Prologue

It all began with a single game cartridge - Pokémon Yellow Version. Arcane vividly recalled the day he unwrapped it and the excitement that surged through him as he held the game in his hands. Like Ash Ketchum, he also received his first Pokémon, a Pikachu named Sparky. The adventures that unfolded on the screen were nothing short of magical, and Arcane was hooked from the very start.

As he embarked on his virtual journey through the Kanto region, capturing Pokémon, battling trainers, and thwarting the plans of Team Rocket, Arcane felt a connection to this fantastical world that transcended the confines of the game. He imagined himself as a Pokémon Trainer, exploring the untamed wilderness, forging bonds with his Pokémon, and striving to become a Pokémon Master.

From that point on, Pokémon became an integral part of Arcane's life. He eagerly followed the release of every new Pokémon game, collecting them like precious treasures. His room was adorned with posters of legendary Pokémon, shelves filled with plushies, and a well-organized drawer stocked with trading cards. Pokémon was more than just a game to Arcane; it was a way of life.

While Pokémon brought Arcane immense joy, it also made him an outlier among his peers. As the years passed and the craze around Pokémon waned, Arcane's unwavering devotion to the franchise earned him a reputation at school. He was no longer just Arcane; he had become "the Weird Pokémon Guy."

The taunts and jeers from his classmates stung, but Arcane held his head high. He didn't care if they thought he was strange; he knew he was living his dream. Arcane's only other gaming obsession was Digimon, a parallel universe of digital creatures that fascinated him just as much as Pokémon.

Despite the social isolation and the occasional bullying, Arcane treasured those years. He found solace in the virtual world, where he could be the Pokémon Trainer he had always aspired to be. He didn't mind spending weekends holed up in his room, honing his skills, and collecting every Pokémon species he could.

The world outside might have labeled him as "weird," but Arcane was content. He had Pikachu, Charizard, and a whole team of loyal Pokémon by his side. He was determined to live life on his own terms, just like his beloved video game characters.

Arcane's journey through the Pokémon universe had taken him far beyond the confines of his own world, but before he became a Hisuian Zoroark, he recalled another pivotal chapter in his life - his career as a game designer.

After graduating college with a degree in game design, Arcane was bursting with enthusiasm and creative energy. He dreamt of working for a company that would allow him to contribute to his favorite game series, Pokémon. The thought of being part of the team that brought the Pokémon world to life was a dream beyond his wildest imagination.

Arcane's journey to Nintendo was not a straightforward one. He spent years honing his skills at various game development studios, working on different projects that ranged from action-adventures to puzzle games. These experiences, though diverse, were stepping stones toward his ultimate goal.

Finally, the day came when Arcane received the email that would change his life. He had been accepted as a game designer at Nintendo, the very company that held the rights to the Pokémon franchise. His heart raced with excitement as he packed his belongings and moved to Kyoto, the heart of Nintendo's gaming empire.

However, the dream job he had envisioned took an unexpected turn. Arcane found himself placed under the supervision of a manager whose name he couldn't recall, but the memories of their interactions were etched into his mind. This manager was a difficult person to work with - stubborn, arrogant, and resistant to change.

One incident that stood out was when they were assigned to work on a new Kirby game. Arcane had entered the meeting room brimming with ideas, ready to contribute his creativity to the project. The manager, however, had other plans. He proposed a storyline where Kirby, the beloved pink puffball, was not the main character. Instead, he suggested focusing on a lesser-known character.

The room fell silent as the absurdity of the idea sank in. Kirby games had always revolved around Kirby himself, and changing that core concept seemed like a recipe for disaster. Arcane tried to voice his concerns, but his manager brushed him aside, dismissing his input with a wave of his hand.

At the meeting where new projects were presented, the manager's proposal was met with disapproval from the higher-ups who saw the proposal as idiotic. Arcane watched in disbelief as the manager shifted the blame onto him, falsely claiming that it was Arcane who had put forward the ill-conceived idea. It was a blatant attempt to save face and avoid taking responsibility for his own poor decision. The manager barely got the game approved, by giving some useless speech about how times were changing, so this might be the time to try something new.

Arcane felt a mixture of anger and helplessness as he became the scapegoat for the manager's disastrous idea. He had joined Nintendo with the hope of contributing to the Pokémon games he loved so dearly, but instead, he found himself entangled in a nightmare project. He was subsequently fired when the manager made the game regardless and it failed to get any sales.

Arcane's life as a game designer took a dark turn after the disastrous Kirby project. The manager's false accusations and subsequent manipulation of the situation had far-reaching consequences for Arcane. Not only was he blamed for the idea that almost destroyed the Kirby franchise, but the manager's influence also reached beyond Nintendo, effectively blackballing Arcane in the gaming industry.

Rejection letters became a constant in Arcane's life. Studios that had once shown interest in his work now turned him away, citing his "unprofessional behavior" and "lack of creative vision." It was a cruel twist of fate, as Arcane had poured his heart and soul into game design, only to find himself shut out of the industry he loved.

The weight of his shattered dreams grew heavier with each passing day. Arcane's frustration and bitterness led him down a dark path, and he sought solace in alcohol. The bottles on his shelves multiplied, and the hours he spent drowning his sorrows increased. The passion that had once burned so brightly within him now smoldered in the ashes of despair.

One fateful day, as Arcane reluctantly left his dingy apartment to attend yet another job interview, his life took an unexpected turn. He had received a mysterious job offer from a company he had never heard of before. The email had arrived out of the blue, offering him a chance at redemption.

As he made his way to the location provided in the email, a sense of hope welled up within Arcane. It had been so long since he had felt anything other than despair, and this offer felt like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. He couldn't help but wonder if this was his shot at redemption, a chance to reclaim his lost dreams.

But fate had other plans. On his way to the mysterious job interview, as Arcane navigated through the busy city streets, tragedy struck. A speeding car ran a red light, crashing violently into Arcane's vehicle. In the chaos of the collision, Arcane's world faded into darkness.

In that moment, as his life hung in the balance, Arcane's memories flashed before his eyes. He remembered the excitement of his first Pokémon game, the joy of graduating as a game designer, and the despair that had followed his dreams' collapse. It was a bittersweet montage of his past, a past that was slipping away.

And then, as if by the hand of destiny itself, Arcane's consciousness found itself in a new realm. He opened his eyes to a world vastly different from the one he had known, a world where he would grow to become a Hisuian Zoroark. The memories of his past life as a human flooded back into his mind, and Arcane realized that his journey was far from over. This new world held mysteries, challenges, and perhaps even the answers he had been seeking.