Near the giant screen in Liyue Harbor's main square, crowds were attracted one after another. Within a single morning, the entire city knew the news about the first Pokémon Trainers Conference. The air was thick with excitement, a palpable buzz that transcended the usual mercantile chatter of the port.
"It turns out that Pokémon competition has a very formal set of rules!" an elderly merchant exclaimed, leaning on his cane while squinting at the screen.
"No, this is not comparable to cockfighting, dogfighting, or cricket fighting! This is an official event sanctioned by the Qixing!" a younger man replied, his eyes shining with ambition.
"You are not talking nonsense! Can Pokémon even be compared to mere beasts? Can your little domestic animal spit out the power of the elements or shatter boulders with a thought?"
"Hey, compared to monsters, Pokémon are smarter and kinder... My child tamed a Rattata in the ecological zone, and then that Rattata actually helped with the housework! It's like having a small, purple roommate who actually cleans up!"
"Just now, Master Keqing personally led the team to find an open space outside the city, preparing to break ground and build a large-scale construction project specifically for the conference venue! Liyue efficiency is no joke when Mora is involved."
"Come on, I was so excited after watching that promotional video. Does anyone want to form a group to go to the ecological zone to try their luck? It's good to catch insects and cultivate them! Even a Caterpie can become something grand!"
"Don't look down on the Caterpie! I saw one evolve into a Butterfree yesterday, and the powder it scattered put a whole group of Hilichurls to sleep!"
"That is true, but not everyone can be an 'Insect Catcher Boy'! You need the spirit!"
The exact time for the opening of the conference had been announced: just two weeks later, with registration beginning tomorrow. There were two sets of rules. Players could only choose one set of rules to participate in, forcing a strategic decision from the start.
Ordinary people would definitely prefer the first set of rules because their own physical bodies had weak combat power. They were not like the favored ones of the Vision, who could jump mountains and shatter steel. For them, the Pokémon was the primary combatant, and they were the commanders.
In the famous character customer group chat, the atmosphere was even more electric. Discussions about the conference had not stopped since the announcement.
Hu Tao: "This is great! I just adopted an Exeggcute. I guess it will evolve in two weeks... I'll have a Gabite in my left hand and an evolved Dragon-type Alolan Exeggutor in my right! I announce in advance that this Hall Master is the champion of this Trainers Conference!"
Tartaglia: "Sorry, Hu Tao, but in the second set of rules, Alolan Vulpix and I are invincible! We move as one, strike as one. Your trees won't stand a chance against a blizzard."
Inside the Pokémon Home store, Hu Tao hadn't left yet. Looking at the group chat interface, she curled her lips in a classic mischievous pout.
"Even with the second set of rules, I, the future Dragon-type Queen, can crush them with dignity. Besides, the combat power of this Hall Master is no weaker than yours, Snezhnayan toy-seller!"
How could Hu Tao, who had just won a minor victory over her rivals, allow someone to take the spotlight in a blink of an eye? She immediately sent out a voice message, her tone brimming with confidence.
Tartaglia showed no sign of weakness and sent a message back, his laughter echoing through the Pokédex speakers: "Yeah? Ha ha ha ha ha! I have carefully studied the attribute restraint relationship. Ice skills and moves double the critical damage to Dragon Pokémon! Do you think only Fairy-types can kill dragons? You are behind the curve, little director!"
Hiroshi, standing behind the counter, didn't expect that Tartaglia had studied the attribute restraint relationship so deeply. He was becoming a true student of the game.
In a normal sense, the Fairy-type is the "Dragon-Slayer" because Dragon-type skills deal zero damage to Fairy Pokémon. It was the ultimate wall. But if the Dragon-type was the one being attacked, the Ice-type enjoyed a massive damage coefficient. They were all critical hits, or "Super Effective" in the parlance of the system.
After Hu Tao heard this, Hiroshi explained the math with a small smile, though he couldn't help but feel a bit of embarrassment for her.
