Meanwhile, on New Island.
In the pale blue nutrient solution, Mewtwo floated with its eyes tightly closed.
Countless precision tubes were connected to its body, and even in slumber, its immense psychic power pressed upon the entire space as though it were tangible.
On a nearby giant screen, the freshly concluded ability test data scrolled rapidly.
"Energy output stable, psychic wavelength continuously optimizing—far beyond expectations."
The lead researcher's voice carried barely suppressed excitement as he reported to the man seated on the sofa behind him.
"Boss Giovanni, congratulations. It's even more perfect than we imagined."
Giovanni sat with his legs crossed, one hand gently stroking the Persian at his feet. His gaze was fixed on the data, the corners of his mouth curving into a satisfied arc.
Mewtwo—Team Rocket's ultimate creation, their Legendary Pokémon born from ambition and obsession—was finally moving from blueprint to reality.
This would be Team Rocket's ultimate weapon, capable of redefining the very structure of the world.
"Good. Continue monitoring it. Record and analyze even the smallest fluctuation." Giovanni's voice was low and commanding. "Its controllability is the focus of the next phase."
"Yes, sir!" The researcher bowed respectfully.
Just then, the lab's alloy doors slid open. A senior executive hurried in, his expression grave and tinged with disbelief.
He saluted before speaking in a lowered voice, hesitating slightly.
"Boss Giovanni… regarding the incident where Base Seven in the Kanto region was suddenly raided and exposed by League investigators—we… we may have discovered the cause."
Giovanni's gaze shifted from Mewtwo to the executive, his eyes sharp as blades. "Speak."
The executive took a deep breath, as if still doubting his own report.
"According to intelligence sent back at great risk by our agents embedded within the League, the reason they were able to precisely locate and raid our base was because of… a game."
The laboratory fell utterly silent. Even the faint hum of the instruments seemed to vanish.
The lead researcher pushed up his glasses, his expression clearly saying, you've got to be joking.
Giovanni's hand paused mid-stroke on Persian's fur. After two seconds of silence, he finally spoke—his tone cold enough to freeze the air.
"You said… a game?"
"Y-yes, sir." The executive steeled himself and continued. "To be precise, it's a simulated-reality game called Pokémon: Emerald.
According to our intel, the game's environments accurately recreated our base locations—and even included some of our secret experimental content.
Cynthia and Lance discovered our base while playing it, which is how the League—"
"Absurd." Giovanni's voice remained calm, but those familiar with him could sense the turbulence beneath it.
Giovanni, the man who ruled Team Rocket's dark empire beneath Kanto, had weathered countless storms.
Yet now, someone was telling him his organization was under attack through… a game? How could that possibly make sense?
But the executive's next words finally cracked the composure of the man who never flinched, even as mountains crumbled.
"Additionally, our agents in Hoenn have reported that Team Aqua's Admin Shelly and Team Magma's Admin Courtney have drastically reduced their operations.
Upon investigation, both they and their leaders—Archie and Maxie—seem to be completely addicted to Emerald. Moreover, they've ordered all elite members to play the game for… 'strategy research.'"
"—?" Giovanni's brow furrowed completely.
Even with his experience and calm, he couldn't help feeling a jolt of disbelief.
That Cynthia and Lance could locate a base through the game—fine. Perhaps it stemmed from an information leak.
But Archie and Maxie? Those two fanatics obsessed with expanding sea and land, both hooked on the same game—and even forcing their subordinates to play it?
What on earth was going on?
What exactly was this Emerald?
The lab fell into a long silence. Giovanni's fingers slowly stroked Persian's soft fur as his mind raced, piecing together fragments of impossible information.
A game that could predict Team Rocket's secret bases. A game that could make two rival leaders addicted at once.
There had to be something far deeper—some hidden value or secret—beneath its surface.
Otherwise, none of this made sense.
After several minutes, Giovanni raised his hand, stopping the executive from continuing.
"Enough." He stood, and Persian leapt gracefully off the sofa. "Have the intelligence department investigate this game's creator and background. Mobilize all available resources."
"Yes, sir!"
Under the astonished gazes of both the researcher and the executive, Giovanni walked toward a private terminal in the lab, speaking in a voice devoid of emotion as he operated it.
"Get me a game account. I want to see what this game truly is."
---
Meanwhile, on the Psyduck streaming platform—
In a livestream ranked among the top three in popularity, the chat scrolled like a torrent.
[Miss Lisia is adorable today too! What new game are you trying?]
[Cheers for Lisia's beauty!]
[Streamer, try Emerald! It's blowing up right now!]
Before the camera sat a beautiful young woman with silky platinum-blonde hair and a delicate feather hair clip. She smiled sweetly into the mic.
She was Psyduck's newest breakout star—Lisia, a charming and lively streamer who'd exploded in popularity for her beauty and personality.
"Good evening, everyone~ Thank you, 'Feather Ball Hits Your Forehead,' for the gift~!" Lisia made a heart at the camera, and the chat exploded in excitement.
"Tonight, we're checking out a brand-new release from Dream Factory—Pokémon: Blazing Flame! Supposedly a huge-budget game with crazy marketing. Let's see what all the hype's about!"
