However, Yanfei had been completely distracted by the dense stream of barrages flooding the Pokédex screen. She leaned in close to the camera, her pink hair nearly obscuring the lens.
"Hey, Xiangling, are you saying hello to me?"
"And Miss Eula, Mondstadt's Spindrift Knight! Wow, we just exchanged letters last month, didn't we?"
"Hmm... And the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Hey, Hu Tao, I agree that your parlor is a serious business, but how come you've never come to patronize mine? Could it be that your family has never encountered a single legal dispute in hundreds of years?"
Yanfei was incredibly lively and talkative. Everyone who knew her understood that as long as you didn't bring up a legal case, she was the friendliest person in Liyue. Hiroshi glanced at her, happy to let her take over as the unofficial "live stream anchor" while he focused on the legendary guest.
"Madame Ping, this is the Pokémon Pokédex."
A blank Pokédex was handed over. Hiroshi did not immediately guide her to authenticate it. Madame Ping was in no hurry; she took the device and inspected its casing and interface with the keen eyes of a master craftswoman. After a long while, she looked up, her clarity and wisdom shining through her reading glasses.
"This object is very delicate," she sighed. "It follows a completely different logic from the Immortal Arts of the Adepti."
She paused, a narrow smile touching her face. "If my old friend were here... Cloud Retainer... she is obsessed with mechanics and likes to invent all kinds of strange contraptions. If she got her hands on such a device, she would definitely retreat for eighty-one days to study it! She wouldn't give up until she understood its every gear."
Hiroshi replied calmly, "Compared to the True Lord, I am more curious about the magic within your Serenitea Pot, Madame Ping."
"Correct!" Hiroshi's eyes sparkled. "Madame Ping, can you help me craft a special Serenitea Pot?"
Madame Ping sighed. This mysterious shopkeeper really did know everything! He had the same knowing aura as the Old Emperor (Zhongli).
"I can offer technology and items in exchange," Hiroshi proposed. He took out a Master Ball and pressed the switch.
Click!
A red light flashed, and Baby Lugia, whom the group hadn't seen in days, appeared on the floor, blinking its large eyes.
"Hey? Is this some kind of spatial storage vessel?" Madame Ping's expression was shocked. She wasn't looking at the legendary bird; she was mesmerized by the ball.
"There's more." Hiroshi went to the shelf and grabbed a Space Backpack. He began stuffing hundreds of kilograms of bulky items—crates of berries, training gear, and medicine—into the small bag right in front of her.
Madame Ping's eyebrows twitched. "Hundreds of kilograms... packed into a small bag? And it still looks empty?"
"When did spatial creation become so light and delicate?"
Madame Ping couldn't stay calm anymore. Opening up sub-spaces was her specialty—this was her "strike zone!"
Hiroshi smiled inwardly. The technological creations of the Pokémon world—led by giants like the Devon Researcher and Silph Co.—contained "black technology" that could even capture gods. While a Master Ball's internal space wasn't as vast as the inner world of a Serenitea Pot, the portability was unmatched.
"I am willing to share the principles of this spatial compression and the material blueprints," Hiroshi offered. "In exchange for the magic method and detailed explanation of how to make the Serenitea Pot."
Madame Ping smiled kindly. "Well, I certainly won't let you suffer a loss. It's a fair trade."
The Shadow in the Corner
As Hiroshi and Madame Ping finalized their contract, Yanfei continued her lively broadcast. Finally, it was time for the draw.
"So—Next, you can start extracting your initial Pokémon," Hiroshi said.
Madame Ping nodded. Start!
[WHO AM I?]
[GENGAR!]
Hiroshi was momentarily stunned. Another final form? He quickly checked the detailed system data. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the details. Unlike Xiao's "Pika-God" level Blissey, this Gengar didn't have any god-level fusions or hidden legendary items. However, it was Level 40 and had Champion-level potential.
"Madame Ping," Hiroshi explained, "this is Gengar, the final form of Gastly and Haunter. I have two points to share about it."
"First, Gengar is a Shadow Pokémon. It can hide perfectly in the shadow of any person or object. It could stay in your shadow as you walk the streets of Liyue, and no one would ever know you have it."
"Second, Gengar's body contains a black hole-like space. It can store a vast number of items inside itself. To this day, no researcher has been able to fully explain how its internal space works."
"Hidden in the shadows... and an internal space like a treasure vault?" Madame Ping's eyes lit up. "This fits my professional interests perfectly!"
"I'll choose it!"
"Fifty million Mora," Hiroshi stated. The price was high, but it reflected the massive amount of resources saved by obtaining a Level 40 final-form Pokémon.
After the handover, Hiroshi patted Yanfei on the shoulder. She turned around, blinking in confusion. "Ah, Master, are you finished? Where is your Pokémon?"
The group chat exploded.
Xiangling: Yanfei, look down! It's in the shadow!
Hu Tao: Wuwu... Gengar! I want one too! Xiangling, we have to go back to that cave and catch that Overlord Gengar!
Yanfei looked at Madame Ping's shadow on the floor. Suddenly, the shadow blurred. A horrific, grinning face appeared out of the darkness, startling Yanfei into jumping back.
"Hehehehe~~"
The mischievous laughter of a child echoed in the room as the shadow solidified into the dark purple specter.
"Master! Why did you choose such a naughty Pokémon?" Yanfei pouted.
Madame Ping smiled warmly. "Ah, isn't he cute?"
Gengar grinned, sticking out its long tongue and playfuly licking Madame Ping's hand.
Yanfei shook her head. "I wouldn't choose that! My Pokémon must be the embodiment of law and wisdom!"