"I'm coming."
After dealing with La Signora, Cresselia used her telekinesis to randomly throw the Harbinger somewhere in the city (specifically, into a fountain near the Goth Grand Hotel), and then followed Hiroshi to the front shop.
"Um, green guy?"
Cresselia's surprised telepathic voice sounded in their minds.
Venti: ...
Hiroshi was shocked. Dream God, why do you show any signs of changing into a little thing like Paimon, and give others nicknames and adjectives so casually? Is this the influence of Teyvat's 'Guide' character trope?
"Oh... yeah!"
Venti didn't care about the nickname. He looked at Cresselia with his emerald green eyes and exclaimed:
"The truth turns out to be like this! No wonder the Elemental Burst was pinched out like a candle flame!"
He circled twice around the Legendary Pokémon in her crescent-moon incarnation, admiring the glowing aurora rings.
"Hello."
"A foreign god from afar."
"Is this your true nature? Sorry, since I obtained the authority of the Wind Spirit, I have been walking around the world in the form of a deceased friend, so I am used to it and cannot show my true body as a Wind Spirit to greet you."
Cresselia laughed with a clear voice in his mind.
"Hehe, I am Hiroshi's Pokémon. If anything happens, just tell him directly."
Venti touched his head when he heard this, looked at Hiroshi, and said with an awkward smile:
"Um... hello, Controller of Mythical Beasts!"
Hiroshi waved his hand dismissively. "I know you, the drunkard Anemo Archon who likes fishing (slacking off). We don't have to be so polite and guarded."
"Um, no, I really don't drink that much..."
As Venti waved his hands to defend himself, he let out a wine-smelling burp.
Hic.
Hiroshi smiled, leaning against the counter.
"Are you interested in raising a Pokémon?"
Hiroshi glanced at the 9/10 task progress on his interface and decided to make Venti the last, super-heavyweight customer to complete the mission.
Barbatos's true form is a Wind Spirit.
A Spirit raising another "Spirit" (Pokémon)... things were developing in an interesting direction.
Venti scratched his cheek. "Well, I heard it's very expensive?"
"Look at the quality of the Pokémon baby. If it is one with outstanding qualifications and a bright future, it will cost a few Million Mora."
Venti's face suddenly changed color, showing the bitterness and wailing of a truly poor person.
"Millions of Mora... Ah, how much wine can you buy with that?"
He drank until he was hungover at the Angel's Share, and usually, the bill was only a few thousand Mora—which he often dodged by singing or putting it on the Knights' tab.
Several Million...
Venti calculated it seriously. That was ten or hundreds of thousands of bottles of Dandelion Wine! It was an astronomical figure. If you add three zeros after his usual wine money, it would be enough to drown in.
Therefore, he cannot afford to buy a Pokémon!
He will have to spend money to train it in the future, buy food, buy potions... and his singing can only cover the expenses for his daily wine.
Sometimes he will be in debt and has to sing tour fees to repay Diluc.
It's even more unaffordable!
When Hiroshi saw Venti's expression change to one of despair, he knew what the God of Wind was afraid of.
He was a little speechless.
God of Wind, God of Rock (Geo), God of Thunder (Electro).
None of these earthly rulers had money or Mora on hand. Reliable pennilessness is a common situation for Archons.
However, Hiroshi had a way to convince Venti.
He wanted to obtain the first "Earthly Ruler" level customer!
"Have you seen Cresselia?"
"Among the Pokémon babies sold in my shop, there is no shortage of those with the potential to reach Champion Level, Master Level, or even close to the power of Sub-Legendary gods."
"You have to understand that a Champion-level Pokémon is a strategic deterrent that maintains regional security."
"A single powerhouse is enough to maintain the long-term peace and order of its country's territory."
"Not to mention the Sub-Legendary gods, or the True Legendary gods."
Hiroshi was good at tempting.
