"Wang Ping'an and his Gyarados were blessed by the Legend of the Lake Pokémon."
It looked like the situation was improving on the ice-covered battlefield. One person and one "pet" were not instantly killed by the Z-Move 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt, but had relied on the protection of the Adeptal Talisman—the Sigil of Permission—to barely survive the annihilation.
So, when the medical team rushed onto the field and loaded the unconscious "Starsnatcher" onto the stretcher to take him away, keen observers discovered a detail.
There was only a ball of ashes left between Wang Ping'an's palms, which had firmly grasped the Talisman seconds before. The ancient relic had burned itself out to protect its master.
"Woo~~"
Uxie, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, floated gracefully around Lumine and Paimon. It looked at them for a while with its eyes closed, sensing their intentions and spirit.
Then, as if feeling something, Uxie stopped. It raised its small, helmeted head and looked directly up at the VIP guest stand—specifically, at the commentary booth.
Hiroshi and this Lake Legend Pokémon locked "eyes."
Beside Hiroshi, Zekrom tensed, its turbine tail glowing a faint blue. "It speaks," the dragon rumbled telepathically. "On a frequency only we can hear."
On unknown communication channels, Hiroshi sent a mental telegram encrypted by the power of his Aura (Waveguide) and Psychic power:
(Hello, the existence of Lake Acuity. You are far from home.)
Coincidentally, Uxie is also a Psychic-type Mythical Beast. It responded instantly.
(Human Trainer... and the Dragon of Ideals. Your surging telekinesis and spiritual power make me feel like I am communicating with a powerful Psychic-type elf.)
Uxie's mental voice was kind, echoing with a slight, benevolent smile.
Hiroshi sighed in relief. Look! Most of the Mythical Beasts in the Pokémon world are very easy to communicate with. As long as you don't harbor evil thoughts about them.
In fact, the quietness of Uxie's projected "home" had been rudely broken by the 10-Million Volt Z-Move. Its thousands of years of sleep may have been disturbed by the thunder.
But Uxie was still like a wise old man, calm and collected. Instead of raging, it had sent blessings to Lumine and Wang Ping'an respectively!
The Lore of Sinnoh.
In the legends of the Sinnoh region, the Lake Guardians are a trio of immense importance:
Uxie, who brought wisdom to mankind.
Mesprit, who taught humans the nobility of sorrow and pain, and how to feel emotion.
Azelf, who bestowed human will and determination.
Going back to the origins, Arceus created the Creation Trio—Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—to shape the physical world. Then came the creation of the Lake Guardians to shape the human spiritual world. They usually sleep at the bottom of their respective lakes to maintain the balance of the world.
"The three gods of the lake are all very cute," Hiroshi thought to himself. "Cute... but honestly, their actual combat effectiveness in the games is a bit stretched compared to the big dragons."
In the original lore, even in the modern Pokémon world, the three commanders of Team Galactic were able to capture the Lake Trio. Although they relied on the power of the "Red Chain" and high-tech devices, it is undeniable that the Three Gods were shamefully captured and taken to the Galactic HQ. It was up to the protagonist to rescue them in the end.
However, thinking about Cyrus of Team Galactic... relying on the Red Chain, he even controlled Dialga and Palkia. In the Pokémon world, the power of human technology cannot be underestimated!
(Trainer,) Uxie's voice interrupted his thoughts. (I am very optimistic about you. In this new world, I see countless possibilities.)
(Then, I will give you this thing——)
A prop was wrapped in a ball of soft, psychic light and came flying in a flash from the virtual arena, bypassing the digital barriers.
Hiroshi caught it reflexively. It felt cold and metallic in his hands.
He lowered his head and looked. He found that it was an item emitting a faint, emerald-green light.
...
[Time Gear]
Quality/Level: Golden Legend
Component: 1/5
Note: Collect 5 pieces to open a world of incredible Mystery Dungeon Pokémon.
...
"Holy crap? A secret key?"
Hiroshi's heart skipped a beat. He quickly put away the metal gear into his pocket before anyone else could get a good look. Immediately, with a curious and subtle gaze, he watched the battle scene in the virtual space gradually fade away as the match concluded.
Now, Hiroshi couldn't laugh anymore.