"It seems that the Young Master and his Alolan Vulpix will be our Hall Master's formidable rivals in the future!" Hiroshi noted. "His 'Permafrost' team tactics not only restricted the movement of enemies but specifically countered her Dragon formation."
Obviously, Hu Tao planned to participate in the second set of competitions with unlimited rules. If she participated in the first set, she felt she would be "bullying" the common folk. How could she show her bravery and combat power as the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor if she was restricted to a command box?
Hu Tao didn't want to win the first set and be questioned by the public. She could already hear the gossip: "Oh, she didn't dare compete with other Vision-holders, so she went to play with the kids." No! If she won, it had to be a great, beautiful victory against the strongest Liyue and Mondstadt had to offer.
Facing the Young Master, Hu Tao fired back: "An Alolan Vulpix, no matter how many ice tricks it knows, is still just a Vulpix. Do you understand the value of a Dragon-type and a Quasi-Legendary? Race values don't lie! With high attack, high defense, and thick blood, my Gabite can fight in close combat without even using skills. It could knock your crispy fox away with just one punch!"
Tartaglia chuckled: "Sorry, but next time we meet, it will be the Alolan Ninetales. Elegance and power, combined with my own archery... you'll never even get close."
The tit-for-tat confrontation in the group chat was a microcosm of the competitive atmosphere growing throughout Teyvat. Most of the group members had a Vision. They received the news, looked at the two sets of rules, and their pride dictated their choice.
Head-on confrontation. The trainer enters the field. Who is afraid of whom!
This conference was also a rare stage that brought together the high-level combat power of both Mondstadt and Liyue. At the Mondstadt branch, the knights, led by Jean, emerged from the teleportation area.
Jean looked back at the magical door that appeared on the wall and sighed. "I didn't expect the interior space of the store to be so vast and magical. It's like a separate realm altogether."
She looked past Diluc at the back of the queue. Diluc walked straight to Mona, who was assisting as a temporary store manager.
"My Luxio has evolved and reached level 30," Diluc said, his voice cold and focused. "I estimate it will reach its final form by next week. Therefore, I am going to draw a second Pokémon and cultivate it as a backup for the conference."
Everyone understood his silence. This was the dark knight preparing for war.
Eula walked towards the clerk, Emilia, who was standing at the counter. "I'm going to draw a second Pokémon too. It's best to be a type that resonates and reacts with my Cryo element!"
Eula originally had a Cryo Vision. Considering the powerful field control effect of the "Permafrost" reaction, she would likely prioritize a Water-type. As the Spindrift Knight, she believed her physical damage was already peak, but a Pokémon could provide the elemental application she needed to freeze her foes solid.
She glanced at the group chat where Hu Tao and Tartaglia were still arguing. You guys don't understand the infinite power of my Glacial Illumination, she thought. I assist the water Pokémon to control the field, and then I shatter them myself... the shame of my family name will be washed away by this championship!
"Oops!"
At that moment, the third draw was initiated. Astonishingly, it was the Librarian, Lisa, who usually preferred napping in the sun.
"The Rose Witch also wants to show her presence a little bit," Lisa said with a seductive smile. "After all, as a genius graduate who is only seen once in two hundred years by the Sumeru Akademiya, I can't let my old classmates think I've grown dull."
Rosaria sighed, leaning against a pillar. "You, a guy who always likes to be lazy at work, are actually preparing for a competition? I just met Miss Yelan from Liyue in the arena. She will definitely participate. People like us, the invisible guardians of the night... if I win, it proves I'm the best at what I do."
On the other side, Albedo had brought Klee back. When he heard Klee shouting that she wanted to "bomb" the competition, he secretly decided to participate just to keep her safe.
Even Jean pondered for a moment. "Maybe I should draw a second one? If I don't have time to train it, I can always leave it at Manager Hiroshi's research institute for fostering."
Back at the Liyue main store, the notification for funds arriving flashed on Hiroshi's Pokédex. Even from a distance, he could track the revenue. The news of the competition was the final push that crushed the hesitation of potential customers.
In Liyue Port, the concentration of wealth was staggering. As soon as Ningguang, Ganyu, and Keqing had returned to Yujing Terrace, at least a thousand guests had flocked to the store.
