UNN Headquarters, Unova Region
The musical jingle of a news intro starts playing.
A giant Pokéball glides into view, its appearance translucent, allowing the blue-colored background to shine through it.
Enclosing the sphere is a rotating ring etched with the words "Unova News Network" in bold letters.
The ring and Pokéball came to a stop, allowing the viewers to see the logo and the news station name in full focus.
The scene transitions away from the news station's intro into a modern newsroom.
A Drowzee could be seen operating a nearby teleprompter for a brief moment before the scene zoomed closer to the stars of the show until the studio equipment was no longer visible.
A blue-haired man with azure eyes dressed in a black suit sat next to a blonde-haired woman with amber eyes dressed in a short-sleeved v-neck red blouse behind a long desk, both their expressions serious and ready to do their job of delivering news to their region.
The Drowzee that sat just behind the camera's point of view gave the duo their cue that the broadcast had started.
The music playing in the background slowly faded away as they began to speak.
"Good morning, Unova. I'm Amy Schmidt. The pretty blonde anchorwoman said, though her face was prim and proper, her eyes held exhaustion in them.
Her partner showed a much brighter but still stoic professional demeanor toward the camera.
"And I'm Dash Daxter, and you're watching the Unova News Network."
Amy spoke first, her professional tone burdened with the somber weight of her words, "Our top story this morning: the dearly beloved Twitch streamer Gudao, real name currently unknown, was viciously kidnapped by two unidentified brutes last night during an unexpected Minecraft anniversary livestream."
Dash raised an eyebrow when he heard the venom in Amy's voice as she described the two suspects but said nothing as she still conveyed the message written on the Teleprompter.
"That's right, Amy. Gudao is someone who has been covered by UNN on several occasions in the past 3 years. But for our older audience members who don't go online unless they have to and for those too busy to keep up with the times: Twitch is an internet site that allows people to host their own broadcasts, much like a news station like ours, for the world to see, and similar to TV, these livestreams are hosted by individual channels. There are currently thousands of channels that host livestreams on Twitch, which have a wide range of topics from cooking to Pokémon battles and so much more.
So what exactly separates this one person from the thousands of others? What makes him stand out among the sea of competitors?
And the truth is, he's actually from an alternate, parallel world. A world that exists without Pokémon.
As hard as that might be to believe for the few of you in the world who haven't heard of him yet, many respected individuals and organizations like the Aether Foundation and Professor Burnet respectfully have confirmed the legitimacy of these claims.
Because of his special circumstances, Gudao is currently one of the top streamers on the platform, only losing to Paldea's IonoZone and many official Pokémon league channels that regularly host live Pokémon league matches and tournaments from across the known world."
Once more, the cue called for Amy to speak next, and unlike last time, her chest was puffed up in pride as she continued where Dash left off, "Not only that, but his streams have also contributed massively to our scientific community. And in this humble reporter's opinion, his ASMR book-flipping streams are some of the most informative and comfy streams on Twitch. His soothing whispers do an excellent job of transforming the dry material he shares about his world's "animals" for our scientists to study into a relaxing experience that even non-scientists can enjoy!"
Dash gave Amy a look; she had blatantly disregarded the teleprompter's words as she gushed over the victim's streams. He needed to bring the train back on track before it derailed.
"Which made last night's incident all the more horrifying to witness for the people of our world, isn't that right, Amy?"
Amy's smile turned into a professional frown once more. "The following footage we are about to present contains graphic imagery of a kidnapping, so viewer discretion is advised."
The sound gets cut off abruptly. The camera lingered on the show hosts until the scene transitioned to show the recorded video of Gudao being violently dragged out of his home, assaulted, and then thrown in a van that took him to places unknown.
The camera shifts back to the two very disturbed-looking news hosts.
There was a brief silence between the two hosts, clearly unsettled by what they had seen. Amy in particular was holding back tears, but her professionalism persevered, and she was the first to recover to deliver her lines.
"That was horrible, my poor Gudao."
Dash chose not to acknowledge the latter half of her comment and nodded, "Indeed it was." Dash stared at the camera. "Unfortunately, critics and skeptics have dismissed this event as a very elaborate prank done in poor taste."
