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

Chapter 203: The Response to the Pledge of Allegiance – Why Are the Problems Getting Bigger and Bigger?
Ling Feng scratched his head. To be honest, he felt this was a bit outrageous.

But upon closer reflection, it seems to make sense.

He focused his mind and gave the system the instruction: "System, tell me in detail what's going on, especially the background and motives of those people."

As soon as he finished speaking, clear information immediately appeared in his mind.

Li Xuan, the former chief programmer of Dream Factory, is technically skilled but has a straightforward personality. He led the resignation due to his dissatisfaction with the company's plagiarism and exploitative practices.

The other members are the core planner, artist, and marketing staff, all of whom are passionate about games but feel frustrated at Dream Factory.

The information package also included a detailed chain of evidence they compiled and released regarding insider information about Dream Factory, with the time and content clearly shown. It was indeed released immediately after their departure.

"It doesn't look fake."

Ling Feng touched his chin.

After all, Cui Yu probably doesn't have the brains or the guts to pull off such a complicated self-inflicted injury scheme, and the price is too high. He's completely exposed his own resources. If he hadn't done this, he could at least have survived a little longer, but with Dream Factory doing this, there's absolutely no way out but death.

He glanced at the message mentioning "a desire to create truly fun games," and a thought struck him.

While I can create games using the system on my own, I do need manpower for many trivial matters, external communication, and even potential future marketing.

The system currently seems to focus only on the core production and distribution of the game itself. These real-world tasks would be much easier if handled by reliable people.

However, the premise is absolute safety... after all, one's identity cannot be exposed.

"System, can I contact them anonymously? I mean, in a way that's completely untraceable, unrecoverable, and absolutely confidential?"

Ling Feng asked himself the question.

Yes. The system can provide encrypted and anonymous communication channels. Information flows through the system itself, and cannot be traced to the host by any current technology. One-way or two-way information transmission is possible.

Ling Feng's eyes lit up. This function was great; it was tailor-made for someone like him who was a mastermind behind the scenes.

"Okay, then let's reply to them in the name of 'Wind Studio'." Ling Feng thought for a moment and began to devise the content of the email.

Don't be too enthusiastic, lest you appear too eager; and don't be too indifferent, lest you dampen the other person's enthusiasm.

Since we're recruiting employees, we need to find a way to test their abilities and sincerity.

Just then, a game that could be used to test them suddenly appeared in Ling Feng's mind.

This series has a unique gameplay and a relatively independent structure, making it a good opportunity to examine the abilities and execution of these former top company elites.

He directly instructed the system to compose the email, which roughly expressed the idea that "we see the pledge of loyalty, appreciate courage, and welcome capable individuals, but their abilities must be proven." He then attached the basic concept of the game and a promotional CG video generated by the system.

When sending the message, Ling Feng confirmed that the sending address was indeed a virtual node that was encrypted by the system and could not be traced before he breathed a sigh of relief.

A hint of anticipation appeared on his lips.

Now, let's see how they respond.
The perspective shifts back to the somber atmosphere of the private café room in Golden City.

Several days have passed, and the "pledge of allegiance" has vanished without a trace. The online buzz surrounding the negative news about Dream Factory has gradually been replaced by the popularity of Emerald.

The initial enthusiasm of the group gradually cooled, and the pressure and confusion of reality once again enveloped everyone.

"Sigh, I think we should just give up." One person slumped back in their chair, dejected. "Wind Studio probably hasn't even noticed us, or maybe they don't even want to hire anyone. I accepted an interview invitation from Rainbow Group yesterday. It's a low-level position, but I still need to make a living."

"Let's wait and see," Li Xuan tried to encourage everyone, but even he himself felt his words lacked conviction. He had already refilled his water glass several times, but it did nothing to alleviate his inner anxiety.

These people have technical and management experience, but their greatest assets are their love for games and a bit of idealism. Now, however, they seem to have nowhere to settle down. The mental problems are the most tormenting.

