🎬 Scene 1: An Unprecedented 8-Character Chaotic Brawl!
Scene 1: An Unprecedented 8-Character Chaotic Brawl!🦕 Pokémon: Google Sensei Niantic PokémonGO
VatshuUwoooh!! Full speed ahead with high energy again today, wan-o!! I love the heat and the sun! But I love meat even more, wan-o!! Vroom-vroom!
NNM-007Is that why you end up a burnt color like a Louis Vuitton bag, I wonder? Charring is AGE (Advanced Glycation End-products), the great enemy of beauty, you know 
Vatshu...... (We're the exact same color, wan 
)
)
DSK-o1Hey, hey, hold up! Being full of energy is great, but don't jump the gun, wan! My Edokko (a true born-and-raised local of Edo/Tokyo, traditionally known for being fiery, impatient, and fiercely straightforward) blood is boiling! Where are we launching our special attack today, wan?!
VatshuStareee 
Bro DSK! Is it because we're talking about Pokémon GO today!? Your gear has changed to a smartphone, o! I want one too, o
Bro DSK! Is it because we're talking about Pokémon GO today!? Your gear has changed to a smartphone, o! I want one too, oNNM-007You two are so loud... I'd rather just sleep in a cool room eating salmon fillets, I wonder . But well, if there's a feast in it for me, I might just keep you company.
. But well, if there's a feast in it for me, I might just keep you company.
kotoHey, everyone, calm down a bit! Today is a super special project that goes way beyond our usual Q&A! Believe it or not, we're unraveling the history of Google Sensei (a respectful and affectionate Japanese internet slang for Google, treating the search engine as an all-knowing teacher)...
hisuiOh? Koto-nee! Wasn't today supposed to be an English conversation lesson for the overseas site?
kotoHisui, you're right. But today is a US-Japan joint special episode, and Frankiie said he's joining in for an emergency appearance, so here I am!
Calsto-OOPunctuality is required! Idle chatter is strictly prohibited! We will transition to the main topic immediately! Today, we will explain the great history of how Google Sensei invented salmon fillets! Delays are absolutely unacceptable!
hisuiCalsto-chan, you're talking way too fast, and your explanation is a bit wrong! (They didn't invent salmon!)
Dr FuukaHehe, no need to rush, Calsto-san. Regarding the historical synergy between location-based overlay technology and Google's geospatial data, let us first begin with a 3-hour lecture on the prerequisite knowledge...
hisuiFuka-san's talk looked like it was going to be long, so I cut her off!! (laughs) Frankiie, wrap it all up!!
FrankiieGattai Bachikoon (Combine & Bam)! 
️ Now that all 8 characters have gathered, what we're talking about today is 'How Google Sensei's playful spirit changed the world: The behind-the-scenes birth of Pokémon GO', wan-o!!
️ Now that all 8 characters have gathered, what we're talking about today is 'How Google Sensei's playful spirit changed the world: The behind-the-scenes birth of Pokémon GO', wan-o!!🎬 Scene 2: The Shock of the 2014 "Pokémon Challenge"!
Scene 2: The Shock of the 2014 "Pokémon Challenge"!hisuiI've heard about this from Mama! It all started on April 1st, 2014. It was an April Fools' project using Google Maps called the 'Pokémon Challenge', wasn't it!
DSK-o1April Fools, you say!? Teyandee! (a classic Edokko exclamation expressing quick dismissal or disbelief, essentially meaning 'What the hell are you talking about?!') Are you telling me it was a total lie and a sneak attack from the very beginning, wan?!
Calsto-OOThat is a misunderstanding! It was not a mere lie! It was a hyper-authentic joke project that placed wild dogs... no, Pokémon, onto Google Maps' Street View!
kotoYes, Mama said that too. The quality of the promotional video was so incredibly high that it caused a massive uproar from all over the world, with people begging, 'Let us actually play this!
Dr FuukaTo add to that, there is a truly academic and highly fascinating anecdote: to the handful of brave souls who actually caught all 151 Pokémon scattered across the globe, Google headquarters mailed out official 'Pokémon Master Certified Meishi' (Japanese business cards, which hold significant professional status and cultural weight in Japanese society as a formal representation of one's identity). Such a wonderful spirit of inquiry, isn't it.
