At Ren's home, he and his wife, Jada, were happily watching online discussions unfold in forums and social media communities about the upcoming game. Their baby, seeing his parents laugh, giggled along even though he had no idea what was so funny, prompting Jada to gently pinch his little nose.
"You're so sneaky! You didn't share any actual screenshots of the game, just some concept art of the Pokémon and in-game skins," Jada said with a smile, giving Ren a playful glance.
Ever since Ren posted a teaser on social media, he had followed up with a few more details but hadn't revealed anything substantial about the game itself. This had led many fans to band together and "complain" to Ren, demanding more information.
With a mock helpless expression, Ren waved it off. "I'm not doing this to get back at everyone for all the flak I took over Your Lie in April. This is just to build up some hype."
Of course, Ren wasn't entirely truthful—he did still hold a bit of a grudge. All he had done was make a tiny suggestion back then, yet somehow, he became the target of everyone's criticism. So, Ren decided to have a little fun this time around.
"But, it's about time to give them something real," Ren said, pulling out his phone.
Teasing the fans was fun, but you couldn't do it forever. There's a balance to be struck!
With that, Ren posted the new update.
Meanwhile, for fans of Picca Games, the company's social media accounts and forums had become hotspots for speculation and discussion.
On Ren's account, countless fans bombarded him with questions, eager for any tidbit of information about the new game.
"I'm dying without a new game!"
"My wallet's getting too heavy; it needs to go on a diet!"
"Give me a game, and I'll give you my money!"
Among the eager fans were also some hardcore gamers who tried to deduce what kind of game Picca Games was developing based on the current gaming landscape. Of course, all their guesses were way off the mark.
Then, out of the blue, those refreshing their feeds saw that Ren had just posted a new update.
"The real Pokémon world is coming soon, where you can explore and live alongside Pokémon! Legend of Pokémon: Breath of the Wild—an open-world game. Stay tuned."
There was no more teasing—Ren went straight to the point, even including a preview clip.
Fans went wild as soon as they saw Ren's post.
There was a video attached too, which made everything clear: the game was about to launch.
Was the game really launching so soon, with no beta test?
While many of Picca's games had skipped beta testing before, players still found it a bit unusual.
But then again...
It was finally happening!
Fans were thrilled at the prospect of diving into the new game, just in time for their next paycheck. They could hardly wait to spend some money on it.
With eager anticipation, players clicked on Ren's post.
The first thing they saw was a vast wilderness. Familiar figures flashed across the screen, bathed in the soft light of dusk, giving the scene a slightly hazy feel.
"I'm going to make a declaration to all the Pokémon in the world!"
"The greatest Pokémon Trainer—that person..."
"...is me!"
A boy wearing a red and white cap turned the brim to the back of his head. He was dressed in a blue jacket over a dark green T-shirt.
Beside him, a yellow electric mouse scratched its head with its hind leg, casting a skeptical glance at the boy as he spoke.
As the boy finished speaking, he threw a Poké Ball at a Spearow.
With a squawk, the Spearow took flight, joined by a whole flock that darkened the screen as they swooped toward the camera, plunging the scene into darkness.
Then...
The Picca Games logo appeared, and as the screen faded back in, the boy's voice could be heard again, and the visuals slowly returned.
The boy was now surrounded by the Spearow. His Pikachu lay injured on the ground, but the boy stood in front of it, his eyes resolute.
"I'm going to be the world's greatest Pokémon Master!"
"I won't let you keep attacking my friend!"
"If you want to get to Pikachu, you'll have to go through me first!"
Upon hearing this, the Spearow grew even more furious. Pikachu, who had been lying on the ground, slowly sat up as it watched the boy's determined back.
Just as the Spearow dove to attack, sparks of electricity began to flicker on Pikachu's cheeks, resonating with the lightning crackling in the stormy sky above.
With a flash of gold, the scene shifted from the cinematic to actual gameplay footage.
When the gameplay sequence ended, the sunset revealed a lone figure riding a Rapidash, fading into the distance across the wilderness.
"Pokémon, creatures you can't help but love..."
"Trust your Pokémon in times of danger, and who knows? Something good might happen."
Legend of Pokémon: Breath of the Wild—Coming Soon!
The trailer ended with a line of text, followed by a countdown and a link to Picca Games' official website.
Soon, the trailer sparked intense discussion among the player community.
"Holy crap! This looks amazing! The graphics are mind-blowing!"
"Yeah, but what if it's all just in the CGI? Lots of games look good in trailers but disappoint in gameplay."
"Did you miss the actual gameplay footage? It was incredible!"
"An open-world game! To be honest, as soon as I learned about the Pokémon universe, I thought it would be perfect for an open-world game! I love this style—it's so much fun! But I wonder, will it be fully open-world or semi-open?"
"Same here! I love open-world games. I just enjoy running around, exploring, and doing whatever I feel like."
Unsurprisingly, as soon as Legend of Pokémon: Breath of the Wild pre-orders opened, it shot to the top of the trending lists on various gaming platforms.
Not just in their home country—internationally, the Pokémon IP was just as hot, just like it had been in the previous world.
Whether they were players or people in the gaming industry, everyone could see Picca Games' grand ambitions for Legend of Pokémon: Breath of the Wild.
There was a massive offline and online promotional campaign, with ads even appearing in major cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and internationally. Some of these were official promotions, while others were player-led initiatives.
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