Chapter 76

Hu Tao and Xiangling decided to proceed with extra caution.

"We got lucky escaping this time. Next time we wander into another overlord's lair, it's bound to be a fierce fight!"

They wisely stuck to searching for common and weaker wild Pokémon in the wilderness, directing their baby Pokémon to battle them.

Under the hot sun, the two found a shadowy spot between some rocks. They chatted happily, occasionally giving instructions so their Pokémon wouldn't slack off in finding new opponents.

"You recorded the pokemon info in the Pokédex, right?" Hu Tao asked.

"Of course! I scanned everything," Xiangling replied, "but it's too bad I didn't see any shiny ones. If I had, I would've gone back and given it my all!"

They shared details, flipping through the Pokédex entries of the ghost Pokémon in the cave and discussing which ones seemed to have the best stats.

"It looks like the overlord Gengar is the strongest, with a massive skill set…"

"So intimidating! I didn't even list everything it can do!"

Takumi had shared a useful tip on gauging the potential of wild Pokémon:

A Pokémon's strength often depends on its skill repertoire. Wild Pokémon lack learning tools and often don't have trainers to teach them, so the skills in the Pokédex are essentially the result of their self-study and instinct!

"Shadow Ball, Shadow Claw, Dark Pulse…"

Hu Tao and Xiangling stared at the overlord Gengar's skill list, entranced by the impressive names of high-level moves.

If I had a Gengar with this skill set, no one could stand against me! Xiangling thought.

Oh, the things I could do with that overlord Gengar! Hu Tao's mind raced, ambition growing.

And after reading Gengar's character profile, she found herself smitten.

Always wearing a mischievous smile, loving pranks, and full of personality? Perfect.

And as a ghost-type, taboo to most, it seemed tailor-made for her as the Hall Master of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Gengar… I'll make you mine!

Hu Tao, Xiangling, and their Pokémon—Gible, Larvesta, and Scyther—continued battling wild Pokémon, each encounter leaving the Pokémon a bit battered and bruised.

Hu Tao and Xiangling sprayed healing medicine on their Pokémon as they reminisced about the haunted cave.

"Did you mark the location of that hidden area, Hu Tao?"

"Of course! I'm not silly enough to share it in the group chat, though; this location could be worth a fortune!"

There was one thing Hu Tao hadn't shared with Xiangling.

She had every intention of capturing that overlord Gengar.

But with Gible still inexperienced, and even her martial skills insufficient to take on such a powerful opponent, she could only keep the cave's coordinates to herself for now.

Xiangling munched on homemade biscuits, breaking off a piece now and then to feed Larvesta.

During their break, they checked the Pokédex and skimmed through the group chat.

Various bits of news popped up, including a photo from Hongyi, the deputy police chief, showing someone who had been snatched into the air by a Pidgeotto.

Their screams could reportedly be heard all across Liyue Harbor.

Pidgeotto? Xiangling thought. Isn't that the first evolution of Pidgey? Why would it swoop into Liyue Harbor so aggressively?

An idea struck them, and they edited the video from their cave adventure, cutting out any scenes that showed the coordinates, and posted it in the group chat.

Xiangling: (Video.AVI)

Hu Tao: Guess what the two of us just encountered? Check out this video!

Klee: ...It's haunted!

Zhongli: In terms of universal rationality, it's not surprising for the ecological zone to contain such supernatural elements.

Chongyun: As a professional exorcist, I can say the spirit in the video looks peculiar. In professional terms, this is what we call an illusion.

Xiangling: Haha, Chongyun, if you'd been there with your Pure Yang body, just sitting in that cave would have been enough to silence everything!

Xingqiu: Xiangling, don't tease! Chongyun's Pure Yang energy might dispel evil, but what if it fails?

Rosaria: I've dealt with many spirits in Mondstadt's shadows; these are indeed just illusions…

Beidou: As expected of Hu Tao, the brave Hall Master, daring to walk through a cave filled with ghostly energy. Was that truly an overlord Pokémon's lair?!

Ningguang: A Ghost-type Pokémon. Are there other variants like it?

Lisa: There's something intriguingly sinister and charming about this Ghost-type overlord.

Keqing: Hu Tao, isn't this your area of expertise? Why not try capturing it?

Resting on a picnic cloth in the rocky area, Hu Tao scowled at her chat with Keqing.

"Keqing, oh esteemed Yuheng, if you're feeling brave, go for it! This Hall Master isn't up for it!"

Beidou: I'm forming an exploration team for training. Members so far include Kazuha and Yoimiya. If anyone else wants to join, meet at the ecological zone entrance in an hour.

Xingqiu: After watching Hu Tao and Xiangling's video, I'm feeling a bit uneasy. Chongyun and I are already on our way, so we'll join Sister Beidou's team. Safety in numbers!

Klee: Boo-hoo… I'm still stuck studying bombs in the confinement room! Little Klee wanted to adventure with Brother Albedo, but Captain Jean grounded me!

"Poor Klee."

Takumi, after packaging a game, checked the group chat to see what everyone was talking about.

"Jean shouldn't keep Klee locked up."

"With her abilities, she'd be fine as long as she avoids the Overlord-level Pokémon in the ecological zone."

To ease his concerns, Takumi sent Jean a private message. Since Albedo had already taken a team out exploring, he offered to supervise Klee temporarily, allowing Jean some peace of mind.

"Speaking of which…"

"Both Jean and Ningguang have it tough."

With the arrival of the ecological zone, Teyvat now had a mysterious, unexplored area. What could be more exciting than raising Pokémon and adventuring there?

But they were both tied down with work.

When Takumi clicked on Hu Tao's uploaded video, he was taken aback.

They found this hidden cave so soon?

Yes, the deepest part of this cave was where an "orb" was in the process of forming, with fossil Aerodactyl sleeping in amber nearby.

But the underground cave system was vast and intricate, stretching for more than ten kilometers with many twists and turns.

The ghostly presence of Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar was merely in the outermost chambers.

"Well, if they can bypass the overlord Gengar, they'd find a mini underground kingdom further in, where a group of dragon Pokémon lives!"

Takumi decided to keep an eye on Hu Tao, waiting for an "opportune" moment to let slip a hint of this hidden treasure.

Let's see how the fearless Hall Master Hu Tao handles herself, possibly clashing with Gengar again.

Ghostly tricks versus mischievous spirit? This would be fun to watch!

Watching the "Packaging Complete" message flash on his computer screen, Takumi transferred the game package to the Pokédex, successfully installing the Auto Chess game. He played a quick round, testing its features.

Then, finding a few idle members in the customer group chat, he sent them the game package to serve as his first game testers.

Ding dong!

Back on the beach.

Two tents had stood in the secluded area for two days.

Venti sat on a nearby reef, watching his Lapras training with various low-level water Pokémon offshore, a satisfied smile on his face.

Just then, a notification from Takumi popped up on his Pokédex, along with a game installation package.

"This must be the game Takumi mentioned," Venti murmured, "what did he call it… 'Pokémon Auto Chess'?"