The studio had officially been established.
With Professor Oak's full support—along with the involvement of a professional development team and comprehensive logistical backing—the burden on Rei Akagi's shoulders instantly lightened by more than half.
Red and the others were just testing for fun. Real testing still had to be handled by professionals.
Rei Akagi handed the initial test cartridge of Pokémon: FireRed/LeafGreen and the detailed development proposal to an experienced testing and production team.
As for the polishing and fine-tuning, every requirement had already been clearly written in the proposal.
As long as he kept the overall direction on track, the rest could be left to the professionals.
Promotion and pre-release marketing also began rolling out today. The game had officially entered its pre-launch preparation phase, waiting only for the right moment.
Just after fixing a crash bug in the single-player demo, Rei Akagi looked up—
—and saw Gastly floating in front of the TV, biting onto the Pokédex while screeching excitedly at the screen. It flitted up and down in the air, clearly fired up.
"Gaaaas! Gaaaas!"
Rei Akagi rubbed his temples with a headache.
Ever since watching Professor Oak try the game yesterday, the little rascal had become completely obsessed. Any time it had a moment of free time, it would squat in front of the television and play nonstop.
To make its battles run smoothly, Rei Akagi had even written a command translation program specifically for it.
Still, he couldn't indulge it too much. If it turned into a gaming addict, that would be bad. After all, it was practically his own child—its healthy development still mattered.
Rei Akagi opened his phone and logged into the game's group chat.
The chat was lively as usual.
The Battler:
"Ash made the Top 4 in the Silver Conference. He returned to Pallet Town today. @The Breeder"
The Breeder:
"Tsk. I already prepared a special training plan. Honestly, after all of us coached him together, he only got Top 4?"
The Evolver:
"The Shame of Pallet Town."
The Battler:
"+1"
The Breeder:
"+1"
The Healer:
"Maybe that's a bit harsh… Ash has only been traveling for a year, and he's been on his own. Reaching the Top 4 already means he worked really hard…"
Rei Akagi silently watched the chat, the corner of his mouth twitching.
That dumb kid…
He thought of the hot-blooded boy who always followed him around, grinning as he talked about his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master.
Honestly, they couldn't expect too much.
Putting aside Ash's inhuman stamina, reaching the Top 4 of a Pokémon League Conference after just one year of travel was already an extraordinary achievement.
After all, not everyone could be as ridiculously overpowered as the cheaters in this group chat.
The Battler:
"Do you think Rei Akagi still hasn't fixed the bug? It's been two or three days!"
The Breeder:
"No idea. But Rei Akagi borrowed the old man's professional team, so the project is probably on track now."
The Battler:
"So what does that have to do with anything?"
The Evolver:
"Idiot. It means they don't need amateur testers like us anymore!"
The Battler:
"!"
The Battler:
"But that game is really fun—"
The Battler:
"@DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish"
The Evolver:
"He won't reply to you."
The Healer:
"@DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish, Rei Akagi, are you there?"
Since Yellow had tagged him, Rei Akagi felt it would be rude to keep lurking.
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"Good morning, Yellow."
The Evolver:
"?"
The Evolver:
"Who are you? Why do you have his account?"
Rei Akagi raised an eyebrow, ignoring Blue's sarcastic jab.
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"@The Breeder. Send me a Gastly training guide."
The Breeder:
"Ordering people around now, huh… Wait a second."
'The Breeder' uploaded file:
Basic Training and Ability Research on Gastly.pdf
The Breeder:
"What do you need this for? Suddenly interested in Ghost-types?"
Rei Akagi glanced at Gastly, who was still playing enthusiastically, then recorded a short video and sent it to the group.
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"Gastly Addicted to Gaming — Live Footage.mp4"
In the video, Gastly used its gaseous tendrils to skillfully press the Pokédex buttons, its huge head nearly glued to the TV screen.
The Battler:
"The game bug is fixed! Wait—Rei Akagi, are you planning to raise Pokémon again?! Unbelievable!!!"
The Breeder:
"!"
The Evolver:
"!"
The Healer:
"!"
In their eyes, Rei Akagi had always been a powerful and mysterious Pokémon Trainer.
Whenever they encountered trouble, he could always provide precise guidance at crucial moments and help them overcome their difficulties.
Unfortunately, none of them had ever seen Rei Akagi personally train Pokémon or battle.
Most of the time, he simply guided them toward solving problems on their own. That was why they trusted and respected him so deeply.
Looking at the screen filled with exclamation marks, Rei Akagi felt speechless.
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"Is it really that surprising?"
The Breeder:
"Yes."
The Breeder:
"Wait—don't download that file yet."
'The Breeder' withdrew a message.
'The Breeder' uploaded file:
Advanced Potential Development and Emotional Guidance for Gastly (Adapted for Highly Active Individuals).pdf
The Breeder:
"From the video, this Gastly's emotional activity and psychic fluctuations are extraordinary. Its talent is astonishing—its future potential is huge. As expected of a Pokémon chosen by Rei Akagi."
The Healer:
"Rei Akagi, are you rebuilding your team? When will you return to Pallet Town? Everyone… really misses you."
The Evolver:
"If you need Evolution Stones, held items, or commemorative Poké Balls, visit Blue's Shop! Grand opening sale! Buy one get one free, buy two get two free! Massive discounts—uh, I mean 20% off! @DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish"
The Battler:
"Rei Akagi! Let's battle!"
Ignoring Red's challenge, Rei Akagi downloaded the refined guide uploaded by Green and began studying it carefully.
When you had a Ghost-type Pokémon at home, you couldn't afford to be careless.
He couldn't let his little "crown prince" suffer from poor development because of a training mistake.
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"@The Healer"
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"I'm not planning to become a trainer. I just happen to be raising a little cutie at home and don't want my negligence to make it uncomfortable."
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"As for returning to Pallet Town, I'll see after I finish my current work. You can always come visit the Sinnoh Region. for travel."
The Healer:
"Oh… okay."
The Battler:
"When that happens, I'll go with you!"
Rei Akagi was stunned.
Since when did that kid Red become so perceptive?
But his surprise lasted only a moment.
The Battler:
"Rei Akagi! Let's battle when we meet!"
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"Thanks for the invite. Don't know you that well. Anyway, I'm logging off—my phone's out of battery."
The Battler:
"Wait!"
Rei Akagi watched the screen with amusement, feeling a little sorry for Yellow.
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"What? Can't bear to see me go?"
The Battler:
"Not really…"
The Battler:
"Uh, Rei Akagi… about the game… do you still need us to keep testing it? We guarantee we'll find some bugs!"
The Breeder:
"Idiot."
The Evolver:
"Idiot."
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"?"
'DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish' uploaded file:
Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen Single-Player Demo Patch v1.01.7z
DreamingOfRetirementSaltedFish:
"Just overwrite the original game cartridge. The demo only progresses up to the first Gym Battle. The full version will be released soon—remember to buy the official copy when it comes out."
This single-player demo was a backdoor Rei Akagi had deliberately left for Red and the others.
He had discovered that the version he personally created yielded more Battle Points compared to the professionally polished version.
But he didn't care much about the Battle Points Red and the others generated.
The real profits would come from the future players.
The Battler:
"Got it!"
The Battler:
"Nothing else then—you can log off now."
The Battler:
"@Everyone — Meet at the research institute!"