Official Website of the Pokémon Era - Prize Pool Update:
Champion: Time Traveler Badge (Limited), Mysterious Top-Quality Pokémon Egg (Pseudo-Legendary), Master Ball x1.
Runner-Up: Time Traveler Badge (Limited), Mysterious Top-Quality Pokémon Egg (Special/High Qualification), Master Ball x1.
3rd Place: Child of the Age Badge (Limited), Mysterious Top-Quality Pokémon Egg (High Qualification), Master Ball x1.
4th-6th Place: Cherish Ball x1, Any Two Evolutionary Items (Choice).
7th-10th Place: Cherish Ball x1, Any One Evolutionary Item.
Top 11-50 (Participation Award): Qualification to enter the Space-Time Secret Realm (Hisui Region) for 30 days.
"Wait, is there a footnote?"
Lumine and Paimon were staring at the fine print below the prize list. Their eyes were wide, scanning the line that changed everything.
Note: The Top 10 from both rule sets enjoy unrestricted access to the Space-Time Secret Realm (Hisui Region). No time limit. No entry limit. Store Manager Hiroshi retains all supervision rights over travel.
"The Hisui Region!" Paimon gasped. "Manager Hiroshi finally released the access qualifications?"
Lumine blinked, her heart racing. The Hisui Region, exposed in the promotional videos, was a land of untold adventure. It was a place where ancient Pokémon roamed freely and treasures littered the landscape.
"If we break into the Top 50..." Paimon was practically vibrating in the air. "We can go there for a whole month! The Ecological Zone here has treasures worth millions... imagine a whole new world! We'll be swimming in Mora!"
Lumine's face darkened slightly. "Is it always about Mora with you, emergency food?" But she couldn't deny the allure. To fund her journey and find her brother, she needed resources. And Hisui was a goldmine.
She turned to look at her team. Pikachu and Chespin (now evolved into Quilladin) were playing on the beach. The Spiritomb floated silently near the tent, a quiet guardian.
"Everyone! Dinner time!" Lumine called out. "Eat up! We have late-night training ahead!"
Pikachu and Quilladin slumped their shoulders, looking like frost-bitten eggplants. "Pika..." (More training?)
"Don't you want to go to Hisui?" Lumine rallied them, showing them the new promotional video on her Pokédex. "Look at this land! Powerful Pokémon! Treasures! If we win, this is our playground!"
The video showed sweeping vistas of the Obsidian Fieldlands, the majestic Mt. Coronet, and the fierce Noble Pokémon. Pikachu's ears perked up. Quilladin flexed its new, thicker arms. Even the Spiritomb's keystone pulsed with a faint, eager light.
"Is this the bond?" Lumine mused, looking up at the silver moon. "Shared dreams and shared struggles..."
Suddenly, a wave crashed onto the shore near their camp. The moonlight reflected off something shiny lodged in the rocks.
"Is that... treasure?" Lumine sprinted toward the water.
Paimon was faster, diving in with greedy eyes. She pulled out a shimmering, iridescent scale that glowed with a mesmerizing beauty.
"Lumine! We're rich!" Paimon cheered. "This feels super precious!"
Lumine quickly snapped a photo and uploaded it to the group chat.
Lumine: . "Found this on the beach. What is it?"
Hiroshi: "Good guy. Xingqiu, the Prism Scale you've been trying to buy at a sky-high price just washed up."
Xingqiu: "??! Lumine, did you just get this?!"
Paimon: [Arms akimbo.jpg] "Yep! Just sitting on the beach!"
Tartaglia: "Paimon, I declare you the luckiest child in this group after Klee!"
Beidou: "Ah? Can treasure just float to you like that?"
Yoimiya: "I've been staring at the sea for two days on this ship... where is my treasure?"
Xingqiu: "I'm tired of waiting. Lumine, Paimon—10 million Mora... No, 30 million! I'll take it right now!"
Thirty million Mora.
Lumine and Paimon froze. That was enough to buy a small mansion in Liyue. For a traveler short on cash, it was a fortune that could fund endless high-end training resources.
"Gulu~" Paimon swallowed. "Lumine! Tomorrow morning! Liuli Pavilion! A whole table feast!"
"Done!" Lumine waved her hand with rare extravagance. "Eat until you're full!"
Liyue Research Institute.
While Lumine celebrated her windfall, Hiroshi was busy coding. The server load on the official website was immense, but the Black Technology of the Pokémon world held firm.
He checked the forum activity.
"Is it too late to become a Bug Catcher?"
"I saw the Hisui video... it's a paradise!"
"Manager Hiroshi is too strong. He tortured the Diamond Clan Leader with a mythical beast!"
Hiroshi chuckled. The video of Adaman getting swept by Jirachi had gone viral. It established a clear hierarchy: The Manager was untouchable.
A week later, Hiroshi quietly launched a new app: "Teyvat Cheers" (a comprehensive video/streaming platform).
Tartaglia was the first to migrate. His "Cute Pet Vlogs" with Alolan Vulpix exploded in popularity, making him the first internet celebrity of the Pokémon Era.
But the second rising star was unexpected.
Paimon's Travel Vlogs.
Description: "Daily, relaxing, leisurely fun."
Content:
Day 1: Found a Leaf Stone. (Value: 3 Million)
Day 2: Found a Dusk Stone & caught a Starter. (Value: Priceless)
Day 3: Found a Prism Scale. (Value: 30 Million)
Comment Section:
"Is this what you call 'daily life'?!"
"Is this 'relaxing'?! My heart attack says otherwise!"
"Reported for hacking reality!"
Lumine didn't have time to reply to the comments. She was too busy training.
"One week left!" Lumine shouted to her team on the beach.
Pikachu (Lv 22) crackled with electricity. Quilladin (Lv 20) slammed its shell against a rock. Spiritomb (Lv 25) swirled its ghostly energy.
"We have 20 million Mora left after selling the scale," Lumine calculated. "We have a strong core of three. But for a full team... should we try our luck at the Pokémon Home store one last time?"