"The animated feature needs to be ready. The moment the player base hits the Mewtwo threshold, we drop it."
"Understood, Boss. The team is on a 24-hour cycle. We're building the assets from scratch to ensure the 'Real' version's fidelity," Cai Xing reported.
The production of Mewtwo Strikes Back was more than just an animation project; it was the final piece of Julian's trap. While the IPC had spent the last few days flooding the nets with AI-generated propaganda—portraying the Xianzhou as bloodthirsty xenophobes—the strategy backfired. By cutting their own network off from the Alliance to "protect" their citizens, they had only made the underground distribution of Pokémon more lucrative.
Julian had already cashed the 500-million Credit check from the TV station. He didn't care about the broadcast rights anymore; the data-piracy was doing his marketing for him.
As the final hours of the closed beta ticked away, Julian decided to light a fire under the galaxy. He organized a "Special Preview Livestream," inviting Guinaifen to host.
"Hello, fans! It's your favorite trailblazer, Guinaifen!" the Foxian girl shouted into the holographic cameras, her excitement genuine. "A huge thanks to Arceus Studio for having me. Today, we have a very special guest—the man behind the monsters, the lead architect himself... Mr. Julian Reed!"
Julian stepped onto the stage. The chat erupted instantly.
"Wait, the dev is actually a husbando? Why is he hiding in an archive with that face?"
"Arceus Studio is cooking something big, I can feel it."
"Forget the face! When is the Open Beta?! I need my Bulbasaur!"
"Hello, everyone," Julian said, offering a calm, practiced smile. "I'm Julian Reed. I know you've all been waiting."
Guinaifen leaned in, reading from her cue cards but quickly going off-script. "Planner Julian, the fans are worried. Are we going to see 'nerfs' in the Open Beta? Is the game going to change?"
"We won't touch the core experience," Julian reassured the millions watching. "But for the Open Beta, we are adding the Legendary Triumvirate: Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno. They won't be easy to find. You'll need to explore the furthest reaches of the map and piece together clues from ancient NPC lore."
The screen behind them flashed—three majestic silhouettes of fire, lightning, and ice. Then, two more icons appeared, marked only by shimmering question marks.
"There are two others," Julian added, his voice dropping an octave. "One will be revealed only to those who conquer the Indigo Plateau. The other... well, that one is a secret for the true explorers."
The bullet comments became a blur of "666" and "Mew?" theories.
"And for the anime fans," Julian continued, "once fifty percent of the player base completes the main story, we will release a full-length animated movie featuring these two mysterious entities. We're also planning for the future. After Kanto and the Orange Islands, we'll be heading to the Johto and Hoenn regions."
"Hoenn?" Guinaifen gasped. "Is that the one with the oceans?"
"Exactly. New Pokémon, new environments, and entirely new professions beyond just Training," Julian teased.
The hype reached a fever pitch, but Julian had one final card to play.
"Finally, to celebrate the official launch, Arceus Studio will host the first Galactic Pokémon Master Challenge one month from today. It will be broadcast to every corner of the star rail. The winner won't just earn the title of the galaxy's first Champion—they will receive a grand prize of ten million Credits."
The livestream didn't just heat up; it exploded. Ten million Credits was enough to buy a small moon or a luxury starskiff. For the commoners, it was a dream; for the "Whales" like Asta, it was the ultimate stage for glory.
Julian watched the numbers climb, the golden aura of Elation humming in his veins. The game was no longer a hobby. It was the new law of the stars.