Pokémon achieved record-breaking sales during the Golden Week holiday.
The moment users opened any major website, they were greeted with organic praise for Pokémon.
Nico Dou even set up a dedicated promotional page for Pokémon Company's new game.
Twitter buzzed with discussions among players.
#WhichStarterToPickInKanto
#PokémonCompanyTheGOAT
#GiovanniAtSilphCoHeadquarters
Three days of holiday gaming were enough for players to reach the Silph Co. Headquarters stage.
As players eagerly prepared to take down Team Rocket's infamous operation…
They discovered the boss fight against Giovanni was leagues harder than any Gym Leader, with his team significantly overleveled!
"How is this fair?!"
"Red actually solo'd a boss like this back in the day?"
"Damn… no wonder he's Red!"
Countless players found themselves stuck at Silph Co., gritting their teeth in frustration at Giovanni.
Yet, despite their struggles, they couldn't help but feel a grudging respect.
Only an opponent of this caliber could stand against Red.
The game didn't shy away from Team Rocket's dark history—illegal Pokémon trafficking, unethical experiments—all things Giovanni openly acknowledged.
"You cannot grow stronger without confronting your past." (Giovanni's original line.)
For this man, redemption was never the goal. His only concern was finding Silver and seeking forgiveness.
Thus, adopting the role of a mentor and reforming Team Rocket was simply the smarter play.
In the Special Editions, Giovanni's experiments with Deoxys were all part of his search for Silver.
Yet he never stepped into the light.
"A man who can't take care of his family isn't a man at all."
But beyond his love for his son, Giovanni remained a ruthless crime lord—the underground's most feared godfather.
In Pokémon, after overcoming Silph Co., players marched toward Viridian Gym for the final Earth Badge.
What awaited them was a jaw-dropping twist:
The leader of the evil organization… was also Kanto's strongest Gym Leader.
Ground-type master, Giovanni.
Backlit by the gym's lights, Giovanni stood in a sharp suit, smirking at the player (as Red).
"Surprised?"
One hand in his pocket, he descended the stairs, revealing his full team with deliberate arrogance.
"I must admit, I'm impressed you made it this far."
Behind him loomed a crimson-eyed Nidoking, a battle-hardened Nidoqueen, a relentless Rhyhorn, and a Beedrill whose cold gaze flickered with lethal intent.
Giovanni's lips curved.
"I admire strength. Would you consider working for me?"
The line hit players like a truck.
The mastermind behind Kanto's chaos had been embedded in the League all along.
He had watched Red grow—cultivated it, even.
Leaving the Old Amber with researchers so Red could revive Aerodactyl.
Risking arrest by staying at Viridian Gym, just to face Red one last time.
Was this recruitment? Or the mutual respect between titans?
When Red refused, players caught the faintest flicker of regret in Giovanni's eyes—
Then, the battle theme erupted.
"HOLY CRAP, THIS IS HYPE!"
"Why does this villain feel so damn cool?!"
"So THIS is the backstory behind Rocket Delivery?!"
After an exhausting fight, Giovanni relinquished the Fissure TM and the Earth Badge.
Sirens wailed outside—Viridian Gym was surrounded.
But by then, Giovanni had vanished into the shadows, his black coat flaring behind him.
Online debates raged:
"He's still a criminal. No excuses."
"It's like Giovanni and Red are mirrors. This was fate."
"Did he stick around just to give Red the badge?"
"No. He wanted his legacy to live on through Red's strength."
As for whether Giovanni was ever caught? Theories ran wild.
"I lowkey hope he reformed after prison…"
"If he got arrested, he wouldn't be Giovanni!"
"Remember Johto? Team Rocket's remnants begged him to return, and he refused!"
Red closed his eyes, reminiscing.
Back then, Giovanni had rejected leading Team Rocket's remnants in Johto.
Instead, he sought power through Deoxys—to defeat Red on his own terms.
Their final battle took place aboard his airship.
With Mewtwo's aid, Red emerged victorious.
"Feels like a lifetime ago." Red adjusted his cap, murmuring to himself.
One week later.
Most players had cleared the Viridian Gym storyline, left in awe.
"Pokémon Company really put their heart into this!"
"Well, it's based on true events."
"So... is Rocket Delivery actually legal now?"
"With Boss Giovanni gone, Team Rocket basically collapsed on its own..."
The trio of Jessie, James and Meowth immediately protested:
"Excuse me! We three are still Team Rocket's elite operatives!"
"That's right, meow! And Executives are the backbone of the organization, meow!"
"Meowth, don't say that where the boss can hear you... unless you want to sleep with the Magikarp!"
After Viridian Gym, the story progressed to the Kanto League challenge.
Every trainer was familiar with the Elite Four.
