Unearth all the Easter eggs that Gamenova hid in the game, one by one.
This is what all foresters are most passionate about.
But this time, there's just too much to dig out.
The newly introduced day-night system, the Flash color system, and the cultivation system alone will take who knows how long it will take to develop.
Although he had only made a short progress, Mike could already clearly sense a terrifying fact.
This generation has an extremely high level of replayability!
The game's lifespan is much longer than expected.
It's not just a simple reskinning of new Pokémon and new regions.
Every new system has aspects worth exploring in depth.
It's fair to say that GAMENOVA has essentially developed a completely new game this time, only it uses Pokémon's own framework, just like other games using the QUAKE engine.
But if we're talking about what excites all the trainers the most----
The second-generation Eight Gyms are completely different from the Red and Red Green.
Flying, Bug, Normal, Ghost, Fighting, Steel, Ice, and Dragon types.
None of its attributes are the same as the previous generation.
In addition to the other attributes that already existed in Red Green, this time there is also a new attribute called "Steel," which has never been seen before.
This means that the new work will have at least one completely new attribute.
Don't underestimate this seemingly simple attribute; the tactical changes and entirely new counter-systems it brings are enough to completely rewrite the existing PVP system.
Of course, the real reason why everyone is so interested in the new Eight Gyms is actually very simple----
"Hey, when do you guys think the new gym will open? It's been under construction for quite a while now, hasn't it? I thought it would open at the same time as the official launch."
Yes, just like when Red/Green was first released, Lin Lixin naturally prepared a brand new gym location for Gold/Silver.
"Synchronized? Do you think you can beat them when they're released simultaneously? To put it bluntly, even with Pal Park, the original generation Pokémon can't catch up with the high IVs of those Pokémon bred by Egg Farmers."
"No, buddy—that's not the point, is it?"
Listening to the group's debate about the intensity of the new work, Mike shook his head helplessly.
He was naturally very eager to see what the new dojo looked like.
However, besides not being officially open yet, the new gym has many other problems.
The most troublesome of them is naturally----
"The Ice-type Gym is in Alaska —a million miles away from here, not to mention it's freezing cold."
It must be said that Gamenova is a big proponent of formalism.
If it's described as an ice-themed area, then you really have to go to the far north, Alaska.
Are you kidding me? You can only make do in Seattle at best, right?
However, compared to the other gym, Alaska is actually closer.
"Want to challenge a dragon? You'd have to fly all the way to Hawaii —oh my god—"
These eight badges in this generation won't be so easy to obtain.
"Hey, what's there to be afraid of? If you ask me, we should take advantage of the Christmas season to visit all the gyms and maybe even do a national tour. Otherwise, once everyone's back at work after the holidays, it won't be easy to find time to get together again."
The Christmas season is one of the few times of the year when most people have both money and free time.
To be honest, if your financial situation isn't too bad, taking a trip during this time is a really good choice.
"Let's talk about it later. Isn't Jimmy still doing temporary work these days?"
Upon hearing this, the group glanced at Jimmy, who was sitting there silently, nodded knowingly, and dropped the subject.
"It's okay, you guys go ahead. Isn't Mike still trying to defend his championship title?"
Jimmy clearly noticed the change in everyone's mood, and waved his hand dismissively, "Once I'm done here, I'll find some time to try it out myself. Don't forget, I have Flash Totodile!"
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the Flash Totodile on his screen.
Later—I'll go check out the GTS.
Regarding the challenge of the gym, since the gyms weren't even open yet, the group wasn't in a hurry to make a final plan.
After discussing the new egg-hatching system for a long time, the group finally dispersed and went home.
"Beep, you have two new messages." Mike paused slightly upon hearing the voicemail notification.
Why would someone call me at this time?
Could it be his good brother John?
He should be preparing for EV0's playoffs right now, how could he have time to chat with me?
Could something have happened at home?
Thinking of this, Mike suddenly felt a pang of anxiety and quickly pressed the button to play the message.
"Hello, I'm the head of the Pokémon League in New Mexico. Are you Mr. Mike, the former champion? If so, please call back; we have something important to discuss."
" Pokémon League?"
Mike was stunned.
He had considered a hundred possibilities, but he never expected that the Pokémon League would take the initiative to contact him.
The so-called Pokémon League is actually quite similar to the one in the games.
It's more like a simplified administrative body that oversees all Pokémon Center within the state, serving to help Gamenova handle affairs related to Pokémon Center across the country.
The fact that they were approached by the New Mexico, which is their local coalition, means that this matter is definitely not trivial.
Otherwise, I would have spoken to him directly this afternoon at the Pokémon Center near my home.
"Does this mean I need to shoot a new promotional video?"
