"A game? Didn't we just close the books on an entertainment venture?"
Topaz murmured to herself, her eyes flickering as she scanned the data packets. In the Interstellar Peace Corporation, "games" were a broad category, but the numbers attached to this one were impossible to ignore.
"Pokémon? The pitch sounds a bit like Aetherium Wars," she noted, a small frown marring her features. The IPC didn't like redundant investments. If they already owned the monster-battler market, why buy another?
But as the deep-dive report loaded, her frown vanished, replaced by a sharp, appreciative smile. Duplicate project? No. This was a revolution.
The variety was staggering. From the elegant to the imposing, the "Pokémon" had a range and soul that Aetherium Wars lacked. But then her eyes caught the architectural renders.
"Xianzhou style?"
Topaz leaned in, her expression turning serious. She dug deeper into the background of Arceus Studio and found the signature of the Sky-Faring Commission.
"So the Alliance is finally fighting back," Topaz whispered. She shook her head, a hint of pity in her eyes. "The old-timers in the Traditional Department are going to have a massive headache over this. It's a shame, really. This is a diamond of an investment."
In the IPC, culture was a commodity, and the Traditional Department guarded the "Profit-First" ideology with religious zeal. The Xianzhou's "Win-Win" philosophy was a direct threat to their bottom line. While Topaz's department focused on growth, the Traditional Department focused on control.
"I still need to report this to Lord Diamond," she decided. As an Emanator of Preservation, Diamond had the clout to ignore the Traditional Department's posturing. Though, in the grand scheme of the galaxy, she wondered if he'd care about a mere "game."
At the Sky-Faring Commission, Cai Xing was delivering a frantic update to Yukong.
"Madam Yukong, the impact is unprecedented. The beta discussion has dominated the Luofu's networks for forty-eight hours straight. Initial projections suggest we could sell a hundred million copies within the Xianzhou alone upon release."
Cai Xing's voice was high with excitement, her fox ears twitching.
Yukong remained composed, but her eyes betrayed her satisfaction. She hadn't expected the "reliable clerk" she'd funded to ignite a galactic wildfire.
"And the cultural export?" Yukong asked. "Has it reached beyond our borders?"
"It's everywhere. Pokémon is trending on Interastral Peace News and the Galaxy Express. However..." Cai Xing hesitated. "News agencies affiliated with the IPC are already sending notices. They're being pressured to take down Xianzhou-related content."
"I expected as much," Yukong said, her voice turning cold and sharp. "The IPC is terrified of a world they can't sell back to themselves."
She stood, looking out over the sprawling vistas of the Luofu. "Inform Julian Reed that the Alliance is increasing its investment. Another one hundred million Credits. No strings attached. His shares remain at twenty percent. This isn't a business deal; it's a reward."
Julian had achieved the impossible. He had carved a path for Xianzhou culture through a blockade that had stood for centuries.
"Tell him to use these funds to push even further," Yukong commanded. "And tell him to watch his back. The IPC doesn't like losing, and they have plenty of 'little tricks' for those who disrupt their peace."
Back at Arceus Studio, Julian Reed disconnected from his latest match with Silver Wolf. He reviewed the engagement data Cai Xing had left for him, his eyebrows rising at the sheer scale of the anticipation.
A hundred million players waiting in the Xianzhou alone? On Earth, that would have been a global miracle. Here, it was just the beginning.
"They need to grow into real Trainers faster," Julian mused, watching a clip of Guinaifen's latest battle. "The strategy is still too basic. They aren't thinking about move-synergy or ability-procs yet."
He smiled. A Pokémon battle was supposed to be a clash of souls, an intricate dance of prediction and trust. He couldn't wait to see the first real tournament.
He blinked, intending to reach for his coffee.
The world didn't just blur; it snapped.
Julian found himself standing in a vast, shimmering void. The floor beneath his feet wasn't solid stone or metal, but a glowing trail of light that stretched into infinity.
"What... what is this?"
The air was thin and crackled with a power he had only read about in lore. He looked down at the path of golden sparks beneath his boots.
The Path of the Nameless.
A low, booming laugh echoed through the expanse, vibrating in his very bones. It wasn't the mechanical "Ding" of his system. It was something older. Something vast.
"Hahahahaha..."
Julian Reed froze. The librarian from the archives was no longer just making a game. He was standing on the tracks of the stars.