"Holy crap!"
"Awesome!"
The virtual arena erupted. The cheers were deafening, a sonic wave that seemed to shake the very pixels of the simulation.
In the commentary booth, Hiroshi's eyes lit up as he watched the scene unfold. He leaned into the microphone, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and professional analysis.
"Player Lumine," Hiroshi announced, "This is a classic tactic of fighting violence with violence! But look closely at her strategy."
Beside him, the Deep Black Pokémon, Zekrom, observed the battlefield with glowing red eyes. Its massive, turbine-like tail hummed with a low, thrumming energy that vibrated through the floorboards.
"She is cautious," Zekrom rumbled, its telepathic voice echoing in the minds of the audience. "Excessively so. The creature called Quilladin—the 'Fat Hali'—was placed as the first line of defense, a sacrificial pawn."
Hiroshi nodded at his legendary partner. "Exactly. The Spiritomb could have used auxiliary skills like Memento or Will-O-Wisp to weaken the damage of Gyarados's moves, but Player Lumine did not do so. She chose tit-for-tat aggression. That Dark-type skill, Payback, was released with double power because she took a hit first!"
"And now," Hiroshi pointed dramatically, "The Hat Pikachu's Z-Move..."
What Hiroshi wanted to say, but held back for the sake of hype, was that the Traveler was being too cautious.
She was terrified that the damage from her 'Pikachu in a Cap'—the God of Skin—would not be enough to take down the behemoth Gyarados. She had even let her Spiritomb take damage just to chip away at the enemy's health.
"It is unnecessary," Zekrom critiqued, smoke venting from its nostrils. "A Z-Move of that magnitude... it is a sledgehammer used to crack a nut."
Just hit it!
Not to mention that Pikachu still had the Type advantage—Electric strikes Water with devastating efficacy. Even without the Type advantage, the raw power of the 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt was enough to vaporize a Gyarados three times over!
Hey, Hiroshi thought. Everyone in the group chat knows it. They've seen the video.
That extremely exaggerated clip where the young Pikachu defeated a massive Overlord Gyarados in seconds with this very move. Wang Ping'an's Gyarados, while impressive, was really not up to par with an Overlord.
"The Player... she is being cautious," Hiroshi sighed into the mic.
Only the guests in the VIP seats knew the connotation of this sentence. Suddenly, a group of people couldn't help but laugh.
Xiao (The Conqueror of Demons) sat with his arms crossed. Hearing Hiroshi's comment, a rare twitch appeared on his stoic face.
He still remembered it vividly. At Wangshu Inn, he had witnessed this Pikachu kill an ancient Overlord instantly. He remembered how shocked he was—that awe was the very reason he had entertained the idea of contacting the Pokémon world in the first place.
The Golden Flash.
On the screen, the world turned white, then gold.
The arena was filled with flashes of lightning so intense they blinded the virtual cameras for a split second.
Inazuma: The Land of Eternity.
In the Plane of Euthymia, the red sky was momentarily washed out by the broadcast.
Yae Miko's pupils reflected a picture full of golden lightning. She leaned forward, her fox ears twitching with interest.
Beside her, the purple eyes of Raiden Ei were also wide, inevitable shock showing on her face.
"Golden... thunder?" Ei murmured. "It is not the violet lightning of Inazuma... but the intensity... it rivals the Musou no Hitotachi."
Kamisato Estate.
Thoma, Kamisato Ayato, and Kamisato Ayaka sat around the screen, horror and awe painted on their expressions.
"If we said that Hu Tao's Garchomp using 'Draco Meteor' was like a dense bombardment of missiles on a football field," Thoma stammered, "Then this..."
"This Pikachu," Ayato finished, his voice hushed. "This Z-Resonance trick... It's like a True God descending to the mortal world!"
The sense of oppression overflowed from the giant screen and enveloped the hearts of every Inazuma audience member.
Hanamizaka.
The street brawl between the Arataki Gang and the Tenryou Commission had ground to a halt.
Once again, everyone stopped spontaneously because of the giant screen in the town square.
Kuki Shinobu, Arataki Itto, and General Kujou Sara stood side by side, their conflict forgotten. Even the little ninja Sayu, who had secretly helped the Arataki faction in the past, poked her head out from a barrel, eyes wide.
They couldn't help but look at the giant screen with excitement and shock.
"Gold!" Itto shouted, punching the air. "That's the kind of flashy style this Oni King appreciates!"
"Thunder..." Sara whispered, clutching her Vision. "But it feels... different from the Shogun's."
The Aftermath.
Boom...
There was an explosion that shook the virtual Wisdom Lake (Lake Acuity).
