The sun dipped low over the horizon, casting long, jagged shadows across the rooftops of Hanamizaka. In the distance, the towering silhouette of Tenshukaku stood like a silent sentinel, its eaves occasionally catching the violet flicker of lightning from the eternal storm clouds above. This was Inazuma, the Land of Eternity, currently held in the suffocating grip of the Vision Hunt Decree and the Sakoku Decree.
In a narrow, debris-strewn alleyway behind the Naganohara Fireworks shop, the air was thick with a different kind of tension. It wasn't the smell of gunpowder or sea salt, but the desperate, pleading energy of a man who had lost his pride but found a new obsession.
Arataki Itto, the "One and Only" leader of the Arataki Gang, was currently on his knees. His magnificent crimson horns caught the fading light, and his towering frame was doubled over in a gesture of absolute supplication.
"Ahhhhh! Yoimiya! My best friend! My sister in arms!" Itto wailed, his voice echoing off the damp stone walls. "You saw it! You saw what happened! That Kujo Sara—that 'Tengu' woman—took my Vision! She stuck it on that giant statue like it was some common trinket! My uncle's soul is crying! I can't win a rematch if I can't even summon a decent Geo shield!"
Yoimiya sighed, leaning against a stack of empty crates. She looked down at the two spatial backpacks at her feet, each containing the future of Inazuma. "Itto, I get it. I really do. But these aren't toys. These are Pokémon. They are living beings, partners, friends... and they're expensive! Manager Hiroshi spent a lot of resources sending these eggs across the ocean."
"Two million Mora!" Itto shrieked, clutching his head. "Do you know how many lavender melons I have to pick to make two million Mora? Do you know how many ramen-eating contests I have to lose?! It's a fortune! But... if I hatch this egg, I'll have a partner, right? A fierce beast to help me reclaim my glory?"
Pa.
The ghost youth, usually so full of bravado, pressed his palms together and looked up at Yoimiya with puppy-dog eyes that were entirely too large for a man of his stature.
"Yoimiya... Ball-ball (please)... Is it okay to pay on credit? Just one egg! Put it on the Arataki Gang tab! I'll pay you back in installments! I'll even help you carry the heavy fireworks for the next three festivals!"
Yoimiya bit her lip, her expression a mix of pity and hesitation. This week, her "missionary" work for Manager Hiroshi had been slow and cautious. She knew the stakes. In Inazuma's current climate, any new, unexplained power would immediately draw the ire of the Tenryou Commission. If she started a public spectacle, Kujo Sara would be at her door by sunrise, and Yoimiya didn't want to end up in a cell before her mission even truly began.
She was the "Messenger of the New Era," entrusted by the Manager of Pokémon Home. Her task was to bring the dawn to this closed-off archipelago. Her initial contact list was small: Kamisato Ayaka, Thoma, and the elusive ninja Sayu. These were people she trusted, people who understood that "Eternity" was becoming a cage.
Then there was Kuki Shinobu.
Shinobu was the brains of the Arataki Gang. She was professional, certified in Liyue law, and had originally studied under Yanfei. If anyone could handle the legal and social integration of Pokémon in Inazuma, it was her. In fact, Yoimiya had planned to talk to Shinobu first.
But, as fate would have it, she had run into Itto instead.
"Ball-ball! Sister Yoimiya!" Itto continued to beg, his forehead nearly touching the dirt. "I really need this! Without my Vision, every time I challenge Kujo Sara to a rematch, I get beaten up before I can even finish my introductory poem! If I had a Pokémon... like that little Galarian Ponyta you showed me... things would be different!"
Yoimiya looked at the incubator in her hand. Inside, a mysterious egg pulsed with a faint, warm light. Manager Hiroshi had told her that these eggs were "seeds of change." He had also mentioned that credit was acceptable, provided the recipient had a "firm heart for the path."
Is Itto's heart firm? Yoimiya wondered. Well, it's certainly loud.