What kind of map is this? Virtual Transformation?
Damn it!
No matter how 100% realistic the System claims to be, it is impossible for a Pokémon from the Legend of the Lake that is just a digital projection to give him a real SSR-grade physical prop!
Then, there is only one possibility!
This so-called "Realism" and scene simulation... In fact, it directly maps part of the real scene in the Hisui Region (ancient Sinnoh) located behind the secret Space-Time Gate!
"The truth should be like this," Hiroshi muttered, his brain racing. "Later, I will go to the Hisui area behind the door and check out several places that have been simulated. If there are traces of battle there, then it is confirmed: these two worlds overlap in mapping!"
Hiroshi's heartbeat accelerated to a level that hadn't been seen in a long time. This was a massive discovery.
No wonder the virtual arena, which was just a piece of purple SR-grade equipment, didn't seem to have the technological content to 100% project a Mythical Beast perfectly. It wasn't projecting them... it was connecting to them.
The Group Chat Explodes.
The audience was collectively confused and shocked. Before the scene disappeared, this mysterious Pokémon had clearly looked at Store Manager Hiroshi.
One person and one Mythical Beast, apparently reaching some kind of secret deal. Then, the existence of the suspected Mythical Beast actually took the lead in giving away a luminous treasure to Hiroshi.
Not to mention the audience buzzing with comments, the VIP guest seats were in chaos. All the members couldn't help but pick up their Pokédexes (smartphones) to type in the group chat.
[Hu Tao]: "I want to deduct a wave of passionate 66666! Manager, you have connections everywhere!"
[Xiangling]: "I'm playing Call for Store Manager Hiroshi! Hiroshi, your little fan girl is here! Store Manager, fly with peace of mind, and your die-hard fans will always be with you!"
[Zhongli]: "In terms of common rationality, the Pokémon that just appeared from the bottom of the lake... it is a Mythical Beast. A being of high divinity."
[Venti]: "Hey, the mysterious fluctuations on its body are really terrifying, ancient and powerful. It must have been sleeping for a long time... and woke up just to give a gift? Suspicious~"
[Tartaglia (Childe)]: "The most terrifying thing is that this kind of Mythical Beast has been disturbed. When it woke up, for the sake of Club Manager Hiroshi, it didn't attack but gave blessings to the Traveler and Wang Ping'an respectively. That's influence!"
[Diluc]: "That's right! It must be for the sake of Club Manager Hiroshi. His network is deeper than we thought."
[Klee]: "Woohoo~~ Little Klee wants to become smarter! Can the master of the Mythical Beast give Klee a blessing to make Klee smart? Then Jean won't scold me!"
[Xingqiu]: "If the Mythical Beast blesses Klee, it can open up the mind, become wise, and even allow Pokémon to evolve regardless of the evolution conditions... I am willing to buy this blessing! The price is 100 million Mora!"
[Ningguang]: "Haha, Second Young Master, you are too small. I will price it at 1 billion Mora!"
[Yelan]: "Manager Hiroshi, what treasure did the Mythical Beast just give you? I'm curious..."
[Yanfei]: "Curiosity +1. Is it a legal contract with the gods?"
[Hiroshi]: [Image: Gears of Time.jpg] "Nothing, just a treasure that opens the secret realm of the second world."
[Everyone]: "..." (Shocked! How dare we speak!)
The New Tank.
While they were communicating quietly in the illustrated book, Lumine and Paimon also came back from the venue to the waiting area.
"Yeah~"
Xiangling came up, gave Paimon a high-five, and then said to Lumine with a smile, "Now that he has evolved into Chesnaught (Brickaron), can you share the Pokédex entry?"
Lumine didn't hesitate and posted the data in the group chat.
[Chesnaught (Brickaron)]
Attributes: Grass / Fighting
Level: Lv. 37
Ability: Overgrow
Hidden Ability: Bulletproof
Skills: Vine Whip, Rollout, Bite, Body Slam, Pin Missile, Leech Seed, Seed Bomb...
Description: It has the power to overturn a 50-ton tank with its body impact. It uses itself as a shield to protect its partners.
