"To sum it up, with the current level of technology, there's no way anyone can develop a virtual reality game. This game called 'Pokémon World' is just false advertising. It's probably just another pay-to-win online game."
After hitting "send," Vrix stretched lazily and took a few big sips of his favorite soda.
He was a gaming content creator on Earth's C-platform. Although not a top-tier creator, he had over 100,000 followers, which was enough to make a comfortable living.
Since no major games had been released recently, and he'd run out of pre-prepared content, Vrix was under pressure from fans to release new material. He had no choice but to figure out a way to "stretch" a new video. Well, more accurately, create one.
He logged into the Steam platform, hoping to find some newly released games. He wasn't expecting much. The past two months had been slow for the gaming industry. Even though Steam was the largest platform in the country, the new releases lately had been pretty lackluster.
Still, even bad games had their use. If he could find one that was truly terrible, he could play it for a while, roast it thoroughly, and that would give him enough content for a video.
"Leave it to me to come up with a shameless idea like this," Vrix chuckled to himself.
But really, the games these days were all so repetitive and uninspired, it was hard to even muster the energy to complain.
That was, until he found a game called Pokémon World. He initially thought it was just another reskinned card game, but upon opening it, the page was strikingly simple.
No promotional CG, no in-game footage, not even a single screenshot. Just a link for pre-order and a brief description of the game.
"This game was developed exclusively by Arceus Studio. Using the latest virtual reality technology, it allows players to experience a level of realism equal to the real world, providing a fully immersive experience and offering players a second life. (The game is currently in beta; pre-orders are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.)"
This description made Vrix burst out laughing. He had seen plenty of overhyped game promotions, but this was the first time he encountered something so blatantly made up.
He glanced at the comments section. There were only three, two of which were just question marks, while the third questioned if there was a bug in Steam's review process.
Vrix didn't think it was a bug. Steam's review process was notoriously lenient. As long as it looked like a game, it could get published. Steam didn't care how developers marketed their games, and if players felt misled, they could always request a refund within two hours of playtime.
Still, the game's description was absurdly over the top, but that only made it more appealing to him. He was desperate for new content.
With that in mind, Vrix started recording his screen. Then, he quickly typed out a scathing comment in the game's discussion section, laying into it for some added entertainment and to stretch the video's runtime.
"Hiccup."
After another gulp of soda, Vrix clicked the pre-order link.
[Current number of pre-orders: 3]
[Do you want to pre-order this game? Yes/No]
"The game's description is totally made up, but at least the number of pre-orders seems real. Fine, let's just hope this game is bad in a unique way, something bad enough that I'll actually want to roast it."
He moved his mouse and clicked "Yes."
---
"Knock knock!" There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Ryan closed the panel in front of him and looked up.
"Ah, Uncle White. How's Scyther's injury?"
"After using that secret medicine you gave me, its injuries have improved a lot. But it's still very downcast and refuses to eat. I'm worried it might not hold up," White said with concern.
"Hmm, got it. Let it rest for a while, and I'll check on it this afternoon."
"You're going to check on it? But, young master, aren't you…?" White hesitated.
"You want to say that I've always been afraid of these beasts, right? That used to be true, but after everything that's happened lately, I've realized that the only way to protect the territory is by harnessing the power of these creatures. Besides, I was just saved by one of them."
"By the way, where's that little one who saved me?" Ryan asked.
"You mean Bounsweet? It's—"
"Bounceee!"
Before White could answer, a small purple-red figure came bouncing in from the door. It looked around nervously, and when it spotted Ryan, its eyes lit up.
It hopped a few times, reached the table, and quickly spun its calyx, hiding behind Ryan.
It peeked out cautiously, half of its head sticking out, eyeing the doorway.
"Bounce~" (w_w)
"Uh, it's right here," White said awkwardly. "I told Beedrill to keep an eye on it."
"Beeedrill!" Just as White mentioned Beedrill, it appeared angrily at the doorway.
Bounsweet immediately ducked back, covering its eyes with its calyx.
"Bounceee~ (If I can't see it, it can't see me~)"
But Beedrill had already caught a whiff of its scent and would've grabbed it if it weren't hiding behind Ryan.
"I was just about to meet this little one. I didn't expect it to come running to me," Ryan smiled, looking at Bounsweet.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think it would escape. I didn't mean to alarm you," White scolded Beedrill with a glare.
"It's fine. Like I said earlier, I'll need to rely on the power of these creatures from now on. Let's start with Bounsweet."
"Your courage and leadership are inspiring, young master. The territory will surely be rebuilt under your guidance."
"We'll need everyone's effort for that. Speaking of which, please go survey the damage to the houses in the territory. The weather hasn't warmed up yet, and I don't want my people freezing in the streets."
"As you command, I'll get on it right away," White said, leaving with Beedrill.
"Okay, Beedrill's gone. How much longer do you plan on hiding?" Ryan pulled Bounsweet onto the table in front of him.
Bounsweet peeked open one eye, saw that Beedrill was really gone, and immediately bounced up happily.
"Bouncee~ (Good thing it ran away!)"
Ryan smiled as he observed the Bounsweet, a creature he had never seen so close before.
Its purple-red body was dotted with two yellow eyes, and the bottom part of its body was white, resembling exposed fruit flesh. Two tiny legs stuck out, and its head was topped with three leaves that formed a calyx. It was incredibly cute.
Ryan reached out and gently touched the calyx. His fingers felt a texture similar to that of a plant, but it moved with the liveliness of an animal. This was the magic of Pokémon.
"I can't believe I'm touching a real Pokémon," Ryan's hands trembled slightly, but he continued to pet Bounsweet, his touch growing more confident.
"Bouncceee~" Bounsweet squinted its eyes in pleasure.
"Even though I don't know why I ended up here, being able to interact with Pokémon doesn't feel too bad," Ryan chuckled to himself.
Then he focused on the back of his left hand, where a cross-like pattern appeared. A panel floated before his eyes.
[Main Quest: Have at least three players pre-order the game (Completed, reward issued)]
[Main Quest: Have at least one player log into the game (Incomplete) Reward: 100 kg of Pokémon food, 3 lottery chances]
"Hopefully, someone will log into the game tomorrow. Honestly, these past two days have felt like a dream."
Ryan muttered to himself, his mind drifting back to everything that had happened recently.