The papers in Amy's hands crinkled as she spoke her next lines, yet her face remained composed and measured: "Here at UNN, our commitment is to the truth. It is our duty as journalists to provide you, our viewers, with nothing but the facts. However, we also understand many of our viewers are distrustful of the media. And we here at UNN can respect that.
However, I want to be absolutely clear so our viewers have no room left for doubt. This is real. Video analyst experts from across the world have confirmed the authenticity of the footage shown on stream. To those who believe this is some sort of act or staged event, it's not. An innocent, living, breathing person's life is in serious danger. Sostop spreading conspiracy theoriesand misinformation about this incident.
Dash coughed into his fist, causing Amy to slacken her hands. "Well said, Amy. In any case, the investigation on our side is not fruitful. Unfortunately, our side cannot push past investigating video evidence, given the limited information and the wall of separation between dimensions. However, authorities are trying their best to work with the limited information available to see if they can come up with a solution.
We here at Unova News Network all wish him luck and pray for his safety. And-" before Dash could continue his lines, he was cut off by Amy.
"And a personal message to those who kidnapped him."
"Amy…" Dash tried to say something, but he sunk into his chair when a hateful glare was directed his way.
Amy turned back to the screen, her anger clearly visible to everyone watching.
"I know the kidnappers will not be able to see this message, but it still needs to be said. Don't think you can escape justice just because you are in another world. You may think that just because we can't reach you doesn't mean that you are safe from the hammer of justice! Justice has a way of finding people. And if you harm him more than you already have in any way, I'm going to—"
Amy's mic was cut, allowing Dash to take back control of the broadcast.
"Alright! Thank you, Amy! Our next story: Bouffalant mating season! How you can keep yourself, your family, and your Pokémon safe. Coming up after these messages."
✦✧✦
WELCOME TO THE POKÉMON WORLD FORUMS
Logged in as ShortShorts_QUEEN (verified member of the Comfy Shorts Club)
♦ TOPIC: GUDAO KIDNAPPED LIVE ON STREAM!!!
In: Forums ► Twitch ► Streamers ► Gudao ► Kidnapping
► Slur-Puffin69 [Original Poster] (verified sweet tooth):
*Shows a screenshot of the end title card of Gudao's last stream. The image of a chibi Gudao inside a Memorial picture frame could be seen, captioned by the words "Gudao is not dead, he's just resting" at the bottom of the image.*
Press X to doubt.
► Giraffiggy: X
► SilphSIMP: X
► Miini^Munchet: X
► PerfectlySaneHex (unverified Gudao's Wife): SHUT UP! HE'S NOT DEAD!!
►IonoZone (verified Gym Leader): You guys shouldn't be joking about this. They TOOK GUDAO.
► ShortShorts_QUEEN (verified member of the Comfy Shorts Club): I missed the stream because I had a rematch with a close friend. Lost track of time and came back home late for dinner and went to bed. I woke up the next morning and saw the news. WTF HAPPENED?!
►SeedotByTheSea: @ShortShorts_QUEEN Well, long story short, Gudao's stream got an upgrade. His streams are now in 4k 60fps, even to those with shit internet.
So his kidnapping was LITERALLY caught in 4k.
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): @PerfectlySaneHex
X <- That's what happens when you open your front door to a stranger at midnight.
Just accept the facts. He's gone.
[PerfectlySaneHex (unverified Gudao's Wife) has been banned from thread. Reason: Threats of violence against another. ]
► PsychicMoostache (verified Elite Level Pokemon): I would not be so quick to judge @Junior_Researcher. I was watching the stream as well, and as a psychic-type Pokémon, I was able to pick up on something a lot of non-psychic humans and Pokémon may have missed.
As many of you know, powerful psychic Pokémon like myself have the capacity to read a person's mind like a book, yet even we have limitations. We CANNOT interact with the minds of people in recordings or via live broadcast.
The same was the case for Gudao's stream. I have been watching and moderating his streams for years at this point, and it's only when the camera shifted into its new state that I gained the capability of feeling his mind.
