On the Herta Space Station, Asta had been far too busy with research and station logistics to keep up with every livestream trend. It wasn't until she saw the top ten trending topics on the galactic feed that she realized the Pokémon beta was already live.
One look at the gameplay footage and her interest was piqued. She didn't care about the skepticism surrounding the VR version—if it was fake, she'd know soon enough. As for equipment? She was fairly certain she had a top-of-the-line neural-link pod gathering dust in one of the station's high-tech storage bays.
"Wait, the slots are already gone?" Asta stared at the official Arceus Studio website, her brow furrowed. "How is that possible? I haven't even mobilized the staff yet."
She checked the secondary trading platforms. People were bidding two or three million Credits for a single invite. Without a second thought, Asta opened her personal account and posted a listing: [Buying Pokémon Beta Access - 10,000,000 Credits. Instant Transfer.]
While she waited for a response, she tracked the source of the latest hype to a streamer named Guinaifen.
"I'll follow her for now," Asta murmured, clicking the subscribe button. "If this 'Real' version is as good as they claim, I might need to buy the whole studio."
Back in Changletian, Guinaifen lay back in the sleek, liquid-cooled VR pod. She adjusted the neural-link headband, her heart thumping against her ribs.
"Alright, fans! No more menus, no more controllers. Let's see what Julian Reed's 'Real' world actually feels like!"
She closed her eyes.
[System: Connecting... Link Start!]
The world vanished into a void of black, followed by the familiar introductory lecture from Professor Oak. Guinaifen selected her character and entered her name.
Her vision swam. Suddenly, the darkness didn't just fade; it was blown away by a rush of fresh air.
Guinaifen gasped. She wasn't standing on solid ground. She was in a small, open-sided wooden cabin, similar to a gondola, hanging thousands of feet in the air. The wind whipped her hair, carrying the scent of pine and salt. Above her, a massive, majestic Pidgeot gripped the cabin's tether with powerful talons, its wings beating with a rhythmic, heavy thrum.
"Is this... virtual reality?"
She reached out, feeling the sun's warmth on her skin. She looked down at the sprawling green landscape below, the horizon stretching out in a perfect, vivid curve.
"This is incredible!" she screamed over the wind.
"Look at that render distance! Is this a game or a live feed?!""The wind effects on her hair are too realistic. My brain is lagging just watching.""Pidgeot Taxi? I'm never walking again.""Julian Reed is a god. When is the open beta?!"
"Yo, miss! You finally awake?"
A man's head popped over the side of the Pidgeot's harness—a grizzled, friendly-looking NPC pilot. He pointed a thumb forward. "Just in time. Look ahead. There she is."
Guinaifen looked. Nestled in a verdant valley was Pallet Town. The white-walled buildings and the distinct, high-tech silhouette of Professor Oak's lab were unmistakable.
The Pidgeot descended with a gentle flare of its wings, landing softly in the town square.
"Thanks for flying Pidgeot Express!" the pilot chirped. "Give us a call if you need a lift out of town!"
He didn't wait for a scripted response. He gave a sharp whistle, and the giant bird took to the skies, disappearing into the clouds in a matter of seconds.
"Viewers... I've decided," Guinaifen said, her voice trembling with awe. "Forget Pikachu. I'm catching a Pidgeot. I have to fly like that again."
She shook off the lingering vertigo and headed for the lab. The architecture was a beautiful blend of sleek futurism and Xianzhou-inspired woodcraft. Inside, Professor Oak stood by a pedestal holding three pristine Poké Balls.
"Ah, Guinaifen, you've arrived," the Professor said, his voice warm and natural. "Come. It's time to choose your partner."
Just as she reached for Charmander, a massive notification flashed across her vision.
[Donation: Interstellar Peace Corporation Starship (100,000 Credits) - User: Anonymous Whale]
"Thank you for the ship!" Guinaifen blurted out, her streamer instincts kicking in. "One hundred thousand Credits? You're a legend!"
She looked at the attached message.
"Streamer, test the NPC intelligence. Is he a puppet, or is there a soul in there? Ask him something off-script."
The chat immediately echoed the sentiment. For a VR game to be truly "Real," the NPCs had to be more than just dialogue boxes. They had to react.
"Alright," Guinaifen said, turning back to the Professor. She took a breath and ignored the Poké Balls.
"Professor Oak... I was wondering. Besides these three, do you have anything else? Maybe something... a bit more unique?"