The stream screen lit up. Comments flooded in immediately, filling the chat section.
[AAAAAAH! Champion Cynthia is streaming!!! The missing person has returned!]
[Good morning, Lady Cynthia! Where have you been these past few days? We missed you so much!]
[Did you secretly go play Rescue Team? I saw it! Streamer's Rescue Team progress is maxed out.]
[Sis, what are you playing today? Continue Rescue Team or return to Emerald?]
[Bros, check the announcement first! Emerald's second playthrough is out! Streamer, show us what the second playthrough is all about!]
[Right, right, right! Second playthrough! Sis, you beat the first playthrough so long ago, you must be bored by now, right?]
[Please show us the second playthrough! So curious!]
[What do you guys think comes after the first playthrough?]
Cynthia's face broke into a warm smile as she waved at the camera.
"Good morning, everyone. Yes, these past few days I've mainly been playing Rescue Team. It really is an excellent and engaging game. I recommend you all try it too."
She lightly clicked her mouse, bringing up Emerald's login interface.
"However, as you can see, Emerald just received an update that opened up second playthrough content. I'm also very curious what this so-called second playthrough will bring."
"So today we'll return to Emerald together and see what awaits us after becoming Champion."
[Yay!]
[Champion Journey Season 2! Let's go!]
[Front row snacks and drinks ready!]
[Looking forward to it! The first playthrough ending left so many mysteries!]
The audience responded enthusiastically. Cynthia launched the game.
The screen loaded directly at her save point after clearing the first playthrough, the entrance to the Hoenn region's Champion Hall.
Golden sunlight poured through the tall windows, filling the Champion Hall with warmth.
Cynthia's character, the young Hoenn Champion, sat upright on the throne, the symbol of the highest honor.
She felt a flash of novelty. After all, in the real world, she'd never seen such a fixed throne after becoming Champion.
If she remembered correctly, on her first day as Champion, the League had arranged for her to travel for work that very afternoon.
This treatment gap was huge, wasn't it?
On screen, Lance walked over.
He smiled as he spoke:
[Strawberry Ice Cream, congratulations on reaching the summit of the Hoenn League. According to the League's new regulations, the new Champion receives a two-month adjustment period. You may act freely; there won't be any challengers for now.]
Lance paused, his tone taking on a teasing note.
[Oh, let me add something. Apparently this regulation originated from some unfortunate soul who, just after sitting on the Champion seat and before even getting a chance to experience what sitting there felt like, was immediately defeated on the spot by the next challenger. Also the shortest-serving Champion in that region's history.]
The chat erupted:
[Hahahaha!]
[Which poor soul was that unlucky!]
[There's no way this happens in real life. Champions aren't cabbages; where would there be so many?]
[Sis, quick ask what that person's name is, lol.]
[Lance is making cold jokes again...]
Comments flooded the screen.
The corners of Cynthia's mouth lifted slightly, but she shook her head gently.
In the real world, the Champion title was far more than just a symbol of strength. It represented responsibility and duty. It wasn't something that could be replaced easily.
Take herself, for instance. Stationed in Sinnoh for years, she had few challengers, and none had ever truly shaken her position.
Sometimes when exhausted from work, she would wonder: if someone could really defeat her and take over the burden, perhaps she could relax a bit?
Of course, this thought only flickered briefly.
She had never once retreated from her duty to protect Sinnoh and guide Trainers.
Her thoughts returned to the game screen.
Lance's reminder was crucial. It marked the game's official entry into the second playthrough.
So, what should she do next?
She'd already explored the entire Hoenn region fairly thoroughly during her first playthrough adventure.
Cynthia paused, thinking.
Open new regions?
This was probably the most likely development. After all, she'd only visited Hoenn so far, but the Pokémon in the game clearly weren't only from Hoenn.
The game screen shifted. Her character had already returned home to Littleroot Town.
Norman came forward, his face beaming with pride.
[Child, you did it! Truly remarkable!]
He handed over a ticket printed with a luxury cruise ship design.
[To celebrate your victory and broaden your horizons, here's a ship ticket to other regions. Go and see the wider world!]
Just as expected.
Understanding flashed through Cynthia's eyes. The world constructed by this game wasn't limited to Hoenn alone.
But if other regions had the same scale and information density as Hoenn...
She took a deep breath.
This meant that her previous dozens of hours of exploration had likely only revealed a corner of the entire game.
[Wow! New map!]
[I knew it, definitely going to other regions!]
[If that's the case, Emerald's content is way too massive!]
The viewers had clearly caught this information. The chat filled with anticipation for the new map.
The protagonist's mother walked over, offering congratulations.
The living room TV suddenly lit up, broadcasting an emergency news bulletin.
[Emergency report! Witnesses claim to have seen a massive Pokémon figure flash across the sky with rainbow-like brilliance! Its sacred appearance was unprecedented...]
The mother looked at the TV, then turned to the protagonist, her tone filled with concern.
[Strawberry Ice Cream, did you see it? That light streaking across the sky... do you think it leaned more toward fiery red or deep blue?]
The chat refreshed instantly:
[Making the streamer choose a color? What does that mean?]
[Red? Blue? What do they represent?]
[Could it be Groudon and Kyogre? But they're on land and in the sea, right? Would they fly in the sky?]
[Rainbow-like? Rayquaza? But Rayquaza is green, isn't it?]
The chat fell into heated speculation.
Cynthia's thoughts raced.
Red and blue, Groudon and Kyogre?
No, the news described something brilliantly rainbow-like flying across the sky.
Those two didn't look like they could fly at all.
Could it be they gained the ability to fly?
Or were they two other Legendary Pokémon unrelated to them?
From the current situation, this choice would likely determine which legendary existence she would encounter next.