NNM-007Meishi...? Rather than a piece of paper you can't eat, I'd much rather have a premium salmon Sashimi (a traditional Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh, thinly sliced raw fish) certification, I wonder
VatshuExciting the whole world with just a playful spirit... Google Sensei is the most Iki (a traditional Japanese aesthetic from the Edo period denoting someone or something that is cool, chic, and stylishly refined) guy ever, wan-o!!!
🎬 Scene 3: The Predecessor "Ingress" and the Legendary Man, John Hanke
Scene 3: The Predecessor "Ingress" and the Legendary Man, John HankeFrankiieAnd the keyman who tried to turn this serious Asobigokoro (the playful, adventurous mindset of fun and creativity) into a real game was John Hanke, who led the internal Google startup (Niantic Labs) at the time, wan! (a dog-like playful speech ending, coming from "wan" which is the Japanese sound for a dog's bark!)
DSK-o1John Hanke, you say!? That sounds like a tough name! I'll be the first to challenge him to a fight, wan!
Calsto-OOYOU ARE JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS! He is not an opponent to fight! He is not an enemy of our walks! Mr. Hanke is a great man who developed Google Earth and created the location-based game 'Ingress'!
hisui'Ingress' is the monumental location-based game that turned the entire real Earth into a stage for a Jintorigassen (a traditional Japanese children's game of capturing territory, similar to turf wars)! It's the core technology that became the foundation for Pokémon GO's portals (PokéStops)!
koto'Google of Maps' × 'Ingress of Location Data' × 'Pokémon of the World'... It was the moment these three elements fatefully combined, wasn't it.
Dr FuukaIndeed. One could say it was an extremely innovative attempt in human history to induce a phase transition of the massive physical space known as Earth into a virtual game field. It truly has so much Roman (a Japanese concept referring to a sense of epic adventure, grand dreams, and romantic fascination)... (sighs dreamily).
DSK-o1Ph-physical space...? Ph-phase transition...? T-turf wars...? G-G-G-G (robotic stuttering sound), my processing capacity is overloading, wan!?
VatshuI don't really get all that complicated stuff, but anyway, it just means the whole Earth became our walking route, wan-o!!
🎬 Scene 4: Gratitude to Google Sensei and the Conclusion
Scene 4: Gratitude to Google Sensei and the ConclusionhisuiNot just ending it as an April Fools' joke, but actually making the 'dream of searching for Pokémon in reality' come true with technology and passion—that's what's so amazing about Google Sensei (a respectful and affectionate Japanese internet slang for Google, treating the search engine as an all-knowing teacher), isn't it!
Calsto-OOI AGREE! It is an overwhelming innovation! It is a wonderful Asobigokoro for our walks!
NNM-007Hehe, it's exactly because adults play seriously that children and adults all over the world, and even us, can get so obsessed with it. What a wonderful give (contribution/gift), I wonder .
.DSK-o1Heh, I like your style, Google! Next time, turn the streets of Edo (the historical name of Tokyo, famous for its traditional samurai and merchant culture) into a game just as they are, wan! (POP) ...Oh, my freeze is fixed, wan!
FrankiieAnd so, with the whole world waiting in anticipation, we finally head towards the 2016 release, wan! But... right there, the beginning of a legend way too chaotic was waiting for us, o! To be continued next time, wan! BACHIKOON (BAM)! ️
️📝 Summary Analysis
On April 1st, 2014, 151 Pokémon suddenly appeared on Google Maps. How did a project that was supposed to be a mere April Fools' joke turn into a massive world-shaking phenomenon!? As our 8 unique characters unravel the story through a chaotic discussion, witness the untold behind-the-scenes birth of Pokémon GO. The true origin of **Google Sensei** (_a respectful and affectionate Japanese internet slang for Google_) and its overwhelming **Asobigokoro** (_the playful, adventurous mindset of fun and creativity_) that thrilled the entire world is finally revealed!
