The outcome was mathematically inevitable.
[Torchic used Ember!][It's Super Effective!]
Treecko's HP bar didn't just drop; it evaporated. The first hit took it to the red zone. The second hit was a mercy kill.
[Treecko fainted!][Strawberry Ice Cream is out of usable Pokémon!][You scurried back to the Pokémon Center...][Wallet: -$1,000]
Cynthia stared at the screen, her chin resting in her hand. The chat room was in hysterics.
"He said 'I won't fall behind,' and he meant it literal!" "Dynamic Level Scaling in the tutorial?? That is sadistic!" " RIP the economy. She's in debt now." "Developer: 'Welcome to Hell, enjoy your stay.'"
Cynthia ignored the scrolling text. Her mind was already racing, dissecting the game's logic.
The developer is smart, she thought, a small frown creasing her forehead. He knows players will grind. If I level up, the Rival levels up. If I brute force it, he matches me stat for stat. Since he has the Type Advantage (Fire > Grass), a mirrored level match will always result in my loss.
This wasn't a test of patience. It was a tactical puzzle.
I can't beat him with Treecko alone. I need a counter.
Her eyes drifted to the Bag menu. Professor Birch had given her five empty Poké Balls.
"Okay," Cynthia murmured, addressing the stream. "We can't out-level him. We have to out-draft him. I need to catch a Water or Rock type from the earlier routes."
She opened the party menu to check her slots.
[Party Capacity: 1 / 2][System Notice: To maintain tactical integrity, beginner Trainers are limited to carrying 2 Pokémon. Capacity will increase as you earn Badges.]
Cynthia paused. "Two?"
In standard League regulations, a Trainer could carry six. Restricting it to two changed everything. It meant she couldn't just catch a team of fodder to wear the Rival down. She had to pick one partner, and that partner had to be perfect.
[System Notice: Released Pokémon cannot be recovered. Choose your partners wisely.]
"Permanent decisions," she whispered. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I like this. It forces you to treat them like actual partners, not just tools."
She began to mentally catalogue the wild Pokémon she'd seen on Route 101. Zigzagoon? No, Normal-type implies neutral damage. Poochyena? Dark-type, also neutral. She needed a Wingull or maybe a Lotad...
Ring-ring.
The sharp, jarring sound of a standard ringtone cut through the room.
Cynthia blinked, pulling her headset down around her neck. It was her personal cell phone, buzzing on the desk.
She glanced at the caller ID. It was encrypted.
She picked it up immediately, her demeanor shifting from 'Gamer' to 'Champion' in a split second.
"This is Cynthia."
A frantic voice crackled on the other end. "Champion! We apologize for the interruption during your time off. We have a Code Red at the Veilstone City rift. The Spiritomb readings are spiking. We suspect a dimensional breach."
Cynthia's eyes narrowed. "The Spirit World is acting up again? Understood. I'm five minutes out."
She hung up and turned back to the camera. The playful warmth was gone, replaced by professional efficiency.
"I'm sorry, everyone," she said, her voice steady. "Duty calls. I have to handle a situation, so the stream ends here. I'll be back as soon as I can to defeat Hat Boy."
She didn't wait for the goodbyes. She cut the feed.
The screen went black, but the chat lingered.
"NOOO! Mom come back!" "Did the League just call her?" "Spirit World issues? Sounds serious." "Well, show's over boys."
Then, a new wave of comments started to populate the offline chat.
"You know what? I'm buying it. I have to know if I can beat that Rival." "Same. My ego can't take seeing the Champion lose. I need to try." "Link? Where's the link?"
But there were dissenters.
"$45 is still insane for a pixel game." "I'm broke. I'll just wait for her next stream." "It looks hard, but is it worth a week of groceries? I don't know..."
Despite the complaints, the seed had been planted. Cynthia's struggle had validated the game. It wasn't just a scam; it was a challenge. And for gamers, a challenge was irresistible.
High above the cloud layer, the air was thin and freezing.
A dark blue blur tore through the sky at Mach speed.
Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon, banked hard against the wind. Riding on its back, secured by magnetic harnesses, Cynthia wore a flight headset, her hair whipping furiously behind her.
Below them, the Sinnoh region was a patchwork quilt of green and brown.
Usually, before a mission involving the Spirit World, Cynthia would be reviewing containment protocols or ancient sealing texts.
But today? She was thinking about a pixelated Torchic.
It levels with you, she thought, shaking her head in disbelief. Who designs that? It's brilliant. It's frustrating. It's exactly what the Trainer schools are failing to teach these days.
The difficulty spike didn't annoy her; it thrilled her. It had been years since she felt truly backed into a corner during a battle.
But more than the game mechanics, her mind kept drifting to the cover art.
Rayquaza.