Gulu~~
Seeing the Level 37 Chesnaught with a long skill bar that could not be fully displayed, Xiangling couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
Holy crap——!
"Is this the attribute list at Level 37?" Hu Tao was also startled.
Lumine tilted her head, looking a bit smug. "In fact, after being blessed with evolution just now, my Chesnaught has acquired several Grass-type and Fighting-type skills..."
"Spiky Shield, Bulk Up."
"Drain Punch, Giga Drain."
Question marks floated wildly on everyone's foreheads.
All of a sudden, four new skills were learned?
"Exaggerated!"
"Too exaggerated!"
Hiroshi sighed, looking at the chat. No wonder it is a blessing from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
Turtle. (Damn).
This is equivalent to using a Move Learner four times instantly!
Not to mention the first two skills that strengthen defense. The second pair—Drain Punch and Giga Drain—both have the blood-sucking effect of recovering HP based on damage dealt.
High-defense human shield + Spiky Armor + Life Steal.
I am afraid that you, a warrior, will be unlucky if you face this tank!
The Third Battle.
At the same time, the notice for the third battle had also been sent out.
This round, it was Tartaglia (Childe) who took the stage. His opponent was a warrior from a Liyue secret martial arts sect.
"Alolan Ninetales (Ice Ninetales), show your beautiful figure——"
Tartaglia threw the Poké Ball with a flourish.
A pure white, cloud-like fox Pokémon, with slender limbs leaping lightly, appeared on the field. The air instantly cooled.
"The most evil technique is to destroy the flash!" Childe shouted, striking a pose.
He drew his bow and fired a magic arrow filled with Hydro elements. It shot out, causing widespread rainfall and making the terrain moist instantly.
Then, Tartaglia raised the corners of his mouth.
"Ninetales! Ice Beam!!"
The warrior and his Pokémon on the opposite side had just appeared when they were turned into ice sculptures.
The elemental reaction: Frozen!
Tartaglia snapped his fingers. He flew up handsomely and calmly shouted, "Riptide Slash!"
He drew his dual water blades and cut through the frozen enemies. The person and the Pokémon lost consciousness at the same time.
Tartaglia landed, looked very handsome, and made a "heart" gesture towards the camera.
"Ah——"
Suddenly, the women at the scene screamed faintly in admiration.
Hiroshi: "..."
Group chat with the rest of the group: ╮(▽)╭
As expected of Childe. He is the first person in the group chat to become a celebrity on the "Cheers" website. He is so proficient in the idol fandom routine.
Analysis from the Divine.
The Plane of Euthymia.
Raiden Ei and Yae Miko were once again forced to open their minds to a new way to compete in the Super Series.
"Eh!"
Yae Miko's eyes widened, full of curiosity and interest. "Can you still play like this?"
"With the Vision of the Hydro element, he can precipitate and moisten the field," Miko analyzed. "Then, with an Ice-type Pokémon, using an Ice-type skill causes a Freezing reaction?"
Raiden Ei exhaled softly. "This kind of tactic—— It opens up the diversity of teaming up and cooperation between people and Pokémon!"
On the barrage, the audience was also talking about the "disgusting" (overpowered) aspects of the Elemental Response Team.
For example, Tartaglia and his Alolan Ninetales vividly demonstrated that you don't need many Pokémon. One can freeze everything. The Ninetales on the field is enough to create the so-called "Perma-Freeze Team."
Miko glanced at the barrage, continued to learn elf knowledge, and murmured:
"Hydro + Cryo is Frozen."
"Hydro + Electro is Electro-Charged."
"Hydro + Pyro can Vaporize."
"So," Miko mused, "In addition to Alolan Ninetales, this Tartaglia's future team composition and subsequent members will most likely be Electro or Pyro-type Pokémon."
However, the master and slave of the elemental reaction will change.
Sometimes, the Pokémon is in the output position, and the Trainer is in the auxiliary position applying the elemental state. But it may also change to a situation where the Trainer is in the Carry (DPS) position and the Pokémon is in the auxiliary position.
This is another layer of the Super Tournament competition.
Yae Miko stretched her waist gracefully.
"Ei."
"What do you think of the unknown Pokémon from the lake just now?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly. "The one Hiroshi called Uxie?"