Chapter 416 - 411: Pokemon Goes Live

Chapter 416: Chapter 411: Pokemon Goes Live

That night.

Jiang Xia continued to draw the pre-production storyboards for Four-wheel Brothers. The character designs for the protagonists, Xiao Lie and Xiao Hao, had already been completed.

The design schematics for the two first-generation War God models, Charging War God and Sound Speed War God, also came to life on paper, drawn from his memory.

He expected that the new anime, Four-wheel Brothers, would be ready to meet audiences around summer vacation. By then, with the anime’s hit run, a craze for four-wheel drive race cars would quickly sweep the country.

"Honey, it’s late. Are you still going to draw?" Lin Yanwan walked over with a glass of freshly squeezed mango juice and placed it in front of him.

She glanced at the very detailed race car design schematics stacked to the side, her curiosity piqued.

"Did you watch this when you were a kid?" Jiang Xia asked after taking a sip of juice.

Lin Yanwan nodded, then shook her head. "Not much, but I know a lot of boys liked to play with mini race cars."

"Back then, my treasure box was full of parts—motors, tires, guide wheels. Toy race cars have an incredible appeal for boys."

Jiang Xia couldn’t help but recall his treasured collection from back then. After graduating from middle school, he’d sold it all for scrap, even stripping the copper wire from the motors. ’What a shame,’ he thought now.

"When Four-wheel Brothers launches, our dad’s company is going to make a fortune, and I’ll get a slice of the pie, too."

A slight smile touched Lin Yanwan’s lips. "Oh, you. You’re going to empty every kid’s pockets."

"That’s right, but they’re getting happiness in return." Jiang Xia chuckled. The thought of earning back all the money he’d spent on race cars as a kid, by making a show about race cars, was deeply satisfying.

"Well... my dear husband, it’s very late now. What makes you happy?"

Lin Yanwan gave him a look full of allure. The collar of her silky shirt, not fully buttoned, slipped to one side, revealing the smooth, pale curve of her shoulder. The temptation was palpable.

Jiang Xia’s attention was immediately captivated, especially when he saw the hickey he’d left there a few days ago. He did a quick mental calculation. His wife’s period had just ended, so it was still the safe period. A rush of heat went to his head.

"I’m quite interested in researching the origin of human life. I enjoy exploring the process even more. Learning makes me happy," he said with a perfectly straight face.

"Hmph."

Lin Yanwan blushed and scoffed lightly. "A clean set of pajamas is already laid out for you. Go take a shower."

"As you command~"

He cupped his wife’s face, gave her a deep kiss, then slipped into the bathroom. A moment later, the sound of running water filled the air.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, his body still beaded with water. He looked at his enchanting wife on the bed and casually flipped the light switch on the wall.

In the darkness, a bird drenched by the rain eagerly returned to its warm nest.

◇

「In the heart of June, the summer heat in the Imperial Capital began to build.」

After more than a month of production by the animation team, Qitian Animation’s new work, Pokemon, was finally released to the public.

Jiang Xia stuck with a dual-release strategy, broadcasting on both television and the internet to push Pokemon to the widest possible audience.

By now, Qitian Animation was no longer the obscure little company it once was, a company that had to walk on eggshells around television stations to get a partnership.

Now, the Qitian Animation brand was a guarantee of high ratings. Any station that wanted the broadcasting rights for the new Pokemon series had to offer a very generous partnership deal. Otherwise, they could only watch helplessly as another station snatched up all their viewers.

Seeing Pokemon’s rather cartoonish art style, many people assumed Qitian Animation Company had returned to making children’s cartoons. But as it turned out, it was a goddamn action series with countless cute creatures, just disguised as a kids’ show.

Catching, battling, evolving, and all the stories encountered on the journey—every core selling point captivated the hearts of countless viewers.

As a result, right after Pokemon began airing, the ratings on the CCTV Children’s Channel immediately surpassed the peak ratings of Cat and Mouse. A great many people were instantly captivated by Pikachu’s adorable appearance.

This little yellow mouse that shot out electricity at a moment’s notice quickly shot to the top of trending lists on all major platforms, becoming the year’s number one cutest mascot.

Seeing the overwhelmingly positive reviews and high scores for Pokemon online, Jiang Xia wasn’t the least bit surprised. After all, this was the world’s number one IP, worth more than Marvel and Disney, and it hadn’t even begun to hit its stride yet.

In the first episode’s plot, Ash risked his life to protect Pikachu from a flock of Spearow. The normally rebellious Pikachu was moved by Ash’s sincerity, forced itself up from the ground, climbed onto Ash’s shoulder, and launched itself recklessly toward the angry Spearow flock.

A thunderbolt crashed down from the dark clouds, and the entire sky bloomed with electric light. On D Station, the bullet comments instantly exploded with countless posts calling it a legendary scene.

Many who saw this scene were deeply moved by the bond between Ash and Pikachu, and they grew even more excited to see what kinds of Pokemon Ash would encounter on his journey to become a Pokemon Master.

"As expected of Qitian Animation! The first episode of Pokemon was a huge surprise. The world-building is incredible! Director Jiang is a genius!"

"So, the question is, where can I go to adopt a cute Pikachu?"

"Are you kidding, person above me? Are you sure you could handle a jolt from Pikachu?"

"Heheheh, I can handle it! Zap me, Pikachu, zap me!"

"AHHHHH, Pikachu is so adorable! I’m melting from the cuteness!"

"Quick! I need to see the second episode! @Qitian Animation, serve up episode two, now! I’m going to die if I can’t watch more Pokemon!"

In response, Qitian Animation actually replied with an "OK" emoji.

With Qitian Animation’s current production schedule, a full eight teams were working simultaneously, making it entirely possible for Pokemon to air two new episodes every week.

So, the very next day, D Station and the CCTV Children’s Channel simultaneously released the second episode of Pokemon, which officially introduced the villains—Team Rocket, whose goal is to steal rare Pokemon.

Ash, carrying a badly injured Pikachu, arrived at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City, only to run into the Pokemon-napping Team Rocket—Musashi and Kojiro, along with their Pokemon, Ekans and Gas Bomb, plus a Meowth that could talk.

As soon as they appeared, they launched into a hilarious and memorable motto.

In the end, Ash powered a generator by pedaling a bicycle to restore Pikachu’s electricity. Pikachu then defeated Team Rocket in a single blast, the force of the explosion turning them into a twinkle in the night sky.

With the back-to-back episodes, Pokemon’s popularity skyrocketed across the internet. At the very end of the episode, a teaser showed Ash and Xiao Xia’s encounter in Viridian Forest with a wild Caterpie, leaving countless viewers eagerly anticipating the next installment.