"Smoke!"
Every time Hiroshi sees that familiar glowing interface appear, his heartbeat inevitably speeds up. "There are never too many mythical beasts. Just give me one!" he muttered, his fingers hovering over the screen.
He clicked lightly for the ten-consecutive draw.
Boom boom boom... Ten beams of light descended from the digital sky within his vision. Gold, purple, and blue light mixed in a swirling vortex of potential.
"I go!" Hiroshi shouted, his eyes widening. "Good guy, it's three golden shots again!"
He was pleasantly surprised. The golden explosion rate of the System's lottery was high today. If he had been a regular player back in the original world, he probably would have gone crazy with joy.
"Skip it!" he commanded, lacking the patience to watch the individual animations. He wanted to check the details of each item at once. Hiroshi exited the lottery animation and stared at the golden items automatically arranged in the top three slots.
Ding! Congratulations on getting the Dragon Plate (SSR)!
Ding! Congratulations on getting the Red Chain (SSR)!
Ding! Congratulations on getting the Adamant Crystal (SSR)!
The three golden pieces were all items. There were no mythical beasts or Pokémon eggs this time, but Hiroshi was not disappointed at all. He stared at the props with a mixture of awe and strategic calculation.
"The Red Chain and the Adamant Crystal... these are the necessary props to confront the gods of time and space," Hiroshi whispered. The Red Chain had a great origin—a mythical prop capable of binding and controlling Dialga and Palkia. It was absolutely abnormal in its power. In the records of the Sinnoh region, the leader of Team Galactic had used it to bring the two gods to their knees.
As for the Adamant Crystal (the Treasure of Time), it was a necessary item to channel the true power of Dialga, the sovereign of time. This crystal could resonate with the deity, potentially calming the two gods of time and space when they were entangled in a deadly battle that threatened reality itself.
Hiroshi had been to the Hisui Region and even reached the ruins of the Great Sinnoh Temple on Mt. Coronet, but he hadn't dared to step directly onto the battlefield of the two warring gods. Looking at them from a distance, he and Cresselia were almost sucked into a rift of temporal power.
"Red Chain, check. Adamant Crystal, check. Now, there is only one piece of the puzzle left—the Origin Ball," Hiroshi thought. The Origin Ball could be crafted in the Hisui region. If he could find the Origin Ore in the ancient Primeval Grotto and have Professor Laventon forge it, he would have everything necessary to stabilize and perhaps even conquer Dialga.
"In the game, the grotto wasn't guarded by powerful Pokémon, but reality is never that simple," Hiroshi frowned. He knew the separation between game mechanics and Teyvat's reality was severe. In the games, Giratina might hide in an ordinary cave and be caught with a high-level ball. In reality, approaching a furious sovereign of the Renegade World would likely result in being exiled to a void of antimatter.
"I'll put finding Dialga aside for now. With these props, Dialga is already halfway into my bowl."
Hiroshi checked the remaining seven items: three purple and four blue.
Ding! Congratulations on getting the Advanced Breeder Skill Card (SR)!
Ding! Congratulations on getting the Advanced Coordinator Skill Card (SR)!
Ding! Congratulations on getting the Advanced Pokémon Researcher Skill Card (SR)!
"Just call me a good guy!" Hiroshi laughed. The professional skills he wanted were all drawn at once. The "Advanced" title was enough to ensure that the scholars from Mondstadt and Liyue at his research institute wouldn't see through him during demonstrations. He could likely reach "Expert" level by combining two cards, but "Master" level would surely require a golden card.
The remaining four blue items were saplings of four kinds of berry trees: Aguav Berry, Magost Berry, Sitrus Berry, and Lum Berry!
Note: Wuhuaguo (Aguav) saplings, planting area 1x1km. Popularizing greening and planting starts with you!
Hiroshi was surprised. Directly distributing saplings? With a thought, he teleported to the outskirts of Lisha. He used the saplings like skill cards, viewing the land from a "God's perspective." He could arrange the green area as he saw fit.
"Perfect. I'll plant them around the research institute!"
He teleported back and initiated the planting. Suddenly, the bare, rocky foothills of Liyue surrounding the institute began to sprout green life. Within hours, the saplings reached toward the sky. It was estimated that in two days, the facility would be nestled within a lush, fruit-bearing forest.
