Monday, September 15, 1992
Among the many who were excited about the upcoming ZGB release, one particular individual stood out for his explosive enthusiasm: Satoshi Sawamura.
Satoshi, one of Zaboru's oldest and dearest friends from high school, was now a college student majoring in Zoology at a prestigious university in Tokyo. Since he was a child, Satoshi had always been enamored with animals. From the graceful flight of birds to the chaotic but beautiful world of insects, from jungle predators to oceanic oddities, Satoshi adored them all. His obsession wasn't born from science alone—it was genuine love. Nature spoke to him. And whenever he went out on a nature walk or a field expedition, he had a mantra he'd repeat with an almost sacred tone: "Gotta catch them all!"
While Satoshi pursued his academic path in animal biology, he watched his friends take off in different directions. Ryo had taken charge of his family's advanced battery manufacturing business The Miyagi Batteries of course he didn't knew if Miyagi Batteries and Zage are working together, and Miyagi Batteries has contributing greatly to the ZAGE ZGB , while Zaboru had become the genius behind Japan's most revolutionary gaming company ZAGE . And yet, Satoshi felt no jealousy—only admiration. He was genuinely proud of his friends. They were chasing their dreams just as he was.
But all of that was background noise the moment the ZGB ad hit the airwaves.
He had been sitting in his dorm room, studying bird migration patterns, when he decided to take a break and flip on the TV. What he saw left him speechless.
The ZGB ad began, and there he was—Zaboru himself, standing confidently in his iconic helmet, surrounded by some of ZAGE's most beloved game characters. And then came the real surprise: a brand-new game boldly showcased on the screen. The title? Pokémon.
Just when Satoshi thought his heart couldn't race any faster, the screen exploded with a familiar phrase.
"Gotta catch them all!"
His catchphrase. His identity. And now, spoken by his best friend on national television, as if it had been crafted just for him at least that's what he thinks!.
His heart nearly exploded with joy. He stood up and shouted in his room. His roommate looked at him like he'd gone mad. But Satoshi didn't care.
"ZABORU MADE A GAME FOR ME!" he yelled.
In his mind, there was no other explanation. The creatures—some reptilian, some insect-like, some feline or avian—were obviously inspired by his love of animals. And the slogan? It sealed the deal. He had to go see his friend. Immediately.
That evening, he tossed on his favorite jacket, grabbed his student ID, and rushed to the train station. When he arrived at ZAGE HQ, his energy couldn't be contained.
"Tell him Satoshi Sawamura is here! His BEST friend from high school!" he told the receptionist proudly.
Meanwhile, in a far corner of ZAGE HQ, Zaboru was reviewing hardware integration code and preparing for the ZEPS September release. When his assistant Yumi entered the room, she looked amused.
"Boss, there's someone asking to see you. Says he's your best friend from high school. Name's Satoshi Sawamura." She's said.
Zaboru blinked in surprise, then a nostalgic smile spread across his face. "Satoshi? He actually came? That wild guy... Sure, tell him I'll meet him in my office." There wasn't a chance he would ever ignore an old friend—not in a million years. That just wasn't who he was.
Moments later, the door opened and in burst a wild-haired young man with a zoology field notebook sticking out of his backpack.
"ZABORU! The man, the myth, the gaming legend! How the hell are you!?"
Zaboru grinned and stood to shake his friend's hand. "Still breathing, still building empires. How's the jungle treating you, Dr. Doolittle?"
"Amazing! I just came back from a field study in Ibaraki and—dude, DUDE, I saw the Pokémon ad!" Satoshi said, eyes wide with wonder. "You used my phrase! Gotta catch them all! That's mine, man! You finally made a game inspired by me, huh?"
There was a pause. Zaboru chuckled internally.
In truth, the catchphrase was something deeply iconic from his previous world. But in this world, Satoshi had been shouting that line for years during every field trip or when he was blabbering with animal related stuff. It was his personal slogan—and oddly enough, Satoshi not only shared that phrase but also bore a name strikingly similar to the main character of Pokémon Anime in Zaboru's previous world, making the whole situation feel even more surreal and fated.
For a split second, Zaboru considered correcting the misunderstanding. But then he looked at Satoshi's face—so full of joy and pride. And he decided to go along with it.
"Yeah," Zaboru said smoothly, smiling. "I made Pokémon for you, buddy. You're the real OG Pokemon Master."
Satoshi practically jumped, his excitement bubbling over like a shaken soda can. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW it! This is fate, bro! I've been catching beetles and frogs for years! This is my game! I'm buying ten of them—one for every day of the week and three for backup!! I'm gonna be the best Pokémon master ever! Just you wait!"
Zaboru chuckled, shaking his head with a grin. "No need to go overboard, man. Just buy one and enjoy it. That's all I ask. Let the adventure speak for itself."
The two sat down in Zaboru's office and chatted for over an hour. They reminisce about high school, about how Satoshi once tried to build an ant farm in the school science lab and ended up unleashing an ant infestation. They laughed about how they'd used to sneak instant noodles into the school library and dared each other to eat spicy ramen during study hall. Satoshi even showed Zaboru some photos of his recent trips into the field—snakes, wild boars, and even an owl he'd nursed back to health.
"Dude, you've gone full wild man," Zaboru said, scrolling through the pictures. "Maybe we should make a nature sim game next. Something with real biology. And you could consult with me."
""YES!" Satoshi shouted, nearly knocking over his chair with excitement. "Make a game called Zoo Quest! Or Wild Tracker! I'll write the animal behaviors myself, document ecosystems, simulate migration patterns—heck, I've got field notes ready to go! Gimme a dev kit, I'll do it, man!"
Zaboru burst out laughing, genuinely amused by his friend's unfiltered enthusiasm. "One thing at a time, wild man. Let's launch Pokémon first, okay?"
Still, as he said it, the idea lingered in Zaboru's mind. A nature-based simulation game with real-world behavioral data? That had serious potential. Not now, but someday. He made a mental note to revisit it in the future.
As Satoshi finally stood to leave, his hands were still buzzing with excitement. "You really made my dream a reality, Zaboru. Even if you didn't mean to—this game speaks to me, man. It's what I've always wanted." Satoshi grin and smile "Thanks a lot man" Zaboru grin and said "Don`t mind it bro i just doing my job"
Zaboru stood at the door, watching his friend go, a fond smile on his face.
Sometimes, the world gives you strange coincidences. Sometimes, it hands you a miracle wrapped in a misunderstanding.
And sometimes, it just works out.
To be continued.
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