Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Takashi took Charmander's Pokéball from the shelf and threw it to the ground.
Charmander stood with its hands on its hips, head held high, making a dazzling entrance!
"Wow, are you kidding me?" Acting Grand Master Jean found it hard to believe, poking at the red-skinned lizard in front of her with her finger, its cheeks soft to the touch.
Charmander let out a "Kana" sound.
Jean, initially just curious, couldn't resist gently patting its small head after hearing it make a sound. Charmander enjoyed the attention comfortably.
Takashi took the opportunity to promote his idea, "Acting Grand Master, I suggest the Knights of Favonius should all get a Charmander. It'll help with expeditions to Dragonspine, not to mention that since you're skilled in Anemo abilities, bringing along a Charmander will allow you to trigger Swirl reactions."
Jean nodded slightly, quite satisfied. She thought it was indeed a cute little fellow. Having a heat source would be most useful for exploring Dragonspine.
However, would this little creature be easy to carry? After all, expeditions required a lot of supplies. And on a snowy mountain, even humans would struggle—could it handle that?
Jean looked at Takashi and asked, "How is its vitality? It's not as frail as a pet cat or dog, is it?"
"Of course not; it's quite durable."
Jean: ...
Takashi quickly added, "I mean it's very resistant to cold; no need to worry about that."
Jean nodded, "How much does it cost?"
Takashi smiled, "Not much, only two million Mora."
Jean was taken aback, "What? Two million?"
The average income of residents in Mondstadt barely reached four hundred thousand Mora a month. This little fellow cost five months' worth of wages.
She had worked nonstop this month, already exhausted her coffee allowance at the beginning of the month, and though she came from a noble family and wasn't strapped for cash, she couldn't justify such an extravagant purchase.
She thought for a moment and asked, "Can I try it out before deciding to buy?"
"Sorry, we only accept full payment on the spot," Takashi replied with a business smile. If Jean didn't buy immediately and instead opted for installments or a trial, his day's performance wouldn't meet the quota, and he wouldn't receive the reward package.
"Acting Grand Master, Klee wants one too," Klee said, holding Oshawott, her eyes sparkling.
"Sorry, I don't think I have enough money on me today," Jean had to make up an excuse. After all, no one casually carried two million Mora just to take a stroll. "Klee, let's go."
"Hmm, Klee really wants one. Acting Grand Master, can you ask my mom for me? Klee doesn't dare ask her herself," Klee suddenly said.
Jean paused. Klee's mother had entrusted her to the Knights, who had taken good care of her. She had been well-behaved recently—only occasionally pulling out a bomb for fun, earning herself a short stay in confinement.
Klee's mother had left a decent amount of money, and the Knights could certainly make the decision, but spending such a large amount to buy a sprite required her mother's approval.
At that moment, a luxurious carriage pulled up at the entrance, and a red-haired man in an expensive black and gold suit stepped out, his expression unreadable.
Jean turned around and saw Diluc—she had never been comfortable dealing with this senior.
After all, the Knights of Favonius had once wronged him.
Seeing Jean, Diluc greeted her with gentlemanly politeness, "Jean, how have you been lately?"
Jean nodded slightly, "Not bad. Are you here to buy a sprite too?"
Diluc nodded, walked inside in his fine leather boots, and gently patted Klee on the head. "Klee, have you been behaving yourself lately?"
"Big brother Diluc, can you teach me how to collect fowl meat next time?"
"Mm," Diluc looked up at the Pokéballs on the shelf, "Shopkeeper, you sell sprites here?"
Takashi greeted him with a smile.
"Of course, Mr. Ragnvindr. How can I assist you?"
"How much do your sprites cost? Could you explain it to me in detail?" Diluc, though calm and polite, never used his noble status to belittle others.
"Please draw your personal sprite first."
"Alright." Diluc took the Pokédex and pressed the draw button.
Shush shush shush...
Countless silhouettes of sprites flashed across the screen before slowly stopping at the image of Bagon.
Diluc adjusted his gloves, glancing at Takashi, noticing a trace of envy in his eyes.
"Congratulations, you have drawn a pseudo-legendary."
Diluc stared at the little creature on the Pokédex. "Strange. It's so small, can it be a legendary? It's not even as big as Dvalin's paw."
Takashi took Bagon's Pokéball and released it. Bagon roared energetically, "Yaa yaa!"
Seeing the less-than-60-centimeter-tall Bagon, Diluc frowned but reached out to touch its small head. Its hardness seemed to rival the ancient ice of Dragonspine—it startled him slightly. How had it become so strong?
"Bagon is a Dragon-type sprite. It can eventually evolve into Salamence, whose flying speed rivals that of Dvalin." Takashi showed Diluc the image of Salamence.
Its wings were blood-red, fangs sharp, and it exuded an aura of dominance.
Though Bagon had sharp teeth and a hard head, its body was rather small. How could it shoulder great responsibility?
Looking ahead, if Bagon could evolve, it would be quite promising in the future.
Plus, Salamence could fly, which would be convenient for protecting Mondstadt and traveling between the city and the winery.
"How much?" Diluc asked calmly.
"Thirty million Mora," Takashi replied with a smile.
Jean was even more surprised at the figure. Buying a Charmander was equivalent to five months of a commoner's salary, which was somewhat manageable. But Bagon cost thirty million Mora—how long would she need to work as the Acting Grand Master to afford that?
"This is already a discounted price," Takashi said warmly, "Pseudo-legendary sprites are different from regular ones—they have much higher growth potential. Considering Mr. Ragnvindr's vast estate, surely you wouldn't mind such an investment?"
Though Diluc was wealthy, his fine wine traveling as far as Liyue, making him a "walking Mora," he wasn't a fool. "Shopkeeper, does this sprite have any impressive skills? At least let me see something spectacular."
"Bagon, use Dragon Breath." Takashi pointed to the windmill atop Mondstadt, roughly a hundred meters away.
Purple energy accumulated in Bagon's mouth. Moments later, a fiery beam shot out, exploding in the Mondstadt sky a hundred meters away, as brilliant as fireworks.
Diluc, Jean, and Klee were stunned.
In that instant, Diluc could no longer suppress his urge to purchase. A voice whispered in his ear, "Buy it, buy it, buy it now."
Of course, before that, he had to ask Bagon for its opinion. "Bagon, are you willing to come with me?"
"Yaa yaa!" Bagon nodded happily.
After paying, Diluc received a Pokédex, a trainer's manual, and two energy cubes from Takashi.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
hasaku45
hasaku45 Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone