In the first generation of Pokémon, where the Dark-type was merely a whisper of the future, Fu Xuan's terrifying calculation ability combined with the raw power of Psychic-types created an aura of near-invincibility.
"Fu Xuan is the real monster here," Silver Wolf noted, her eyes fixed on the replay screens. "There's virtually no hard counter for her. Julian, why don't you try simulating a mirror match between me and her? Same lineup, same stats."
The simulation was a trivial task for Silver Wolf's internal processors. After a few seconds of mental computation, her expression darkened.
"I can't do it," she admitted. "I can't hit that millisecond-level window for every single command. That doesn't just require math; it requires the ability to predict the flow of time itself. One missed frame and the whole strategy collapses."
As they spoke, they approached the quietest corner of the stadium, where the Fruit Shop Part-timer was trying to blend into the shadows. Stephen Lloyd was currently vibrating with social anxiety. When he spotted Julian and Silver Wolf walking toward him, he broke into a cold sweat. The match was over, and his first instinct was to terminate the projection and vanish.
"Don't rush off!" Julian called out.
Stephen tried to hit the 'Log Out' button, but a massive holographic question mark appeared above his head when the command failed to execute. Realizing he was trapped, he hurriedly conjured a digital stone pillar and dove behind it.
"I've locked his projection signal," Silver Wolf whispered to Julian. "But he can still pull the physical plug on his end. If you have something to say, say it fast. I can only hold the gate for a few minutes."
Julian didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Stephen, I'm building the next era of Pokémon, and I want you to be a part of it. Are you interested in collaborating?"
Julian had rehearsed this pitch in his head, but faced with a man hiding behind a virtual rock, he knew he had to be direct. He gambled on Stephen's obsession with the game itself.
The figure behind the pillar stopped digging at the ground. Slowly, the comical anime head popped out from behind the stone. Julian saw his opening and pressed on.
"You saw the exhibition match. You know the difference between an algorithm and a soul. The second-generation game is already developed, but to build a true Pokémon world, I need technology that hasn't even hit the market yet. I need your technical brilliance."
Julian paused, meeting the cartoon character's eyes. "I know you're a creator at heart. If you help me, name your conditions. I will do everything in my power to satisfy them."
A heavy silence fell. Stephen pulled his head back behind the pillar. Julian feared the worst, but then, a literal dialogue box appeared over the stone.
[Do you have a detailed final plan? I'd like to see your ideas before giving you an answer.]
Julian let out a breath of relief. He grabbed his Jade Message and prepared to transfer the initial design drafts—schematics he had painstakingly revised to align with real-world physics and Path-energy dynamics.
"What's your contact—" Julian started, but his device already pinged: File Sent Successfully. "Right. Hacking skills," Julian muttered.
Silver Wolf, realizing her presence was only adding to Stephen's stress, gave a quick wave. "I'm going to study tomorrow's bracket. Good luck with the recruit, Architect." Her projection vanished.
The Burden of Adulthood
As the stadium emptied, the Astral Express crew met near the exit. Welt looked unusually solemn, prompting March 7th to chime in with her usual brand of comfort.
"Uncle Yang, it's okay! It's just a game. Don't be so sad about losing!"
Welt looked at her with a hint of exasperation. "I'm not 'sad' about losing, March. I'm not that fragile."
"Then why do you look like you're contemplating the end of the universe?"
"I've been simulating the match in my head," Welt explained, pushing up his glasses. "I initially thought Fu Xuan was powerful simply because the Psychic-type is imbalanced in this version. But I was wrong. The strength doesn't come from the Pokémon or the Diviner as separate entities; it's the chemical reaction between them. The merging of intent and ability."
"So... you weren't thinking about the loss?" March 7th asked, still skeptical.
"What I am saying and what you are hearing are two different things," Welt sighed.
Himeko laughed softly, watching the two. "Alright, we came to the Luofu to relax. Now that the match is over, let's enjoy the night market."
The Agreement
Julian sat on a bench, staring at the chat box in front of him. It had been flashing with "uh-huh" and "oh" messages for twenty minutes. He couldn't guess Stephen's thoughts and could only wait.
Suddenly, the stone pillar vanished. The anime character stopped using dialogue boxes and actually spoke—though the voice was quiet and filtered.
"Okay! I can help you."
Julian stood up, a massive grin spreading across his face. "Thank you. What are your conditions?"
"It's simple," Stephen replied. "I will provide the technology and the architectural support. The resources, the physical hardware, and the logistics are your problem. In addition... I want permission to design specific gameplay elements myself. Minigames, side-content, things like that."
"Yes, absolutely," Julian agreed without a second thought.
Members of the Genius Society were remarkably easy to work with when you spoke their language. First Silver Wolf, now Stephen. Julian realized that for these legends, the challenge of creation was its own reward.
The third creator had joined the team. The Pokémon world was about to get much larger.
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