Mike thought about it more and more and more likely it was true, and he couldn't help but get excited.
Thinking of this, Mike disregarded whether the time was right or not and quickly called back according to the other party's message.
"Beep beep-beep" Hello, this is ----"
December 5th.
With a mix of trepidation and excitement, Mike once again set foot on this magical land.
Even though it's the end of the year, it's not too cold here.
However, it's much colder than his home state of New Mexico.
Mike draped a hastily packed coat over his shoulders and, looking somewhat bewildered, searched for his car in the crowd.
This is Los Angeles International Airport in California.
I'm here to meet a very important person!
A super big shot who's caused a huge upheaval!
Before long, he found the car that had been described in the phone call and matched its features.
The other person clearly matched his appearance to the information in the file, and turned to open the car door.
To be honest, this wasn't his first time in California, nor was it his first time seeing the Legend developers of GAMENOVA in person.
He was invited by Gamenova to star in the first promotional video for the second generation, which was released during the Pokémon Center renovation period.
[You evolved, so did I.]
This statement has long been regarded as the Bible by trainers from all walks of Pokémon.
Especially when considered in the context of the revolutionary changes brought about by the Gold/Silver generation, this statement is once again proven to be incredibly valuable.
Mike, who played the role, has become a figure revered by countless trainers.
Even so, Mike could not possibly be so calm as to remain composed during a meeting with Gamenova.
As the car slowly drove into the GAMENOVA campus, into the parking lot of the GAMENOVA headquarters, and finally stopped in front of the building.
Mike's heart began to pound harder and harder.
Until—this tension, excitement, and all sorts of complex, tangled emotions solidified into a physical form, transforming into that figure sitting on the soft sofa in the reception room.
"Wow, you got here pretty quickly."
"Mr. Lin! I've finally seen you again! I... I----"
"Don't get excited, or you'll die right here in a minute."
Lin Lixin shook his head helplessly.
Could it be that I inadvertently released some kind of overpowered, domineering aura?
"Okay, okay."
"Well, it's a bit complicated, and it's hard to explain over the phone, but I think you've probably guessed it—it's related to our new Eight Gyms, which is about to officially open."
Upon hearing this, Mike's heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that they intend for me to become the head of a dojo?
If that's the case, then I can say I've managed to get a government job and land a stable position.
"By the way, how's your progress going? Have you finished your first playthrough yet?"
Lin Lixin carefully picked up his limited edition NovaSwift handheld console and inserted the cartridge with a professional air.
To say that GAMENOVA is squeezing out every last drop of toothpaste is truly unfair.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Pokémon Gold and Silver on NP and NPC platforms look almost identical to Pokémon Red and Green in terms of visual effects.
But on a 16-bit machine, that's a truly comprehensive and thorough enhancement.
While it's impossible to achieve 3D, the most basic elements like high definition and more colors will definitely be achieved.
"Not yet—I've been working on the breeding system lately; I want to raise a 6IV Pikachu."
Mike scratched his head sheepishly; this time, his progress wasn't actually that fast.
To be honest, although he did feel anxious because he was always behind other groups in the early stages of the game, Mike didn't want to lose the fun of the game because of it.
In a lifetime, everyone may only have this one first encounter.
The most interesting part of this game is exploring the unknown and discovering GAMENOVA's clever little touches.
Mike didn't want to rush straight to the finish line.
Instead, he wanted to explore the world as much as possible, in as much detail as possible, and to explore everything that interested him.
But this also caused him to fall far behind others in terms of progress.
"Because of the anime? Pikachu probably isn't that strong in PvP, right?"
Lin Lixin was slightly surprised, not expecting Mike to choose to train a Pikachu.
Pikachu's good performance is purely due to the needs of the animated storyline; in a real game, this lousy electric mouse's base stats are really terrible.
Mike forced a smile, looking earnestly at Lin Lixin. This was the way he believed in the game. "Boss, don't you think so? By the way, boss, who's your favorite Pokémon? Is it also Pikachu?"
"Me? Of course, I'm the female Garuda—I mean Eevee, my favorite is definitely Eevee!"
At this point, Lin Lixin suddenly remembered something and mysteriously added to Mike, "By the way, if you plan to complete the Pokédex in one playthrough, it's best to equip Ditto with Eevee a few times."
Eevee is an extremely special Pokémon. Depending on the evolution item, it can evolve into three different branches: Water, Fire, and Electro in Red and Green.
In Gold and Silver, the addition of the day-night system brought two more evolutions determined by time.
Espeon and Umbreon.
"Wait, why is she paired with Ditto??"
Mike stared blankly at Lin Lixin, seeing only his harmless smile.