Chapter 89

Hu Tao: I was at the research institute and saw the Goodra that appeared in the promotional video... (Pokédex entry)

Ningguang: That's incredible, a Dragon-type pseudo-legendary at the Champion level. Hu Tao, isn't this the dream you and Gible have as a trainer's advanced pursuit?

Hu Tao: ...Yes, rolling around on the ground, it might take a long time for Gible to evolve into Garchomp. Raising it to Champion level is something I don't even dare to think about in the short term!

But Pokémon of this level are freely kept in Manager Takumi's compound! Why does it feel like having my own dreams shattered by Takumi's Pokémon House?

Hu Tao: ...I'm disillusioned! Destroy it!

Jean: I scratch my head and think about it differently. Didn't your Gible get a very good personal trainer?

Hu Tao sighed as she looked up at Champion-level Goodra. Her Gible stood obediently in front of Goodra, listening carefully to its "gentle" guidance.

Goodra was very patient and spoke for several minutes, like a responsible big sister acting as a personal trainer.

"Shark~!"

Gible's voice grew increasingly frustrated as it waved its little paws, trying to defend itself. Goodra stepped back a few meters, casting a dismissive look at Gible.

"Shark," Goodra muttered. (That's it)

Gible took a deep breath, its round face showing a hint of determination.

"Liao!"

Goodra encouraged it again.

"Shark!!"

Suddenly, Gible leaped high into the air. Its small body exhibited astonishing explosive power, almost jumping higher than the three-story main building of the research institute.

"Shark!"

High in the sky, there was a rumble. A meteor appeared, falling from above. It was clearly the move Meteor Swarm, a Dragon-type attack!

However, before the meteorite could hit the ground, Gible used all its strength and "thumped" it down, causing the meteorite to explode in a display of fireworks mid-air.

"Gible, you really got it!" Hu Tao exclaimed fun upon seeing this.

Gible, who usually slacked off, now fell short during training! Goodra, too, looked a little disappointed. It had arrogantly promised that Gible would learn soon.

Seeing Gible pretend to be unconscious and lie on the ground, Goodra swung its tail.

Iron Tail!

Goodra's tail knocked Gible several meters away. This time, Gible was truly disciplined.

"Eh?"

Hu Tao hurriedly chased after Gible to check its condition. She feared the little guy might be severely injured after being trained by a Champion-level Pokémon.

Fortunately, Goodra had controlled its strength well. Gible merely saw stars in its eyes, its body covered in minor scratches—easily treatable.

"Shark~!!"

In Hu Tao's stunned eyes, Gible staggered to its feet. In those eyes that usually held nothing but cuteness, there was now only determination.

It roared at Goodra, who was turning away, as if to say:

"Damn it! Don't underestimate me! You old hag! Wait for me! I'll learn Meteor Swarm now!"

Goodra stopped, tilting its head. A dangerous glint flashed in its usually gentle eyes.

"Hmph!"

Instantly, Goodra disappeared from sight. The next second, it reappeared, knocking Gible away again, with even more force this time.

The wind howled as Gible was sent flying again, while Goodra remained in place.

Hu Tao adjusted her hat, shielding herself from the gusts. She blinked as she checked the Pokédex information, finding that Gible's status indicated "seriously injured, but not fatal." She sighed in relief.

"OK!"

"Goodra, thank you! You deserved to be tougher! This little guy is in its rebellious phase!"

Hu Tao clapped her hands heartily, laughing.

Suddenly, Xiangling and Takumi, who were observing from afar, heard an alert from Hu Tao's Pokédex:

Gible is evolving...

Hu Tao: "No way!"

Xiangling: "No way, no way!"

Takumi: "..."

They followed the trail Gible had made when it flew out and found it lying in a pit, tenacious as ever.

Though Gible was severely bruised, it was still trying to raise its head, showing its determination to Goodra.

"Shark!"

Suddenly, the light of evolution shone, more dazzling than the scorching sun.