As she launched the game, dazzling CG animation and pounding electronic music filled the screen—undeniably the style of a major studio.
"Wow, it's pixel-style! That's pretty rare these days!"
Lisia quickly created her character and jumped into the game.
"Oh oh! Newbie rewards—ten free draws right at the start! Let's see… wow! Sparkles! A trial card for Tyranitar! Only lasts three days, but still super lucky!"
The early game sped by—until a large pop-up abruptly filled the screen.
[Supreme Growth Package! Limited Time Offer—only ₽128,000! Instantly unlock permanent Garchomp, exclusive equipment, and max-level EXP books!]
"Uh…" Lisia blinked, hesitating.
"That's… a bit expensive? But for the stream's sake, and to show you guys what pay-to-win looks like… I'll do it!"
After the purchase, her Garchomp instantly maxed out in level, and the rest of the game turned into mindless domination.
"Mm~ not bad! That instant-crush feeling is kinda satisfying!" she laughed, running across the bland map filled with recycled textures.
"Dream Factory really nailed the dopamine hit—it just takes… a lot of money."
But her viewers were less amused.
[That's it? Just grinding?]
[The map's so cheap—pixel art isn't supposed to look this lazy]
[Dream Factory never changes. The arena's gonna be whale city, just like Battle Road]
[Lisia, please try Emerald before praising this junk!]
"Emerald?" Lisia tilted her head.
"Oh, right—that indie game everyone's been talking about lately, right?"
She smiled skeptically. "I heard it's by some unknown developer, so it can't compare in scale. But since you all want it so badly, let's give it a shot."
She wouldn't have tried it if not for the overwhelming requests—but curiosity won out.
She switched tabs, found Pokémon: Emerald, and started the quick download.
"Alright, let's see what this so-called masterpiece is all about."
She created her character and entered the game.
The opening was the familiar starter Pokémon selection—but the art made her pause.
"Huh? The pixel art's gorgeous—and the UI feels super clean and smooth."
It already looked better than she'd expected.
Five minutes passed.
"Seems pretty standard so far—starter Pokémon, heading out on an adventure…"
Ten minutes passed.
"Wait, what's with this rival?! How's he countering every move I make?"
Her easygoing smile faded.
"My attacks can miss? And why's his damage so high?!"
Once. Twice. Three times.
She was defeated again and again, sent back to the Pokémon Center each time.
Chat erupted in laughter.
[Hahaha, welcome to the real Pokémon world!]
[No pay button here, streamer~]
[Her expression's getting serious lol]
[The rival teaches lessons to all newcomers—your turn, Lisia!]
Lisia took a deep breath. Frustration turned to determination.
She disabled the chat and focused entirely on the battle.
On her fourth attempt—after using Mudkip's Sand Attack to make the rival's Treecko miss three moves in a row—she finally won with just a sliver of HP.
"Ha— I did it!" she exhaled, smiling wide.
It was exhausting—like finishing a real battle—but the victory felt amazing.
That sense of challenge and reward… was something she'd never felt before.
She continued her journey: through the beautifully crafted Route 101, exploring Oldale Town, uncovering hidden items.
Half an hour later, Lisia was no longer just playing—she was captivated.
The dynamic background music that shifted with every scene.
The attention to detail—every patch of grass hiding something, every map encouraging exploration.
Clever puzzles, vibrant NPCs, witty dialogue…
Even regular battles required real strategy. No intrusive paywalls, no mindless stat inflation—just pure design, thoughtful detail, and a true sense of adventure.
She laughed, gasped, and smiled as she played.
"So you can go this way too?!"
"This soundtrack's insane!"
"This NPC's dialogue is hilarious!"
Finally, she stopped, leaned back, and looked at the camera, face glowing with shock and awe.
"I… take back what I said earlier. Everyone, this game—this map design, this music, this atmosphere, this battle depth—they're on another level."
"I was wondering how an indie game could compare to Dream Factory's blockbuster—now I get it. You can't compare them at all."
"Dream Factory made a pay-to-win dopamine machine. But this—this is a real Pokémon adventure."
The chat exploded:
['It smells so good' moment unlocked!]
[Welcome to the Emerald cult]
[Lisia finally discovered the treasure game!]
And with that, Lisia—completely charmed by Emerald—forgot about Blazing Flame entirely.
Soon after, clips of her stream flooded the internet.
Her shocked "it smells so good" reaction was instantly turned into memes and highlight reels:
"Dream Factory Publicly Executed," "When Indie Quality Destroys Corporate Greed,"
"Lisia: I Was Wrong—Emerald is the Real God."
The videos spread like wildfire across social media and forums, igniting the public's long-simmering frustration with Dream Factory.
On the biggest gaming forum, Trainer Camp, the official Pokémon: Blazing Flame discussion board was exploding:
[Dream Factory's marketing budget just got obliterated by one indie game!]
"After watching Lisia's stream, I can't unsee it.
Blazing Flame is an empty cash grab. The maps are barren, the story's childish, and the battle system's laughable.
Then you play Emerald—the detail, the AI, the atmosphere… it's night and day.
Dream Factory's talent must've been eaten by a pack of Poochyena."
[Rational Discussion Tag: Is Blazing Flame straight-up plagiarizing Emerald?]