Hiroshi put down the research work on the energy cube and looked at the mission log in a daze. He watched it several times before he just slapped his thigh in excitement.
"What a genius," he muttered. "This wave, this wave made me predict the system's prediction!"
The task he had just completed was to make a Pokémon-like work, and Hiroshi had handed over the perfect answer with Pokémon Auto Chess. This game, because it was installed on the Pokémon smart phones launched by the Adventurers' Association as a self-installed app, had garnered a terrifying number of users and popularity value. Therefore, the goal of one million popularity points was reached with ease.
Now, the newly triggered popularization and promotion task was to hold a grand event. Hiroshi smiled unkindly. This was what he called the system's tasks always being one step behind the master's progress! He just had to wait for the official opening of the competition in two weeks and collect the rewards.
As for the condition of "ten thousand contestants," it was not that Hiroshi looked down on it; it was that he quite despised it.
"System, who are you trying to scare? Ten thousand people? I'm not talking about you, but why doesn't it have to start with a hundred thousand people to make it at least a little difficult?"
He turned his thoughts toward the future. "If in the next ten consecutive rounds, the Origin Ball is drawn, no wasteful operations are required! I'll go directly to the Mt. Coronet Temple in the Hisui area and conquer Dialga!"
After all, this was the first formal Pokémon event in Teyvat's history. Even with the cooperation of famous figures like Ningguang and Ganyu, and with the Liyue Pokémon Alliance as the official co-organizer, Hiroshi couldn't afford to be complacent. As the promoter, he had to do his best.
One of the key operations for the event was the hype. The promotional video on the large screens had an obvious preheating effect, but it was not enough. Hiroshi thought, "The promotional video for the second quarter will be released tomorrow." He decided that in the next two weeks, until the official date of the event, a new video would be released every day.
Secondly, he needed to facilitate the registration of the players. This was also simple. Using his programmer skills, he wrote a web portal through which ordinary people or Vision holders could quickly register for the competition via their Pokémon phones and trainer Pokédexes with just a few clicks.
Finally, there was the event operation: security, referees, and hosts.
"Referees and hosts still have two weeks to train," he noted. "As for security, Ningguang has urged me several times to hand over a batch of Growlithe to her to expand the size and combat power of the Liyue Pokémon Guard."
Hiroshi turned off the energy cube making machine and went to a grassland in the research institute campus. The wild nature of the dozens of Hisuian Growlithe he had brought back from the Hisui area last time had been greatly tamed. There was no other way; Hiroshi had specifically asked Lurantis and Goodra to train these Growlithe whenever they had time.
He scanned their potential:
Intermediate Elite Qualifications
Junior Elite Qualifications
Junior Elite Qualifications
Hiroshi glanced around, seeing the data for all the Growlithe. As expected, one cannot expect too much from the qualifications of wild Pokémon. The leader of this group could reach the limit of qualifications at level 59 at most. However, this was just enough for the captain of the Liyue Guard. In addition, the Hisuian Growlithe was a Fire and Rock type. After evolving into Arcanine, it would have no problem tying with even some high-level elite (level 60-69) Pokémon!
Opening the group chat interface, Hiroshi sent a picture.
Hiroshi: The first batch of Hisuian Growlithe has been tamed. The group purchase price is two million Mora each. The current level is from 10 to over 30. You can take them back and distribute them yourselves!
Ningguang: (surprise.jpg) I will ask Hongyi to bring elite operators over to pick up their Hisuian Growlithe.
Hiroshi: Well, the second batch is on the way, and the quantity will be larger. I estimate it will be between two hundred and three hundred. You can pick them up in three days.
Ningguang: That's great. In this case, Liyue's Pokémon Guard has begun to take shape and has real combat strength!
Eula: Jean, Captain Jean, our Mondstadt Pokémon Alliance has also been established, so do you have any plans for a Mondstadt-specific guard force?
Jean: Of course! Mondstadt is the country of freedom and dandelions, and it is also the origin of the Wind Glider. Therefore, for our Mondstadt Pokémon guard, the main Pokémon I plan to configure are Flying types.
Hiroshi nodded secretly. Indeed, thousands of years ago, the great adventurer Leonard traveled all over Mondstadt but failed to board Musk Reef. It was because of this opportunity that Leonard thought of reaching the mountains by flying, thus becoming the designer of the Wind Glider!
Jean: Manager Hiroshi, I plan to equip Mondstadt's Pokémon guard with a main flying Pokémon of the same race. Does the manager have any suggestions?
Hiroshi: (Pokédex Entry: Braviary) I recommend the Hisuian Braviary, a Flying and Psychic type. Braviary has a brave character that is not even afraid of death. It is a proud Pokémon, an aerial warrior also known as the Warrior of the Sky! The Hisuian Braviary will emit a terrifying war cry when it captures prey. This cry is superimposed with spiritual power, producing a powerful shock wave to weaken the prey. In addition, the spiritual power given by psychic abilities makes its sixth sense more acute, allowing it to reach a state of intense concentration and improve its physical fitness!
