"Where's this? The control room?"
In a dim room, a figure faced away from the player, oppressive BGM swelling. As he turned, revealing a face iconic from the anime, kids gasped in front of their TVs. "It's Giovanni! Viridian Gym's leader!"
The sudden boss battle shifted the game's tone. Giovanni's cold glare and intense music spiked kids' pulses. "How's it him?!"
Gone was the carefree Pokémon Park. Machamp, Rhydon, and Kingler—terrifying in the anime—were relentless in-game. Rhydon shrugged off Pikachu's shocks; Machamp's four arms swung impenetrably, Squirtle's water gun tickling it. "No way! Can't win!" "My Bulbasaur got pinched out by that crab!"
The breezy park adventure turned into a brutal test of skill and strategy. Living rooms echoed with kids' frustrated shouts and frantic controller clicks. Fail, retry, fail again. Some kids, teary-eyed, roped in siblings or dads for "family strategy teams." Far from discouraging, the challenge ignited their competitive spirit.
Forums and schoolyards buzzed with Giovanni tactics. "Use Squirtle! Hit Rhydon's back—it works!" "Don't get greedy with Machamp; dodge its rhythmic punches!" After countless tries, when Giovanni's final Pokémon—his massive Kingler—fell to Pikachu's desperate Thunderbolt, TVs erupted in cheers. Some kids leapt off couches, fists pumping.
Victory music blared as players, sweaty and breathless, rushed their character into the deepest room, expecting a reward. But it was empty. As confusion set in, the main screen flickered. An unseen Pokémon, clad in cold metallic armor, flashed by, its aura dwarfing Giovanni's team. Text appeared: "This summer, Pokémon: The Movie — *Mewtwo Strikes Back*. Stay tuned."
Silence. Then, an explosion. The discovery detonated across player communities. "They hid clues in the game, just like the anime said!" A casual title ended not with a cutscene but a movie teaser, perfectly synced with the anime's ads. "I saw that armored Pokémon on TV, and now here!" "It's called Mewtwo? A legendary? What's 'strikes back' mean?"
Speculation about the "armored Pokémon" and movie plot dominated. Game sales surged as curious players rushed stores to see the cinematic Easter egg. As the teaser's hype spread, GALLOP, per Sega's plan, aired *Mewtwo Strikes Back*'s official trailer after prime-time anime.
The 90-second trailer was a visual leap from the TV series. It opened in a sterile lab, a vague figure curled in a glass tank, surrounded by blinking machines and white-coated scientists. Close-ups showed metal armor plates locking onto the Pokémon, chillingly mechanical. "Who am I? Why am I here?" a low, confused voiceover hushed living rooms. Kids who'd seen the game's silhouette pointed, shouting, "It's him!"
The lab exploded, Mewtwo hovering in flames, eyes vacant. A casual wave shredded everything. The trailer ended with the film's title, sparking endless chatter. "It's stronger than Giovanni's Rhydon!" "That's the game's final figure!"
The next day, schools exploded with talk. Cleared players were campus stars, recounting the egg; those without MDs burned with envy. The trailer, riding the game's breakout, amplified the film's hype beyond normal reach.
Sega's marketing department was swamped with calls. "Nakayama-san, TV stations are losing it," Masao Suzuki burst in, grinning. "The ones whining about our ad rates now want to air the trailer as a 'cultural phenomenon' on news shows."
Takuya, typing on his computer, barely looked up. "Free ads? Take it."
"Propaganda team's on it," Suzuki laughed. "GALLOP's buzzing too—Toho's execs are begging for distribution rights. This social wave could make *Mewtwo Strikes Back* a box-office bomb."
"Our strategy worked," Takuya nodded, saving his file and ejecting the floppy. "We're not just selling a game—we've crafted an 'event' you can only fully experience through it."
The game was the movie's prequel and first hype wave. Curious about that armored Pokémon? Beat the game. This interactive narrative turned anticipation into a frenzy, transforming "I beat the game" into "I unveiled a saga's opening."
Takuya leaned back, resolute. "Can't wait to see the movie's performance."
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