A next-generation game developed by Game Freak over five years, released less than a month ago.
Not only does it incorporate Professor Lysandre's holographic projection technology and Unova's global online communication network, aiming to create the most realistic online Pokémon battles—
Through official League channels, it has also obtained authorization from regional Professors, digitizing the vast majority of currently known Pokémon.
"Holy crap, this is sci-fi!"
Qingyu raised an eyebrow.
Did I wake up too hard or something—since when did GF have this level of tech???
It sounded ridiculous, but this really was the world's first true Pokémon battle game.
Because of that, Pokémon · Champion had absolutely exploded online during this period. It was so popular that even Elite Four members—and Champions—were talking about it.
Qingyu checked Pokémon TV as well. Eight of the top ten trending topics were related to this game.
The remaining two unrelated videos were both from the Kanto region—one was a lifestyle short video by Professor Oak,and the other was the Cerulean Sisters' "Water Ballet"…?
"Hey, is this even allowed to air?!"
After roughly skimming through the top ten trending videos, Qingyu had already gained a general understanding of the current battle environment.
Due to geographical limitations, there had been very little exchange between regions for a long time in the past.
It wasn't until the rapid development of the internet over the last decade that people began to form even a vague impression of regions beyond their own.
This led to a major problem—
The vast majority of people couldn't even fully recognize a Pokédex's worth of Pokémon.Being familiar with all the Pokémon in one's own region was already impressive.
Actually battling with them was another matter entirely.
Even some strategies used by Gym Leaders looked, to Qingyu…
…a bit rustic.
"Chat, Infernape clutching a comeback with Blaze at low HP feels SO good!"
"After three Swords Dances, Garchomp's Attack has hit thirteen thousand!"
"Don't underestimate the bond between me and Kricketune! Focus Sash—turn the tables!"
There were no twisted, underhanded gimmicks—trainers were simply enjoying pure, passionate battles.For a time, the entire game environment was filled with wholesome energy.
Realizing this, Qingyu couldn't help but chuckle.
In his previous life, he wasn't a professional player or anything, but he did have years of battling experience and was a regular in high-ranked ladders.
With his understanding of battles, standing out among these straightforward local trainers shouldn't be difficult.
And more importantly—
In his previous life, he had been a variety streamer.
Which meant he had at least some grasp of weirder, more unconventional Pokémon strategies.
High-light moments and train-wreck plays—both sides together.Wouldn't viewers eat that right up?
"So the key now is figuring out how to build fame."
Qingyu fell into thought once again.
He had always believed that a Gym Leader's strength was the core measure of a Gym's quality.
But that wasn't entirely true.
That level of strictness only applied to the eight League-designated Gyms—and even then, some regions watered things down.
Take the Cerulean Gym in Kanto, which had been mocked countless times.
They literally handed out badges with ticket purchases, yet before Misty returned to take over, the place was still thriving.
As long as a Gym could sustain itself, the League tended to be quite lenient toward already-established Gyms.
That went doubly so for ordinary Gyms like Sunshine Gym.
"What really matters… is character."
A good Gym had to possess traits that attracted challengers in order to continue operating.
It could be mastery of a single type, or—like many Gyms in the Paldea region—adding fun mini-games before the challenge.
During his parents' time, Sunshine Gym's selling point had been two elite trainers with completely different styles, which attracted many capable trainers.
Much like Norman of the Hoenn region—building a following purely through strength.
But Qingyu clearly wasn't there yet.
"My only real advantage right now is the information gap brought by being a transmigrator."
He quickly came to terms with that.
At a time when many battle strategies from his previous life hadn't yet been developed, this was the only way he could see to break through.
Battling had always been this world's undisputed number-one sport.It was just that the high barrier of real-world battles kept many people away.
Now that Pokémon · Champion had burst onto the scene, it becoming a phenomenon was only a matter of time.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
So—
Want to save Sunshine Gym?
Then debut as a big streamer.
Build popularity first. Gym management could wait until both he and Eevee became stronger.
This was exactly the path taken by Levincia Gym.
Get on the train first—buy the ticket later.
Make a name for himself before the year-end evaluation, and push the Gym back onto the right track.
The problem would solve itself.
As long as he could endure these two months of growing pains, everything would get better.
Without delay, Qingyu decided to start right now.
"Eevee~"
Just as he made up his mind, Eevee outside had finished lunch and trotted in with light, happy steps.
Qingyu quickly noticed that it was holding a paintbrush in its mouth.After reaching his feet, it hopped straight onto the bed.
Then it looked at him with sparkling, star-filled eyes—full of anticipation.
"…"
Qingyu wanted to say that he still had important things to do.
But faced with such an adorable creature staring at him with that hopeful gaze, the words simply wouldn't come out.
Fine. Tonight, then.
Shaking his head helplessly, Qingyu took out drawing paper from the bedside drawer and smiled at Eevee.
"So, what should we draw today?"
Unlike other Pokémon, this Eevee of his had a very unique hobby.
Painting.
Of course, from Qingyu's god-eye perspective, it probably wasn't just because Eevee liked watching him draw.
Over the past six months, whenever the original owner of this body sank into sadness, Eevee would always notice immediately and cling to him, insisting on playing together.
Many sleepless nights after his parents' disappearance had been spent with Eevee by his side.
Without it, the original owner might already have had thoughts of ending his life.
"Eevee~"
After Qingyu gently patted its head, Eevee affectionately rubbed against his palm, then looked toward the window.
Following its gaze, Qingyu saw a very imposing modern building.
He vaguely remembered it—though it had been completed for some time, it seemed no one had ever moved in.
"Alright, let's draw this."
He nodded and stepped forward to open the window.
Warm sunlight poured into the room, causing Qingyu to instinctively squint.
"Eevee…"
Seeing his action, Eevee's eyes immediately lit up with clear delight.
"Sorry for making you worry for so long."
Qingyu turned back and pulled Eevee into his arms, smiling.
Pokémon truly were incredibly sensitive to emotions.These past months must have been hard on it too.
"From today onward, let's revive the Gym together."
"Eevee!"
Eevee nodded vigorously and reached out its soft little paw, placing it into Qingyu's palm.
As long as its Trainer could stay happy, it would do its best too!
…
To be honest, Qingyu didn't think he had much talent for drawing.
After spending the entire afternoon on it, the result could only barely be recognized as a sketch from life.
As for whether it looked accurate?
That question was a bit rude.
But Eevee seemed to love the drawing, so Qingyu ended up sticking it on his bedroom wall anyway.
After interacting with Eevee and quickly settling dinner, he finally remembered the main task.
If he wanted to be a streamer, the first thing was changing his name.
A good username and stream title were essential for attracting viewers.
At first, he planned to use [Pocket Fan Qingyu].
But after thinking about it, that name felt cursed—like the kind of guy who'd miss Hydro Pump four times in a row.
So in the end, he chose the more neutral [Azure Feather].
Stream title:
[League-Certified Gym Leader — Climbing to Master Ball from Zero!]
Perhaps because it was a brand-new stream, shortly after going live, around a dozen viewers clicked in.
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