Just as the atmosphere reached its lowest point, and some people had already quietly taken out their phones to reply to messages from HR departments of other companies—

"Ding dong!"

A crisp notification sound rang out from Li Xuan's laptop on the table.

The sound was ordinary, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet private room. Li Xuan glanced at the screen subconsciously, and his eyes widened instantly!
The sender's address was a completely incomprehensible string of gibberish, a mixture of various symbols and letters, but the email subject was clearly stated:

[To Mr. Li Xuan and everyone: Greetings and invitation from "Feng Studio"]

"Fuck!!"

Li Xuan suddenly jumped up from his seat, almost tipping the chair over.

His exclamation startled the others, who all looked up at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Xiao Li?"

"Did you see the hell?"

Li Xuan's fingers trembled slightly as he pointed at the screen, excitedly babbling incoherently, "It's here! Feng Studio! They replied!"

"what?!"

"real or fake?!"

"Quick! Open it and take a look!"

In an instant, everyone gathered around, their previous dejection vanishing instantly. Their eyes were fixed on Li Xuan's computer screen, and their breathing became rapid.

Li Xuan took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and opened the email with slightly trembling fingers.

The email was concise, yet it made everyone present hold their breath:
"Mr. Li Xuan and colleagues:"

"Your letter has been received. I understand your determination and courage. There is no need to mention the past of Dream Factory."

"Wind Studio's mission has always been to create games that bring joy and happiness to players. We welcome all those who share the same dream and possess genuine talent."

"However, cooperation must be based on mutual understanding and trust. To test your capabilities, alignment of ideas, and understanding and execution of this new game genre, we now have a preliminary cooperation verification project."

"The project is tentatively titled: Pokémon: Mysterious Dungeon."

"The attached file contains a concept showcase video, which includes the core ideas and some visual presentations of this project. Please watch it carefully and submit a preliminary project plan based on this video, as detailed as possible (including but not limited to gameplay breakdown, analysis of technical implementation difficulties, art style suggestions, and market positioning considerations) to this email address within 48 hours."

"This will be an important assessment of your abilities. I look forward to your insights."

The email from "—Wind Studio" ended abruptly, without a signature, without contact information, only the attachment icon lying there quietly.

Quiet.

The private room was deathly silent.

A few seconds later, a huge cheer erupted like a volcano!
"We did it! They saw us!"

"There's a chance! There's definitely a chance! He said if it goes through, I can join!"

"My God, I knew Wind Studio would notice!"

But after the initial euphoria came immense bewilderment.

"Wait...wait a minute...? Uh, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon?" A planner stammered, repeating the name over and over.
"So what kind of game is this? What kind of maze?"

"Don't even mention hearing about it, I can't even imagine it! Pokémon can be related to dungeons?"

"Never mind that! Quick! Xiao Li, open the attachment and take a look! It's a promotional video! There's definitely something in the promotional video!"

Li Xuan was also filled with excitement. Suppressing his excitement, he took a deep breath, moved the mouse, and double-clicked to open the mysterious attachment.

A video starts playing.

There is no fancy opening sequence; the scene immediately plunges into deep darkness, with only a low and mysterious background music, like a heartbeat, slowly playing.

Then, a faint light appeared, and the camera seemed to delve into the depths of a complex and ever-changing cave. The textures on the stone walls were strange and ancient, and the paths branched out, winding and twisting, with no end in sight.

Then, the screen lit up.

The person appearing in the center of the frame isn't a trainer, but an adorable Pichu!

It was carrying a tree fruit, carefully making its way through a forest maze filled with vines and strange rocks.

The narrator is a steady yet alluring voice, as if telling an ancient legend:

"In a world where there are no humans, only Pokémon."

The scene shifts to a maniac pushing aside a boulder blocking its path, a group of ground squirrels digging tunnels in an underground burrow, and several eagles darting through a sky maze filled with wind blades.

"When crisis strikes, when partners perish."

