Pokémon: Did you play Pokémon today?

Chapter 401 "So, may I ask what your name is?"

"So, may I ask what your name is?"

Looking at Professor Birch, Daigo, out of caution, did not answer.

After waiting for a moment.

Professor Oda nods thoughtfully, a look of sudden realization on his face.

"So you're Xiao You, who just moved to Weibai Town! I see!"

As he finished speaking, his figure gradually faded and finally disappeared completely into the white light.

At the same time, Daigo felt his vague "soul" begin to solidify.

The sense of touch in my hands and feet returned, the weight of my body returned, and I could even feel a rough texture under my feet.

next moment.

Daigo suddenly realized that he had changed from "lying down" to "sitting down", and the surrounding environment had changed from a pure white space to a narrow but familiar place.

The interior of the truck's cargo compartment.

Underneath my bottom were neatly stacked cardboard boxes, each bearing the Rocket Express logo.

A faint smell of cardboard boxes and shock-absorbing foam wafted upwards and entered my nostrils.

The car was bumping slightly, and he could clearly feel the vibrations from each rise and fall, and even hear the sound of the wheels rolling over gravel.

This was exactly the same experience he had when he took a truck from the airport to the villa!

The only difference is that Bai Zhou and Xiao Zhi are not by my side.

"What happened?"

Daigo instantly became alert and abruptly stood up.

He stretched his body and then pinched his arm hard.

pain.

He reached out and touched the cardboard box next to him.

The rough texture of the corrugated cardboard is incredibly realistic.

It's not a dream.

All his senses were telling him that this was a "real" world.

But how is that possible?

Just a second ago he was in that white space, how come in the blink of an eye he's sitting in a bumpy truck?!

A tremendous sense of incongruity and disbelief welled up inside him, shaking the worldview he had built up over the past two decades.

He instinctively tried to summon his Pokémon, only to find that his waist was empty.

There were no Poké Balls, no Poké Belts, nothing at all.

Just then, with the truck's last jolt, it came to a stop.

Daigo took a deep breath, calmed himself, and tried to open the cargo compartment door.

The moment the door was pushed open, the afternoon sunlight poured in, causing him to squint.

He jumped down, his feet landing firmly on the soft grass.

When he steadied himself, raised his head, and looked around at the surrounding scenery.

I was completely and deeply shocked.

A gentle breeze brushed my cheek, bringing the scent of grass and earth.

In the distance, several houses are scattered among the green fields.

A winding path stretches into the distance, and several Pokémon can be vaguely seen playing in the roadside grass.

The sky was azure, and the white clouds drifted by.

Everything was unbelievably real.

Daigo opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But his brain had completely shut down.

This is not a dream.

This is not an illusion.

this is true?

He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

Everything before my eyes remained unchanged.

"Bai Zhou————"

Daigo remained silent for a long time before finally finding his voice.

"The surprise you were talking about—is this it?"

Snap.

A crisp snap of fingers rang in his ears.

Immediately afterwards, Bai Zhou's smiling voice appeared in his mind out of nowhere.

It didn't come through his ears, but rang directly in his mind, as clear as a face-to-face conversation.

"How about that? Surprised? Unexpected?"

"Bai Zhou? Where are you?"

Daigo subconsciously looked around, but only saw grass and houses; he couldn't see Shiraishu at all.

"—What exactly is going on?"

"Me? I'm sitting right next to you, watching you stand there blankly next to the truck, looking completely lost."

Bai Zhou's voice carried a distinct hint of mischief.

"You are currently in the game world of Pokémon Delta Emerald."

Simply put, you've entered the game.

"Everything you see, hear, smell, and touch is virtual."

Virtual?

Daigo stood there, stunned, processing those words, a stronger sense of absurdity washing over him.

Such a real breeze, such a clear scent of grass, and the solid feel of the earth beneath my feet —

How could this be virtual?!

"The feeling is so real—"

Daigo tried to calm himself down.

