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It worked. A number of Temtem Pansun websites ran the pictures, and while they warned readers that the pictures could be fake, the pictures went wide. Folks started dissecting the designs, trying to work out how closely they found Game Freak's mythical monsters. All of the while, Spagna was with a laugh.

"Originally I did not think that it could have so much significance, then I saw it burst also on Youtube, Twitter, fan art, memes, even ruler 34," he wrote in a post, translated from Italian on Facebook. "And I couldn't believe it." While it was in good fun, Spagna apologized to people who fell to it.

"I congratulate those who weren't convinced [...] But in general already the simple fact that I had all this reach makes me understand that maybe I was able to create something quite convincing," he wrote.

Somehow, this wasn't the end of the cheap Temtem Pansun narrative. That exact same year, Crema launched a Kickstarter for Temtem, a MMO. Added a specific $6,000 tier that would make it possible for a backer to design a monster at the game. "Send us sketches and work together with our art team to make a Temtem and assist us emphasise its title," the description.