Chapter 310: The Pokédex
"I know the Alliance will likely set a minimum price limit for officially sanctioned books," Xiu acknowledged. "But let's say my books are priced at twelve hundred Poké Dollars.
Then, two hundred will be deducted for becoming a 'member' of my distribution network, and another five hundred will be deducted for new members through special introductory promotions. Then, there are several package deals."
He elaborated, a confident smile playing on his lips, "Choose Package One: buy this book for the discounted price of 500, and get a set of basic school-level Pokémon textbooks for free.
Choose Package Two: buy one book for 500, and then choose any three second-hand Pokémon books from my affiliated bookstores.
Or, choose Package Three: exchange old Pokémon books for new ones – one second-hand book is worth 100 Poké Dollars towards the purchase, with a maximum of four trade-in books."
"Business requires flexibility," Xiu concluded. "This way, a comprehensive, accurate book is effectively only about a hundred Poké Dollars, which is much more accessible and valuable than those books that cost hundreds or even thousands and are often filled with useless or misleading information."
"But you don't have that kind of established brand or academic authority, right?" Professor Oak pointed out the dilemma Xiu was facing. "Your previous piracy efforts could succeed because those books had already accumulated fame through official channels.
Compared with those widely promoted, officially endorsed books, your new, original book would have no inherent appeal or recognition." If a book wants to sell well, it must first be famous, or at least have a recognized author.
Everyone knows the established names. Otherwise, who would buy a book written by an unknown person? Ordinary people generally don't have the ability or inclination to distinguish quality independently.
"What if the Professor's name, your name, is written on this book as an author or endorser?" Xiu added with a knowing smile.
"Ah, I was wondering why you suddenly brought up your past piracy business to me," Professor Oak said, a hint of a smile now on his own face, tinged with a touch of sarcasm.
"I'm afraid your piracy business is getting harder to sustain now due to the increased suppression from the Alliance, and you're looking for a legitimate transformation, so you came to me for my name and reputation."
"This, Professor, is where you are mistaken," Xiu replied calmly. "I have already completed that business transformation before this current crisis.
Now, my publishing efforts are focusing on the development of legitimate newspapers and magazines. Whether there is this new educational book plan or not will not significantly affect my overall income.
In fact, even if I really do this affordable book project, it will likely reduce my income. After all, at this price point, I am practically working for nothing, and it also takes up resources from other, more profitable business projects.
On the overall account, I would be losing money. More importantly, it will definitely attract the unwanted attention of the Alliance and those established booksellers."
Xiu was telling the truth. He had already started making these arrangements during the Viridian City Celebration and had reorganized his entire underground company structure after that incident.
Those printing houses that had been previously abandoned or used for piracy had started to work again now that he had secured enough legitimate staff and operations.
This time, they were no longer dealing with pirated books, but with properly licensed, even if niche, magazines and newspapers.
To this end, he had spent a lot of money to recruit some experienced, disillusioned talents from established publishing houses to share Xiaoyuan's ever-increasing burden.
After all, Xiaoyuan's main focus needed to remain on their more profitable, core businesses such as logistics and materials trading.
"Then why are you proposing this?" Professor Oak asked, puzzled. "It's not like you to do a business that consciously loses money."
"I'm a simple person in some ways, Professor," Xiu said, his expression softening slightly. "You took me in when I had nowhere else to go. Now, if you need my help for something you believe in, I won't refuse.
After a certain point, money has lost its direct meaning to me; it's just a tool."
"This initiative alone cannot solve the current deep-seated situation, right?" Professor Oak mused, still grappling with the scale of the problem. "Please continue to tell me what you think."
He didn't bother to question whether Xiu was telling the complete truth about his motivations. Instead of dwelling on that topic, he wanted to know what other ideas Xiu had.
"The main target group for the affordable books just now is ordinary people and students," Xiu explained. "As for the next target group – existing Trainers – it is a bit more difficult for us to popularize truly accurate Pokémon knowledge among them.
After all, they have already received a complete set of 'education' from the League, and our teachings will often be different from, or even contradictory to, the League's official narratives.