"I can feel the scent of the wind, the sunshine, and the grass—"

"That's what makes this technology so amazing."

Bai Zhou explained calmly.

"It's not just a simulation of sight and hearing, but it directly affects all five of your senses: touch, smell, and taste."

"The world you are experiencing right now is no different from the world you actually experience in reality, from a sensory perspective."

Daigo remained silent for a few seconds, processing the information.

"So now—am I moving with my own body?"

"No."

Bai Zhou paused, as if considering his words.

"You are now the male protagonist in the game; you can think of it as your consciousness being projected" onto this character."

"Your every move will be interpreted by the system as the actions of your game character."

After being reminded by Shirashu, Daigo immediately looked down and examined himself.

He lowered his head and looked at his hands.

His skin was fairer than mine, and his fingers were more slender; he clearly had the body of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy.

He adjusted his clothes; it was a simple T-shirt and trousers, definitely not the outfit he had worn before.

"This feeling... is really strange."

He stretched his body, tried jumping a couple of times, and then rotated his wrists.

"It feels so real, yet I know it's not real."

"Your current appearance and body are the default image of the male protagonist, Xiaoyou, at the start of the game."

Bai Zhou provides timely supplements.

"Once you get back to your closet at home, you can customize your appearance—hairstyle, hair color, eye color, clothing—all can be adjusted."

"Of course, if you're happy with things as they are, you don't have to change them."

Daigo paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

"No wonder he looks so young."

Although his worldview was still in turmoil, his adaptability as the Hoenn Champion allowed him to quickly accept this setting.

After all, he has experienced too many incredible things in his career, and this is just another one.

"—With all five senses included, wouldn't that present some issues for a game?"

Daigo suddenly thought of a question and frowned slightly.

"For example, the sensation of pain. If you get injured in a game and it feels too realistic, will it affect your real body?"

"That's a good question."

Bai Zhou's tone became serious, no longer the teasing one he had before.

"Don't worry, the virtual cabin has a robust protection mechanism, and all sensory inputs are subject to strict threshold limits."

"In any situation that might cause excessive mental stimulation, the system will immediately disconnect and eject you."

"You will feel touch, pressure, and temperature changes, but the pain is kept at a very low level."

"It's roughly equivalent to 'a little uncomfortable,' definitely not something that will cause you real pain."

"Being hit by a Pokémon move feels about the same as being tapped on the shoulder."

He paused, then added, "And your real body is currently in a semi-sleep state. You can think of it as your consciousness dreaming, but your body is resting."

"In fact, playing this game in the virtual pod not only does not consume physical strength, but can also relieve physical fatigue."

The more Shirashu spoke, the brighter Daigo's eyes became.

This champion, who was always elegant and composed, suddenly found his breathing becoming slightly rapid because of Bai Zhou's description.

He unconsciously paced back and forth a few steps, carefully observing every blade of grass and every ray of sunlight around him.

As the champion of the Hoenn region, he thinks about much more and much further than the game itself.

Fully immersive virtual reality technology —

"Hakushu!"

His voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, and even trembled slightly.

"Is it possible to apply this technology to other fields? Are there many limitations? Can it be widely adopted?"

"If those who are injured in accidents and unable to live normal lives were to enter this world, would they regain their ability to move?"

"Are those born blind able to see in this world?"

His speech became faster and faster, and his eyes became brighter and brighter.

This is more than just a game; the social significance and humanistic care it embodies made his heart race.

"Those elderly people with limited mobility, those patients who need to stay in bed for extended periods —"

"Will they also be able to 'gain' their senses in this world, experience normal life, and even embark on a carefree adventure?"

Bai Zhou listened quietly and remained silent for a moment.

"Theoretically speaking—it is possible."

Daigo is right, of course he knows these things.

The value of virtual reality technology goes far beyond entertainment.

"I've thought about all of what you've said."

