Diluc glanced at the trainer's manual. "So, this one is a wild sprite. It needs to be defeated before it can be captured."
Upon hearing this, Bagon jumped down from Diluc's shoulder, letting out two eager cries, looking ready for action.
"A Poké Ball is the only way to capture a sprite."
Only now did Diluc realize that he hadn't bought any Poké Balls from the sprite shop—even if Bagon won, he didn't have the means to capture Magikarp.
Paimon listened intently. "Hey, that sounds fun. Let's head into the city and take a look!"
Lumine nodded slightly, said goodbye to Diluc, and set off with Paimon towards Mondstadt.
"Hey, don't forget, pass a message for me—have them send some Poké Balls here. Put it on my tab. I'll visit the shop later," Diluc called after them.
Distracted, Lumine asked Paimon, "What did he say just now?"
"He said we could buy whatever we want, and he'll cover the cost."
"Oh... I didn't expect him to be such a generous person underneath that Darknight Hero persona."
Diluc watched as Paimon and Lumine disappeared into the distance, their silhouettes fading beyond the horizon. He then turned back to observe the Magikarp that was still jumping around—it seemed to be eyeing Bagon with hostility.
Bagon glared back at it.
Diluc didn't understand, so he consulted the Pokédex.
"Wild sprites have a natural hostility towards tamed sprites. However, some naturally good-natured sprites may show friendliness."
Bagon stood ready, waiting for Diluc's command.
Diluc stroked his chin thoughtfully. Magikarp looked weak, yet the Pokédex said it was resilient.
"Splash..."
Diluc aimed the Pokédex at Magikarp.
"Splash—Magikarp is usually interested in shiny things and keeps jumping as if it's dancing, but it's not actually useful."
Diluc crossed his arms, contemplating. "It seems sprites are born with varying strengths—which explains the difference between pseudo-legendary sprites and regular sprites that the shopkeeper mentioned."
"Bagon, show me your strength."
Bagon immediately perked up, brimming with energy. But in the next moment, it looked confused.
Oh right, what skills does Bagon have? Diluc quickly flipped through the Pokédex. "Here it is—Take Down."
As soon as he said that, Magikarp jumped and slammed into Bagon, sending Bagon flying.
Diluc spoke seriously, "Watch your opponent's movements—don't lose focus."
Bagon got up, glaring at Magikarp.
In Bagon's resolute eyes, Diluc saw a reflection of himself—the knight spirit willing to give his all for Mondstadt. A fire ignited in him.
"Bagon, use Take Down again!"
"Yaa..." Bagon let out a cry, suddenly speeding up with its short legs, charging towards Magikarp like an arrow. It sent Magikarp crashing into a nearby empty redwood wine barrel.
With a "bang," the barrel shattered.
Diluc couldn't help but be impressed. This little creature's destructive power was indeed extraordinary. Given time, it would certainly become even more outstanding.
It seemed that the potential for a pseudo-legendary was there.
Magikarp, having endured this attack along with hours of torment from Lumine and Paimon, finally couldn't hold on any longer. Its eyes turned into crosses, and it fainted.
Diluc's gaze softened. "Well done."
"Yaa!" Bagon clenched its little fists, responding to Diluc's praise with an expression of justified victory.
Diluc thought carefully—the Traveler had mentioned Magikarp in the nearby lakes, and the trainer's manual clearly stated that battling could increase a sprite's experience, improving its level and strength.
Why not set a small goal first—
Defeat all the Magikarp in the lake. Surely, that would accumulate plenty of battle experience, and Bagon's evolution to Salamence would be just around the corner. Riding Salamence would make it much easier to travel, fight monsters, and save time.
Diluc asked the maid to use a glow pen to write the number "1" on Magikarp's dorsal fin. Then, using a fishing net, he dragged Magikarp to the lake with Bagon and threw it back into the water. Calmly, he said, "Bagon, grow strong with your own power. Defeat them one by one—someone must guard the dark night before dawn."
"Yaa yaa..." Bagon gazed at the lake with determination.
Magikarp floated on the surface, flipped its tail, and rolled its eyes—I'll remember this grudge. Today you ignore me, but tomorrow I'll be out of your reach!
"Splash..." Magikarp leaped down and disappeared into the lake.
...
It was late at night, and Mondstadt was silent, except for the occasional shouts of drunkards coming from Angel's Share tavern and the sound of knights patrolling. Peaceful quiet filled every corner of the streets.
Acting Grand Master Jean was still in her office, reviewing documents. She picked up a pen, signed her name at the end of the report, put it in a file folder, and took a small sip of the coffee from her desk.
After returning from the sprite shop in the morning, she had confined Klee to reflect on her mistakes.
The time was about right now—she should let the little one go to bed. Staying up too late frequently would stunt her growth.
Jean strolled out of her office and was met by a woman with a lazy expression, wearing a purple witch's hat, a cloak of deep purple and white, her long legs clad in black stockings, accentuating her figure beneath the fitted white robe.
She spoke with a teasing tone, yet with a hint of playfulness and warmth.
"Jean, I've told you many times—as a lady, you should enjoy a leisurely afternoon tea."
"It's nighttime," Jean said, walking to Klee's confinement room, just about to turn the key.
"Klee has been unusually quiet today," Lisa said, casually playing with her brown hair, her tone alluring.
Jean ignored her. If she kept talking, Lisa would probably try to convince her to slack off and maybe even drag her to Angel's Share for a drink, leading to a sleepless night and a delayed workday.
Jean opened the door and found the room empty.
"Klee ran off again?" Jean frowned, looking back at Lisa.
"Ran off?" Lisa chuckled. "Seems like confining her is just training her escape skills."
Jean rubbed her forehead. After a day's paperwork, dealing with the "crouching dragon and phoenix chick" in the Knights was just exhausting.
Couldn't they give her a break?
Jean immediately returned to her office, hung up her cloak, and prepared to set out. As she reached the door, Lisa called out, "Don't bother—Klee's asleep in the lounge."
Jean sighed, "Lisa, please, don't tease me like this again. I'm very busy."
Lisa crossed her arms, leading Jean to the lounge. "Good intentions mistaken for donkey's liver and lungs."
Jean peeked inside the room—Klee was sleeping soundly on the couch, cuddling Oshawott. Even her sleeping posture was endearing.