Mind you, I am aware of the law, and I know how sensitive and controversial the issue of mind reading is, so out of respect for both the law and Gudao's privacy, I didn't delve deeper. Though even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have been able to because I could feel the connection between our worlds was severely hampering abilities, and I could only delve as deep as his surface emotions.
However, despite that limited capability, it was enough for me to notice something was off when he encountered that man… I felt his mind had gone blank. His fear, anxiety, and caution went mute.
Somehow, that man had used a psychic move on Gudao, forcing him to comply with his demands. I nearly gave myself an anerysm after using every bit of power I could muster to be able to disrupt the move. Though as soon as I successfully dispelled it, an unknown force pushed my mind back, and I was unable to interfere again for the remainder of the stream.
These phenomena, among other things, should be impossible. I even confirmed this with several other Pokémon and psychics I have connections to; they all had similar experiences when this happened.
Which means… the connection that first formed between Gudao and our world all those years ago had merely been dormant until this very moment. Whatever allowed this to happen was able to turn every monitor into literal portals across dimensions.
These facts lead me to believe that this is the work of a powerful Legendary Pokémon.
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): You had me in the first half, but the last sentence ruined it. Really? Going straight to using legendaries to explain what is happening? I respect Alakazam for their high intelligence and contributions to science, but you've somehow managed to disappoint me.
► IonoZone (verified Gym Leader): Hey! That's rude!
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): Call it what you want; it's the truth. This is obviously the work of some alpha Porygon-Z or Rotom.
Perhaps both.
There's a study that explains how Pokémon like Rotom and the Porygon family interact with dimensional energies that—
[Expand to read more]
► IonoZone (verified Gym Leader): Yawn.
► PsychicMoostache (verified Elite Level Pokemon): @Junior_Researcher Apologies If I sounded "unscientific," however, there was no need to be so crass. Whether you deny it or not, legendaries are a VERY real part of our world.
► MalasadaMayhem (verified Malasada Connoisseur): You know, for someone who is a "researcher," you seem to be pretty close-minded.
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): @MalasadaMayhem, I AM NOT CLOSE-MINDED!!
Though I admit I did come across as a bit condescending in my previous post. My apologies, Moostache.
► MalasadaMayhem (verified Malasada Connoisseur): Well, at least you're not a complete lost cause.
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): That being said, that doesn't change the facts.
People should stop jumping to the easy conclusion of "it must be a legendary Pokémon" when they see something they don't understand.
► SeedotByTheSea: (－‸ლ)
► MalasadaMayhem (verified Malasada Connoisseur): *pinches eyebrows in frustration*
Dude. You should have just ended the conversation on a high note, but I see you just love to be a stick in the mud, so I will educate you.
I am from Alola. Our island is well known to have been protected by the Guardian Deities (the Tapus for you non-Alolans) for millennia. While most of them are recluses, they still participate in some way or the other with our island challenges.
We have all heard, felt, and occasionally seen our protectors when they deem it necessary to show their presence. Everyone, and especially those who have taken the island challenges, can attest to that.
It's your word against an entire region, my guy.
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): Hmph, it's all mass hallucinations.
I am a man of science. And I won't be easily swayed by legends and myths. They are just old stories with no basis in science or reality!
► MalasadaMayhem (verified Malasada Connoisseur): Ok, let's just ignore the centuries of peace that the resource-rich Alola benefitted from the protection of their legendaries while the rest of its neighbors squabbled over petty issues no one cares about nowadays.
Or the countless generations of eyewitness reports from invaders who claimed to have seen the guardian deities and had their armies reduced to only a handful of survivors.
"iT's AlL MaSs HaLlUcInAtIoNs"
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): Oh, I'm so sorry I offended you when I presented you WITH FACTS. Come back when you have actual evidence, beyond faulty eyewitness reports and grainy photos and videos taken by a "terrified" Rotom or Poryphone.
Maybe then I will believe you.
► MalasadaMayhem (verified Malasada Connoisseur):
Yeah. No. I'm not going to waste my breath with you anymore.