Bai Zhou's voice was filled with emotion.

"If virtual reality technology can be popularized, it can indeed play a role in countless fields."

"Healthcare, education, remote collaboration—its potential is virtually limitless."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat helpless.

"But the problem is that I obtained this virtual capsule through special channels. There is only one in the world at present, and it is extremely difficult to obtain."

Daigo stopped in his tracks.

Therefore, mass production in a short period of time is basically impossible.

Bai Zhou didn't make a definitive statement, leaving some room for maneuver.

If conditions permit in the future, he plans to exchange one of them for a professional research team to study.

See if we can try to analyze or reverse engineer the techniques involved.

"If the opportunity arises in the future, I will try to increase the number of virtual cabins."

He paused, then continued explaining to Daigo.

"But to achieve widespread adoption—"

Shirashu didn't finish his sentence, but Daigo understood the unspoken meaning.

Daigo remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

It is truly regrettable that such a groundbreaking technology is limited by its "difficulty in accessing" it.

But he didn't ask for more details. Since Bai Zhou said that, he must have his reasons and difficulties.

"But..."

'

Bai Zhou's voice suddenly became lighter and more cheerful.

"No matter what, you're the first person in the world to experience full virtual reality. Isn't that an honor enough for you to be arrogant about?"

Daigo paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"So I was the first human experiment?"

'

"What, regretting it? It's not too late to back out now."

No, not at all.

Daigo shook his head and took a deep breath.

He temporarily set aside his grand visions about the widespread adoption of technology and focused all his attention back on the incredibly real world he was in now.

"I just feel—very honored."

"So, don't overthink it, just enjoy your first time. Give this game a serious experience; your feedback is very important to me."

Bai Zhou's voice was tinged with laughter.

"Since this is your first time playing a virtual reality game, I'll give you a simple guide."

The voice just fell.

A semi-transparent system interface appeared out of thin air in front of Daigo.

Main Menu

Join the "Pokémon Team"

Go to "Trainer Information"

"Backpack Items"

See the "Pokémon Pokédex".

Go to "Options Settings"

"————"

"Sign out"

The functional modules are arranged neatly and clearly.

This finally allowed him to rediscover a familiar "game" feeling, instead of the complete bewilderment of being lost in another world.

"Use your mind to operate; just think about whichever one you want to see."

Bai Zhou continued to guide.

Daigo tried to silently recite "Pokémon team" in his mind.

The interface redirects.

Six empty squares, arranged neatly.

"No Pokémon are currently in the same group."

"It's empty—"

"Nonsense, you haven't even claimed your starter Pokémon yet."

Bai Zhou said irritably, "Exit and check your backpack."

Daigo did as instructed and exited, then opened the backpack interface.

Backpack Items

Add "Important Items"

Go to "Props"

"Poké Ball"

Use the "Move Learning Machine"

On the "tree fruit"

"————"

"It's all empty."

"6

As Daigo spoke, he began to try moving his body.

I tried jumping, running, and doing a few simple movements.

He soon discovered some interesting details.

"My reaction speed—"

He was somewhat puzzled and asked tentatively, "It seems a bit slower than in reality?"

"That's normal. You're using the physical attributes of your game character right now, not your own real physical abilities."

Bai Zhou explained, "However, as the game progresses, your various abilities will gradually improve."

"And this—"

"6

Daigo noticed a thin white progress bar in the corner of his field of vision.

His body dipped slightly during the intense activity, but is now visibly rising again.

"Stamina bar?"

"That's right."

Bai Zhou nodded. Although Daigo couldn't see him, he could hear the certainty in his tone.

"When your stamina bar drops below 20%, your movements will slow down, and you'll need to rest or eat to recover. This is a gameplay mechanic."

Daigo nodded, having discovered another feature.

When he focused on opening the settings menu, the whole world seemed to be put on pause.

The wind stopped, and the grass in the distance ceased to sway.

Everything froze at that moment.