When Venti heard this sales pitch that hit his psychological weakness—his desire for Mondstadt's safety without his direct intervention—his face gradually became serious.
Hiroshi was secretly amused.
"I believe you have the resources, time, and patience to cultivate a Pokémon into a Mythical Beast."
"So, in the future Mondstadt, there will be a real Mythical Beast sitting there. Even if you are seriously worn out by erosion, won't you still have your own Mythical Beast partner to protect Mondstadt for you?"
"And you yourself... can't you let your Mythical Beast temporarily take over the role of the 'God of Wind's Protector', so that you can have nothing to do and have as much fun as you want?"
Venti was stunned by the sales pitch. His heart was pounding.
The way he looked at Hiroshi was like looking at a devil who sold temptation itself.
So ironic... you are like a roundworm in my belly. You know me, the god of slacking, so well.
I'm thinking about it.
Isn't it obvious? The situation faced by Barbatos is quite embarrassing. He is seriously worn out, and there is not much power left in his body compared to his prime.
Dvalin, the only member of the Four Winds currently active, is also a little stretched thin. After a bloody battle with the poisonous dragon Durin, he was corrupted, and now there was the embarrassing situation of being controlled by the Abyss Order.
Unlike Liyue's old friend Morax, who has the Adepti and Yakshas under his command as Liyue's last heritage...
Mondstadt's heritage is a little weaker. The Knights are human and fragile.
If I own a Mythical Beast, I can really sit back and relax and live in a drunken dream every day!
Hiroshi saw Venti's eyes burning with interest, and decided to add the last piece of firewood to the fire:
Cough.
"The Legendary Pokémon are different from you Seven Archons. Even the weakest—like the Three Legendary Birds of Kanto—enjoy a long life and live longer than you, but they will not encounter the problem of 'Erosion' (Wear and Tear)."
"In addition, most Mythical Pokémon have no concept of lifespan and exist beyond time and space, life and death."
"Therefore, if you cultivate a Mythical Beast, it is equivalent to giving Mondstadt an heirloom that can be passed down from generation to generation."
"In the future, the position of Mondstadt's Anemo Archon may change and be replaced by another person... but as the Patron Saint of Mondstadt, your Mythical Beast's position would be stable and unshakable!"
Venti looked up at the ceiling, imagining a future where he could sleep for centuries while a giant Pokémon guarded the city.
I came here on a special mission to inspect the situation and understand the inside story of the incident.
But then... if I don't buy a Pokémon and go back to cultivate it, wouldn't I be sorry for Mondstadt? Sorry for the freedom of all Mondstadt people?
"But... Millions of Mora..."
"That is still a lot of money!" Venti thought about it carefully, then gritted his teeth and asked, "Manager Hiroshi, do you accept barter? Or acquire rare items?"
"For example... the Dandelion Wine buried in the wind for hundreds of years?"
"For example... after Vennessa ascended to Celestia and left, the Sacred Oak took root and sprouted at Windrise. I have a 'Heart of the Divine Oak'!"
After all, he is a God, one of the Seven Rulers. Although he doesn't have Mora, he has many treasures hidden away in the wind.
Hiroshi suddenly became very interested.
"Let's take a look first."
All kinds of treasures exist in the Pokémon world.
It may be a Berry that increases a certain attribute after being eaten. It may be a Held Item that enhances the power of skills like Charcoal or Miracle Seed. It may also be a key item that allows certain Pokémon to evolve, like an Evolution Stone.
In short, there are many wonders in the world.
Hiroshi was quite curious.
Will the "Treasures" of Teyvat be effective on Pokémon from another world?
Can they help with breeding or evolution?
He felt that there was a lot of hope, because the previous elemental reactions and resonances had confirmed that the Pokémon had integrated into Teyvat's local rules.
Venti was very fast. He disappeared in a gust of wind and came back within a few minutes.
He smiled and showed off a jar of ancient wine that smelled of history and wind, and a glowing, pulsating wooden heart.
"Here they are!"