"Itto, if I give you this egg, you have to promise to train it properly," Yoimiya said, her voice turning serious. "You can't just teach it to eat ramen upside down or play the harmonica through its nose. You have to be a Trainer. A protector."
"I PROMISE!" Itto shouted, standing up so fast he nearly hit his head on a low-hanging lantern. "I'll be the greatest Trainer in Inazuma history! The Arataki 'Pokémon Master' Itto! It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?!"
Just as Yoimiya was about to hand over the incubator, a cool, calm voice drifted from the mouth of the alley.
"Boss, if you're signing a contract for two million Mora, I suggest you let me review the terms first."
Both Yoimiya and Itto jumped. Kuki Shinobu stood there, her mask firmly in place, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked at the glowing egg with an analytical gaze that would have made Ningguang proud.
"Shinobu! My second-in-command! Look!" Itto cheered, pointing at the egg. "We're going to be legends! We're entering the Pokémon Era!"
Shinobu ignored her boss's antics and turned to Yoimiya. "I've heard the rumors. Travelers coming back from Liyue have been talking about a 'Pokémon Home' and a manager who commands a dragon of lightning. Yanfei even sent me a letter via the secret mail routes. She said the world is changing."
Shinobu stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the incubator. "Yoimiya, is it true? Can these creatures really rival the power of a Vision?"
Yoimiya nodded enthusiastically. She pulled out her Pokédex, the screen lighting up the dark alley. "Better than that, Shinobu. They are partners. They grow with you. Here, look at the data!"
Shinobu watched as Yoimiya demonstrated the functions. The Poké-Phone features were particularly shocking. Despite the Sakoku Decree and the lightning storms surrounding the islands, the signal bar on the device was a steady, vibrant green.
"How is the signal this strong?" Shinobu whispered, her professional mask slipping for a moment. "The Shogunate's communication charms can barely penetrate the fog, yet this... this bypasses everything."
"It's Manager Hiroshi's technology," Yoimiya explained. "He said it uses a 'System' that doesn't rely on the Ley Lines. It's a direct link to the Pokémon network."
Shinobu took a deep breath. As a legal expert, she immediately saw the implications. "If the people of Inazuma have access to an uncensored communication network and a source of power independent of the Vision Hunt Decree... the Shogunate will lose its grip on 'Eternity' within a month."
"Exactly!" Yoimiya grinned. "That's why I'm here. We're starting the revolution, one egg at a time."
Shinobu looked at Itto, who was currently trying to "commune" with the egg by making strange grunting noises. She sighed, but a small smile played under her mask. "Alright. If the Boss is going to do this, we do it right. I'll draft a formal credit agreement. Two million Mora, payable in installments over twenty-four months, with interest waived in exchange for the Arataki Gang providing security for Yoimiya's 'preaching' sessions."
"SECURITY!" Itto roared, striking a pose. "The Arataki Pokémon Guard is on duty!"
Liyue – Pokémon Research Institute.
Thousands of miles away, in a quiet office filled with the hum of advanced computers, Hiroshi was watching the scene unfold through a remote feed on his own terminal. Beside him, Zekrom sat on a reinforced pedestal, its blue-glowing tail providing power to the entire wing of the building.
"Your 'chosen protagonist' has made her first move, Manager," Zekrom spoke, its voice a deep, resonant vibration that made the tea in Hiroshi's cup ripple. "The human with the horns... his 'ideals' are disorganized, yet his passion is like a wildfire. Is he truly a suitable candidate for the new era?"
Hiroshi chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Zekrom, in every world, you need a wild card. Arataki Itto is the ultimate wild card. He doesn't care about politics or 'Eternity.' He just wants to be the best and have fun. That's the core spirit of a Pokémon Trainer."
"He is currently attempting to hatch the egg by sitting on it," Zekrom noted, its red eyes focusing on the screen. "That is not how the incubator works."
"Comedy is part of the process," Hiroshi laughed. He turned his attention to a secondary monitor, which showed the registration numbers for the Liyue Trainer Competition. "Look at this, Zekrom. Over 800,000 registrations for the Standard rules. And the Unrestricted Combat tier... all the Vision-holders are in. The Qixing, the Knights of Favonius, even the Fatui."
