While the chat room was busy dissecting the "outdated" turn-based mechanics, Cynthia was deep in thought.
Turn-based.
On the surface, it seemed simplistic compared to the real-time simulation of Battle Road. In Battle Road, the lag between issuing a voice command and the Pokémon executing it mimicked the chaos of real battle. It felt immersive.
But any simulation had a fatal flaw: the developer needed to understand every nuance of every Pokémon.
Battle Road tried, backed by a team of hundreds, but it was riddled with errors. Cynthia had seen a Piplup using Grass-type moves and a Torkoal somehow gaining the Flying type due to a coding bug. It was annoying, but expected. The sheer volume of data was overwhelming.
So, how could this indie developer, "Vance," manage it alone?
She watched her Treecko battle.
[Treecko used Pound!]
The animation was crisp. Treecko spun, tail slamming into the Poochyena. The HP bar dropped by exactly 50%.
[Poochyena used Tackle!]
Treecko flinched, taking a small chunk of damage.
[Treecko used Pound!]
Poochyena fainted. The battle ended.
Cynthia analyzed the flow. "The animations are distinct," she noted. "The models don't just stand there; they breathe, they react to hits. The idle animations are full of personality."
The chat was less impressed with the difficulty, but grudgingly admitted the art was top-tier.
"Okay, the art team carried this game."
"Still seems too easy. Two hits and it's over? Where's the 'Lunatic Mode'?"
"They don't know it's a one-man dev team," Cynthia thought, amused.
After the battle, the game cut to a scene in Professor Birch's lab. Grateful for the rescue, Birch gifted Cynthia the Treecko.
Then, her rival, the "Black-haired Boy" (Brendan), challenged her to a battle.
It was trivial. His Torchic was Level 5, her Treecko was Level 6. She crushed him easily.
"Head north to Route 103," Birch instructed. "Find Brendan. I forgot to give him something." He handed her five Poké Balls.
Cynthia checked her menu before setting out. She opened the summary for Treecko.
Stats:
Attack: 11
Defense: 9
Sp. Atk: 14
Sp. Def: 11
Speed: 15
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Accurate."
Treecko and its evolutions were known for their blistering speed and high special attack. The developer hadn't just slapped random numbers on; he had mirrored their real-world biological traits.
"If he's this precise with a starter," she mused, "did he do this for every Pokémon?"
She shook her head. Impossible. That would require a database the size of the Alliance archives.
She headed north, grinding through the tall grass.
Level 6... Level 7... Level 8.
Treecko learned Quick Attack.
She reached the northern grassy patch. Brendan was waiting.
[Brendan: "My Pokémon has grown a lot stronger! Since our eyes met, let's battle!"]
The chat laughed.
"Look at this guy, offering free XP again."
"A true philanthropist. I hope he lives a long life."
"Farm him, Cynthia!"
Cynthia smiled and accepted the challenge. The screen shattered into the battle transition.
Brendan sent out Torchic.
Cynthia's smile vanished.
Torchic: Level 9.
Her Treecko was Level 8.
"Wait," she muttered. "A level gap this early?"
Usually, rival battles were balanced to be equal or slightly lower than the player. Being underleveled against a rival with a type advantage? That was... concerning.
"It's fine," she reassured herself. "It's just one level."
[Treecko used Quick Attack!]
Treecko blurred, slamming into the chick.
Torchic's HP bar dropped... by less than a third.
[Torchic used Ember!]
The chick opened its beak. A barrage of small fireballs erupted.
[It's Super Effective!]
The sound effect was a harsh, crunching noise. Treecko's HP bar plummeted from Green to Yellow, stopping just above the Red zone. Over 60% damage in one hit.
"Whoa!" The chat recoiled.
"That damage scaling is insane!"
Cynthia reacted instantly. She had bought a Potion earlier.
[Player used Potion!]
A spray sound. Treecko's HP restored to full.
[Torchic used Ember!]
Whoosh.
Treecko was back in the yellow zone.
Cynthia froze. "Using an item consumes a turn."
In Battle Road and real life, Trainers could shout commands while tossing items. Here, the turn economy was strict.
She was trapped in a loop. If she attacked, she did chip damage. If she healed, she just delayed the inevitable. Two Embers killed her. She couldn't kill Torchic in two hits.
She hesitated, trying to calculate a way out.
[Time Limit Exceeded!]
[Since you did not give a command, the opponent moves first!]
[Torchic used Ember!]
Cynthia's eyes widened. "What?!"
[It's Super Effective!]
Treecko shrieked and collapsed.
[Treecko fainted!]
[You have no more Pokémon!]
[Strawberry Ice Cream scurried back to the Pokémon Center...]
The screen went black.
When it faded back in, she was in the Littleroot Pokémon Center. Her money counter in the top right corner read: $0.
The chat was in hysterics.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!"
"Did the game just skip her turn because she thought too long??"
"Dude, the rival robbed her! He took all her money!"
"Team Rocket Brendan confirmed."
"I thought he was an XP piñata, but he was actually the Grim Reaper."
Cynthia stared at the screen, her pulse quickening.
"This..."
She didn't feel angry. She felt... exhilarated.
Most games held your hand. Battle Road was designed to make players feel powerful. But this? This was honest. This was brutal.
"Fair competition," she whispered. "No. Unfair. He has the type advantage, the level advantage, and the initiative."
She sat up straighter, her gamer spirit igniting.
"Okay. If I can't beat him with skill, I'll beat him with preparation."
She walked back into the grass.
"We grind."
For ten minutes, she slaughtered the local wildlife. Rattata, Poochyena, Wurmple.
Ding!
Treecko reached Level 12.
[System Notification: Level Cap Reached. You must earn a Gym Badge to level up further.]
"A level cap?" Cynthia noted. "Smart. It prevents players from over-leveling to trivialize content."
She checked Treecko's moves. It had learned Mega Drain (Grass, heals user) and Detect (blocks attacks).
"Level 12 vs Level 9," she calculated. "I have a heal move and a block. I can take at least three Embers now. I win."
She marched back to Route 103.
Brendan smiled. "Oh? You look stronger. Let's battle!"
The music kicked in.
Brendan sent out Torchic.
Cynthia looked at the level box.
Torchic: Level 13.
Cynthia: "..."
Chat: "..."
"HE LEVELED UP TOO?!"
"Is he cheating?! How did he get 4 levels in 10 minutes standing in one spot?!"
"The AI scales with the player?! That's illegal!"
Cynthia stared at the screen, a vein throbbing in her temple.
"Interesting," she said, her voice dropping an octave. "Very interesting."