The old fox knows the tricks of the trade. Nakayama Hayao instantly understood the underlying strategy.
This wasn't just about rescue efforts; it was a textbook example of brand infiltration, executed with a human touch.
"I approve this on behalf of the board," Nakayama Hayao said, crushing his cigarette butt. "Also, transfer another 300 million yen from the company accounts to the Red Cross. No donation ceremonies, no banners. Mix the supplies in with the rescue convoys. Making a spectacle of this now would earn us nothing but scorn."
"Understood."
The moment Takuya Nakayama left the President's office, he headed straight to "Sega Galaxy."
As the overall director of the Pokémon series, Kunihiko Yuyama no longer handled the day-to-day directing of the TV anime. His primary responsibilities now involved reviewing scripts and storyboards, as well as overseeing the production of the theatrical films.
He was currently reviewing storyboards when Takuya entered. Before Yuyama could even greet him, his shoulder was gripped.
"Mr. Yuyama, stop what you're doing," Takuya Nakayama said, his words rapid yet distinct. "I need you to lead a team, in collaboration with the Animation Department, to produce a short film within 24 hours. The main characters should be Pikachu and Squirtle, with no dialogue and no Sega logos. The film should focus on them rescuing people from disaster sites and comforting children. The music needs to be warm and uplifting, something that will inspire disaster victims."
Kunihiko Yuyama paused, then removed his glasses and nodded firmly. "What's the title?"
"Pokémon by Your Side," Takuya Nakayama said, gazing out at the hazy, gray sky. "Have the Public Relations Department contact all major TV stations. This film will be licensed free of charge as a public service announcement. I'll have the PR Department discuss related activities with you later, but make sure to downplay any commercial aspects."
"I understand. I saw the news earlier and was thinking of doing something myself. I'll get started right away."
Leaving Sega Galaxy, Takuya Nakayama headed straight for the Marketing Headquarters on the third floor.
Even before he reached the door, the din of voices reached his ears.
Normally, this office buzzed with discussions about cartridge sales and game release schedules. Today, however, it was filled with anxious shouts and the frequent sound of phones being hung up.
A thick smell of tar permeated the air as a few old-timers puffed away at their cigarettes by the window, clearly using the space as a makeshift smoking lounge.
"Managing Director!"
The head of Marketing Headquarters, Takuya Nakayama, had barely entered when the man rushed to stub out his half-smoked cigarette and frantically rummaged through the files piled on his desk, pulling out a crumpled memo.
His eyes were dark-rimmed, and his tie was loosened, suggesting he'd just been through a chaotic ordeal.
"Contact Osaka?" Takuya Nakayama cut straight to the point, interrupting the man's greetings.
"Yes, just two minutes ago." The department head handed over the memo, which was scribbled with a few key points. "All regular communication lines are down. We had to borrow a satellite phone from a TV Tokyo reporter covering the story to send back word that everyone's safe."
Takuya Nakayama glanced at the memo, and the knot in his stomach loosened slightly.
The Osaka Branch Office was located in a Umeda high-rise, a steel-and-concrete structure built during the late 1980s, at the peak of the bubble economy.
According to the report, aside from dozens of monitors knocked to the floor and filing cabinets toppled like dominoes, the building's main structure hadn't sustained a single significant crack.
"What about the personnel?" Takuya slapped the memo onto the desk.
"All employees accounted for so far are safe," the department head reported, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Only a few residents of the Old Town had their homes collapse and suffered minor abrasions. Fortunately, there are no serious injuries." He spoke with a tone of relief. "Although the earthquake was strong in Osaka City, it primarily affected the pre-war wooden row houses. Buildings like our Branch Office, constructed to new seismic standards, only experienced minor plaster damage."
He gestured out the window. "But that area is now a disaster zone. Water pipes have burst, causing widespread flooding, and the gas lines have been shut off for safety. The Branch Office reports that Umeda is like an isolated island without water. Forget about office work; just clearing the shattered glass and collapsed shelves will take two or three days."
Given that the personnel were safe and the building still stood, this was a fortunate outcome.
As the hub of Kansai, Osaka's resilience would ensure Sega's foundation there remained intact.
"Inform the Osaka office to suspend normal attendance requirements for the next month," Takuya Nakayama declared decisively, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Use the Branch Office as a temporary employee shelter. Prioritize distributing bottled water and compressed biscuits from the warehouse to employees whose homes were damaged. Also, have them clear a space—the supply convoy from Yokohama might need to use the branch as a transit point."
"Understood. I'll have someone stationed to guard the satellite phone immediately," the Minister said, nodding vigorously before plunging back into the ringing phones.
Back in his office, Takuya Nakayama grabbed the phone on his desk and dialed home.
The call was answered after just one ring, indicating Eri had been waiting by the phone.
"It's me," Takuya said, his voice steady as he offered reassurance before Eri could speak. "The Osaka Branch reported that the damage there isn't too severe. The buildings at risk of collapse are mostly pre-war structures."
A long sigh came from the other end, as if a weight had finally been lifted from her chest.
"What about the other districts in Osaka City?" Eri's voice still held a tremor. "Grandfather's old house is made of wood."
"Remember the major renovation two years ago?" Takuya shifted the receiver to his other hand, his fingers absently drawing circles on the desktop. "They spent a full twenty million yen reinforcing the foundation and replacing the load-bearing pillars. Those craftsmen used Yoshino cypress—the same wood used for shrines—and the mortise-and-tenon construction is incredibly earthquake-resistant. Unless a fault line runs directly beneath the house, it should be fine."
Rational analysis was more effective than empty comfort.
Eri's emotions had clearly stabilized, but the anxiety over the communication outage remained.
"NTT lines will likely be down for a while longer. Only satellite phones are working now," Takuya Nakayama thought. "That kid Ryota is a social news reporter at TV Tokyo, right? With an event this big, they'll definitely send a helicopter or a broadcast van."
"You mean—"
"Have your father contact the front lines. The media outlets have satellite phones. They could swing by to check on the old man's safety on the way—it's better than us just sitting here in Tokyo worrying."
"I'll call Dad right now!"
After hanging up, Nakayama Eri immediately dialed the direct line to the President's office at TV Tokyo without hesitation.
Toranomon, TV Tokyo Headquarters.
Junsei Nakagawa frowned, staring at the row of surveillance monitors on the wall.
While other networks were constantly updating with disaster reports, his station was still running its morning animation as usual. It wasn't that they didn't want to cover the crisis, but rather that they lacked sufficient on-site footage. Rather than rehashing footage from other channels, they decided to focus on maintaining their regular programming first.
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