But Hiroshi was currently busy with two specific high-profile guests: Yelan and Signora.
"Hey guys, would you like tea or coffee?" Hiroshi asked, maintaining his professional poise.
Yelan's mouth raised slightly in a smirk. "I wonder if Manager Hiroshi has heard of this? Grind dried Jueyun Chili and the flower stamens of a Glaze Lily into powder, and mix them evenly into Yunlai Pekoe... brew a pot of strong tea like this, and its aroma will make you intoxicated. I prefer a drink with a long aftertaste."
Hiroshi was stunned for a moment, then spread his hands. "Sorry, this shop is for Pokémon business, not a gourmet restaurant or a teahouse! I deal in monsters, not infusions."
Yelan smiled, her expression relaxing. She was about to retort when the atmosphere changed.
The three people around the sofa, including Hiroshi, all turned their heads toward a single sofa in the corner. There, holding a toy pillow, a small beast suddenly sat up while rubbing its eyes.
The little guy woke up from its slumber with an appearance so cute it could stop a war. Its body was white, and the star-shaped hat on its head and the ribbons on its back were a brilliant, shiny yellow. Three blue-green "wishing notes" were pasted on the corners of the star hat.
It was Jirachi!
The Pokémon said to wake up for only seven days every thousand years, with the power to grant wishes, had opened its eyes for the first time on Teyvat.
"Hello, Jirachi," Hiroshi said softly to the sleepy creature. He then looked at Yelan, whose expression had frozen in shock. "Miss Yelan, perhaps the drink with a long aftertaste you just mentioned can wait. A wish-granting star has a much longer aftertaste than tea."
Zekrom, standing in the shadows behind Hiroshi, let out a low rumble that vibrated the floorboards. "The small one awakens," the great black dragon spoke, its voice deep and resonant, surprising the guests. "It carries the dreams of a thousand years in its tiny heart. Manager, the balance of this world shifts with every new arrival."
Yelan's eyes darted between the massive Zekrom and the tiny Jirachi. "It... it speaks?"
"I do more than speak, human," Zekrom replied, its red eyes glowing with an inner electricity. "I observe the ideals you bring to this shop. Are you here for power, or for a partner?"
Signora narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on Jirachi. "A creature that grants wishes... that would certainly make the Tsaritsa's goals easier to achieve."
"Dreams are not for the cold-hearted," Jirachi chirped, its voice like a silver bell. It floated off the sofa, hovering in front of Yelan.
Hiroshi laughed. "Well, the shop is getting crowded. Since Jirachi is awake, let's see if your luck holds up. Miss Yelan, would you like to be the first to draw under the gaze of a wishing star?"
The popularity value on Hiroshi's system was skyrocketing. He could see the progress bar for the "Auto Chess" task nearly full. The synergy of the announcement, the live broadcast, and the arrival of legendary Pokémon was creating a perfect storm of influence.
"I'll take that challenge," Yelan said, reaching for the Pokédex. "Let's see if the 'truth' I find today is a partner worth my time."
Hiroshi nodded. He knew that the next two weeks would change the face of Liyue forever. The "Sword Trial" was more than a game; it was the birth of a new power structure. And at the center of it all, he was the one holding the cards—or in this case, the Poké Balls.
"Wait," Signora interrupted, her voice like ice. "I am not here to watch. If there is a competition, the Fatui will ensure their presence is felt. I want a Pokémon that embodies the eternal winter of my homeland."
"Patience, Madam," Zekrom rumbled, its tail glowing with blue light. "The lightning of truth strikes when it is ready, not when you demand it."
Hiroshi smiled. "Now, now, everyone will get their turn. Let the drawing begin!"
As the sun began to set over Liyue Harbor, the lights of the city twinkled, reflecting the newfound hope and competition in the hearts of its people. The era of Pokémon had truly begun. Would you like to see what Yelan and Signora draw? Or perhaps check in on Keqing's construction progress? The road to the championship is long, and everyone is starting their engines.