As Guinaifen's giveaway ended, the notification feed exploded. A relentless scroll of "New Fan Joined" blurred the screen, punctuated by thousands of messages simply chanting the word Pokémon. Within a single minute, her viewer count shattered the 100,000 mark—a massive milestone for a local Luofu streamer.
"Congratulations to our ten winners!" Guinaifen shouted over the digital roar. "Check your backend messages for the access codes. Welcome to the team, Trainers!"
The chat didn't slow down. If anything, it became more desperate.
"I'll buy a slot for 100,000 Credits! DM me now!""100k? Please. I'm offering 1,000,000 Credits for a verified key!""I have a rare disease—Imaginary Energy Allergy. My doctor says I only have weeks to live. All I want is to see a Pikachu before I go. Please, be kind.""I'm a 10/10 with an A4 waist and black stockings. Will trade photos for a beta invite."
The desperation was real. While 100,000 Credits was a decent sum, the wealthy families watching from across the galaxy weren't easily tempted. However, when the bidding hit 1,000,000, two of the winners caved, selling their slots instantly. Moments later, when they saw bids reaching 2,000,000, their joy turned to immediate regret.
Back in the game, Sushang had already reached Viridian City. Finding the Gym closed, she pushed forward into the emerald depths of Viridian Forest, heading for Pewter City. Her progress was rapid—the advantage of the turn-based mobile version's streamlined flow.
Guinaifen, playing the Action PC version, was lagging behind. The difficulty was significantly higher, but she found the combat loop addictive. After mastering a few new combos, she finally took down the Rattata pack that had been haunting her.
"I'm catching you," she muttered indignantly, throwing a Poké Ball. "You're going to work for me now."
The Action version followed a cinematic capture logic: after a victory, you had a window to throw a ball. If it failed, the Pokémon would regain health and re-engage, sometimes even fleeing if the battle dragged on too long.
By the time the clock struck 1:00 AM, both girls were exhausted. Sushang had work at the Commission in the morning, and Guinaifen had her scheduled outdoor acrobatics stream.
"Fans, we have to call it," Guinaifen said, her voice trailing off with reluctance. "I'll try to get more slots from the studio, but no promises. See you tomorrow!"
The next morning, Pokémon didn't just trend—it colonized the front page of Interstellar Peace News. It wasn't just the entertainment section anymore; the game was being discussed in the technology and culture columns. After two weeks of anime hype, the game test had been the spark that set the galaxy on fire.
The turn-based mobile version was praised for its cool, gorgeous animations, while the PC version was hailed for its sharp, stylish combat. But a shadow of doubt remained: the "Real" VR version. Because no footage had been released, a growing army of skeptics was pushing the "Is the VR version fake?" topic to the number two spot on the trending list.
In his studio, Julian Reed looked at the headlines. He frowned at the second-place topic.
"What happened?" Julian asked Cai Xing, the Foxian secretary provided by the Sky-Faring Commission. "I thought we sent the VR rigs to the top-tier streamers."
Cai Xing looked apologetic. "They demanded a massive increase in advertising fees, Julian. They said if we didn't pay for 'Premium Coverage,' they wouldn't stream the VR version. We simply don't have the budget to meet their extortion."
Julian leaned back, a cold smile touching his lips. He had spent his budget on the game and the ads; he had nothing left for the vanity of "professional" influencers.
"They think they can hold me hostage?" Julian shook his head. "Cancel their qualifications. Every single one of them. If they don't want to stream the biggest hit in the galaxy, someone else will."
He pulled up the metrics from the previous night. Guinaifen was the undisputed leader in engagement.
"Send the top-of-the-line VR rig to Guinaifen," Julian commanded. "Tell her if she showcases the 'Real' version and the stream goes well, the rig is hers to keep."
"I'll arrange it immediately," Cai Xing replied, her tail twitching with excitement. She knew how happy Yukong would be; the game was already bringing Xianzhou culture into the galactic spotlight.
By that afternoon, Guinaifen was in the middle of her usual outdoor stream in the Exalting Sanctum. Her chat was a mess of people demanding more Pokémon content.
Beep-beep-beep.
Her Jade Abacus rang. She answered, her eyes widening as she listened.
"Wait, really? You're serious? Okay! I'm heading back right now!"
Guinaifen turned to her camera, her face lit with a manic grin. "Fans! Change of plans! We're heading back to the studio. I've just been handed the keys to the 'Real' version—and I've got a surprise that's going to blow your minds!"