Page:(2/4)
Suppressing the pounding in his chest, Rinku immediately began casting Restriction and Oath on Gardevoir.
Name: Gardevoir
Type: Psychic / Fairy
Ability: Trace, Synchronize…
In the blink of an eye, a full minute flew by. Rinku's rapid-fire chant like a machine gun spitting bullets finally came to a halt.
At that exact moment, the Nen aura surrounding the usually composed Gardevoir suddenly paused.
Then, an explosive surge of power erupted from her!
A vast tide of pink Nen energy burst forth, flooding the room in an instant.
It was as if someone had switched on a giant pink floodlight turning the entire space into a luminous ocean of color.
For a moment, everything in the room, chairs, tables, decorations floated upward, suspended mid-air by a massive, invisible hand of sparkling pink energy.
Gardevoir's emerald-green hair fluttered upward as well. In an instant, she transformed from a graceful noblewoman into a queen, one who commanded awe without anger.
Pokédex Ability Activated!
Name: Gardevoir
Ability: Trace
Type: Psychic / Fairy
Power Level: A
Skills: Telekinesis, Psyshock, Hypnosis, Dazzling Gleam…
"Hahahahahahaha! It worked!"
Looking at the newly ascended Gardevoir before him, her power now far beyond what it had been—Rinku could no longer contain the joy bubbling inside him.
And this was only his first Pokémon.
There would be a second… a third...
B-Rank would rise to A-Rank.
A-Rank would evolve into S-Rank!
As a hardcore Pokémon veteran, Rinku could swear on his chest that he knew nearly everything there was to know about the strongest Pokémon.
As for the mediocre ones? Even if they weren't particularly powerful, there was little risk involved in applying Restriction and Oath—they didn't have much to lose.
And according to Gardevoir, she could now teleport not only herself but multiple people at once.
What's more, she could chain together several long-distance warps. Her survival capabilities had skyrocketed.
At that moment, Rinku's grin bloomed like a flower. He hadn't expected such a massive return from a single attempt.
On the Streets of Harimu City
Harimu City followed a strict architectural aesthetic: traditional Western design, heavily inspired by Gothic styles.
The streets were paved with tidy rows of stone bricks, so precise and symmetrical they looked like a perfectionist's dream.
The buildings lining the roads resembled villas, usually two or three stories tall—constructed with stone arch frames and flying buttresses. From afar, they almost looked like cathedrals.
The overall palette was a clean, grayish white, giving the entire city a naturally pristine and orderly impression.
With time to kill, Rinku wandered through the streets, appreciating the view while subconsciously comparing it to the architecture back on Blue Star.
Most shops and street vendors focused on a single theme: the Harimu Ruins.
Many stalls peddled so-called ancient artifacts "recovered" from the ruins. But over time, as outer-ring finds grew scarcer and the inner zone remained restricted, genuine pieces became increasingly rare.
Now, fewer than one in ten "antiques" were actually real.
As he strolled along the brick-paved road, Rinku suddenly stopped in place, his brow furrowing.
"Hmm?"
Just now, the progress bar in his mind, tracking the gestation of a new Pokémon had abruptly halted.
Previously, it had advanced slowly but steadily. Now it was completely stuck, as if blocked by an invisible membrane.
Narrowing his eyes, Rinku instinctively turned his gaze toward the Harimu Ruins.
A second later, his figure vanished from the street, only to reappear in a deserted open field just outside the ruins.
The moment he arrived, the stalled progress bar surged forward like it had been jolted awake by a bolt of lightning.
So it was like this, after all…
Gazing at the stone wall beside him, etched with countless carvings, Rinku nodded inwardly.
The answer was clear now: there was a maximum progress cap inside the city. Once it hit that ceiling, he had to move closer to the center—only then would it continue.
For this particular gestation, that central point was the Harimu Ruins.
But did that mean every future Pokémon would need to be cultivated this way?
Strictly speaking, this was Rinku's first time actively participating in a gestation process. Gardevoir had appeared alongside him when his Nen first awakened.
This time, however, his observations seemed to confirm his theory. Before long, the progress bar froze again, this time at exactly 50%.
Seeing this, Rinku didn't hesitate. He headed straight into the Harimu Ruins and sure enough, the bar began moving again.
He didn't mind. He'd already planned to explore the ruins eventually; he was simply getting an early start.
The interior of the ruins was a tangled labyrinth, its first impression: a maze.
Pale yellow walls and the occasional statue stretched endlessly in all directions.
Most of the ruins remained intact, but a number of walls and sculptures had collapsed, forgotten and broken on the ground.
The bas-reliefs carved into the walls were exquisitely detailed, their craftsmanship a testament to the creators' remarkable skill.
According to legend, the Harimu Ruins had once been the royal palace of a fallen kingdom. After a series of unknown catastrophes, it was reduced to this state.
That very mystery was what drew so many archaeologists and ruin-hunters.
But the carvings offered few concrete clues, only glimpses of a kingdom rich in romance and artistry.
Its people were emotionally expressive and culturally refined. Professions like painting and sculpture flourished.
The royal family, it was said, wielded immense power. Each successive king was the strongest of their era.
Back then, the continent was anything but peaceful. The people depended on their kings for protection.
Curiously, while danger always loomed beyond its borders, the kingdom itself never suffered a single invasion. Citizens credited this to their king's divine guardianship.
Most of the statues still standing were sculpted in honor of past monarchs, modeled directly after their likenesses.
Due to their age and fragility, the government never removed these relics. Instead, they enacted strict laws to protect them.
If you happened to find a golden vase or some forgotten jewelry lying around, that was fine.
But if you laid even a finger on the carvings or statues, you could expect the authorities to come knocking.
As Rinku strolled deeper into the ruins at a steady pace, the progress bar continued to inch toward 100%...
Until...
"Sigh… I still have to face the Death Nen, don't I?"
Rinku gazed at the swirling mass just ahead.
Death Nen wasn't a fixed entity. It resembled thick black fog blown by invisible winds, flailing and clawing at the air like it was provoking him.
Dozens of tendrils of dark smoke writhed like hungry tentacles, eager to pull him in and devour him.
The moment he stepped across the boundary between the outer and inner ruins, the progress bar halted again, this time at exactly 70%.
Not budging an inch.
"Well then… I've come all this way. Giving up at 70% would be a real shame…"
Rinku frowned slightly.
"Is there a way to deal with this Death Nen?"
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!