The experience of lingering within a starry void, surrounded by invisible barriers, is truly akin to facing a wall in solitary confinement. For beings as ancient and proud as the Adepti, idleness was a torture far worse than battle.
In this pocket dimension created by Hiroshi, the three immortals of Jueyun Karst were restless.
Moon Carver, the great stag, paced across the invisible floor, his hooves clinking against nothingness. He shook his antlers in frustration. "I still do not get it! How can a mere mortal wield such power?"
Mountain Shaper, the crane with plumage of amber and red, sighed deeply, his voice echoing in the vacuum. "You don't understand, right? That makes two of us. I, too, am utterly baffled."
Cloud Retainer, the chatty and mechanically inclined crane, had been uncharacteristically silent for nearly a whole day. However, her patience had finally evaporated, and she was on the verge of breaking her composure.
"What in the world is this?!" Cloud Retainer flapped her wings violently, creating gusts of wind that had nowhere to go. "What kind of 'Riddler' behavior is this?! Leaving One in this empty space without a word? Is this how one treats the guardians of Liyue?"
Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper looked at each other and sighed in unison.
"We mean to say," Moon Carver clarified, "if we had known there was such a terrifyingly powerful figure residing in Liyue Harbor, we would not have delivered ourselves to his doorstep like ingredients for a delivery order!"
Cloud Retainer was still fuming, her pride stung. "One surmises that the Qixing only dares to treat us with such disrespect because they have found protection under this person's wings! Hmph! When One returns to Liyue, One will investigate the cause of the Emperor's death thoroughly! If One cannot find a way to deal with that man and the Qixing, One will never tolerate this humiliation..."
Her words trailed off as a ripple distorted the starry sky.
A stream of light broke through the psychic blockade, descending gently to hover in front of the three immortals. It wasn't an attack, but a strange, rectangular device with a glowing screen.
A holographic projection of Hiroshi slowly walked out of the device, looking relaxed and unbothered.
"You three just stay here and cool off for a while," the projection said with a casual wave. "Don't be bored, though. This Pokédex is connected to the network of the Seven Nations. Have you heard of 'Web Surfing' on the Teyvat Intranet? Go ahead and find out."
After dropping that bombshell, the projection—specifically recorded to convey this message—flickered and disappeared.
"Damn it!!" Cloud Retainer screeched, flapping her wings in indignation. "Why is there only one device?! One demands one's own terminal!"
While she raged, Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper had already moved toward the floating Pokédex with intense curiosity. The screen displayed colorful icons and moving images, something entirely alien to their ancient eyes.
Early the next morning.
Liyue Harbor, the most prosperous trading port on the continent of Teyvat, began a new day of operation. However, today was different. The air hummed with an electric anticipation that exceeded even the Lantern Rite Festival.
A newly constructed building stood next to the main Pokémon Home store: The Liyue Pokémon Center.
Inside, a solemn swearing-in meeting was taking place. Over a hundred nurses and young ladies stood in neat rows. What made this sight unique was that each of them was accompanied by an assistant Pokémon—mostly Happiny or Chansey—wearing matching nurse caps.
A doctor named Azhi, wearing a crisp white coat, stood at the podium as the leader of these nurses. She had been appointed as the head of the Medical Rescue Team for this Trainer Competition.
Azhi's story was already becoming a legend among the common folk. Originally just a humble herb gatherer from Qingce Village, she was one of the lucky few who ventured into the Ecological Zone early on. While collecting herbs, she accidentally formed a contract with a Happiny.
Under her care, the Happiny evolved quickly into a Chansey, and now, that Chansey had reached Level 35. It only needed a specific opportunity—and high friendship—to evolve into a Blissey.
The Liyue Pokémon Alliance, headed by Ningguang, had a sharp eye for talent. They quickly discovered Azhi's potential. Thus, the former herb gatherer was elevated to a public official position, leading the entire medical team for the greatest event in history.
Azhi vividly illustrated how the Age of Pokémon could transform an ordinary person's destiny.
