Chapter 3: Cynthia's First Experience (4K)
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It was clear that at this moment, not only was Cynthia stunned by the price of this game, but the viewers in the livestream room were also completely taken aback, unable to hold back their comments:
“288?? Such a pixelated mini-game, barely a few hundred megabytes in size, how much content could it possibly have? And they dare charge 288??”
“The developer must be really generous. They could’ve just taken our money outright, but instead, they actually made a game as a gift for us...”
“Even Angry Stone only dared to sell theirs for 99, and the Battle Road Season Pass was just 150. Why on earth is this one so expensive?”
“I bet they’re just trying to cash in on that 100,000 prize hype and then disappear. Pixel games with gimmicky descriptions like this aren’t new to me.”
Unbeknownst to the crowd, Cynthia’s thoughts were far more complex regarding the cover featuring Rayquaza and the game’s creator. To them, this was merely an outrageously overpriced cash grab, so naturally, their criticism poured out.
After all, what good game sells for 288?
Yet, in the next moment, under everyone’s watchful eyes, Cynthia pressed the purchase button and proceeded to pay.
The chat fell silent instantly.
Seconds later, the screen filled with flying question marks.
“???”
“Calm down!! Honey!! I can afford it, but you can’t just spend like this!!”
“Whoa, 288 without batting an eye?”
“The dev must be crazy!”
Facing these comments, Cynthia quickly responded.
“Everyone, please don’t worry. I’m interested precisely because the price is so high.”
“If the content isn’t good, as a game tester, I can get a full refund.”
“Rest assured, according to the description, this game involves Pokémon battles, and if I manage to clear it, there’s a 100,000 prize waiting.”
Her explanation brought some understanding to the chat.
“That makes sense. Since the official league website posts this description, if someone clears it and the prize isn’t paid, the developer would be arrested.”
“LOL, the dev probably thought to make it super hard to cash out and run, but they didn’t expect the first player to be the Sinnoh champion!”
“Exactly, and Nana here is the league’s appointed professional game tester; if she’s not satisfied, a refund is doable anytime.”
“Ha! The dev just sold one copy and might owe 100,000 already…”
“Actually, it’s 99,722 to be precise—let’s be accurate.”
Watching the chat mellow into playful banter, Cynthia breathed a sigh of relief. She certainly couldn’t reveal the true reasons behind her interest in the game cover and its creator. Information about legendary Pokémon of that caliber was classified; revealing it to the public could cause panic or worse.
So, she needed a plausible explanation for buying the game.
Moreover, when she saw the price, a thought struck her unexpectedly...
Maybe this game really is worth that much.
—Who else but an extraordinary person would know the legendary Pokémon Rayquaza? Would they really make a cheap cash grab game?
Besides, 288 was not much for her.
So, why not find out for herself?
Ultimately, the true goal was to be the first to clear the game and obtain contact with the developer.
With that resolve, Cynthia took a deep breath and, under the gaze of the livestream audience, clicked the download button.
The greatest advantage of pixel games was their small size. Moments later, a crisp “ding” sounded, and a green gem icon suddenly appeared on Cynthia’s desktop.
Clicking it, a window popped up.
After a black screen, a drop of water fell from a verdant leaf, accompanied by dynamic electronic music, rippling the pond below.
The camera panned up to a vast grassy plain bathed in sunlight, where a young man wearing a green bandana rode a bicycle, racing with the wind.
Countless Pokémon appeared alongside him: a charging Electivire, a flying Vibrava, a trailing Volbeat...
There was also an adorable Torchic, clumsily scampering forward on its little claws, stumbling once but quickly recovering, as if afraid of being left behind.
The camera lifted again, the screen exploded with light, and then the emerald-green game logo appeared—
Pokémon: Emerald
This opening animation made Cynthia pause in surprise.
Half a year ago, after being invited by the league as a special game tester, she had tried many games on stream.
Pixel games were part of them, and in her memory, they were characterized by simple, rough graphics and a focus on core gameplay.
After all, pixel games had the lowest production costs, making them the top choice for many creative developers and studios lacking startup funds.
But correspondingly, their visual quality was usually poor.
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Yet now, just this opening animation completely shattered her perception of pixel games.
Though still pixelated, the visuals were exquisitely refined, even possessing a three-dimensional feel, as if truly unfolding before her eyes.
At this moment, merely from the opening scene, Cynthia immediately judged:
—This is definitely not a cheap cash grab!
Meanwhile, viewers noticed something unusual and began commenting:
“Whoa? Is this a pixel game?”
“How come the graphics and presentation feel so strong?”
“The music’s rhythm is amazing! One listen and I’m hooked...”
“Although it’s no Champion Road-level intro, this is way more polished than any other game I’ve seen!”
“Oh no, could it really be worth 288?”
Cynthia glanced at the chat and shook her head slightly.
An animation alone wasn’t worth 288.
The true test would be the game’s actual content.
But surprisingly, she felt a flicker of anticipation.
She took a deep breath and pressed the X key as prompted.
The logo vanished, replaced by a message:
“Please enter your name.”
