"In short, with current technology, it's impossible to develop any true virtual reality games. This so called 'Pokémon World' game is completely false advertising. It's probably just another shitty pay to win MMO."
Send!
After clicking send, Ethan stretched lazily and took a few gulps of soda.
He was a gaming content creator on BlueStar's C Platform. While far from being a top creator, he still had over 100,000 followers, earning enough to live comfortably.
With no major game releases recently and his stockpile of content running dry, plus constant fan demands for updates, Ethan had no choice but to scrape together material for a new video.
So he logged into Steam, the largest gaming platform, to check for new releases. He wasn't expecting anything good—the past two months were always a dry spell for games. Even on Steam, new titles were mostly garbage.
But garbage had its uses. If he could find something uniquely terrible, play it for a bit, then tear it apart, that would be enough for a video.
Not bad, Ethan. Even this shameless approach works.
He mentally patted himself on the back.
That said, most games nowadays were either copying or borrowing from each other. They were bad in the same boring ways, making them hard to even mock.
Then he stumbled upon Pokémon World. At first glance, he assumed it was another generic card battler, but the page was suspiciously bare.
No trailer, no gameplay footage, not even screenshots—just a download link and a short description:
["Developed exclusively by Arceus Studios using cutting edge virtual reality technology, this game delivers a fully immersive experience indistinguishable from reality, allowing players to live a second life. (Currently in beta testing. Limited slots available. First come, first served.)"]
Ethan burst out laughing. He'd seen game companies overpromise before, but this was the first time he'd seen one outright lie.
The comments section only had three posts: two question marks and one person asking if Steam's moderation had glitched.
Ethan doubted it was a glitch. Steam's standards were notoriously loose. As long as something resembled a game, it could be listed. They didn't care about false advertising—players could always refund within two hours.
Still, the description was absurd. But the more absurd, the better. He needed material.
With that in mind, he started recording, then unleashed a rant in the comments to mock the game. It would make for decent content and pad the runtime.
Glug glug.
After another sip of soda, he clicked the download link.
[Current registrations: 3]
[Register for the game? Y/N]
"At least the registration count is honest. Whatever, just be uniquely terrible so I have something to work with."
He clicked "Yes."
Knock knock.
"Come in." Leon closed the status screen and looked up.
"Ah, Walter. How's the Scyther's condition?"
"Much better after using the potion you provided. But it's still depressed and refusing to eat. I'm worried it won't hold up." Walter said anxiously.
"Understood. Let it rest for now. I'll check on it this afternoon."
"You're going to see it? But young master, haven't you always..." Walter hesitated.
"Been afraid of Pokémon? That was true before. But after everything that's happened, I've realized we need their strength to protect this territory. Besides, didn't one just save my life?"
"Speaking of which, where's the little one that rescued me?" Leon asked.
"You mean the Bounsweet? It's currently..."
Meeep!
Before Walter could finish, a small purple red figure came bouncing through the door. It glanced around frantically before spotting Leon and lighting up.
It hopped onto the table, spun its leafy crown, and flew behind Leon to hide.
Then it peeked out with one eye to watch the doorway.
Meeep~ |ω`)
"Well... it's right here." Walter said awkwardly. "I specifically asked Beedrill to watch it."
Buzzzz!
As if summoned, Beedrill appeared at the door, visibly annoyed.
The Bounsweet immediately ducked back down, covering its eyes with its leaves.
Meeep~ (Can't see me, can't see me~)
But Beedrill had already caught its sweet scent. If not for Leon shielding it, the bug would've snatched it up immediately.
"I was just about to go see this little one. Didn't expect it to come to me." Leon glanced back at the Bounsweet.
"My apologies. I didn't realize it had slipped out. I hope it didn't startle you." Walter shot Beedrill a glare.
"It's fine. Like I said, we'll need to rely on Pokémon from now on. Might as well start with this Bounsweet."
"Your courage and leadership do you credit. The territory will surely recover under your guidance."
"That'll take all of us. Speaking of which, I need you to survey the damage to the houses. It's still cold out—I won't have my people freezing in the streets."
"Understood. I'll begin at once." Walter left with Beedrill in tow.
"Alright, Beedrill's gone. How long are you planning to hide?" Leon lifted the Bounsweet onto the table.
It cautiously opened one eye. Confirming the coast was clear, it cheered and bounced excitedly.
Meeep! Mee~ (That'll teach it to mess with me!)
Leon studied the creature closely. This was his first time seeing a Pokémon up close.
Its purple red body had two bright yellow eyes. The lower half was white like exposed fruit flesh, with two tiny feet sticking out. Three leafy sepals formed a crown on its head. It was adorable.
Leon reached out and touched its leaves. The texture was plantlike, yet it moved with animalistic energy. That was the magic of Pokémon.
"I never thought I'd get to touch a real Pokémon." His hand trembled slightly, but he kept petting it.
Meeep~ (ˇˇ) The Bounsweet leaned into the touch, eyes half lidded in contentment.
"No idea why I ended up here, but getting to interact with Pokémon isn't so bad." Leon chuckled dryly.
He then focused on the back of his left hand, where a cross shaped wheel pattern glowed faintly. A status screen appeared before him.
[Main Quest: At least three players register for the game (Completed. Reward claimed)]
[Main Quest: At least one player logs into the game (Incomplete)
Reward: Pokémon Food ×100kg, Lottery Tickets ×3]
"Hopefully someone logs in tomorrow. Then again, the past two days already feel like a dream."
Leon sighed, his mind drifting back to recent events.
(End of Chapter)