Iono knew she had walked into a trap. She had bought the game, hyped it up, and promised her chat she would play it. Backing out now would be career suicide.
She sighed internally, putting on her best streamer smile.
"Alright! Let's see what we've got! Is it WASD or arrow keys?"
She tapped the keys, guiding her character out of the moving truck. As the pixelated world of Littleroot Town unfolded on her monitor, her eyes widened.
Iono had played hundreds of indie games. Usually, "pixel art" meant lazy, blocky sprites. But this? This was art. The way the light dappled through the leaves, the reflections in the water, the fluid animation of the grass... it was breathtaking.
The chat noticed it too.
[Whoa. Since when does pixel art look this good?]
[Is this really a one-man dev team? The lighting engine is insane!]
[Okay, it looks pretty, but is it fun? Graphics don't mean gameplay!]
Iono breezed through the tutorial. She met Professor Birch being chased by the Poochyena. When the time came to choose a starter, a text box popped up.
[System Notification: Intelligent Interaction Unlocked!]
[Press 'E' to interact via voice or text. You can speak freely to any character or Pokémon.]
Iono raised a sculpted eyebrow.
"Real voice interaction? In a pixel game?" She scoffed. "Yeah, right. It's probably just keyword recognition."
She decided to test it. She pressed 'E' while facing Professor Birch.
"Hello, Professor! Can I have an Electric-type Pokémon instead? I don't want these three."
She expected a generic "I don't understand" or for him to ignore her entirely. The game was scripted to offer Torchic, Treecko, or Mudkip. There was no way around it.
To her shock, Professor Birch turned to look at her.
"Oh? You prefer Electric-types? You should have said so earlier! I actually have a special one back at the lab."
He paused, crossing his arms. "But first, tell me: Why do you like Electric-types so much?"
Iono froze.
"Eh? Is that... actually AI?"
She shook her head. No. It has to be a keyword trigger. I said 'Electric-type,' so it triggered a hidden script.
The chat agreed.
[Definitely scripted. A hidden Easter egg.]
[Still cool though! The dev really thought of everything.]
[It's not real AI. Don't fall for it, Iono!]
Iono narrowed her eyes. "Alright, let's play along."
She pressed 'E' again. This time, she spoke from the heart.
"Because Electric-types are flashy! They're fast, powerful, and full of energy! Just like me! They bring the spark that keeps the audience watching!"
Professor Birch nodded enthusiastically, clapping his hands.
"Well said! Passion is the most important trait for a Trainer! Honestly, I love them too. My favorite is Pikachu—that lightning-bolt tail is just irresistible, isn't it?"
Iono paused. That response... felt too natural.
If it were a script, it was an incredibly complex one.
"Let's break it," she whispered. "Let's ask something impossible."
She pressed 'E'.
"Professor, off-topic question: Which is better, Miso soup or Curry rice? And why?"
The character on screen blinked. He looked genuinely confused for a moment.
"Huh? That's... a sudden question."
He rubbed his chin. "Well, if I had to choose, I'd say Curry. Especially with plenty of potatoes and carrots. And I prefer beef over chicken—it makes the stew richer!"
Iono's jaw dropped.
The chat went dead silent for a second, then exploded.
[WTF?!]
[Did he just have a preference on curry ingredients?!]
[That's not a script! There's no way the dev wrote a script for curry preference!]
[Is this... actually AGI? In a 200MB game?!]
[Where is the guy who shouted 'False Advertising'? Come out and apologize!]
Iono was reeling. "It's real," she murmured. "Full AI integration."
"Alright," Birch continued in-game. "Back to business. Since you want an Electric-type, let me check the storage."
He walked over to a machine, typed a few commands, and a Poké Ball materialized.
"How about this little one?"
He released it. A small, fluffy sheep with blue skin and a glowing tail bulb appeared.
A Mareep.
Iono squealed. "Yes! It's perfect!"
"Thank you, Professor!"
She spent the next ten minutes testing the limits. She typed "Pet Mareep," and her character knelt down to stroke the sheep's wool. The Mareep closed its eyes, baaing happily, and nuzzled her leg. A heart icon floated above its head.
[This interaction is better than Dream Factory's AAA games!]
[Look at how cute it is! I want one!]
[I take it back. 288 is a steal for this.]
Iono finally dragged herself away from the Mareep to continue the story. She named her rival "Banana King" (Brendan).
To her surprise, and the chat's disappointment, she didn't fight Brendan on Route 103. They just synced Pokédexes.
"Aww," Iono pouted. "I wanted to test my Mareep in battle. When do I get to fight?"
She headed toward the next town.
Suddenly, a cloud of grey smog exploded from the grass, blinding the screen.
[Smoke Screen!]
Three silhouettes emerged from the fog.
"Huh?" Iono blinked. "A random encounter?"
Then, a bombastic orchestral track kicked in. A male voice boomed.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
The fog cleared. A woman with gravity-defying magenta hair. A man with blue hair holding a rose. And a Meowth standing on its hind legs.
They struck poses against a galaxy background.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
The Meowth jumped forward, grinning.
"Meowth! That's right!"
Iono stared at the screen. The chat stared at the screen.
Silence.
Then, chaos.
[WHAT?!]
[IS THAT TEAM ROCKET?!]
[LMAO THE INTRO!]
[Wait, Team Rocket? The terrorist organization from Kanto? Why are they in the game?!]
[Are they comedians? This is hilarious!]
[The dev has guts putting a real criminal syndicate in the game!]
Team Rocket was infamous. They were a legitimate threat years ago in Kanto before being suppressed by the Alliance. Putting them in a game was... bold.
But Iono focused on something else.
"Wait," she gasped. "Did that Meowth just talk?"
[Holy crap! It did!]
[A talking Pokémon?!]
[It's just a game, guys. Talking cats aren't real.]
[If I saw a talking Meowth in real life, I'd faint.]
Thousands of miles away.
In a damp, dimly lit warehouse.
"Achoo!"
A Meowth sitting on a ragged sofa sneezed violently. He wiped his nose with a paw.
"Huh?"
His eyes lit up with hope.
"Could it be... did the Boss finally remember me, Meow?"