Electric snakes manically covered the surface of the water, sizzling and popping.
The Gyarados, who had just slapped its tail to launch a huge wave, hadn't even been pretending to be tough for a few seconds before disaster struck.
Its body stiffened suddenly. The blue scales were instantly covered in a layer of charcoal color, and black smoke began to rise from its fins.
Plop.
The huge body crashed onto the surface of the lake, floating belly up.
Even Wang Ping'an, standing on the opposite side of the lake, was affected by the blast radius.
His hair was withered and stood up from the static. He was kneeling on the ground, trembling, but his hand still desperately held up the Sigil of Permission.
A small part of the Adeptal power was used to protect himself, but he had poured the larger output source into protecting Gyarados. It was futile.
Seeing that Gyarados was seriously injured—charred black but alive—Wang Ping'an let out a breath he had been holding.
Crack.
The Yaksha-style mask on Wang Ping'an's face shattered from the pressure, pieces falling to the ice. It revealed the face of a terrified middle-aged man.
With a frightened face, he breathed out, "I... I concede..." and immediately fell face-first onto the floor, fainting from spiritual exhaustion.
The commentator Liu Su's voice sounded, shaky but loud:
"Eh—"
"Player Wang Ping'an fell!"
"He has lost combat effectiveness!!"
The venue's smart referee system also sounded the whistle at the right time and announced:
[Player Lumine wins!]
[Player Wang Ping'an loses!]
"We invite the medical team to rescue the players and Pokémon immediately..."
The Miracle of the Lake.
At this moment, Hiroshi suddenly raised a hand. "Wait a minute."
Zekrom sensed it first. The dragon raised its head, looking toward the center of the virtual lake. "A presence," Zekrom growled. "Ancient. Silent. It is watching."
The surface of the lake, which was filled with electric snakes and charred debris, suddenly calmed down. It returned to the pristine state it was in when the scene was just generated.
The audience at the scene, the guests in the VIP seats, and everyone in the live broadcast room suddenly held their breath.
A small beast that looked like a gray pixie appeared out of thin air, hovering over the water.
It was very small. Almost the same size as Jirachi or Celebi. It had a yellow head resembling a helmet and two gray tails, each tipped with a red gemstone.
"It is filled with a rich and substantial aura of wisdom," Hiroshi whispered. "That is Uxie."
The Legendary Pokémon of the Lake was not at all annoyed at having its peace disturbed by the golden lightning.
Instead, it floated down, surrounding the Gyarados who was scorched black by the Z-Move, and the unconscious Wang Ping'an.
Uxie turned around curiously. Its eyes were closed, as they always were to protect the world from its mind-wiping power.
Its two gray tails, with the rubies at the ends, suddenly flashed.
A soft, warm light—a blessing from the Divine Beast—fell on Gyarados and Wang Ping'an. The burns on the sea dragon faded, and Wang Ping'an's breathing steadied.
The Evolution.
Immediately after healing the losers, Uxie became even more curious. It turned towards Lumine and Paimon.
It looked at the ground first.
There, lying on the ice, was Quilladin (Fat Hali).
Because of its brave effort to resist the huge wave rolled up by Gyarados earlier, Quilladin was in a state of critical health.
This "Overlord's Cub," a Grass-type starter Pokémon, had a determined look in its eyes even as it struggled. It stood up unsteadily, shaking on its legs.
It stopped in front of Lumine and Paimon.
This behavior spoke volumes. It was as if it were saying sonorously: Scum! You want to hurt her? Step over my corpse first!
The Legendary Lake Pokémon, Uxie, remained expressionless, but this time, the ruby on its forehead began to shine brightly.
A blessing from the God of Knowledge fell on Quilladin.
Huh?!
Quilladin felt like there was something extra in its head. It felt... smarter.
It suddenly understood a concept, a technique, a way of using its energy that it hadn't understood even after training for a long time. The knowledge unlocked the potential within its DNA.
Now. That's it.
At the same time, Quilladin suddenly burst out with a strong white light!
"It's going to evolve!" Hiroshi shouted.
Lumine was stunned for a moment, and then a wave of surprise washed over her.
In her team, the Pikachu (God of Skin) was Level 40, Quilladin (Fat Hali) was Level 36, Spiritomb was Level 30...
Quilladin had been on the verge of evolving for a while. Lumine already knew it. But this evolution had been stuck for several days. She had never found the right opportunity or trigger to push it over the edge.
In her surprise, Lumine couldn't care less that an unknown and mysterious Pokémon like Uxie had actually appeared from the simulated scene. She stepped forward and hugged "Fat Hali," who was now enveloped in the blinding white light of evolution.
