[Group Chat: Pokémon Home VIPs]
Hu Tao: "Phione? Fiona? Whatever you call it, it looks like a blue squishy toy. Why is everyone making a fuss?"
Xiangling: "Hmm... it does look a bit ordinary. Is it good for making soup? Just kidding! Guoba, don't look at it like that!"
Lisa: "Looking at the text introduction, there's really nothing surprising about it. Just a water Pokémon that drifts with the tide."
Eula: "Are you all blind? Look at the border of the Pokédex entry. It's not blue—it's glowing gold!"
Jean: "...It's so lively. It's almost midnight in Mondstadt, and everyone is still awake?"
Keqing: "I can't sleep. The Liyue Arena is finally finished, and the adrenaline is keeping me up."
Yanfei: "Keqing, aren't you a contestant? You should be resting!"
Keqing: "Ningguang signed up to compete. If the Tianquan can manage a nation and a Pokémon team, so can I."
Tartaglia: "Stop chatting and look at the screen! The focus should be on the water Pokémon. Why is the border golden? Manager Hiroshi, explain!"
The Panoramic Projection
Suddenly, a system prompt in bright, bold letters floated across the interface of every Pokédex and Poké-Phone in the three nations.
[SYSTEM]: Group Leader 'Hiroshi' has initiated a 'Panoramic Meeting'. Authorized participants: 4. Viewers: Unlimited. Joining...
Inside the Kamisato Estate in Inazuma, Kamisato Ayaka's Pokédex began to vibrate. A message popped up: "The Group Leader has granted you sub-venue permissions. Scanning environment..."
Beep!
Yoimiya grabbed Ayaka's hand and guided her finger to the "Accept" button. "Here we go, Ayaka! This is the big stuff!"
Instantly, the Pokédex emitted a faint red light that swept across the spacious, paper-walled study. It mapped the messy desk of Kamisato Ayato, the neat tea sets, and the stunned faces of the four people present.
[Simulation in Progress... 100% Projection Generated.]
In the center of the room, a pillar of light coalesced into the form of a young man. His body was initially a flickering halo of rays, but within seconds, the details of his clothing—a modern, casual shopkeeper's outfit—and his calm, smiling face became solid.
Hiroshi stood in the middle of the Kamisato study as if he had just walked through the front door. He looked around, his eyes landing on the surprised Yoimiya.
"Impressive," Hiroshi said, his voice crystal clear. "I didn't expect you to break into the headquarters of the Yashiro Commission so quickly, Yoimiya."
Yoimiya's jaw dropped. She stepped forward and tried to poke Hiroshi's shoulder. Her finger passed right through him, feeling nothing but a slight tingle of static. "Whoa! It's like you're really here, but you're a ghost! Manager, this is way cooler than a regular live stream!"
Hiroshi laughed. "It's called a Panoramic Meeting. The Pokédex scans your room and my office, then overlays the images. It's advanced 'Elftech' remote conferencing. If you're worried about privacy, I can switch back to the default 'Void Space' mode."
Kamisato Ayato, the head of the clan, sat perfectly still, his spring-breeze smile replaced by a look of profound shock. He looked at the projection of the man from Liyue, then at the Pokédex in his sister's hand.
"This is... not something mere technology can do," Ayato whispered. "To bridge the ocean and the storms of Inazuma in an instant... Lord Manager, I have heard much of your name, but this is beyond my wildest imagination."
"I suddenly understand," Ayato continued, regaining his composure. "Why Yoimiya speaks of you with the same reverence she usually saves for the Almighty Narukami Ogosho."
Hiroshi waved a hand dismissively. "Don't get me wrong. This isn't a miracle. It's just high-speed data transmission and spatial rendering. No gods involved, just good hardware."
The Secret of the Golden Border
The group chat members, who were watching this interaction as if it were a high-budget movie, were losing their minds.
Xingqiu: "The bearing of those two... they must be Inazuman royalty. Is that the legendary Kamisato Ayato?"
Yelan: "Inazuma doesn't have Qixing. They have the Three Commissions. The Kamisato family runs the Yashiro Commission—ceremonies, culture, and entertainment. They are effectively the soul of the people."
Xiangling: "Sister Yelan knows everything! She's like a living encyclopedia of foreign gossip."
Ningguang: "Yelan enjoys the 'flavor' of information. If you ever get lost in a foreign land, ask her. She might charge you, but her data is always accurate."
In the study, Hiroshi turned his attention to the small, blue creature in Ayaka's arms.
"Phione," Hiroshi called out.
"Fi-oh, oh, oh, nir~!" The little Pokémon perked up, its ribbon-antennae waving frantically. It pointed a stubby blue arm at Hiroshi, looking very serious, as if it were telling Ayaka: "Trainer, look! This human is the one from the Big Light! He's not normal!"
Ayaka tilted her head, stroking the Pokémon's round head. "Phione? Manager, is it... introducing you?"
