"Excuse me, how do I play this?"
March 7th bounced up to a colorful stall and leaned over the counter, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Welcome, guest! The rules are simple," the staff member explained with a polite bow. "You command your Pokémon to use ranged attacks to hit the targets as they pop up. You score points for every hit."
He pointed to a holographic display illustrating the different types. "There are three tiers: standard targets, armored targets that require a powerful move to knock down, and high-speed targets. The latter two are worth double points. Depending on your score, you can win various prizes, but remember: each guest can only claim one prize tonight. If you aren't happy with your score, you can skip the reward and try again!"
March 7th glanced at the prize shelf. A keychain for 10,000 points, plushies for 20,000, and at the top—a high-tech replica Poké Ball with a built-in projection unit. Each attempt was only 500 credits, practically a gift.
"I'm in! I'm in!" she chirped, looking at her partners. "Pikachu, I'm counting on you for the long-range stuff!"
"Pikachu~"
The electric mouse hopped onto the counter, cheeks sparking with anticipation. As the first row of basic targets rose, March didn't hesitate. "Use Thunder Shock on all of them!"
"Pikachu!"
The mouse blurred into action. Bolt after bolt of electricity left its cheeks, snapping against the targets.
"Keep going! Faster, faster! You're missing the ones on the left!" March cheered, her voice rising in excitement.
Pikachu's ears began to droop slightly. It was firing as fast as its little body could manage. When the armored targets appeared, requiring more force, March 7th pumped her fist. "Thunderbolt! Blast them!"
Pikachu gathered a massive surge of energy, shattering the tough targets in a display of blinding light. But as the high-speed targets began to zip across the field, March started to panic. "Wait, those are too fast! What's your fastest move? Electro Ball? No, Thunderbolt again! Go!"
By the final wave, targets of every type were popping up simultaneously. "Ah! Too many! Use an area attack! Tackle! Pikachu, just tackle them!"
Pikachu leaped from the counter, but by the time it reached the targets, they had already timed out and retracted. The mouse tumbled onto the grass, hitting nothing but air.
"Huh? Only 6,000 points?" March stared at the scoreboard, baffled.
"Pika... chu..."
Pikachu slumped onto the counter, looking utterly drained. Its little arms were spread wide, and its expression was one of adorable, exhausted despair.
"Oh no! Pikachu, are you okay?"
Welt, who had been watching from the side, adjusted his glasses. "The Pokémon projected here are using the same high-fidelity 'Soul Link' technology as the tournament finalists. Their emotions and fatigue levels are simulated with extreme precision. You asked for too many high-voltage moves in a short window."
He looked at the weary mouse. "This means we have to actually coordinate with them. You can't just spam the strongest move; you have to discuss move power and efficiency."
Intrigued, Welt paid his 500 credits and stepped up with his Charizard. Instead of shouting orders, he spoke calmly. "Charizard, use low-output Ember for the small targets to conserve energy."
The dragon breathed small, controlled puffs of fire, ticking off the easy targets with rhythmic precision. For the armored ones, Welt signaled for an Air Slash, but only at half-strength. When the speed targets appeared, they used Heat Wave—a wide-area move that traveled faster than a direct projectile.
The final wave was met with a calculated Flamethrower that swept the field.
"Congratulations! 45,000 points!" The staff member beamed, handing Welt a premium replica Poké Ball.
Welt inspected it. It was beautifully weighted, could shrink to fit in a pocket, and came with a special ring that used magnetic induction to snap the ball back to his hand after he "threw" it to project his Pokémon.
"Uncle Yang, how did you do that?" March 7th whined. "I want a plushie, and they aren't even for sale yet!"
"It's about pacing," Welt explained. "Talk to Pikachu. Don't exhaust its reserves. Prepare a mental plan for the different types so you aren't reacting on impulse."
March 7th took the advice to heart. She skipped her reward and played three more times. Finally, with a score of 30,000, she proudly walked away with a fluffy Eevee keychain.
Himeko joined in next. Though her Mr. Mime wasn't suited for a shooting gallery, her Vulpix was a natural. On her second try, she scored 40,000 points, winning a giant Vulpix plushie that was nearly as big as the real projection. She laughed, tucking the soft prize into her spatial storage.
The trio spent the next few hours lost in the festival. They played Pokémon Sumo (where moves were banned), joined a tug-of-war against a Machoke, and even found a Pokémon dance floor where March 7th tried to teach her Eevee a choreographed routine.
Finally, they settled down at a Pokémon-themed café. A Chansey wearing a small apron waddled over, expertly balancing a tray of drinks.
"How are they doing this?" March asked, taking a milk tea from the Chansey's tray.
"It's the electromagnetic projection control," Himeko said, glancing at the small nodes hidden in the café's decor. "They're using the same feedback loops as our gloves to allow the projections to 'grip' physical objects like trays and cups."
She looked around the massive plaza. "This technology is incredibly expensive to deploy at this scale. The gloves, the haptic nodes, the high-resolution projectors... Julian must be spending hundreds of millions just on this one night."
"He's burning money to buy goodwill," Welt agreed, sipping his tea. "Arceus Company is taking a massive loss on this festival, all to ensure the players have an unforgettable experience. I didn't think companies like this still existed."
"Who cares about the budget? This is amazing!" March laughed. "Chansey, another milk tea, please!"
Across the plaza, Guinaifen was spinning her phone on a stabilizer, her livestream chat moving so fast it was a blur.
"Family, you are not going to believe this!" she shouted into the camera. "I thought this was just going to be some snacks and music, but Boss Julian has literally turned the Luofu into the Kanto region! I just petted a real Pikachu, and it felt fuzzy! FUZZY, FAM!"
30+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/AgentTwilight