In the live broadcast that attracted the attention of tens of millions of people across Teyvat, the transformation began.
This "Fat Hali" lost the last of its baby fat. Its round body elongated. It grew taller, its limbs became thick and muscular.
A massive, armor-like shell, resembling a spiky dome, formed on its back and covered its body.
The final form of the Kalos Starter — Chesnaught (Brickaron)!
"Oh my god, the player's Pokémon has evolved! It's the final form!" The commentator Liu Su was so excited that his teeth chattered.
Hiroshi smiled, leaning back in his chair. "Yes, this is the final form of the Grass-type starter family."
At the same time, Hiroshi was secretly happy.
Is this the show's effect?
First, Wang Ping'an, who was suspected of being a Yaksha, used the power of the Talisman to temporarily control a Gyarados. Then it was Lumine and the Hat Pikachu's ultimate Z-Move, which attracted worldwide attention! Like a demon! Like a god!
And what probably makes countless viewers even more confused is this simulated battle map.
What the hell? Does it have easter eggs?
Not only did it project a Legendary Pokémon completely realistically, but it also projected the Mythical Beast's actual power and blessings. It truly reproduced the miracle.
Hiroshi himself wanted to make a tactical retreat first to check the System logs. Is this virtual venue really just an SR-grade prop? It feels like UR!
"Ouch~"
Under the attention of millions of people, there was a strong roar.
The light dissipated. Chesnaught smashed the carapace on its chest with both fists, making a dull, heavy banging sound.
Reactions to the Tank.
"Ugly... but looks so strong and tough!"
Hu Tao clicked her tongue at the guest table, eyeing the new form critically. "Perfect for carrying coffins, though."
Hiroshi's voice sounded leisurely over the speakers:
"That's right! Chesnaught's main attribute is Defense!"
"It can overturn a 50-ton tank through sheer force. If it puts its fists together in front of its face in a defensive posture called Spiky Shield..."
Hiroshi paused for effect. "Well, if Gyarados's Aqua Tail was used again just now, the damage caused to this Chesnaught would be minimal. It won't be a problem to withstand it completely!"
Ugly. But strong.
Grass-type + Fighting-type attributes. Plus a naturally high defensive racial value.
Once entangled by it, the opposing main Pokémon will probably have to wear a 'Mask of Pain,' and their physical output will plummet to zero.
Lumine is a practical player. Or, to put it another way, with Paimon as her "best partner," Lumine seems to be immune to the need for "cute" fairy Pokémon.
She only pursues power and practicality!
"Okay~"
Paimon also spun around in excitement and rushed towards the new giant:
"Big guy! From now on, with you standing in front and acting as a tank—a human shield—Lumine and I will definitely feel at ease~"
Bang bang!
Chesnaught patted its chest carapace and let out a low, confident roar.
(Unless you break my carapace, you won't touch them!)
...
The Meaning of Evolution.
On the stage of the Super Series, the second game of the opening day concluded with a miracle.
A Pokémon evolved into its final form live on camera. This was very memorable for all viewers.
In the Pure Land of Euthymia.
Raiden Ei and Yae Miko were looking at each other in confusion.
"Is this... evolution?" Ei asked, her voice filled with wonder.
This was the first time Yae Miko had seen the evolution process of a Pokémon.
Raiden Ei raised her eyebrows in surprise. "From 'Fat Hali' to 'Chesnaught'?"
"Before and after evolution, it's like changing the head and tail!" Ei noted. "If it weren't for the carapace features, who would believe it was the same creature?"
And in the live broadcast room barrage, there was also an excited discussion:
"Ugly, but strong!"
"This is a macho elf! With it as the front row human shield of the team, you will feel very safe!"
"Talk about a glow up... or a glow down? The difference is too big, right? Fat Hali was cute, but Chesnaught is straight up a macho guy!"
"What is this? Did you know that Player Wang Ping'an's Gyarados evolved from the Magikarp in the stinking ditch?"
"How old is Magikarp? A tiny fish. After evolution, Gyarados is at least six meters long! A transformation that looks like a carp leaping through a dragon's gate..."
"Also, it is said that the Feebas can also transform into a little fairy."
"Ha? Feebas? Is that the silly and spicy chicken elf in the small pond?"
Seeing these barrages passing by, Raiden Ei and Yae Miko stared at the screen carefully for a while.
They couldn't help but look up at each other again. The two highest-level beings in the Inazuma area had some kind of shock in their eyes.
"The world of pokemon is really mysterious and vast!" Ei admitted softly.
"These Pokémon," she continued, looking at the Chesnaught on the screen. "Their evolution... it simply illustrates that life is an incredible, ever-changing thing. Perhaps... even Eternity has different forms."