Sunday reported the proposal to Dreammaster Gopherwood, and once he secured formal approval, he mobilized the Family's full reserves to speed up work on the Pokémon Dreamscape.
According to their updated schedule, the entire sector would be finished a week before the Charmony Festival.
Sunday was very pleased with the timeline.
Back on the Luofu, the Realm-Keeping Commission's representative left Julian's office and reported the details straight to Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan.
As the acting leader, Fu Xuan naturally needed to be kept in the loop. But because this project touched the other flagships as well, even with prior approval from their respective Realm-Keeping bureaus, Jing Yuan still had to handle the top-level coordination himself.
"I never imagined an ordinary game studio could command this kind of weight across the stars," Jing Yuan murmured, sounding a little wistful.
It was more than just cultural pull. At the rate the project was growing, it was only a matter of time before Julian drew the direct gaze of a Path and rose as an Emanator.
The Luofu producing an Emanator of Elation through a game studio? It was both comical and slightly absurd.
Still, from what Jing Yuan had seen of Julian's character, the young man had a strong sense of home. If the Xianzhou ever faced real trouble, he would undoubtedly step forward to help.
The Marshal, however, might not view it so lightly.
A potential candidate of questionable allegiance gaining an Emanator under his banner, especially one tied to the unpredictable ways of Elation, was enough to give anyone at the top a major headache.
Jing Yuan had no attachment to his seat, but he genuinely worried that the Luofu had no one ready to pick up the mantle of General just yet. Otherwise, he would have stepped down long ago to stroll with his birds, sip tea, and play games all day.
On top of that, Julian was now working hand in hand with the Genius Society, setting out to bring living creatures into the real world instead of leaving them as digital projections.
It was a bold, beautiful vision, but it was bound to run into friction. Older traditionalists rarely warmed up to sweeping changes overnight.
Topaz felt a similar wave of realization.
Her initial investment in Julian's company was based on its potential in the interactive entertainment market.
Now, its reach was spilling straight into physical society, and that presence would only grow once real creatures walked the streets. Paired with intelligence reports on Julian's personal strength, she knew that even if he cut ties with the Xianzhou tomorrow, he would immediately stand as a major independent power across the cosmos.
Everyday players, of course, had no clue about the high-level politics stirring behind the scenes.
The morning after the agreements were signed, Julian's studio put out an official bulletin announcing the construction of regional Gyms, the launch of professional leagues, and an open call for Gym Leader candidates. The news set the community ablaze.
"A real professional league?! It's finally happening! I'm putting in my two weeks notice today to go pro!"
"Hold your horses, buddy. Let me test the waters first."
"We didn't get a second global tournament right away, but we're getting local Gyms and leagues instead. I'm actually tearing up!"
"Building facilities across multiple star systems all at once? Has the studio gotten that massive already?"
"It feels crazy, but they're the only studio in the galaxy that can run a universe-wide broadcast and pull a massive profit every single time."
"I'm sitting comfortably in the top five hundred of the Master tier in ranked. I'm taking one of those pro roster spots, and I'm coming for an Elite Four seat too!"
"I used to play this casually on the side, but after seeing the prize pools for pro players, I'm locking in to grind my mechanics."
"Gym Leaders are the ones walking away with real wealth, but the requirements are so strict I don't think I stand a chance..."
"Wait, is a point one percent cut really that much money?"
"Tell me you don't understand their daily revenue numbers without telling me you don't understand their revenue numbers."
Tens of thousands of comments poured onto the notice board every second, blurring past in a dizzying stream.
The announcement swept through online forums and physical hubs alike, reaching every active player in hours.
Even fans who only followed the animated shorts were drawn in. Hearing that professional Trainers could make a real living, many went out and bought the game on the spot, eager to jump into the ring. After all, they had watched hundreds of battle episodes; how hard could calling out attacks be?
Reality was bound to give them a rough wake-up call, but a few naturally gifted competitors would surely rise from the crowd.
Regardless of the hurdles, the move pushed the game's cultural footprint deeper into every corner of civilization.
The open call for Gym Leaders had the biggest impact on veterans from the first tournament, especially those who had transitioned into streaming full-time.
On the Luofu, players like Lei Yue and Zhao Hu had built huge followings by hosting open challenge lobbies and coaching newcomers in a style very similar to traditional Gyms. The moment the criteria dropped, word broke that both had gone into seclusion to grind their rosters and prepare for the tryouts.
Guinaifen was caught in the middle of the whirlwind as well.
As an Elite Four finalist from the opening tournament, she had spent the past few days buried in the Generation IV closed beta.
The new partner species were exciting enough, but the new Explorer class and the underground ruins gameplay were so thoroughly addictive that she couldn't tear herself away from the screen. She had missed her regular streaming hours, lost track of the registration cutoff for the Ocean Treasure Hunt, and ended up skipping the event entirely because she was having too much fun digging up fossils.
With the Gym rollout blowing up the boards, fans couldn't find her online and started pinging her close friends to see where she stood.
Seeing the flood of messages, she had no choice but to hop on camera and clarify her plans:
"Yes, the Gym Leader compensation package is incredible, but I won't be entering the selection tryouts. Mostly because there are several key requirements I simply can't handle."
"Having to mentor local rookies and take responsibility for regional safety and facility upkeep? Just thinking about that paperwork gives me a headache. I think my path lies on the competitive stage as a full-time pro."
"Once our regional circuit opens, if Master Diviner Fu chooses to sit out, I might actually have a shot at taking the Luofu Championship. Or at the very least, holding onto my Elite Four seat, right?"
Little Gui never backs down! Even if Diviner Fu decides to play and sweeps the tournament again! (doge)
"Haha, stay strong, Little Gui! The Luofu is the birthplace of the game, so the local talent pool is terrifying. You might have to fight for your life just to keep that Elite Four spot!"
"Now that you mention it, the Luofu player base had a huge head start with all the early promotions. The competition here is going to be brutal."
"Honestly, the Luofu regional league is basically going to be a mini world championship. Half of the top thirty-two from the first tournament were from the Xianzhou, including the Champion and an Elite Four finalist. I'm already hyped."
"Pour one out for the pro players on the Luofu..."
"I live on the Luofu, and I formally demand that the studio raise our local prize pool to match the difficulty! (crying face)"
Guinaifen read through the replies, letting out a small, self-deprecating laugh.
The viewers had a fair point. While she had earned an Elite Four title during the inaugural tournament, the total player pool back then was tiny compared to the billions playing today.
With the community exploding across multiple star systems, who knew how many hidden geniuses or sharp minds like Fu Xuan and Silver Wolf were waiting in the wings?
Even setting outside rivals aside, there was her best friend, Sushang.
While Sushang's raw tactical sense had lagged behind hers in the early days, she had gained invaluable stage experience through those fierce clashes in the tournament. If Sushang hit another breakthrough in a tight spot, she could easily surpass her in no time.
That realization lit a fire under her. After wrapping up the stream, Guinaifen cut back her hours in the closed beta, setting aside dedicated blocks of time every day for high-intensity battle drills.
She made it part of her daily routine to sharpen her reflexes for the open qualifiers.
With the professional league offering stable pay and serious competition, she made up her mind: from here on out, being a pro Trainer would be her main calling, and streaming would simply be a fun hobby on the side.
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