"Let's just skip the small games."
Only then did Bai Ze turn his attention to the remaining game data, carefully filtering through it and immediately passing over those mini-games.
Because those were just trivial little games — no special restrictions, simple rules anyone could figure out. Bai Ze didn't need the system's information for those, and his entry-level virtual game design skill was more than enough to make them.
Sure, he might tinker with those later, but they weren't interesting enough to be his first real project.
As Bai Ze kept scrolling, he suddenly exclaimed, "This is still here?"
His gaze landed on the "Pokémon" data he had noticed earlier — but only the information for the first generation was available. Nothing on any later versions.
"Can I actually make this?"
He was a bit skeptical himself, especially since the exchange cost for this data was exactly 1,000 points.
"The host can create it," the system responded after a brief pause, sounding almost like a reminder: "Because the most basic virtual world is ready, the host can create Pokémon."
"Ready-made?"
Bai Ze mulled it over, then his eyes suddenly lit up with a brilliant idea. "That's it!"
"The Pokémon world is basically just a normal world! Why not just use the existing second world template?"
The Pokémon world's setting was, after all, just an ordinary world — the only difference was that it was inhabited by these cute, magical creatures called Pokémon.
Since the system had confirmed it, Bai Ze didn't hesitate. He exchanged the first-generation Pokémon data immediately.
On his panel, the point balance dropped to zero, and a ball of light slowly merged into his body.
Just like when absorbing the game design skill, after the light faded, all the information and materials for the first generation of Pokémon were firmly imprinted in Bai Ze's mind.
At the same time, the exchange store quietly updated to show the second-generation Pokémon data — also priced at 1,000 points.
Bai Ze took a quick glance and realized: since much of the second generation built upon the first, he couldn't skip ahead. He'd have to redeem all the data, generation by generation.
After digesting the Pokémon info in his mind, Bai Ze felt the power of his golden finger once again.
Some of the Pokémon data was far more complex than he'd imagined.
The stats for each species, their height, weight — these were just the basics.
If Bai Ze tried to think through all of it on his own, he wouldn't know how long it would take, much less handle the complicated attribute relationships, characteristics, and skill moves.
For a game to become popular and stay that way, balance was the key (beep beep, water-breathing dragon).
Because Pokémon had eighteen different attributes, hundreds of moves, and countless attribute combinations, there were strengths and weaknesses—but no ridiculously broken combos (aside from mythical Pokémon, which don't compete in regular matches).
(For example, the bug-and-fire-breathing dragon combo wasn't too overpowered. The simplest was the soul-stealing eye with magic protection characteristics. Before the fairy type appeared, it was nearly unstoppable.)
Without the ready-made info, just balancing the over one hundred Pokémon in the first generation would have worn Bai Ze out.
But now, all he had to do was be a diligent code farmer, embedding the existing Pokémon data into the ready-made virtual world — like applying a formula tested and proven countless times.
Still, Bai Ze didn't rush to start designing his virtual game, because… it was lunchtime.
With a thought, the scene before him shifted back to the luxurious room in his time travel home — a room larger than his entire previous house.
Entering this virtual space was just Bai Ze's mental projection, like playing a game only he could enter. In reality, Bai Ze sat comfortably in his chair, the computer screen before him in sleep mode.
Suddenly, a knock came at the door.
Knock knock knock.
"Ozawa, come out to eat!"
"Oh, coming!"
Bai Ze replied, shutting down the computer and walking out.
Opening the door, a plump and beautiful woman stood there. Seeing Bai Ze, she stepped forward with a gentle smile, tidying his messy clothes and softly saying:
"Don't wear yourself out. If you really can't manage, I'll ask your father to help push this task aside."
"Mom, don't worry. I already have a solution."
Bai Ze paused briefly, then smiled, helping the woman beside him as they walked downstairs slowly.
Naturally, this woman was his mother in this life — Hua Yunyun.
In his previous life, Bai Ze had grown up in an orphanage, so after merging memories, he'd worried about feeling out of place with his parents in this life. Yet her gentle voice alone was enough to let down his guard.
"Is there a solution?"
Hua Yunyun looked at him hesitantly, a trace of doubt in her eyes. Softly, she said,
"Don't try to fool me. You've always had a good face since you were little — otherwise, you wouldn't have taken on so many errands. But this time is different. Even if you can't handle it well, you can't just mess around blindly."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm confident. Let's eat — I'm starving!"
Bai Ze said no more, supporting Hua Yunyun by the shoulder as they moved forward.
…
At the round dining table, besides Bai Ze and Hua Yunyun, three others were already seated:
A middle-aged man with a stern expression, and a young boy and girl.
"Brother, come here quickly, I'm starving!" the girl in her twenties called softly.
"Coming, you're the most impatient."
Bai Ze walked over and sat beside her, while Hua Yunyun glanced worriedly at the middle-aged man. Before she could speak, the man said:
"Let's eat first, we'll talk after."
This was Bai Ze's first meal in this world.
Fortunately, his family here was well-off and free of drama.
The middle-aged man was Bai Ze's father in this life — Bai Rufeng.
The boy and girl were his older brother Bai Zihua and younger sister Bai Ziyue.
Bai Ze took a few extra glances at Bai Zihua's face. Though this Bai Zihua looked different from the one he remembered, he was undeniably handsome.
His features were stellar; his eyebrows and eyes sharp like swords. All the traits that could describe a handsome man seemed to be on him. Bai Ze compared himself silently, then shrugged.
No matter how handsome, he was still his brother. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
Bai Ziyue's looks didn't need much description either. Bai Ze cast a glance at his somewhat tacky parents and thought, well, at least he hadn't inherited everything from them.