Chapter 36: Chapter 36
Hu Tao: "Just choose this Aron. It's not a bad thing if Pokémon can eat a lot. My Gible is also a big eater..."
Ningguang: "To be honest, my Beldum isn't any less of a big eater. Here's a cute pet eating video.avi."
Xiangling: "You all are too weak. My Larvesta seems to prefer the food I cook over energy cubes or Moo Moo Milk."
Keqing: "@Takumi, will feeding Pokémon different types of food affect their development?"
Takumi: "I'm in Mondstadt. Just arrived... cough, here's a close-up picture of Mondstadt.jpg."
"It's not surprising that Pokémon are food lovers, and they have refined taste buds. However, to ensure the full development of a Pokémon, feeding them energy cubes is essential."
In the cave laboratory, Albedo clicked on the picture in the group chat.
He indeed saw the sunset view of Mondstadt.
"Already here?" Albedo thought.
"Club Manager Takumi... a mysterious and extraordinary being."
Albedo didn't realize there was a private chat feature, so he mentioned Takumi in the group chat:
Albedo: "I choose Aron! I'll reject all other alchemical research to complete the commissioned work as soon as possible!"
Under Dragonspine, on a hillside not far from Springvale:
From here, the city of Mondstadt built on the lake was clearly visible.
Earlier, Takumi and Cresselia had teleported to Windrise and then came here.
In Windrise, Takumi saw hurricanes swirling around the ruins, and the towers obscured by barriers of wind.
As expected, Dvalin, the Stormterror, was awake from his slumber, lying in the ruins.
Takumi and Cresselia watched secretly.
They also saw Abyss Mages trying to communicate with Dvalin, only to fail, and resorting to dark magic to disrupt and corrupt Dvalin's spirit.
Takumi could have Cresselia act at any time to eliminate the Abyss Mages and save Dvalin.
But Takumi chose not to.
For one, there was no need to interfere with the "main plot." Whether the Traveler was Lumine or Aether, the first fight in Mondstadt served as their grand entrance.
Without resolving the dragon crisis, the Traveler wouldn't earn the title of honorary knight.
Secondly, Dvalin was tainted with corruption, and while he could be healed using potions from the Pokémon Center, there was no guarantee they would be effective.
Because of this, Takumi suddenly understood why Barbatos, the God of Wind, seemed so carefree in the game plot.
Barbatos was already severely weakened, and after waking from a five-hundred-year sleep, he was powerless to help Dvalin, expressing his inability to assist.
"Takumi, aren't we going in?" Cresselia asked.
"No rush. I want to see if it's Aether or Lumine."
Cresselia tilted her head in confusion.
Camping out was fine, though. Takumi had brought a space backpack—a handy tool to carry tents, sleeping bags, and other daily necessities—perfect for camping trips. After upgrading to the basic level, it would even be available for sale.
The price set by the system wasn't very high.
Soon, everyone in Teyvat would own one.
At night, a pot was set on a campfire. With the starry sky above, Takumi prepared a meal in Teyvat for the first time.
His culinary skills were good for home-cooked meals, and he was adept at grilling and barbecuing.
But if he wanted to compete with Xiangling seriously, he would have to wait until he got an SR-level skill card for cooking.
With the Dream Goddess (Cresselia) around, a night spent camping felt as refreshing as ever.
Not long after breakfast, Cresselia suddenly communicated through her mind:
"Takumi, I see travelers coming on the path you mentioned..."
Takumi, who was packing up his backpack, looked up with interest.
"Oh, I thought I'd have to wait a few more days."
"A man and a woman? Or two young women?"
"Two young women, and a very peculiar creature..."
"Seems like Lumine, then."
"Let's go!"
Takumi smiled, a sudden, interesting idea forming.
Since the Pokémon House store was fixed in Liyue and the branch module hadn't been unlocked yet, how could he guide the traveler to become a trainer and embark on the path of being a Pokémon Master?
As luck would have it...
In the last round of "Store Manager's Ten Continuous Draws," after obtaining the golden legendary and purple skill cards, Takumi still had two blue items he hadn't found a use for.
One of the blue items was "Arcanine's Training Guide and Mad Dog Formation Tactics."
It was a training manual, but it was only of "elite" quality, otherwise it wouldn't be blue.
The other item... was a Pokémon egg.
The system showed "Not authenticated!"
"Note: This Pokémon egg has been accidentally soaked in water, and the life inside appears to be inherently weak as a result."
Unknown.
An egg that hadn't been identified.
"Tsk."
"This kind of thing should be given to a protagonist with good luck!"
Takumi stretched, and asked Cresselia to teleport them.
They had to reach the bridge outside Mondstadt before Lumine and Amber arrived and prepare to play the role of a mysterious merchant.
Meanwhile, a mountain path led to a beach by the sea.
Beside the traveler, Paimon floated and followed.
"Scout Knight" Amber decided to take the traveler to visit Mondstadt.
"Mondstadt, the city of wind and pastoral songs."
"There are mountains and vast plains here."
"The wind of freedom carries the breath of dandelions across Cider Lake, sending the blessings of Barbatos, the Wind God, to Mondstadt, the island city on the lake!"
Amber introduced Mondstadt as they approached the bridge at the city's entrance.
Suddenly, the traveler and Paimon both looked shocked.
"Mondstadt really is a city of freedom!" Paimon said, though it wasn't clear whether it was a genuine praise or sarcasm.
She pointed at the street vendor who had spread out a picnic cloth on the bridge.
"Huh?!"
Amber looked over, also stunned.
Citizens of Mondstadt often fed pigeons on this bridge, and it was usually covered in pigeons.
However, it was Amber's first time seeing a street vendor here.
Judging by the man's clothing, he seemed to be a traveling merchant from Liyue.
Amber was just a girl, fascinated by Liyue's prosperity. Seeing a merchant from Liyue, she couldn't resist the urge to approach.
"Lumine, let's go over there!"
Paimon pulled on Lumine's arm, excitement all over her face.
"There are so many fascinating items!"
"This traveling merchant looks like he's been to many places."
"Maybe we can even ask for news about your brother?"
Lumine was a little unsure but went to the stall with Paimon and Amber to see the trinkets scattered across the picnic cloth.
Among them, a large egg in the middle caught Lumine's attention.
"This egg..."
Everyone knew that the traveler could use all types of elemental powers without any Vision.
At this moment, Lumine sensed a rich and pure elemental energy emanating from the egg.
"Could this be a monster egg?" Lumine thought, slightly shocked.
The person who had spread out the picnic cloth and set up the stall was Takumi, who had come earlier to play the role of a mysterious merchant.
He had asked Cresselia to hide, as she was too eye-catching, and was now seated with some miscellaneous items from the system store, trying to catch someone's interest.
Takumi had also been observing Lumine and Paimon.
Seeing the "traveler and emergency food" pair, both staring at the egg, Takumi chuckled to himself.
This fish was too easy to catch.
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