NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Landorus
At that moment, the steward from Keqing's household arrived with the payment.
"Here's the money, shopkeeper. If I have any questions about raising Shinx, I'll come back to ask," Keqing said, waving to Li Pan as she walked out of the store with Shinx in her arms.
---
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the first transaction. You've been rewarded with a Pokémon draw opportunity.]
Just as Keqing stepped out the door, the system's voice rang in Li Pan's mind.
"A Pokémon draw? Is it the same as the one available to customers?" Li Pan asked lazily, stretching out on his chair and propping his feet up on the counter.
[Not exactly. While customers can draw up to pseudo-legendary Pokémon, the store owner's draw privilege guarantees no Pokémon below a base stat total of 500, with no upper limit.]
"Pfft!"
The sharp screech of his chair echoed through the room as Li Pan nearly fell over. Scrambling upright, his excitement bubbled over as he rubbed his hands together eagerly.
"System, let's do it! Start the draw!"
A minimum base stat of 500 with no cap? That was a significant advantage compared to what the customers could get.
[Drawing Pokémon…]
The screen on the Pokédex displayed a series of rapidly flashing silhouettes, each one familiar to Li Pan. His breathing grew quick and shallow as he experienced firsthand the same thrill Keqing had felt earlier.
Finally, the wheel stopped on a humanoid figure in shades of orange, white, and black, its arms crossed over its chest.
"No way… it's that one!"
Li Pan's pupils shrank as he stared at the image on the screen. Joy surged through him, rendering him momentarily speechless.
Among the 905 Pokémon species, some were revered as deities due to their unique powers—legendary Pokémon, also known as Mythical Beasts.
And now, the Pokémon on his screen was one of them.
The God of Agriculture: Landorus!
At the same time, a Poké Ball materialized beside him.
"Come out, Landorus!"
Li Pan tossed the Poké Ball, and with a flash of white light, a towering, humanoid Pokémon standing roughly as tall as a human appeared in the store. Its body was a mix of orange, white, and black, radiating an imposing aura.
"Roar—!"
Landorus let out a low growl, scanning its surroundings with vigilant eyes. Upon seeing Li Pan, it relaxed, scratched its head, and offered a goofy, good-natured smile.
Li Pan grabbed his Pokédex and scanned the Pokémon. Its information immediately appeared on the screen.
---
[Landorus (Incarnate Forme)]
- Type: Ground/Flying
- Level: 90
- Ability: Sand Force – Boosts the power of Ground, Rock, and Steel-type moves during a sandstorm.
- Classification: Abundance Pokémon – Absorbs wind and lightning to nourish the land, making it fertile.
- Moveset: Rock Throw, Sand Tomb, Leer, Block, Bulldoze, Rock Tomb, Swords Dance, Imprison, Rock Slide, Earth Power, Extrasensory, Stone Edge, Superpower, Sandstorm, Earthquake, Outrage, Fissure.
---
The detailed stats stunned Li Pan.
"Wow… No wonder they call it a legendary Pokémon. I wonder how it compares to the Archons of Teyvat…"
Standing up, Li Pan extended his hand with a smile. "Hello, Landorus. My name is Li Pan. From now on, we're partners."
Landorus stared at Li Pan's outstretched hand, hesitating for a moment. Then its expression softened, and it pulled out a Berry from seemingly nowhere, offering it to Li Pan.
"Huh? Is this for me?"
Li Pan blinked, pointing to himself in confusion.
Landorus nodded, gesturing with its hand over Li Pan's head as if measuring his height. In a deep, gravelly voice, it spoke:
"Eat more. Grow taller. You're too scrawny to get by."
Its tone was raspy, like that of an old man, and left Li Pan completely flabbergasted. He took the Berry absentmindedly and took a bite.
"…Are you some kind of village elder?"
Realization struck him a moment later, and he glared at Landorus.
"I want to be your trainer, and you want to act like my grandpa?!"
Landorus burst into hearty laughter, thoroughly amused by the situation.
---
Meanwhile, after leaving Pokémon House, Keqing packed up her stall and returned to Yuehai Pavilion.
"Shinx, stay here for a moment. I'll come back to you later."
She set Shinx down on the floor and began rifling through the stacks of documents on her desk, searching for anything related to Pokémon House.
Such a mysterious and extraordinary creature as Shinx was unlike anything she'd ever heard of, and she couldn't shake the feeling that these Pokémon were not native to Teyvat.
But the sheer volume of paperwork made the search overwhelming.
Time passed quickly as Keqing became absorbed in her task. Meanwhile, the once-patient Shinx let out a bored yawn from its spot on the floor.
---
Chirp chirp!
The sound of birdsong at the window immediately caught Shinx's attention. It perked up, spotting a small Sparrow perched on the windowsill, preening its feathers.
Energized, Shinx stretched its body, its small frame coiling like a spring before leaping gracefully onto the windowsill.
Chirp!
The sudden appearance of the strange blue-and-black creature startled the Sparrow, which took off into the air in a panic.
Meow↗ah!
Not wanting to let it escape, Shinx transformed into a streak of electricity and shot after the bird using Quick Attack.
Though the Sparrow managed to evade, Shinx remained undeterred, quickly setting its sights on another nearby Sparrow.
---
In another office within Yuehai Pavilion, three nearly identical sisters were diligently reviewing documents. One of them set her pen down and stretched her arms.
"Ugh… Baixiao, I'm almost done with my work. How about you?"
Glancing at her pile of unfinished documents, Baixiao sighed in exasperation. "Still a bit to go."
Baiwen, the third sister, massaged her temples and grumbled, "This is so dull. Tomorrow, I'm going to apply for a pet from Lady Ningguang. At least I'll have some company while working."
"That's a great idea," Baishi remarked, her eyes drifting to the window. She suddenly noticed a peculiar blue-and-black cat-like creature stalking a Sparrow on a tree branch. Its unusual coloration caught her attention, but its adorable appearance made her smile.
"A cat? Where?"
Baiwen stood up eagerly, peering outside. Her sudden movement startled the Sparrow, causing it to take flight.
Meow↗ah!
Panicked, Shinx activated Quick Attack again, this time pinning the Sparrow just as it tried to escape. Though the bird squirmed in fright, Shinx released it unharmed, clearly uninterested in eating it. It was merely playing.
---
However, this innocent display was witnessed by the sisters, who froze in shock.
The next moment, their horrified screams echoed through Yuehai Pavilion.
"Millelith! Millelith! There's a monster in Yuehai Pavilion!!!"