The scene shifts to a wood gecko trapped in a turbulent river maze, about to be swept away by a whirlpool, its eyes filled with helplessness.

In the distance, a Lucario and a Yeezy are anxiously navigating the burning maze of flames, striving forward.

"The wheels of fate have begun to turn."

The video speeds up, showing more incredible scenes: Pokémon form teams and use various moves to deal with traps and wild Pokémon in the maze; they share food and information in a safe camp; and after completing various "rescue missions," they receive gratitude and valuable items.

"You will no longer be a trainer."

Finally, the image freezes on Absol, standing high above, gazing at the boundless, ever-changing labyrinthine world, its eyes sharp and resolute.

"You are Pokémon itself."

Explore ever-changing labyrinths, rescue companions in distress, and uncover the secrets of the world.

"Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, the adventure is about to begin."

The video ends and the screen goes dark.

The private room in the coffee shop was deathly silent once again.

Li Xuan and the others froze on the spot, mouths agape, eyes wide open, their faces filled with disbelief and shock.

They envisioned many possibilities: perhaps an open-world adventure like Emerald, perhaps something like Darkest Nightmare, or even some kind of competitive game.
But to their utter surprise, Wind Studio presented a concept that completely overturned the traditional understanding of "Pokémon"!

A world without humans, only Pokémon?

Players take on the role of the Pokémon itself?
Explore and rescue others in randomly generated, perilous mazes.

This is mind-blowing!
A good ten seconds passed before someone suddenly took a deep breath, breaking the silence.

"My God, this...this game..." The artist's voice trembled, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter. "This concept is amazing! It's a completely new track!"

"A world only with Pokémon. Playing as a Pokémon." Li Xuan muttered to himself. As a programmer, his mind was already racing, considering the technical implementation and gameplay depth of this setting. "Random dungeon generation algorithm. System design for Pokémon move-based environmental interaction and rescue missions. This... this is a huge challenge, but it's really quite interesting, isn't it?"

"Forty-eight hours quick! We don't have time to sit around!" another planner slapped his thigh and shouted excitedly, "Hurry up! Divide the work! Analyze every detail in the video! This is definitely the most awesome and most difficult interview question I've ever encountered in my entire career! I have to answer it well!"

The previous confusion and despondency were completely thrown to the winds, and a fiery passion and a strong desire to challenge ignited in everyone's heart.

They knew that the door to that mysterious "Wind Studio" had already been cracked open.

And the key is in the hands of each and every one of them!
Meanwhile, in the Kanto region, inside Champion Wataru's office.

The game screen was frozen, but Watari's expression was complicated, even a little dazed, showing no signs of the relief one would feel after completing the story.

The scene I just witnessed in the game was too shocking: the earth-shattering battle between Groudon and Kyogre, and Rayquaza's sudden appearance to quell the conflict.
To be honest, these are all still within the scope of "legendary Pokémon" that he can understand and imagine. Although they are powerful, they are not incomprehensible.

But then, a dark monster exuding an ominous aura emerged from the suddenly opened Ultra Sluice Gate, along with an enormous, technologically advanced space fleet capable of forcibly capturing legendary Pokémon.
Even that eerie fortress in space
These things were completely beyond his cognitive abilities.

Now he finally understood why Cynthia hadn't told him what the rest of the story was about.
He took a deep breath, picked up the communicator, and connected to Cynthia's call.

Cynthia's calm and beautiful face quickly appeared on the screen, with the background seemingly her study.

"Zhu Lan, I've experienced it too."

Watari got straight to the point:

"First of all, thank you for not spoiling the plot for me... I had a great experience, but now, I feel like the problems are getting bigger and bigger."

"Groudon, Kyogre, Rayquaza are powerful, but they are all things that have been passed down in our world. I just checked the information, and it seems that similar beings have been mentioned in ancient books."

"But what about that black Pokémon that appeared later, and that group of people, and that fortress? What do you think?"

(End of this chapter)