If we want to attract their attention and bypass the established channels, we need to come up with something new, something revolutionary… such as the an illustrated book – a Pokedex."
Xiu briefly explained the functions and concepts of a digital Pokedex as far as he could remember from his past life – a portable electronic device containing comprehensive data on Pokémon, updated regularly, perhaps with image and sound capabilities.
This concept was quite novel in an era when personal computers and networked devices were not yet widely popular or accessible to the general public.
After listening to this, Professor Oak also fell into deep thought. Xiu had no intention of disturbing his reflections but instead fell into his own deep thought as well.
In fact, Xiu knew very well that what he had just said, both the cheap books and the Pokedex, were just partial solutions, tools among other necessary actions.
Compared with the sheer size and entrenched power of the Alliance, the immediate effect of what they could do was actually not that significant in the short term; it was more a concept of laying a new foundation, planting seeds for future change.
If they truly wanted to break through the Alliance's control over information and public perception, they would have to wait until the arrival of a true information age, one of the key representatives of which would be the widespread popularization of network devices such as mobile phones and personal computers.
Only this kind of technological shift could truly break the Alliance's effective monopoly and blockade of knowledge.
He had to admit that, compared to the traditional book approach, Professor Oak seemed more inclined towards the latter idea: the electronic Pokedex.
According to Oak, compared to ancient media such as printed books, electronic illustrated encyclopedias could indeed better evade the Alliance's strict review and censorship.
After all, the relevant regulations for Electronic Products within the Alliance were currently quite simple, less developed, and thus had more exploitable loopholes.
Another crucial reason was that Dr. Oak himself was an expert in mechanical and electronic engineering.
One of his legitimate businesses in Viridian City was a machinery factory and an electronics factory, which were primarily used to turn his own inventions into finished products and bring them to market.
He was much more familiar and comfortable with this technological domain. Xiu's idea had clearly given him a spark of inspiration.
"Professor, are you sure you want to do this?" Xiu asked, breaking the silence. "Although I don't know the full details of what happened in your past, I guess your esteemed reputation today is largely due to your undeniable strength and contributions.
But more importantly, it's also because you generally stay in Pallet Town and ignore most worldly affairs. This detachment makes it convenient for them, for the Alliance, to establish you as a saintly role model, an untouchable icon.
In addition to restricting you with the weight of this fame, it also serves to attract young, aspiring people to look up to you, to follow the path the Alliance lays out."
Xiu continued, his voice serious,
"Right now, you are effectively the face of the Kanto League. If you come out and actively do these things – challenge their control over information, empower ordinary people – you will definitely be targeted by certain factions within the League.
All kinds of negative news and pressure will come your way. At least, this will not stop until you fall from grace, or until another, more compliant mascot is established."
Xiu noticed Professor Oak's thoughtful, almost determined intention and couldn't help but lay out some of the potential pros and cons, the risks involved.
Professor Oak smiled slightly, looking surprisingly optimistic and casual. It seemed that he didn't care at all about what Xiu had just said. "I've lived most of my life, Xiu. I might be gone tomorrow morning, for all I know.
Do you think I truly care about my image at this stage? Besides, you once said yourself that sometimes you can't get out of a vicious circle unless you are willing to give up something significant."
After saying that, Dr. Oak shook his head slowly and added another sentence, his voice softer. "It seems that Bao Ba and I were perhaps wrong in some of our earlier assumptions. The true hope for the future of this world, for a better relationship between humans and Pokémon, lies in young people like you, Xiu – those who can see the flaws and are brave enough to challenge them.
And I… I just want to do something truly meaningful for the world…"
Xiu was also a little emotional when he heard this. Professor Oak was still an old man with great ambitions, a desire to leave a lasting, positive legacy.
"If the Professor is willing to play this game, then I don't mind accompanying you," Xiu said, his resolve firming. "I just mentioned the Pokedex concept without much concrete basis yet.
I will go back and think about it carefully, come up with a more complete plan, before we talk further on that. For now, let's talk about the basics first." Now that a general direction was confirmed, Xiu's ability to take decisive action was demonstrated.
He immediately began to push forward this initial phase of their plan.