Game Developer in the World of Anime

Throughout the entire afternoon, everyone in the company was completely absorbed in the game.

Getting early access to a yet-to-be-released title was a first for them all—something to fully savor and enjoy.

It wasn't until after 5 PM that Ichin finally saved his game and put down the controller.

"Feels… alright. The experience is very different from past Pokémon titles. Having to constantly catch multiples of the same species makes the early game a bit monotonous, but the improved map design and the sheer size of the areas make exploration enjoyable."

On the other side, Utaha also set down her Switch at the same time and nodded in agreement. "True. While the graphics and framerate still leave much to be desired, as a first attempt at something new, the change in gameplay is quite refreshing. That said, the boss battles in the main story requiring you to dodge constantly and throw items yourself... it gets a little tedious."

A very fair assessment. Given Game Freak's usual technical standards, even with some extra development support, you couldn't expect much better.

That said, Ichin felt the game just barely met his passing criteria.

Of course, that was just a passing score. Whether it could improve from there would depend on the rest of the experience.

After a sip of water, the two stepped out of the office.

In the workspace, everyone was still playing—some on handheld mode, others with their Switch docks connected to monitors, playing in TV mode.

Ichin sat down beside Kō Yagami and asked, "So? What do you think so far?"

"Hmm~ it's kind of... mixed," she replied while maneuvering her character across the plains and catching a Geodude. "I'm taking it slow, getting a feel for the mechanics and exploring. Based on GF's track record over the past few years, this one deserves a bit more praise. But honestly, that's only because it's a Pokémon game and the IP carries it. Without the Pokémon name, this would just be a barely passable RPG. Still, I appreciate the gameplay changes. I'm willing to keep playing."

After Kō, Ichin went around collecting everyone's first impressions of Arceus.

Overall, the responses were measured and honest.

While Pokémon was a shared childhood memory for many, everyone agreed the games had been declining generation after generation. So the attempt to break from the mold with this one was a positive move.

But the gameplay still had a lot of room for improvement, and the visuals and model details were far from polished.

Umiko didn't mince words: "If our team got to optimize this game, even if we couldn't hit 60 FPS, we could definitely make it run smoothly at 30 FPS and clean up the visuals a ton. I haven't seen the code, but with models and rendering like this, I'm sure they're using up more system resources than necessary."

Turning off her Switch, Umiko clapped a hand on Ichin's shoulder, looking him straight in the eye. "Seriously, if there's a chance—talk to Nintendo. See if we can get a shot at developing a title."

"The dev rights are with GF."

"I know—talk with them! Didn't the Diamond and Pearl remakes get outsourced? We've got a shot."

"You're really dreaming big, huh, Umiko."

Despite his words, Ichin wasn't against the idea. Far from it.

But the reality was that their studio didn't have enough clout yet. Even if Persona turned out to be a huge hit, there was no way Nintendo would negotiate with GF on their behalf to hand them the Pokémon franchise.

Still, a side story or spinoff, or maybe even a remake… there was a chance.

But GF wasn't dumb. If a third-party studio made a game better than GF's own internal teams, it would be a major embarrassment. They wouldn't risk that easily.

So for now, the best thing to do was to make their own games as good as possible, rack up hits and acclaim, and build up their standing in the industry.

---

After two days back at work, it was finally time for Ichin to return to school—for his final semester of senior year.

He also had a university center exam at the end of the month, just to see what kind of score he could get.

Not that it mattered much—he already had his acceptance letter from Tokyo University. This was more for the experience.

Back at school, Ichin and Utaha reunited with their classmates.

Since everyone in their class was college-bound, and the center exam was only two weeks away, the atmosphere was noticeably more serious. The usual relaxed vibe had faded.

The only ones who seemed carefree were Ichin and Utaha.

That said, when classmates approached them with questions about studying, both Ichin and Utaha were generous and helpful with their answers.

Seeing everyone work so hard for college entrance, Ichin and Utaha were more than willing to lend a hand.

And even without pressure, Utaha found herself influenced by the classroom's mood. She pulled out her workbook and quietly began solving problems.

After completing two math problems, she glanced at Ichin beside her.

"Don't you want to practice a little, too, Ichin?"

"Hm?"

Ichin looked up from the English version of Sherlock Holmes he was reading and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll study during lunch. I'm not just gonna wing it, you know? If I screw this up, my mom would absolutely kill me."

"That's true."

Utaha chuckled, recalling how seriously Ichin's mom took his academics. Compared to her own parents, who certainly cared about her studies, they had never demanded specific scores or set harsh conditions. They simply asked her to take things seriously.

Utaha had always been diligent, even after starting her writing career. Like Ichin, she didn't need parental nagging to stay focused.

---

Later that morning, after modern Japanese class, Ichin and Utaha were called to the teacher's office by Shizuka Hiratsuka.

"Come in, have a seat."

Once they sat down, she handed them each a piece of chocolate—part of a wedding gift from a first-year teacher who'd recently gotten married.

"So, how's your prep going for the center exam at the end of the month? I know you've already received your Tokyo University acceptance letters, but a lot of people are still paying attention to your scores."

Ichin had expected this. Spreading his hands, he said, "Don't worry, Hiratsuka-sensei. It's just an exam. As long as the content doesn't go too far beyond the syllabus, I'll get a score the school can be proud of."

"So if it does go a little beyond the syllabus, you can still handle it?"

"Well, obviously."

Ichin grinned. "I've studied quite a bit of advanced math already."

The teachers nearby all turned with surprised expressions.

Was this the aura of a true top student?

*

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