked Cui Yu and that lousy company for a long time!"

An atmosphere of do-or-die spirit filled the private room.

The group quickly reached a consensus and began to carefully recall and organize the materials they had on hand. They decided that the former member of the marketing department would take the lead and release the damaging information in batches at appropriate times and through appropriate channels.

Half an hour later, a wave of negative information targeting Dream Factory swept across the internet.

Internal email screenshots, evidence of falsified financial data, plagiarism comparison charts... a series of solid evidence were released by an anonymous account, quickly sparking heated discussions and condemnations within the gaming community.

Holy crap! Is Dream Factory really this shady?

[As expected, "Fantasy Era" is a rip-off, it's confirmed!]

[Cui Yu is a real scoundrel; no wonder all his men ran away!]

This revelation is quite damaging; Dream Factory is probably completely finished.

These news items did indeed generate considerable buzz, further exacerbating the already dire situation for Dream Factory and Cui Yu.

However, compared to groundbreaking global news like "Emerald remotely distributing physical rewards," a scandal involving a game company is like a pebble thrown into the ocean; it may create ripples, but it is quickly submerged by the more turbulent waves.

Clearly, people are more concerned with whether they can achieve a ranking in the game than with the old grievances of a company on the verge of bankruptcy.

(End of this chapter)