"I'm getting closer and closer to becoming Teyvat's version of Professor Oak," Hiroshi smiled. He walked toward the institute to find the confused Venti and Zhongli.
Venti put down his Pokédex with a complicated expression. "Did you just... grow a forest outside while I was making my move in Auto Chess?"
"Right."
"What are those seeds? They germinated faster than a Dendro slime's sneeze."
"Hey, I won't tell you," Hiroshi teased.
Venti groaned. "Are you playing hard to get? You ghost!" He sighed and went back to his game.
Zhongli, who was spending digital coins to search for better cards, added without looking up: "In terms of general rationality, those saplings possess a life breath that even the God of Grass would find impressive. They are full of a wonderful, alien vitality."
Liyue Harbor - The Jade Chamber.
Ningguang looked at the urban traffic laws drafted urgently by Yanfei and Ganyu, nodding with satisfaction.
"I heard many people are flocking to the Pokémon Home to buy bicycles?"
Keqing sighed, rubbing her temples. "That's right. Many dignitaries in Yujing Terrace are following the trend. Now, Liyue has two major sights: people walking their Pokémon, and people pushing bicycles through the streets."
Ningguang felt her temples twitch. She had a sinking feeling that "racing gangs" would become a stubborn, incurable disease in Liyue's future.
"What about Yelan?"
"She has paid the compensation and fines and has been released," Keqing replied.
Ganyu looked at her superiors and softly reminded them, "The Rite of Descension will be held on an auspicious day next week. This year, Lord Ningguang, you are the host."
Ningguang leaned back in her chair. She was exhausted, but her eyes held a spark of excitement. "Next week is the ceremony to welcome the Rex Lapis. The Trainer Conference is the week after! Grand ceremonies are coming one after another."
The Streets of Liyue.
Lumine and Paimon were among the crowd watching a commotion. Yelan, having just been "released," was suddenly surrounded by a group of young people on bicycles.
"Step aside! Make way!"
"This is the Big Sister Yelan of the Liyue Speed Demons!" Hu Tao shouted, her voice amplified and mischievous. "Welcome back to the glorious outside, Sister Yelan! A glorious release from prison!"
"GLORIOUS RELEASE!" a group of energetic young Liyue citizens shouted enthusiastically. They had even made a flag and stuck it to the tail of their bikes.
Yelan's Rotom Bike was clearly the most advanced, with its glowing frame and floating wheels. Seeing Hu Tao's weird celebration, Yelan just pulled her scarf up to hide her face, though she couldn't hide the smirk.
"Hold the grass," Lumine whispered. "Top-tier fun people... that's Liyue for you."
Hu Tao wasn't really a "biker"; she just wanted to cause a scene and enjoy the fun before exiting quietly. But Yelan had unintentionally become the spiritual leader of the new drag-racing party.
"Pika!" Pikachu (the Hat-skin God) jumped up and down on Lumine's shoulder, looking at the bicycles with intense interest.
Paimon understood the look and stamped her feet in mid-air. "Hey! Little guy! Don't even think about it. We can't afford that. Those specialized bikes cost millions of Mora!"
After the crowd dispersed, Lumine, Paimon, and Pikachu headed toward the Ecological Zone for the first time.
"We can register for the competition tomorrow!" Paimon said excitedly. "Lumine, let's do the first set of rules! You can win easily with your strength!"
"Pika-pika!" Pikachu barked, shaking its head.
"You little mouse! Who are you calling unambitious?" Paimon yelled.
"Pika! Pika pika!" (The second type of battle—unrestricted combat—is where the real challenge is!)
Lumine smiled and touched Pikachu's head. "Well then. We'll take part in the second set of no-limits rules!"
Back at the research institute, Hiroshi was bringing in a new energy cube making machine. He planned to craft his first professional breeder recipe while studying his new advanced cultivation skills.
Suddenly, his task log buzzed.
New Task: Organize and hold a large-scale event (Trainer Contest/Grand Festival) with no less than 10,000 contestants.
Reward: Store Manager Ten-Consecutive Draw.
Hiroshi's eyes widened. "Ten thousand people? The stage is set, then. Let the games begin."