October 20th, Tuesday.
In a business office building in Tokyo.
Oleana finished organizing her documents, brushed aside the chestnut hair framing her cheeks, and stretched wearily.
She pulled a small photo frame from her drawer and gazed at it intently, her cheeks gradually flushing.
Just as she reached out to touch the frame, a knock sounded at the door.
"P-Please, come in!" Oleana fumbled to shove the frame back into the drawer, her voice hoarse.
Natsume pushed the door open, a Gengar floating beside him, and greeted her with a smile. "Good morning."
Oleana blinked in surprise, her voice tinged with nervousness. "I thought you were... competing in the tournament!"
"The draw is this afternoon, so I thought I'd stop by on the way."
Natsume smiled warmly. "You've been working hard lately. Thank you!"
"N-No, not at all! It's an honor to serve you!" Oleana replied, her voice trembling with excitement.
"I'm sorry, I lost my composure..."
Oleana lowered her head, instinctively reaching to adjust her glasses, only to find they weren't there.
Natsume coughed awkwardly. "By the way, how's the revenue from the recent games?"
As soon as work was mentioned, Oleana's expression turned serious. She flipped through the accounts and said, "After deducting other expenses, the net profit each month reaches 2 million Pokémon Coins. Currently, the company's total funds are..."
Hearing the numbers, Natsume let out a low whistle.
Among the game revenues, Plants vs. Zombies and Angry Pidove were the top earners, primarily from mobile game income.
If he could cash out, he could easily pay off Cynthia's debt!
But as a limited liability company, Natsume was well aware of the separation between personal and corporate assets.
Not that he held much hope of regaining his freedom.
Better to grow the company and make it stronger...
Maybe one day, Cynthia could be the boss lady...
Natsume shook his head, snapping out of his daydream, and handed Oleana a USB drive. "This is the project plan for the next project. No rush, take your time."
Oleana looked at Natsume in astonishment.
In just half a year, he had produced three hit games, and now he was presenting yet another project plan...
Calling him a genius game developer almost felt like an understatement.
But... being able to assist such a boss was truly a stroke of luck.
Opening the files on the USB drive, Oleana began to read carefully: [Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG)
The plan is for a tabletop game centered around collecting, trading, and battling.
It aims to allow children who cannot participate in or are eager to experience Pokémon battles to enjoy the charm of Pokémon and battles...]
Seeing Oleana's focused expression,
Natsume leaned against the desk and explained, "The barrier to entry for Pokémon battles is high. Even if you catch a Pokémon, not every family can afford the costs of being a Trainer."
"But according to surveys, being a Trainer is still the number one career choice for children."
"This card game is aimed at children, teaching them about type advantages, various Pokémon evolution forms, and Pokémon abilities in a fun and educational way."
Natsume smiled. "While it might not appeal much to adult Trainers, for children, this could be their first step into the world of Pokémon battles."
Oleana's eyes widened, and she nodded repeatedly.
In terms of the market... toys aimed at children were still a vast, untapped ocean.
While there were Pokémon-related card games on the market,
They were mostly simple collectibles without interactive elements.
If it could truly incorporate Pokémon knowledge into the cards, as Natsume-sensei suggested...
Teachers, parents, and children alike would be satisfied with the product.
And this Pokédex-like style was exactly what the Pokémon Company excelled at, wasn't it?
Oleana looked up at Natsume with a fiery gaze. "But... the workload for this card game seems enormous..."
"I'll reach out to Professor Samuel Oak in Kanto for assistance."
Natsume smiled. "If the Pokémon Trading Card Game can truly promote Pokémon-related knowledge, I'm sure Professor Samuel Oak would be very pleased."
Whether it was creating the Pokédex or hosting lectures, Professor Samuel Oak had always made it his mission to spread knowledge.
If there really was a card game that promoted Pokémon culture, Professor Samuel Oak would undoubtedly be the first to try it.
"In short, there are three key elements."
Natsume held up three fingers:
"First, include Pokémon-related knowledge on each card, such as abilities and evolution forms."
"Second, establish a comprehensive game system that simulates Pokémon battles, including type advantages and status conditions."
"Third, target the market precisely, focusing on children in Trainer academies or those aspiring to become Trainers."
"I believe this Pokémon Trading Card Game will be their first step on the path to becoming Trainers," Natsume said with a smile.
Oleana stared at Natsume, her eyes burning with enthusiasm, and murmured, "Letting more people experience the charm of Pokémon... That's the mission of the Pokémon Company..."
Natsume snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"
For children, learning type advantages is the first step to becoming a Trainer.
But compared to dry memorization, learning through a card game makes it easier to remember.
And in the tabletop game domain, Natsume knew of at least three gameplay styles that could be adapted: traditional PTCG, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Hearthstone, Gwent...
A tabletop game could be turned into an anime or sold as toys—double the fun!
"I've already called Mina to start working on the illustrations."
Natsume added, "Once the illustrations are done, please print a sample so I can get Professor Samuel Oak involved."
If Professor Samuel Oak wasn't interested, Natsume could always reach out to Professor Rowan.
Or even Bill, if necessary.
In short, Natsume needed an authority figure to endorse the "Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG)."
After all, a game that "makes kids happy and parents at ease"
Could create a sensation in any era.
Oleana hesitated. "But... won't the workload be too heavy? And we don't have a professional Pokédex or anything..."
"Start with Kanto's 149 Pokédex entries. We can release expansion packs later."
Natsume waved his hand dismissively. "If you have any questions, just ask me. I've memorized all 149 Kanto Pokédex entries!"
Oleana's eyes widened in disbelief.
After a moment, she puffed out her cheeks. "I come from a research background too. I can handle this much information!"
While the PTCG gameplay was somewhat complex, Natsume had managed to adapt it fairly well.
Similar to the Yu-Gi-Oh! system, both players would summon a basic Pokémon and use moves to knock out the opponent's Pokémon.
However, players couldn't attack each other directly.
Instead, the goal was to defeat six of the opponent's Pokémon and collect six prize cards.
Some kids might ask, "Natsume-sensei, if we can have real battles, who would play your tabletop game?"
It's like asking, "If we can play real basketball, who would play NBA 2K?"
In any case, Natsume-sensei had high hopes for the "Pokémon Trading Card Game."
Moreover, with so many top-tier Trainers in the group chat,
If they could get Red to promote it...
There was no doubt this card game had the potential to become a massive hit!
Natsume imagined a future where Gym battles involved both sides pulling out a deck of cards...
"Truly... playing cards is so much fun!" Natsume chuckled happily.
...
After finalizing the new project, Natsume-sensei, accompanied by Gengar, headed to the arena for the draw.
The Top 16 matches of the Tokaido League were about to begin.
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