No amount of evidence I provide will convince you.
► Magnet_King (verified MOD):
Sorry for playing Giratina's advocate, but @Junior_researcher does have a point. Government officials and highly accredited Pokémon researchers alike from all across the known world, sans Alola, have all made public statements denying the existence of legendaries after Gudao's revelation.
But while the possibility exists that it could all just be a massive cover-up, we should not be so quick to jump to conclusions.
Unlike those in Gudao's world, we can trust in our experts and our government officials.
► Lab-Pichu: We must also not forget that Gudao's world didn't get everything about our world 100% correct, like the existence of entire regions like Alola, Galar, and Paldea; the various regional wars; and other historical and scientific achievements and the ones behind them all.
► Guy_1n_Desert: (－‸ლ) some people, I swear. They are games made FOR CHILDREN, so of course they wouldn't have that level of detail included in the games!!
► SeedotByTheSea: It's also important to note that at the time the connection was made, Gudao's world only knew about Indigo (Kanto and Johto were separate games), Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova, while Kalos was still unknown. Yet, in only a single year, Kalos was introduced to their world. Which means it's only a matter of time until his world reveals the last three major regions.
Have you forgotten the multitude of betting rings and forums speculating on which region gets revealed next?
And that's not mentioning the fact that for the most part, Gudao's world still manages to depict major events that have happened in our world to a downright scary degree. The most infamous of these depictions being Red and Ethan's takedown of Team Rocket and Neo-Team Rocket respectively.
Your point is moot. LAB-Pichu
► Lab-Pichu: Even so, we should take the information we know with a grain of salt. There are still a lot of inconsistencies between our world and his media.
Like how Giovanni was just allowed to run free, seeing as how HE PARTICIPATED IN A WORLD TOURNAMENT in the Unova sequel games. Meanwhile, in our world, he was arrested and sentenced to life in prison and still remains there to this day.
We shouldn't use Gudao's world as a be-all and end-all for what is and isn't real.
Heck, based on what PsychicMoostache is claiming, it's possible there's stuff about Gudao's world even he has no idea about, you know, given how someone used a Pokémon move on him.
► Giraffiggy: Well, I know one thing for sure, Gudao's world definitely got Ghetsis's character accurate, 100%.
► I_$hniff_Glue: Speaking of Ghetsis, if he did have a Kyurem, like how Gudao said he did in the games, that would explain how he was able to freeze Opelucid City all those years back.
► Slow-Poker: I thought we all collectively agreed to call him Dennis the Menace?
► Giraffiggy: Lol. I forgorr. That maniac doesn't deserve such a kickass theme song.
► Don'tTouchMyBuns!: Guys. STOP. Or else I'm calling a mod.
► Slur-Puffin69 [Original Poster] (verified sweet tooth): Bruh. How did my post devolve into people having arguments about Ghetsis?
► MalasadaMayhem (verified Malasada Connoisseur): Welcome to the PokeNet. Where arguments always end up involving Ghetsis in one way or the other if they go on long enough.
► Junior_Researcher (verified Intern): @I_$hniff_Glue I want to say I'm not surprised by your comment, given your crude username, but I'm not. Seriously, people actually died in that attack, yet here you all are making conspiracy theories about that tragedy!
It's a well-known FACT that Ghetsis used illegally captured Ice-type Pokémon to fuel his monstrosity. Anyone who claims otherwise is just spreading lies.
You people disgust me.
► Gible_Archeologist (verified Archeologist): You guys!! Gudao's stream is live!!
✦✧✦
Somewhere in Antarctica
The pitter-patter of tiny feet echoed in the vacant grey and white corridors.
A small white animal, wearing a cute miniature cloak tied off with a red bow, had picked up on an interesting scent and went to follow it. It had ignored the protests of his chosen caretaker and ran towards his new destination. Eventually, the scent led it to a young human dressed in a white outfit the staff of Chaldea wore, a white jacket with black pants.
He was currently lying on his side, eyes closed and chest rising and falling as he slept on the cold, hard floor. The creature tilted its head, curious about what this human was doing here. "Fou?"