"The clashing of ideals," Zekrom rumbled, a spark of electricity dancing between its horns. "I look forward to seeing who among them has the strength to command the lightning."
"Tomorrow is the opening ceremony," Hiroshi said, his expression turning serious. "The Adepti are still 'reflecting' in their starry exile, and the city thinks its god is dead. We need to give them something to believe in. We need to show them that while Rex Lapis might be gone, the era of the human-Pokémon bond is just beginning."
"And the Inazuma situation?" Zekrom asked. "The 'Shogun' will not take kindly to this 'bypass' of her authority."
"Let her try to stop it," Hiroshi smirked. "By the time she realizes what's happening, Yoimiya will have distributed all ten eggs. We'll have a small army of Trainers in the heart of Hanamizaka. And if the Shogun draws her sword... well, you've always wanted to test your 'Ideals' against her 'Eternity,' haven't you?"
Zekrom's tail flared with a brilliant blue light. "I shall provide the answer she seeks."
Inazuma – Hanamizaka.
Back in the alleyway, the deal was struck. Shinobu had produced a legal document from her bag, and Itto had signed it with a thumbprint in his own crimson ink (which he claimed was more "boss-like").
Yoimiya handed over the incubator. "Here it is, Itto. Treat it with care."
Itto held the glowing egg as if it were the most precious jewel in the world. "I'll name him... Arataki 'Great-King-Explosion-Murder'... No, wait, that's too long. Arataki 'Tiny-Horns'!"
Shinobu massaged her temples. "Please, just call it by its species name once it hatches."
Suddenly, the Poké-Phone in Shinobu's hand buzzed. It was a global notification sent by Hiroshi.
[NOTIFICATION]: THE Liyue Trainer Sword Trial officially begins in 12 HOURS! Tune in to 'Teyvat Cheers' for the LIVE Opening Ceremony! Witness the power of the Legendary Zekrom!
"A live broadcast?" Shinobu whispered, staring at the screen. "From Liyue? Right now?"
"Check it out!" Yoimiya said, pointing at the "Teyvat Cheers" icon. "Everyone in Mondstadt and Liyue is watching. It's the biggest event in history!"
Itto crowded around the small screen, his jaw dropping. He saw the holographic posters, the massive arena, and the glimpses of powerful Pokémon like Garchomp and Lucario.
"Wait... is that a dragon made of iron?" Itto shouted, pointing at a picture of Metagross. "I want one! Yoimiya, does my egg have an iron dragon inside?!"
"You'll have to wait and see," Yoimiya winked.
As they watched the countdown on the phone, the oppressive atmosphere of Inazuma seemed to lift, if only for a moment. In this dark, restricted alleyway, three people were connected to the rest of the world by a glowing screen and the promise of a new partner.
The Spark of the Pokémon Era had been lit in Inazuma. And as any fireworks expert could tell you, once the fuse is lit, there's no stopping the explosion.
Liyue – The Jade Chamber.
Ningguang stood on the balcony, looking out over the harbor. The city below was a sea of lights. The arena was finally complete, its white stone gleaming under the moon.
Keqing walked up behind her, her Luxio sparks flickering with excitement. "Security is in place. The Millelith are cooperating with the Pokémon Guard. We're ready, Ningguang."
"The people are no longer mourning," Ningguang said softly. "They are anticipating. Manager Hiroshi... he didn't just give us pets. He gave Liyue a new heartbeat."
"And the Adepti?" Keqing asked.
"Let them watch from the stars," Ningguang smiled. "Tomorrow, Liyue proves that it can stand on its own two feet—and the four paws of its partners."
The clock struck midnight.
Hiroshi stood in the center of the arena, the vast, empty stadium waiting for the morning rush. He looked up at the moon, then at the massive black dragon landing silently behind him.
"Ready, Zekrom?"
"Ready, Manager."
"Let's show Teyvat what a true Pokémon Master looks like."