Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect

"Congratulations to John for becoming Elite Four!"

"New MEGA Pokemon: Mega Greninja"

"World's Mightiest Greninja!!!"

"John's New Shiny Pokemon"

"John Earns the Nickname: The Shiny Elite Four"

The night John defeated Damon, his name once again dominated trending searches, not just domestically, but internationally. The battle between John and Damon offered plenty of spectacle, but two elements captured everyone's attention: the battle's shocking outcome and Mega Greninja's debut. Regarding the battle itself, everyone expected an epic clash between titans. Instead, they witnessed John's complete domination.

Less than half a day after the match concluded, countless Pokemon experts had already released commentary videos to capitalize on the buzz. However, no matter how detailed their analysis, every video reached the same conclusion:

"John is genuinely incredible!"

Many viewers began speculating about John's championship prospects, wondering if he might become Draconia's youngest Champion in history. Domestically, the Elite Four replacement generated significant buzz. Internationally, however, what truly captured attention was "Mega Greninja's" emergence.

Worldwide, Pokemon MEGA evolution hadn't seen a "new face" in decades. Theoretically, according to MEGA evolution principles, all Pokemon should be capable of undergoing the transformation. In practice, however, only specific MEGA evolution stones had been discovered, and no new stones had appeared for years.

This led most trainers to believe MEGA evolution was an "exclusive" ability reserved for certain Pokemon, similar to how specific Pokemon possessed unique Z-moves or exclusive Dynamax forms. Consequently, Pokemon capable of MEGA evolution, possessing exclusive Z-moves, or featuring unique Dynamax forms commanded higher prices and prestige than equally powerful alternatives.

Even though most trainers would never obtain MEGA stones or Z-crystals in their lifetimes, who didn't harbor "what if" fantasies when raising these Pokemon?

"Mega Greninja's" appearance shattered the emerging Pokemon "hierarchy" overnight. That very night, Froakie prices skyrocketed!

Unknown to John, Froakie's standard breeding house price in Draconia had jumped from around 300,000 pokedollars to at least ten times that amount, if you could find one at all. The situation mirrored the original Ralts phenomenon, though Greninja's relative abundance prevented prices from reaching quite those astronomical levels.

Emerald received numerous appointments from VIP customers that night, all requesting John's Breeding House include "Froakie" in their next sale. This represented the "brand benefit" of John's Pokemon achievements. Purchasing Greninja from the strongest Greninja owner's ranch might yield offspring from the Pokemon itself!

When Emerald called to ask about adding Froakie to their inventory, John flatly refused. For now, Froakie would remain off the Breeding House's sales list. Let the hype build!

The optimal time to sell Froakie would come after publishing his "Mega Greninja evolution" research paper. Selling ordinary Froakie brought modest profits, but Froakie capable of Battle Bond commanded astronomical prices!

While trending topics exploded across social media, John found himself at Dragoncrest's most prestigious hotel, celebrating with Saul Badman, Harisson, and the other two Elites, alongside Trainer Association headquarters leadership.

"John, why are you spacing out? Come drink! You're today's protagonist!" Harisson grabbed John's arm, wine glass in hand, as John scrolled through trending searches on his phone.

"Alright, I'm coming," John sighed softly, pocketing his device and lifting a glass to toast the Trainer Association leaders.

Drinking held little appeal for him. With the three orbs integrated into his body, his physical capabilities rivaled those of a humanoid Tyranitar. Sixty-proof liquor tasted like cola to him, identical except for the burning sensation in his mouth.

"Come on, John, let me introduce you properly. This is Riley Lin, and this is Victor Stone. I don't think I need to explain their identities, do I?" Damian approached with a middle-aged man and an elderly gentleman.

"No introduction necessary, I doubt anyone in Draconia doesn't recognize the two Elite Four!" John stepped forward respectfully.

These were the other two Elites who had observed today's match. Fire Elite Four, Riley Lin, in his early fifties, represented a veteran Elite slightly past his prime. Nicknamed "Firestorm" . Among global fire-type specialists, he ranked in the top three.

Elite Victor Stone, nicknamed "Tyrant," was sixty-five years old and approaching retirement. His kindly appearance and gentle demeanor made his fearsome reputation difficult to believe—until you learned his history.

If you understood his past achievements, you'd realize that wrong names might exist, but wrong nicknames never did. Fifty years ago, the world was far less peaceful than today. International Pokemon competition rules still employed "wild fighting", a concept modern trainers struggled to comprehend, though official records hinted at its brutality.

Before rule reforms, trainer mortality rates in World Pokemon Contests reached fifty percent! For every two participants, one died during competition. Pokemon casualties numbered even higher. In this savage environment, Victor Stone distinguished himself through the highest "kill rate" in every World Pokemon Championship, for both Pokemon and trainers.

"Tyrant" served as his domestic honorific, celebrating his fighting prowess. But internationally, "Butcher" more accurately captured his lethal reputation.