Gible evolved into Gabite. Its small, round form turned into a strong, nearly two-meter-tall body.

Hu Tao squatted by the pit, recording the evolution, uploading it to the group chat, and waved to the newly evolved Gabite below:

"Don't be stunned, get up! The pain of growing up is worth it!"

"Shark!!"

(It hurts, don't yell! Let me catch my breath!)

Takumi looked amused. The master had an eccentric personality, and her Pokémon's temper had clearly been influenced. Normally, evolution would be followed by a handshake and a reintroduction, right?

Hu Tao: (Mora red envelope!)

Hu Tao: "Congratulations, everyone! The Hall Master's Gible has evolved! (Video.AVI)"

Ganyu received Mora.

Beidou received Mora.

Xiangling received Mora.

Klee: "Hehehe, Klee received the most Mora!"

Bennett: "During the daily patrol of the Environmental Department, I randomly picked out the worst luck—Mora... Typical me!"

Diluc: "Hu Tao, you beat me to it. My Shinx needs just a day or two more to evolve."

Hu Tao: "The Hall Master holds all records in this group!

The first Dragon-type pseudo-legendary!

The first starter Pokémon to break through tens of millions of Mora!

The first evolved starter Pokémon!"

Xiangling: "What should I do if I suddenly have a headache? Hu Tao will introduce herself as 'The Record Holder' from now on..."

Keqing: "Very possible!"

Xingqiu: sighs

Chongyun: "...Ears hurt!"

Hu Tao: "Manager Takumi, are there any rewards for this excellent record? I made an outstanding contribution to the popularity of our Pokémon House!"

Takumi: "An old man on the subway looks at his mobile phone.JPG"

Seeing the "pain training method" suggested by Hu Tao actually work, Takumi suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Actually, the Pokémon House has an item that assists with training and evolution."

"It's called Rare Candy."

Before Hu Tao could ask more questions, Takumi used Teleport to return to the Pokémon House in Liyue. He copied and pasted information about Rare Candy into the group chat.

Takumi: "Recently, due to Hu Tao's Gible encountering an evolutionary bottleneck, we've launched new products.

Regular Rare Candy (for Pokémon below level 40)

Elite Rare Candy (for level 40-69)

Champion Rare Candy (for level 70-79)

The effect is to increase a Pokémon's level by +1. Use them wisely, especially for cases like Hu Tao's Gible, when evolution or breakthroughs are needed."

Hu Tao's face darkened as she looked at the new items in the chat. She glared at Takumi, who handed her a Rare Candy, her eyes full of frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?! If you had, I wouldn't have needed to resort to pain training!"

Nearby, Gabite, having regained some energy, grinned and provoked Goodra.

"Shark!"

(Thirty years east, thirty years west! Don't underestimate the poor shark!)

Goodra tilted its head, swung its tail, and knocked Gabite away again.

"Just you? Challenging a Champion-level trainer?!"

Hu Tao sighed and muttered to Gabite, "If you must be reckless, don't do it every day just because you think you're invincible!" She walked over and patted Gabite's head unceremoniously.

Takumi shook his head and coughed, saying, "That Rare Candy is your reward for the record. This item will only be available to specific customers who encounter similar issues. It's a limited edition!"

"Also, Regular Rare Candy costs 10 million Mora..."

He announced similar information in the group chat, mainly to deter rich trainers like Jean and Ningguang from buying candies as casual snacks for their Pokémon.

Ningguang: "Huh? I was just about to stockpile them. I wanted to buy a hundred of each level!"

Jean: "One hundred? Well, with the number of trainers and their wealth increasing, these candies will surely increase in value on the black market and become astronomical in price!"

Childe: "You two are wise as always. I was just planning a bulk purchase too. Though my Alolan Vulpix is trained step-by-step without leveling items, we're the Fatui—money isn't a problem. Why not hoard some items?"

Group system prompt: Childe has been banned by Administrator Mona for 12 hours.

Reason for ban: "Keep your wealth to yourself, rich people!"