In the Knights of Favonius headquarters in Mondstadt, Jean clicked on the illustration posted by Hiroshi. She saw an eagle Pokémon with a black and gray body and striking white feathers. At first glance, she was fond of it. She listened to Hiroshi's introduction again. Not afraid of death! Brave character!
"Isn't this the main Pokémon of the Mondstadt Guard that I have dreamed of? It's fierce and very capable of fighting!" Jean marveled. She continued to listen and was amazed. "Can it still make a war cry? This is a powerful combat skill! Very good! Once this Pokémon Flying Guard is formed, these Braviary can easily drive away monsters and Hilichurls from wild areas using their war cry!"
Jean: Manager Hiroshi, I'll order five hundred first. By the way, Braviary is the final form. What's its initial form?
Hiroshi: Rufflet (picture).
Ningguang: I'm so jealous... Flying and Psychic type, wouldn't it be able to easily suppress the Liyue Guard's main Arcanine in terms of type advantage? (crying face)
Ningguang: Hiroshi, you stinky brother, I'm very angry!
Jean: What is this, Lady Tianquan? Do you not want to see Mondstadt's Pokémon guards become powerful? Or are you afraid that Mondstadt's Braviary army will threaten Liyue in the future?
Ningguang: Haha, Mondstadt alone? Threatening Liyue? (pick-nose.jpg)
Jean: Although the population of Mondstadt is not as large as Liyue's, nor is it as wealthy, the resistance and fearless spirit of the people of Mondstadt are imprinted in their blood.
Ningguang: Sorry, Rex Lapis is also known as the God of War. Although we in Liyue value trade, we have never abandoned the tradition of martial arts!
Hiroshi watched Jean and Ningguang, the two powerful women of Mondstadt and Liyue, talking tit-for-tat in the group chat without giving an inch. The atmosphere had a subtle smell of gunpowder. He wisely did not interfere and chose to hide quietly.
"What should I do if I get burned if I speak?" he thought.
However, based on Hiroshi's evaluation, the Liyue Pokémon Guard's Hisuian Arcanine was actually slightly better on average than the Mondstadt Pokémon Guard's Hisuian Braviary. You couldn't ignore the raw numbers. Comparing a 555 base stat total with a 510 base stat total, the Arcanine won in pure stats.
However, in terms of Flying and Psychic attributes, the Hisuian Braviary had a tactical advantage. In actual combat, it could effectively execute "kite" tactics. Which one was stronger would depend on the training of the guard members and their command in battle. To put it bluntly, no battle can be won purely on paper.
"It's a big order, five hundred Rufflet. Let's find and deliver them in three batches," Hiroshi decided. "First, let's go and catch Sister Ningguang's Growlithe order!"
This time, Hiroshi brought Jirachi, who had just woken up today. He asked Meloetta and Cresselia to guard the main store and the research institute respectively. As for Baby Lugia, Hiroshi also brought him along, planning to let it live in the waters of the Hisui area for a while.
While Hiroshi went to the Hisui area to capture wild Growlithe in batches, the team of Lumine, Paimon, and the Hat Pikachu arrived deep in the forest of the Ecological Zone. The battlefield where the Overlord-level battle had once occurred was still empty and chaotic. There was a deadly silence. No insects chirping, no birds singing. Usually, Pokémon could be seen everywhere, but here, there wasn't a trace.
Paimon flew down, nervously grabbing a ribbon on Lumine's back, lowering her voice. "Traveler, let's go, let's be careful. It was here that Beidou and the others encountered that Lurantis and an Overlord Pokémon last time. Fortunately, they weren't attacked!"
Lumine also had a look of uneasiness on her face. But when she thought about how she was short of money, her resolve hardened. She had arrived in Liyue and lived in a very ordinary hotel; while Xiangling and Chef Yanxiao had been kind enough to feed her, she had long-term goals.
"We need Mora," Lumine said firmly. "Adopting and raising a second Pokémon costs a lot of money! Lots of Mora!"
Lumine understood that only a week had passed, but the outermost edge of the Ecological Zone had been thoroughly picked over by adventurers. As for the middle area, it was explored mainly by Vision holders who possessed amazing combat power. Even if their Pokémon were still babies, they could handle situations calmly. Therefore, only the deep areas guarded by Overlords remained unexplored and full of treasures.
Lumine was determined. Since she decided to participate in the Trainer Competition, she had to try her best to reach the end! Then, she could use the ranking prize to get an answer from Manager Hiroshi about her brother's whereabouts.
Paimon, the little money-seeker, quickly put aside her fear of danger. In the deep area, there were treasure chests almost every step of the way.
"Wow, is this an evolution stone?" Paimon's face lit up with excitement. "I remember, Manager Hiroshi explained that this evolution stone is called the Leaf Stone, and it's worth at least a few million Mora!"
"We're going to be rich, rich!" she squealed.
Just then, the Hat Pikachu brought something back from a patch of tall grass.