"If I can't beat them in real life, at least I can take them down in-game!"
"Natsume-sensei is insane—he actually got licensing from all these big shots!"
"Damn it! Lorelei's Cloyster just swept my entire team again!"
"LMAO why does the 'Dragon-type Elite Four' only use Flying-types?!"
Almost instantly, "Flying-type Elite Four" became Lance's new online meme.
He was forced to complain in the group chat:
"Hey now, that's a terrible meme! Mega Gyarados IS part Dragon-type!"
Natsume-sensei consoled: "Bear with it. The first gen doesn't have Mega Evolution yet."
Gold, freshly unmuted after 24 hours by Blue Oak:
"HAHA! Lance the Birb Master!"
[Group member 'Gold' has been muted for 24 hours by Admin 'Lance']
Players stuck at Indigo Plateau revisited the speedrun guide:
"After defeating Lance, we face one final boss," explained the content creator.
"Your original rival—Blue Oak."
"He became the Indigo League Champion just five minutes before you arrived."
"Now it's your turn to defeat him and claim the title of youngest, strongest Champion Trainer!"
Players were stunned.
"So Blue's Champion reign lasted like... five minutes before Red kicked him out?"
"LMAO talk about shortest-reigning Champion!"
"Gotta admit, Green's style is unmatched though."
"Pallet Town breeds monsters—two rookies just steamrolled the entire League!"
This comparison made Ash seem... well, simple-minded.
While the prototype Red was conquering the League, Ash was still out there releasing Butterfree.
(Though to be fair, if modern rules allowed trainers to fight directly, Ash would've one-punched Mega Kangaskhan.)
After clearing the main story,
All players collectively exhaled in amazement.
Both gameplay and narrative had left them thoroughly impressed.
As a groundbreaking title, this would undoubtedly become Pokémon Company's flagship game.
Yet...
Many fans remained curious:
Why hadn't they seen Natsume-sensei appear in-game?
Until two days later, when a hardcore player discovered an Easter egg at Silph Co. Headquarters.
After rescuing Silph Co. and completing the main story,
On the rebuilt headquarters' top floor appeared a hidden room labeled "Pokémon Company HQ."
Inside the lavishly decorated room,
A strikingly handsome, special-effects-shrouded black-haired trainer sat calmly on a sofa.
Approaching him triggered just one line:
[Natsume-sensei: Here to get schooled?]
Player: ???
No refusal allowed. Battle commenced immediately.
The veteran player horrified to discover:
Natsume-sensei's entire team was level FREAKING 100!
Including:
A Sirfetch'd that crit every single move
A Gengar whose Lick had 100% paralysis rate
A Blastoise with Hydro Pumps powerful enough to OHKO... when they actually hit
"So I'm grinding levels normally while Natsume-sensei's out here with hacked Pokémon?!"
The battle ended in a brutal one-sided slaughter.
Upon losing, Natsume-sensei delivered another line:
[Natsume-sensei: That was enjoyable.]
Player: ???
"Adding insult to injury?!"
"Absolute savage!"
Data miners later uncovered alternate dialogue for the impossible scenario where you won:
[Natsume-sensei: My guidance proved effective.]
[Natsume-sensei (patting his own shoulder): Well done, me!]
Players felt personally attacked by the developers.
When this Easter egg hit video platforms,
It instantly went viral across player communities.
"Natsume-sensei your Pokémon are ILLEGAL!"
"Since when can Metronome call Precipice Blades?!"
"Peak game design right here."
"Never change, Natsume-sensei."
...
"They found my Easter Egg already?"
The handsome black-haired young man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
In later generations of Pokémon games, Game Freak always included their own company Easter Eggs.
Natsume had taken inspiration from this tradition—inserting himself as a hidden character.
As for setting his entire team to level 100...
"Hmm... I was even considering giving Gengar a Mega Evolution," Natsume mused.
But this wasn't the only secret he'd planted.
Buried within the code were several other so-called "Easter Eggs"—glitches that unlocked hidden content.
For example:
Data miners could uncover a Mystery Ticket to an unnamed island, where Mew could be caught.
By manipulating character files, players could even battle Professor Oak—only to discover, in horror, that the kindly Pokémon professor's team outleveled the Elite Four's!
These discoveries, Natsume decided, could remain for players to uncover on their own.
The holiday passed in a flash.
With vacation over, Natsume prepared to depart—officially taking over Professor Hale's research duties.
"Who knows when we'll be back next."
He took one last look at the Saffron City villa before turning away.
"Grab your luggage. We're heading out!"
"Gengar~!" Gengar chimed in.
Then—CLANG.
A loud noise came from inside the room.
"Blastoise...ヾ(■_■)"
Blastoise held the empty Fish Tank and placed it in front of Gengar.
Natsume's eye twitched.
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