Chapter 48

"I'm coming."

After dealing with La Signora, Cresselia used her telekinesis to randomly place her somewhere in the city and then followed Takumi to the front of the shop.

"Um, green guy?"

Cresselia's surprised voice sounded.

Venti: ...

Takumi was shocked. "Dream God, why are you acting like Paimon, giving people nicknames and adjectives at random?"

"Oh... yeah!"

Venti didn't seem to care, looking at Cresselia with his emerald-green eyes and exclaiming:

"So this is the truth, no wonder the elemental burst got suppressed!"

He circled around the Legendary Pokémon in its New Moon form.

"Hello," he said. "A foreign god from afar. Is this your true nature? Sorry, ever since I obtained the authority of the Wind Spirit, I've been wandering the world in this form of a friend. I've grown accustomed to it and cannot reveal my true form as the Wind Spirit."

Cresselia laughed in a gentle voice. "Hehe, I am Takumi's Pokémon. If you need anything, just talk to him directly."

Venti rubbed his head awkwardly, then looked at Takumi and said with a sheepish grin:

"Um... hello, mythical beast controller!"

Takumi waved his hand dismissively. "I know you—you're the drunken Wind Archon who loves fishing. Let's not be so formal."

"Uh, no, I really don't...," Venti muttered, waving his hands defensively before letting out a wine-scented burp.

"Are you interested in raising a Pokémon?" Takumi glanced at the 9/10 progress on his task list and decided to make Venti his final "super heavyweight" customer.

Barbatos's true form was a spirit of the wind, and having a spirit raise another "spirit" was certainly interesting.

Venti responded, "Well, I heard it's really expensive."

Takumi said, "It depends on the quality of the Pokémon. If it has exceptional potential and a bright future, it could cost a few million Mora."

Venti's expression changed, showing the familiar look of a broke person in anguish.

"Millions of Mora... do you know how much wine that could buy?"

The money he spent drinking himself into a stupor at Angel's Share was just a few thousand Mora.

Several million...

Venti did some calculations. It was hundreds of thousands of times more Mora. If he added three zeros to the price of his usual wine, he could drink a thousand bottles or more! Thus, he definitely couldn't afford a Pokémon!

And after buying one, he'd need to spend money on its training. His current income—mostly from singing—only covered his wine expenses. Sometimes he was in debt and had to sing just to pay it off.

It was far beyond his reach!

Seeing Venti's conflicted expression, Takumi could tell what the Wind Archon was thinking.

He sighed internally. None of the gods—the Wind Archon, the Geo Archon, or even the Electro Archon—seemed to have any reliable source of income. Being broke seemed to be a common issue for these Archons.

However, Takumi had a way to persuade Venti, and thus acquire his first "Archon-level" customer.

"Have you seen Cresselia?" Takumi asked. "Among the Pokémon available at my shop, some have the potential to reach the Champion level, Master level, or even approach the power of a pseudo-legendary."

"You have to understand, a Champion-level Pokémon is a strategic deterrent that maintains regional security."

"A single Champion-level Pokémon is enough to maintain long-term peace and order in its nation."

"Not to mention pseudo-legendaries or the true Legendary Pokémon."

Takumi was good at enticing others, and when he saw Venti's reaction, he continued his pitch, emphasizing Venti's weak points. Venti's expression turned serious.

Takumi couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"I believe you have the resources, time, and patience to raise a Pokémon into a Legendary Pokémon."

"So, in the future Mondstadt could have a real Legendary Pokémon as its guardian. Even if you grow weaker, wouldn't you still have your own Legendary Pokémon to protect Mondstadt for you?"

"And you yourself—couldn't you let your Legendary Pokémon temporarily take over as the Wind Archon, freeing you to enjoy life as you please?"

Venti felt his heart pounding as Takumi spoke.

He looked at Takumi as if he were staring at the devil.

How could he know me so well? He thought. He knows I love nothing more than a good nap while someone else takes care of things.

The situation for Barbatos was awkward. He was worn out, and his power was greatly diminished. Dvalin, his only subordinate, was also struggling. After a fierce battle with Durin, Dvalin had been ensnared by the Abyss Order.

Unlike Morax in Liyue, Barbatos had no Yakshas or Adepti as his heritage to fall back on. Mondstadt's legacy was significantly weaker.

If he had a Legendary Pokémon, Venti could really relax and dream every day!

Seeing Venti's growing interest, Takumi decided to add the final spark to kindle his desire.

"Cough."

"Legendary Pokémon are different from you Archons. Even the weakest, like the Legendary Bird Trio, enjoy long lifespans. They live longer than you and won't experience wear and tear like you."

"Moreover, most Legendary Pokémon transcend concepts like lifespan—they exist beyond time and space, beyond life and death."

"So, if you cultivate a Legendary Pokémon, you're giving Mondstadt a timeless guardian, an heirloom that can be passed down for generations."

"In the future, the position of Mondstadt's Archon may change, but as the guardian of Mondstadt, your Legendary Pokémon's position will be stable and unshakable."

Venti looked up at the sky.

He had come on a mission to investigate what was going on.

Now, if he left without buying a Pokémon and nurturing it, would he be failing Mondstadt and all of its people?

"But... millions of Mora..."

Venti's face looked troubled. Then, he seemed to resolve himself and said, "Mr. Takumi, do you accept bartering? How about rare items?"

"For instance, dandelion wine that's been aged for centuries."

"Or the 'Heart of the Sacred Oak' left by the sacred oak after Vanessa ascended to Celestia."

Even though he lacked Mora, as an Archon, Venti still had plenty of treasures.

Takumi was intrigued. "Let me see."

The Pokémon world had all kinds of rare items.

It could be a berry that boosts a certain stat, an item that strengthens a specific move, or even a key item required for a Pokémon's evolution.

In short, many wonders could be found in the Pokémon world.

Takumi was curious to see if "treasures" from Teyvat could have any effect on the Pokémon from another realm, and whether they could aid in nurturing them.

He was hopeful because the previous elemental reactions and resonance had confirmed that Pokémon had integrated well into the local rules of Teyvat.

Within a few minutes, Venti was back, holding a jar of aged wine and a heart of oak, smiling as he showed them off.