"Pika-pi!"
As if the "Pika-God" was offering a treasure, he jumped onto Lumine's shoulder and held a strange stone in his chubby paws. It was different from the Leaf Stone. The pattern on this stone was very special, carrying a simple and eerie meaning.
"Is this... a Dusk Stone?" Lumine wondered, looking at the dark, swirling patterns.
As they examined the stone, a low rumble vibrated through the ground. The trees ahead began to part. A massive figure stepped out—it was an Overlord Arcanine, but its fur was jagged like volcanic rock, and its eyes burned with a fierce, orange light.
Zekrom, who had been watching from the shadows of Lumine's shadow (sent by Hiroshi for protection), suddenly manifested. The black dragon's tail began to glow with a deep blue light, electricity crackling along its wings.
"Lumine," Zekrom's voice echoed, surprising Paimon so much she nearly fell out of the air. "This beast is a guardian of the ancient fire. It does not seek to harm, but it will test your resolve."
"It talks?!" Paimon shrieked. "The big black dragon talked!"
Lumine gripped her sword, her eyes narrowing. "A test? Then we'll pass it."
The Hat Pikachu sparks intensified, and its small hat was adjusted firmly. "Pikachu!" it cried out, ready for battle.
Back in the Liyue shop, the news of the upcoming competition had turned Liyue Harbor into a sea of activity. Every citizen was discussing which set of rules they would choose.
"I'm going for the first set," a local blacksmith said. "I'm no Vision holder, but my Machop and I have been training hard at the forge. We'll show those fancy nobles what hard work looks like!"
"I'm entering the second set," a young adventurer replied, patting the sword at his hip. "With my Charmander by my side, we'll burn through any competition!"
Registration began the next day. The streets were lined with people holding their Pokédexes, waiting to scan the QR codes displayed on the large screens.
Inside the store, Ningguang was looking at the registration numbers. "Manager Hiroshi, the numbers are already exceeding twenty thousand. Liyue's passion for Pokémon is even greater than I anticipated."
"That's the power of competition," Hiroshi said, leaning against the counter. "People want to prove they are the best. Whether it's for the Mora, the fame, or the bond with their Pokémon, this event will change Teyvat forever."
Zekrom, having returned from its brief stint guarding Lumine, landed silently behind the store. "The seeds of conflict are being sown alongside the seeds of friendship," the dragon rumbled. "Manager, are you prepared for the storm that follows the lightning?"
"I am," Hiroshi said, his eyes reflecting the blue glow of Zekrom's tail. "This is just the beginning of the Pokémon era."
As the sun set over Liyue, the city was illuminated by the glow of thousands of Pokédex screens. In the shadows of the alleyways, a few members of the Fatui watched the excitement with narrow eyes.
"The Trainer Competition," one whispered. "A perfect opportunity to gather data on these creatures... and the Vision holders of Liyue."
"Don't get overconfident," another warned. "That store manager has a dragon that can level a mountain. We play by the rules for now."
The next morning, the first promotional video for the "Trainer Sword Trial Conference" was released. It featured a cinematic montage of Gabite using Dual Chop, Larvesta releasing a String Shot, and a final shot of Zekrom soaring through the clouds above the Jade Chamber.
The hype had reached a fever pitch.
In the Mondstadt Knights headquarters, Jean watched the video. "Liyue is moving fast. We must ensure the Mondstadt entrants are prepared. Eula, Amber, Diluc... they will represent our city's freedom and strength."
Kaeya leaned against the doorframe, spinning a Poké Ball on his finger. "Don't worry, Acting Grand Master. My Sneasel and I have a few tricks up our sleeves. We wouldn't want Liyue to take all the glory, would we?"
Two days later, Hiroshi returned with the second batch of Growlithe. This time, he also brought a few rare finds: a Scyther with particularly sharp blades and a Dratini that had been found resting in a hidden spring.
"The competition is only ten days away," Hiroshi announced to the group chat. "I will be releasing a special 'Battle Items' shop update tomorrow. Potions, Revives, and Held Items will be available in limited quantities. Get ready, Trainers!"
Hu Tao: "Oho! Items! I need to stock up! My Gabite needs the best to crush the competition!"
Tartaglia: "Battle items? This is getting interesting. I'll take whatever gives my Vulpix the edge."
Zhongli: "Manager Hiroshi, will there be items that enhance the elemental resonance between a Trainer and their Pokémon?"
Hiroshi: "You'll have to wait and see, Mr. Zhongli. But I promise, it won't disappoint."
As the clock ticked down to the start of the tournament, the world of Teyvat was no longer just about the Seven Archons. It was a world where every person had a chance to reach for the stars with a Poké Ball in their hand.
Hiroshi looked at his popularity meter. 1,200,000 / 1,000,000. He had already surpassed the goal. The rewards for the next ten-consecutive draw were waiting for him.
"System," Hiroshi whispered. "Let's see what else you've got."
The golden light of the draw filled his vision, and the legend of the Pokémon Master continued.