She frowned slightly, rapidly considering the symbolic meaning of the two colors and possibly associated Pokémon.
In the end, Cynthia couldn't figure it out and simply chose one at random.
She moved the cursor and decisively selected red.
The moment the choice was made, the protagonist's mother seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, as if receiving some kind of confirmation.
[Oh, by the way, Professor Birch just contacted us. He says he has something important to show you and wants you to visit his lab as soon as possible.]
Cynthia controlled her character to leave home and headed straight for Professor Birch's laboratory.
There, she encountered her in-game rival again. This time, the rival didn't bring up battling, just greeted her and excitedly congratulated her on becoming Champion.
Professor Birch appeared exceptionally excited.
[Haha, congratulations to you both! To celebrate your outstanding performance and support your future journeys, I've specially upgraded your Pokédex to the National version! Now it can identify Pokémon from all regions!]
He handed over two brand-new Pokédexes.
The appearance of the National Pokédex confirmed Cynthia's speculation about new regions.
She already had a plan. First, use the ship ticket to explore those unknown areas. Although the game had clearly marked Rayquaza's location at the Sky Pillar, with her current team's strength, challenging Rayquaza wasn't yet possible.
So, she'd first check out other regions, raise her team's levels and strength, make proper preparations, then return.
Regarding the real-world Rayquaza, she planned the same approach.
She stepped out of the laboratory door, preparing to use Fly to head to Slateport City's dock.
An unexpected change occurred.
Several people in matching uniforms suddenly appeared, blocking her path.
The leader was a man with short purple hair.
He presented a credential with a special badge, his voice deep and authoritative:
[Hoenn Champion, please wait. I'm Looker from the International Police. We've noticed your strength has skyrocketed in an extremely short time. Given that abnormal energy fluctuations appearing in the Hoenn region highly match Ultra Wormhole activity signs, we need you to cooperate with our investigation.]
[Please prove the source of your power with your strength.]
A battle request interface appeared instantly.
[Holy crap? International Police?]
[Ultra Wormhole plot is back again...]
[So is this the second playthrough main story?]
[Sis is suspected of cheating haha!]
[If it were me I'd suspect the streamer too; became Champion from just leaving home in less than a week, lol. I'd believe you if you said the streamer was Ultra Wormhole's daughter.]
The chat joked around, seemingly unconcerned.
Cynthia's spirits lifted.
Ultra Wormholes!
The matter of Ultra Wormholes had always been one of her biggest concerns. She hadn't expected the second playthrough to open with related plot developments right away.
This meant she would definitely learn more about Ultra Wormholes next.
The game had already entered battle.
The Pokémon Looker sent out were Krookodile, Incineroar, and Bewear. Though their levels weren't low, for Cynthia with her currently higher levels, the pressure was nonexistent.
In just two minutes, Looker was defeated.
After the battle ended, Looker recalled his Pokémon. The faint smile on his face seemed to deepen.
[Mm... strong power, stable and solid battle style, and clean energy response. It seems we were indeed overly cautious.]
He confirmed his identity again.
[Let me formally introduce myself, International Police, Ultra Wormhole Special Investigation Team Leader, Looker. We're currently investigating the recently active Ultra Wormhole phenomenon in the Hoenn region. Perhaps you've already heard about, or even encountered, matters concerning Ultra Wormholes?]
[I'll keep it brief. This visit isn't only to confirm the source of your power, but also to invite you to join us in confronting Ultra Wormholes.]
A dialogue box appeared on screen: [Accept Looker's request for assistance?]
Cynthia didn't hesitate and directly selected yes.
The Ultra Wormhole problem in the real world was still waiting for her to resolve. Any intelligence about Ultra Wormholes couldn't be missed.
The chat continued discussing:
[International Police Special Investigation Team sounds pretty badass.]
[So what exactly is this Ultra Wormhole? There was already plenty of content in the first playthrough.]
[Don't know, but everyone who comes out of it is talented, fierce as hell.]
Looker, receiving Cynthia's answer, nodded.
[A wise decision. Mr. Steven is waiting for you at the villa above Champion Road on the left side of Ever Grande City. He'll inform you of the specific situation in more detail.]
He paused, then added:
[The cave there seems to have also experienced some abnormal energy situations. If possible, could you please go check it out?]
[Alright, see you at the villa.]
The group of police officers withdrew.
Cynthia immediately opened the map and used Fly to head directly to Ever Grande City.
She landed at the Pokémon Center entrance in Ever Grande City, preparing to head toward the location Looker mentioned.
The in-game PokéNav rang again.
A round-faced man wearing sunglasses with a hearty smile appeared on screen.
[Hi! Newly crowned Hoenn Champion! I'm Scott!]
The man introduced himself enthusiastically.
[Congratulations on conquering the League! However, the path of true strength is endless! Interested in testing your limits?
In the southern seas, there's a place called the Battle Frontier where seven supremely powerful Frontier Brains have gathered!]
[If you have absolute confidence in your abilities, feel free to challenge them anytime! I believe that place can make you even stronger!]
Scott ended the call.
A notification appeared on Cynthia's screen.
[The Battle Frontier can now be reached using Fly on the map!]
[Can make Champions even stronger; are the people in that zone stronger than Champions?]
[I think so. Otherwise at the streamer's level, she can't get stronger from grinding wild Pokémon, right? There must be dedicated leveling locations.]
[Makes sense.]
The chat was filled with curiosity about this new location.
Cynthia simply noted this information. The matter with Looker and Steven was obviously more important at the moment.
She controlled her character to leave Ever Grande City, following the fork in Champion Road upward. Sure enough, at the end of a path previously blocked by rocks but now clear, she discovered a new cave entrance.