After joining the Alliance, Ningguang had further invested in Azhi's growth. A week ago, Azhi successfully adopted a second Pokémon from the store: an Audino. In the Unova region, Audino served as the standard assistant for Nurse Joys. Their job was identical to that of the Chansey line—taking care of sick Pokémon and healing the wounded.
Azhi even had a plan for her third Pokémon. If this competition ended successfully, Lady Ningguang had promised to ask Manager Hiroshi to help her find a Gothita.
"Chansey, Audino, and eventually Gothitelle..." Azhi thought, her heart full of enthusiasm for the work ahead. "After the tournament, my Pokémon Medical Team will be fully operational! I, Azhi, will become the most famous Pokémon Doctor in Liyue!"
Suburbs of Liyue Harbor.
Next to the original Millelith station, a new headquarters had been erected: The Pokémon Guard HQ.
The sun had just risen, casting long shadows across the parade ground. Deputy Director Hongyi had summoned all the guards for a mobilization assembly.
At the feet of each guard sat a Hisuian Growlithe, their rock-hard fur gleaming in the morning light. They sat neatly, exuding discipline and loyalty.
Hongyi stood at the front, looking more imposing than ever. His own Growlithe had evolved into a majestic Hisuian Arcanine. Hongyi could never have afforded the Fire Stone required for evolution on his own salary; this was Ningguang's investment in her confidant. She had purchased evolution items worth tens of millions of Mora as a "merit reward" and handed them to him.
Her order was simple: Ensure there are absolutely no security problems at this Trainer Conference.
The evolved Hisuian Arcanine boasted a base stat total of 555. Combined with its high level, if Hongyi hadn't been tied down by his security responsibilities, he could have easily competed for a high ranking in the "Unrestricted Rules" tournament.
Furthermore, under Ningguang's sponsorship, Hongyi had contracted two more Pokémon. Beside the Arcanine stood a Manectric, a Thunder Beast with extremely high combat power and speed. On his other side was a Stoutland, the final evolution of the "Little Yorkie" (Lillipup) line, a loyal dog Pokémon with a base stat of 500.
On the other side of the fence, the Millelith troops were also up early for drills. The soldiers holding traditional spears looked over at the Pokémon Military Police lined up in the adjacent playground. Their faces were filled with deep envy and longing.
Currently, the strongest force directly under the Liyue Qixing was undoubtedly the Pokémon Guard. Only the most elite soldiers of the Millelith, after passing rigorous assessments, selections, and interviews, had the opportunity to transfer and become a Pokémon Military Police officer, adopting a Hisuian Growlithe.
The market strictly prohibited the export and private sale of Hisuian Growlithes. Any black market trading was met with a severe crackdown.
Fengyan, the head coach of the Millelith and Hongyi's old boss, took a moment to walk over. He punched Hongyi lightly on the chest, smiling with a mix of pride and wistfulness.
"You boy," Fengyan sighed. "Lady Ningguang values you so much. In this competition, you must risk your life to ensure that order inside and outside Liyue Harbor is stable. Do you understand?"
Hongyi's face was stone-serious. "If something goes wrong, I won't just be fired. I'll jump into the sea myself!"
Fengyan looked Hongyi up and down, admiring the sleek Liyue Pokémon Guard uniform. There was deep envy in the middle-aged man's eyes, but he masked it with a nod.
"Go for it! Recently, Liyue Harbor has seen a sharp increase in visitors and foreigners. The burden on your shoulders is heavy!"
Liyue Harbor Streets.
As Fengyan had noted, the influx of people was staggering. Starting this week, millions of tourists and foreigners had landed at Liyue Harbor to witness the event.
It was only seven o'clock in the morning, yet the streets of Liyue were already bustling. Some main arteries were experiencing congestion usually only seen during the height of the Lantern Rite.
This morning, Hiroshi was not at the Research Institute. After the late-night panoramic meeting with the Kamisato siblings, he had fallen asleep in the private quarters of the main store.
As the store doors opened, the Pokémon Center next door was already overwhelmed. Trainers everywhere were rushing in, holding Poké Balls, queuing for healing scans to ensure their partners were in peak condition for the preliminaries.
