Pokémon: Kanto Arc

The conference room door closed softly, shutting out the faint sounds of work-related conversation from outside.

Only Nakayama Takuya remained in the room, along with GALLOP's core creative team led by Kunihiko Yuyama.

The hefty stack of materials Takuya had brought was distributed, with the first batch passed to Yuyama.

Yuyama picked up the top stack. Its cover depicted several vividly colored, strangely shaped creatures.

The moment he turned to the first page, his gaze was drawn to a yellow creature with electrically charged cheeks—something that looked like a mouse, yet not quite.

A name was written beneath the entry: Pikachu.

The other core members each received different sections. Some handled the character profiles, some examined the worldbuilding, while others read through the story outline.

The only sound left in the conference room was the rustling of turning pages, one after another, carrying a strange rhythm.

Takuya sat across from them without urging them on, merely watching these animation industry veterans calmly.

He understood the weight of these materials, and he trusted in their power to speak for themselves.

Time slowly passed in the nearly frozen silence.

From initial scrutiny to gradual engagement, then complete immersion, the changes in the GALLOP team members' expressions were subtle yet unmistakable.

Yuyama read with particular care, scanning nearly every page one by one, his fingertips occasionally lingering over a design sketch or a passage of setting notes.

He had worked in the industry for many years and seen countless project proposals, but he had never encountered an idea so complete, so vast, and so... interesting.

This was not a project proposal at all. It was the framework of a world already built, merely waiting to be filled with flesh and blood.

Every design possessed both individuality and an indescribable sense of familiarity, making them impossible to forget after a single glance.

The journey outlined in the story—traveling, taking on challenges, encountering all kinds of Pokémon and people—was clear in structure and full of tension, making it feel as though the animation were already playing before their eyes.

Before anyone realized it, nearly an hour had passed.

No one spoke during that time. Even the sound of chairs shifting was scarce.

Everyone seemed to have been sucked into the world called Pokémon, temporarily forgetting their surroundings.

At last, Yuyama closed the final page of the setting collection and gently placed the thick stack of materials on the table.

He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His face showed the fatigue of processing such an enormous amount of information, but deep in his eyes was an excitement and curiosity he could not conceal.

One hundred and fifty-one initial Pokémon? And this was only the first batch?

Every one had a unique design, type, and brief background description—even evolution chains?

Just how many resources was this Nakayama Takuya—or rather, the Sega behind him—prepared to invest in this?

The workload alone was enough to make one's scalp tingle, yet it was also unbearably tempting, making him want to bring this world to life with his own hands.

The other members gradually raised their heads as well, exchanging looks filled with shock, disbelief, and a glimmer known as the urge to create.

What Takuya had brought was not merely a business collaboration proposal. It was more like a key that had suddenly thrown open a door to an entirely new continent.

Every page radiated astonishing creativity. It was as though countless Pokémon could be seen running and leaping across the paper, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Noticing that Director Yuyama had completed his first pass through the materials, Takuya set down the brochure in his hand featuring GALLOP's past works and swept his gaze over the group.

The polite scrutiny that had initially been on their faces had long since been replaced by expressions mixed with surprise, concentration, and perhaps even excitement.

Director Kunihiko Yuyama in particular—the bespectacled, somewhat reserved-looking man—would sometimes knit his brows tightly, as though considering the plausibility of a setting. At other times, they would relax, and the corners of his mouth would lift unconsciously, clearly drawn in by an interesting design or plot point.

Finally, the last set of materials was closed.

Yuyama raised his head, his gaze toward Takuya filled with incredulous admiration.

"Mr. Nakayama..."

He seemed to be gathering his thoughts before continuing after a pause.

"These materials... are astonishing."

"It isn't just the creativity. The level of detail—especially the designs of these 151 Pokémon—is simply... masterful."

"Forgive my frankness, but with the completeness and depth of this project, even if you switched careers and became an animation director now, you would absolutely make a name for yourself."

The other team members nodded in agreement, their eyes full of appreciation and respect as they looked at Takuya.

"You flatter me, Director Yuyama."

A perfectly measured smile appeared on Takuya's face, carrying the modesty characteristic of a young man.

Yet inwardly, he grumbled, I spent half a year squeezing myself dry for this, practically burning through every ounce of my love for Pokémon—especially the original 151-Pokémon Pokédex and the main storyline of the original series. I probably won't ever do anything this "crazy" again in this lifetime.

He had to make sure the core essence of this IP remained firmly in his hands from the very beginning, preserving those most classic and most moving elements.

As for the type system, he had drawn upon the more mature eighteen-type system of later generations. However, considering the simplicity of the early animation, types such as Dark and Fairy were temporarily designated as "unidentified new types," to be introduced when the time was right.

Takuya began explaining his proposal. "As for the story, I've only developed the first League region so far—the adventure in the Kanto Region..."

Yuyama and the team members listened intently, nodding from time to time.

They then had a brief yet efficient discussion with Takuya about certain details, such as the deeper relationship between Pokémon and Trainers, and whether the overall tone of the world should lean more toward adventure or everyday life.

Takuya's answers were clear and decisive. He evidently knew every corner of this world by heart.

The creative team expressed strong approval of the vast and detailed basic framework Takuya had provided.

From their professional perspective, this was not merely a proposal brimming with potential, but a solidly detailed blueprint with an exceptionally high degree of feasibility.

"Nakayama-san, from the technical standpoint of animation production, the materials you've provided are already more than sufficient."

Kunihiko Yuyama adjusted his glasses and spoke with certainty.

"All that remains is to discuss the specific details of our partnership."

He rose to his feet.

"How about we go to the president's office now and finalize the business matters with President Wakana and Mr. Suzuki?"

Takuya nodded.

"Alright. Sorry to trouble you, Director Yuyama."

Kunihiko Yuyama led Takuya toward the president's office, while the other members of the creative team tacitly went their separate ways. They knew that the negotiations to come would determine whether this exciting project could ultimately become a reality.