"Something like that," Hiroshi said, reaching out to pet it. His hand passed through Phione's head, reminding him once again of his virtual state. "Cough. Anyway. You're all surprised by how smart and spiritual this little one is, aren't you?"
The siblings and Thoma nodded in unison.
"Pokémon have genetics, just like us," Hiroshi explained. "Usually, the offspring of a powerful parent carries that strength. In some rare cases, they can even exceed their parent's limits. But with Phione..."
Hiroshi paused, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "It's actually the opposite."
Ayaka blinked, feeling a bit teased. Her face turned a soft shade of pink. "Opposite? You mean... it's weaker than its parent?"
The Prince of the Sea
The group chat viewers were hanging on every word.
Jean: "Manager Hiroshi seems to have a soft spot for the Inazuman lady. Look at that smile."
Lisa: "Oh? Captain Jean, are you jealous? Careful, or you'll have a whole group of heartbroken girls tonight!"
Ningguang: " 'Appreciation' is a better word. But let's hear the explanation."
Hiroshi continued, his tone turning more academic. "Phione's parent is a Pokémon named Manaphy. And Manaphy is not a regular Pokémon. It is a Mythical Pokémon, known across the ocean worlds as the Prince of the Sea."
"A Mythical Pokémon?!" Yoimiya shouted. "Wait! In the chat, we call those Mythical Beasts, right?"
"The Prince of the Sea..." Ayato whispered, the political implications spinning in his mind. "A creature that carries the title of royalty? Does it control the oceans?"
"Presumably," Thoma added, scratching his head. "Like Mondstadt's Dvalin is the Dragon of the East Wind?"
Yoimiya looked at Thoma with a pitying expression. "Thoma, Dvalin is a servant of a god! A true Mythical Beast is a being that controls authority! They are forces of nature themselves!"
Hiroshi chuckled. "Yoimiya is right. Manaphy has the unique power to bond with any living creature in the sea. It can travel thousands of miles and always find its way back to its birthplace. And most importantly... it is the only Mythical Pokémon that can produce an egg."
He looked at the small Phione in Ayaka's arms. "However, Phione is a unique case. It is born from Manaphy, but it can never evolve into Manaphy. It inherits the 'Golden Border' status—the mark of a Mythical bloodline—but its raw power is scaled down for a human partner."
"So," Hiroshi said, looking directly into Ayaka's eyes. "While it might not have the power to sink a continent, it possesses a connection to the sea that no regular Water-type could dream of. In the hands of a Trainer who understands the 'heart' of the water, it is a partner beyond compare."
The Impact on Inazuma
The silence in the study was absolute. The realization that they were holding a "child of a god" was starting to sink in.
Ayaka looked down at Phione. The red gem on its chest glowed with a warm, comforting light. "A Prince's shadow... I will treat it with the respect its lineage deserves, Manager. Thank you."
Kamisato Ayato, however, was looking at Hiroshi's projection with a new level of scrutiny. He saw the "Panoramic Meeting" not just as a toy, but as a weapon. If Hiroshi could project himself into the heart of the Kamisato Estate, he could project a message to all of Inazuma.
"Manager Hiroshi," Ayato said, his voice steady. "Tomorrow is the Liyue Trainer Competition. You mentioned that with our help, the people of Inazuma could watch the broadcast?"
"Exactly," Hiroshi replied. "Yoimiya has the hardware—the square screens. If the Yashiro Commission provides the 'venues' under the guise of a traditional festival, I can beam the signal directly to Hanamizaka and Ritou. We'll show your people that there is a world beyond the Vision Hunt Decree. A world where power comes from the heart, not a piece of glass."
Ayato's eyes gleamed. "A 'festival' of new ideas. I believe the Yashiro Commission can certainly accommodate such an... educational event."
"Excellent," Hiroshi smirked. "Then I'll see you all tomorrow morning. Don't be late for the opening ceremony. I'm planning a little surprise with Zekrom that will make the Raiden Shogun's lightning look like a flickering candle."
The projection of Hiroshi began to fade, turning back into a halo of purple rays before disappearing into the Pokédex.
The Eve of the Storm
[Group Chat: Pokémon Home VIPs]
Hu Tao: "A Mythical Beast! Ayaka got a Mythical Beast! I'm going to go cry in a corner now. My Garchomp is cool, but a 'Prince of the Sea'?"
Tartaglia: "Don't be discouraged, Hu Tao. A Phione is just a baby. Our evolved teams will still dominate the arena tomorrow!"
Keqing: "Manager, are we really broadcasting to Inazuma? Won't that cause an international incident?"
Hiroshi: "International incidents are my specialty. Get some sleep, everyone. Tomorrow, Liyue becomes the center of the world."
As the group chat settled into a series of "Good Luck" messages, the three nations held their breath. In Mondstadt, the Knights checked their gear. In Liyue, the Arena lights hummed with Zekrom's power. And in Inazuma, the head of the Kamisato Clan began drafting plans for the "Greatest Festival of Eternity."
The Liyue Trainer Competition was no longer just a match. It was a revolution.