The markings were too accurate. The developer, 'Feng', knew something.
"I need to find him," she muttered into the wind. "Before someone else beats the game and claims that contact info."
She tapped her headset, initiating a secure voice command.
"Call Thorton."
A few rings, then a click. A lazy, slightly robotic voice answered.
"Statistics indicate a 99% probability that you are calling for a favor, Cynthia. I am currently busy analyzing Factory data."
Cynthia rolled her eyes affectionately. "Hello to you too. You guessed the 99%. I need you to find someone."
"I am not a private investigator," Thorton deadpanned. "Is it a criminal? A Team Galactic remnant?"
"No. A game developer."
Silence on the line. Then, "Excuse me?"
"His handle is 'Feng'. He just released a game on the Alliance Hub called Pokémon Emerald. I need to know who he is."
"You want me... the head of the Battle Factory... to doxx an indie developer because you liked his game?"
"It's not just that," Cynthia said, her voice dropping an octave. "His game features detailed, accurate depictions of Rayquaza. Information that shouldn't exist in the public domain. I need to talk to him about his sources."
Thorton's tone shifted instantly. The boredom vanished, replaced by intellectual curiosity.
"Accurate data on a Super-Ancient Pokémon? That changes the variables. Interesting."
"Can you find him?"
"Please," Thorton scoffed. "If he uploaded it to the Alliance Hub, he left a digital footprint. Give me ten minutes. I assume you're treating me to dinner for this misuse of my talents?"
"Steak at the Canalave Harbor," Cynthia promised. "My treat."
"Acceptable. I will forward the coordinates. Thorton out."
The line clicked dead.
Cynthia patted Garchomp's neck. "Okay, buddy. Let's close this rift fast. I have a game to beat."
Garchomp roared, breaking the sound barrier as they dove toward Veilstone City.
Six Hours Later.Oakhaven City (Changpan).
"Mmmph..."
Leo Vance groaned, stretching his arms until his joints popped. He sat up in his narrow bed, the cheap mattress springs squeaking in protest.
He felt surprisingly well-rested.
He reached for his phone on the nightstand, squinting against the harsh morning light.
"Let's see the damage," he mumbled. "Did I sell zero copies? Or did I sell... negative copies?"
He unlocked the screen.
[Alliance Indie Hub - Developer Dashboard][New Sales Today: 1,823 units][Total Revenue (Pending): $82,035.00]
Leo froze. He rubbed his eyes. He looked again.
The number was still climbing. 1,825... 1,827...
"What?"
He sat up straight, fully awake now.
"Eighteen hundred copies? In one night? At forty-five bucks a pop?"
He had fought the System on the price. He wanted to sell it for ten dollars. The System had insisted on premium pricing, claiming "Quality demands value." Leo thought it was suicide.
Apparently, the System was right.
"Who are these rich lunatics?" Leo wondered aloud.
Just then, the golden interface shimmered into existence.
[Ding! Sleep Cycle Complete.][Harvesting Emotion Points (EP)...]
[Source: General Players (Shock, Rage, Joy) +100 EP][Source: Livestream Audience (Awe, Amusement, frustration) +320 EP][Source: VIP Target 'Cynthia' (Anticipation, Competitive Spirit, Respect) +300 EP]
[Total EP Gained: 720]
Leo's jaw hit the floor.
"Cynthia?"
He stared at the glowing text.
"The Champion played my game?"
He quickly opened the Alliance Hub's 'Trending' tab. There it was. A clip from Cynthia's stream titled: "Champion gets destroyed by Tutorial Rival (REAL)" with 500,000 views.
"Well," Leo laughed, running a hand through his messy hair. "That explains the sales. Free marketing from the Queen herself."
He looked at his EP balance. 720 points.
That was enough to unlock a new module. Maybe the [Advanced Audio Engine] or the [Side-Quest Generator].
"System," he grinned. "Show me the store."
He swung his legs out of bed, feeling fantastic. He was rich. He was successful. The Champion was playing his game. Life was good.
He stood up to go to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.
As he walked past the kitchen area, he felt it.
A cold draft.
It wasn't just a breeze. It was a unnatural chill that seeped into his bones. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight.
Did I leave the window open?
He turned around.
"Nothing," he muttered. "I need coffee. I'm imagining things."
He turned back toward the bathroom.
And found himself nose-to-nose with a white, waxy face.
Two soulless yellow eyes stared deep into his. A purple flame flickered inches from his forehead, radiating a hypnotic, draining heat.
"Li...?" the creature whispered.
Leo's brain short-circuited.
For a second, there was total silence in the apartment.
Then—
"HOLY SH— A GHOST! AHHHHHHHHHH!"
The scream echoed through the entire apartment complex, waking up neighbors three floors down.
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