Trainers from Mondstadt were checking into the Pokémon Center's hotel wing, grateful for the low prices provided by the alliance. Hiroshi's design for the Liyue Pokémon Center was grand, merging the functions of a hospital, hotel, and supply shop. It provided public computers, networking rooms, and training halls. To accommodate this massive structure, Ningguang had aggressively acquired and demolished several blocks of old shops and residences.
Soon, this Pokémon Center would become a landmark as iconic as the Jade Chamber.
Back of the Shop – Private Dining Area.
At the dining table, Hiroshi took a sip of hot soy milk and happily tore open a steamed bun filled with rich, flowing egg yolk custard.
"Not bad," Hiroshi mumbled, savoring the taste. "Cresselia, your cooking skills have soared recently. This creates a real sense of home."
Across the table, Cresselia, wearing a custom-made apron over her lunar body, floated with a happy aura. Through telepathy, her gentle voice resonated in his mind.
"If Hiroshi likes it, then it is fine~"
Hiroshi chuckled and looked at Jirachi, who was hanging off his shoulder like a sleepy koala.
These Mythical Beasts had developed interesting personalities. Cresselia, the first "big sister" to arrive, was obsessed with cooking and housework. Jirachi, who had arrived with her but slept for a long time, was the lazy second child. Meloetta, the third, was a melody Pokémon but had a down-to-earth, workaholic personality—currently manning the front desk to help divert the flood of customers.
The youngest, Baby Lugia, had been sent to Inazuma to help Yoimiya, effectively being raised "free-range" in the ocean.
"Master," Meloetta's melodious voice drifted from the front. "The Tianquan is visiting."
"Damn, brother, you are quite leisurely."
A moment later, Ningguang walked through the door. Without standing on ceremony, she sat down at the dining table and helped herself to Meloetta's breakfast, eating alongside Hiroshi.
"Tsk, the customer traffic has exploded just after opening the store," Ningguang said, not forgetting to tease him. "You have noticed that Liyue Harbor has been overcrowded by tourists recently, right?"
Hiroshi laughed. "I anticipated it."
He knew the numbers in the backend system better than anyone. The total number of participants was actually over 600,000.
As long as a person had a Pokémon and registered at the Pokémon Center in Mondstadt or Liyue, they could sign up for the competition via the network port. While this inclusivity was great for popularization, it caused the audition process to be incredibly bloated.
"It will take a long time to select a group of elite trainers to enter the knockout round," Hiroshi noted.
"The population base of the people in Mondstadt and Liyue is more terrifying than I imagined," he sighed.
A game is a game, after all; its scale is limited by data. But reality? Reality was vast. It was impossible to fully restore every town and village in a game, but here, they all existed.
Furthermore, martial arts had always existed in the nations of Teyvat. The world was dangerous, prone to disasters and monster attacks. Even prosperous Liyue had bloody history buried beneath the Chasm. Therefore, the physical fitness of ordinary people was quite high. Many possessed martial arts skills that rivaled Vision holders; they simply lacked the Vision itself.
When given a medium like Pokémon to channel that strength, it wasn't difficult to understand why the number of trainers had exploded.
"Yes, 600,000 people participated," Ningguang said, shaking her head as she sipped her tea. "To this day, I still can't believe the scale of what we've started."
Hiroshi wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Don't worry. The audition mechanism is designed to be fast. We'll use the automated battle simulators for the first few rounds. Only the truly capable will make it to the televised matches."
"And the Adepti?" Ningguang asked quietly, her eyes sharp.
"Still in timeout," Hiroshi smirked. "Cloud Retainer is probably screaming at a web browser right now. Let them cool off. Today belongs to the humans."
Suddenly, Zekrom materialized in the corner of the room, its black armor absorbing the morning light.
"Manager," the dragon rumbled, its voice deep and vibrating with power. "The energy in the city is peaking. The desires for victory, for fame, for wealth... it is a potent mix. Are you ready to open the gates?"
Hiroshi stood up, adjusting his collar. "Let's go. It's time to show Teyvat what a real Pokémon League looks like."