"A new era of reality begins not with the turning of a calendar, but the flicker of code. And in that flicker, a universe awakens."
[BREAKING GLOBAL NEWS — LIVE FROM THE UNITED TECH FRONT]
The broadcast was being projected across every major city, every smart device, every screen embedded in car windshields and apartment walls.
The logo of Aetherlight Industries spun gently in the corner of the transmission as the news anchor leaned forward, voice sharp with urgency.
"This just in — Aetherlight Industries, in collaboration with 18 global superpowers and the International VR Governance Assembly, has officially launched the most advanced virtual experience in human history — the full-dive, open-world simulator: PokéWorld."
A sweeping view of digital landscapes filled the screen. Vast forests, glowing oceans, bustling cities teeming with Trainers and Pokémon.
The level of detail was staggering — photorealistic textures, atmospheric lighting, and weather systems that reacted to players' emotions and location.
"Backed by over a decade of cross-disciplinary development and powered by Aetherlight's proprietary Neural Integration Framework.
The game boasts a realism threshold of 99.9%, effectively making it indistinguishable from reality."
Clips flashed across the feed — a Charizard roaring as it tore through the sky, a Pikachu leaping across rooftops in an urban setting, Trainers standing on mountain peaks with wind rustling their cloaks.
"To ensure fairness and eliminate human corruption, all in-game systems are governed by The Core — an autonomous AI.
It was Constructed from the collective intelligence of seven quantum supercomputers, trained on trillions of battle simulations, neural behavior patterns, and emotional datasets."
"The Core is certified unhackable and has been granted full autonomy by the United Nations — the first AI in history allowed to operate free of corporate or national oversight."
A pause. The anchor's voice softened.
"With over 78 million players connected in the first hour alone… experts aren't calling PokéWorld a game. They're calling it a civilization."
The screen faded.
The anchor's voice dissolved into a synthetic hum, replaced by silence.
A dimly lit bedroom appeared — quiet, modest. A single device sat on the desk: the chrome-trimmed Aetherlight Nexus Helmet.
Soft blue lines pulsed across its surface like veins of living light.
A boy leaned back in his chair, his face expressionless.
Black hair fell messily over his eyes. He wasn't amazed or excited like the others. He was… calm.
Cold, focused.
"They don't know what this world really is…"
He stood and walked slowly toward the desk, brushing his fingers across the visor like one might touch a blade.
"But I do."
Click.
The helmet powered up, surrounding him with a soft glow as the lights dimmed around the room.
He sat on his bed, exhaled, and slid the device onto his head.
WELCOME TO POKÉWORLD. YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS.
A flash of light.
His body disappeared from the physical world.
[CHARACTER CREATION INTERFACE]
A pure white space. His consciousness floated inside what looked like a high-tech cathedral of data and choices. In front of him, a floating panel materialized.
"Enter Character Name."
He didn't hesitate.
SPEEDRUNNER
"Good enough," he muttered, already skipping through the menus. "I'll change it later anyway."
Character appearance.
He set his skin to pale, his hair black and tousled, eyes shadowed just enough to look distant.
Clothing: dark hoodie, boots, sleek and subtle.
"Hmm… low-key, right?"
He clicked confirm, not realizing just how much this aesthetic would make him stand out in a crowd of flamboyant avatars.
[SPAWN POINT: AETHERLIGHT METROPOLIS]
With a flicker, the white void vanished — replaced by a sensory overload of life.
He stood in the middle of a sprawling city square, light towers glowing in the dusk, giant billboards flickering with Pokémon battles, hover-cars sliding silently in sky rails above.
Players walked everywhere, some stunned, others cheering, many still stumbling from their first login.
"So this is Aetherlight Metropolis, huh?"
He cracked his fingers and neck, stretching his arms as he glanced around.
"Looks real. Feels real. Even smells real…"
He took a deep breath. A faint scent of city air and blooming Lumina flowers.
"Honestly… I'm still surprised this all worked. But a second chance is a second chance."
"Might as well take it."
He opened his palm, and a faint pulse of blue light formed a holographic ring of options in front of him.
[SYSTEM MENU ACTIVATED]
Inventory. Map. Friends. Chat. Trainer Info. Settings. AL Dex (Locked).
He blinked, then tapped Inventory, more out of curiosity than reason. Inside, he found only one item:
→ Guidebook (Beginner Version)
He opened it and skimmed the pages.
"Surface-level knowledge. Controls, features, how to walk, how to battle, how to breathe. Nothing advanced."
He closed the guidebook with a sigh.
"Seems like they want us to figure it all out ourselves, huh?"
A faint smirk.
"Good thing… I already know it all."
He returned to the main system menu. One tab caught his eye: AL Dex — grayed out and locked.
"So a Pokédex-style system too? Interesting."
Another tab: Chat
He tapped it. It exploded into options — World Chat, Local Chat, Guilds, Friend Requests. A barrage of emojis and spam flew past.
"No thanks. Not for now."
He closed it immediately.
Instead, he tapped Map. A 3D render of the Aetherlight Metropolis bloomed in front of him — shops, parks, battle arenas, guild towers, healing centers, and… there.
Professor's Lab.
He locked on the location.
"Time to get my starter."
He exhaled.
His eyes changed.
A flicker of clarity — like someone flipping a switch inside his brain.
Then he ran.
Fast. Controlled. Efficient.
His legs moved like a trained athlete's. In seconds, he crossed the square.
He weaved through player crowds, memorizing every landmark he passed:
The Mart with various items, the pokecenter, the Guild Hall with four banners waving.
He even parkoured briefly, vaulting a fence, sliding across a slope, landing cleanly near the lab's outer plaza.
The professor's lab was crowded, new Trainers buzzing with energy.
A few glanced at him as he walked in — his appearance quiet but intimidating.
He moved like someone who wasn't new.
The lab interior was gleaming white, full of digital lights and floating panels.
A robotic assistant guided him forward.
"Welcome, Trainer. Select your Starter Pokémon."
A long, glowing list appeared — All Starter Pokémon from every region: Kanto to Paldea.
Gasps echoed through the room.
"No way, they're giving us full region access?"
"Bro, what do I choose? I can't decide!"
"Cyndaquil or Rowlet? Wait, what if I regret it—"
"Whatever, Let's just choose a fire type."
The crowd buzzed with indecision.
But he was silent.
Focused.
Without hesitation, he tapped:
Froakie
The system shimmered.
A Pokéball floated toward him.
He caught it, flipping it once in his hand before slotting it into his belt.
"Hasty nature," he read, checking the stats.
"IVs decent… Ability?"
A line blinked into place.
PROTEAN
He paused.
Then smirked.
"I'm lucky as f*ck."
Suddenly, a soft chime echoed.
[NEW SYSTEM FEATURE UNLOCKED: AL DEX]
The locked tab on his system menu lit up in neon blue, no longer gray.
He tapped it.
A high-tech Pokédex appeared, integrated with battle simulations, genetic models, and ecological scanning. Far more than a regular Dex.
"The AL Dex… huh."
He slid Froakie's data into the Dex and watched as a full 3D model appeared — stats, mood, even hydration levels.
"This… isn't just a game."
"This is war disguised as wonder."
And with that, he turned, stepping back into the crowd of confused Trainers.
He didn't look back.
His journey had already begun.