After hesitation, Cynthia typed:
“Strawberry Ice Cream”
Among all sweets, ice cream was her favorite, and strawberry was her preferred flavor.
The screen responded:
“Welcome to the world of Pokémon, Strawberry Ice Cream.”
“An adventure filled with courage and friendship awaits you!”
“Never forget your original intentions; with bonds and passion, become the strongest Pokémon Trainer!”
At this, the chat burst forth.
“She still loves ice cream so much, I’m crying.”
“Haha, what if I said the streamer is already the world’s strongest trainer? How would you respond?”
Cynthia stared at those words, suddenly caught off guard.
Courage, friendship...
Bonds and passion...
Her eyes shimmered with a different emotion.
After a long moment, she took a deep breath and solemnly pressed the Start button.
...
Upon officially entering the game, her avatar—a little girl wearing a green hat—was on a moving truck.
Jumping down, her “mom” greeted her and explained the situation: the player and family had moved to a new home in the town of Littleroot in the Hoenn region.
This day marked the important occasion of receiving the starter Pokémon and beginning the journey as a Trainer.
As Cynthia played, the exquisite architecture of Littleroot Town surprised her again.
Though she had never visited the Hoenn region, the style of the buildings matched perfectly with her memories of the area.
It was clear the developer had painstakingly researched and cross-referenced real examples.
The swaying grass, blooming flowers, even the Pokémon accompanying town residents—everything was vivid, albeit slightly pixelated, yet lifelike.
—Could a pixel game really achieve this?
As the story progressed, after setting the clock at home and meeting a neighbor’s boy, he asked Cynthia to call out his name.
Not realizing he would become a rival, Cynthia—never good at naming—simply typed “Black-Haired Boy,” prompting laughter in the chat.
“Nana’s like that; can’t name anything without ice cream.”
“Haha, glad the champion can’t name either; I feel better now.”
Meanwhile, discussions about the gameplay emerged:
“Next up must be choosing a Pokémon, right? How will they make battle animations in a pixel game? Seems impossible.”
“Maybe they skip battle animations? The scenery’s already nice enough, like a travelogue?”
“Can’t be, the description said the difficulty is high, with warnings about heart attacks and strokes.”
...
While chat debated, Cynthia’s character reached a forest entrance above the town.
A desperate cry echoed—a Mightyena was chasing a professor in a lab coat.
Cynthia blinked.
That professor looked familiar...
Wasn’t that Professor Birch from Hoenn?
“Strawberry Ice Cream!! You came just in time! There are Poké Balls in that bag—please help me!”
The dialogue box popped up.
The chat erupted in amusement.
“Whoa, Professor Birch, is that you? Long time no see, you’ve gotten so pathetic a Mightyena’s chasing you?!”
“Hoenn’s top research scientist asking Sinnoh’s strongest champion for help with a dog biting his butt—I must be dreaming...”
“Hahaha Strawberry Ice Cream, please help me hahaha!”
“Hey, your chat’s too loud, stop bothering me!”
...
At the same time, the Pokémon selection screen appeared before Cynthia.
Three Poké Balls corresponded respectively to:
A fiery little bird with orange-yellow fluff: Torchic.
A lizard-like creature holding a twig, cool and stylish: Treecko.
A sturdy, honest-looking water-type: Mudkip.
These were the classic Hoenn starter Pokémon, popular choices among new Trainers in that region.
Cynthia considered carefully.
If the game was truly difficult, her choice of starter Pokémon was crucial.
She would rely on it heavily in the early stages.
The chat offered suggestions:
“Pick Torchic! So cute!”
“Mudkip forever! Like my Swampert, the pentagonal warrior?”
“When does the quadruple-weak-to-grass one get to the table? Here’s a grass slide for you!”
“Maybe Treecko? I think Treecko’s pretty balanced, and its evolution Sceptile can fight well.”
...
She weighed the chat’s advice with her own thoughts and soon made her choice—Treecko.
Her reason: she had always been a bit interested in Treecko.
Besides, grass-types had early advantages, with moves like Absorb and Leech Seed to restore health.
A dazzling ripple appeared on the screen, and the game swiftly switched to battle mode.
An intense battle theme erupted, a thrilling mix of pounding drums and orchestral electronic harmonies that stirred the blood.
Seeing the interface and options, Cynthia immediately understood the battle system.
—Turn-based.
Simply put: each side acts in turns; whoever is faster strikes first.
For a pixel game, this seemed the most fitting battle method.
Controlling Treecko to use “Pound” to attack, Cynthia spoke to the livestream audience:
“From what I see, this game is quite creative.”
“But I’ve never encountered a Pokémon battle game using turn-based combat before. I wonder how deep this system goes.”
The chat chimed in with opinions:
“Yeah, turn-based might work...”
“You move, then I move, sounds boring. No real skill, just who has better types and levels wins?”
“That’s definitely a problem.”
“Great graphics, amazing music, creative ideas, but the battle system’s weak and dull—just stat comparison. Not as good as Battle Road. Five stars overall, four stars for battles, certified.”
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