Takashi nodded slightly, "Ponyta is an outstanding athlete among all Pokémon, but overall, it's relatively common. So, two million Mora."
Amber thought about it carefully. The reason she chose Ponyta was precisely because of its athletic abilities. She didn't care much for anything else.
Like how Acting Grand Master Jean bought a Lotad just to keep Klee in check; Lisa bought a Tynamo for potion research; and even the wealthy Diluc spent a fortune on a Bagon to protect Mondstadt's peace.
Their intentions were all rather absurd, each one more outlandish than the last.
But Amber considered herself relatively practical.
"Alright, I'll take it." Amber quickly pulled out a deposit she had prepared in advance. Before coming here, she had asked Lisa about the average prices, knowing that normal Pokémon cost between two to four million Mora. She was curious, treating it as something fun.
If she had drawn a Pokémon worth more than four million, she would have chosen to give it up.
Unexpectedly, she got an athletic champion, and the cost was half of what she anticipated. A great deal!
After Amber made the payment, Takashi handed her a Trainer's Handbook, two premium Pokéblocks, and a matching Pokédex. "You can look up anything you don't understand in the Pokédex or the handbook, or come by the shop. The Pokéblocks are crucial items for nurturing Ponyta; I recommend feeding them regularly."
Amber took them, scratching her head in confusion. "Is Pokéblocks the only food Ponyta can eat?"
"Of course not. You can also feed it hay, but only the Pokéblocks will help increase its attribute values," Takashi explained.
Amber tapped her head, not fully understanding. "I heard Pokéblocks are quite expensive."
"Not really. A basic Pokéblock costs only four thousand Mora, an intermediate one costs eight thousand, and a premium one costs twenty thousand. These two premium ones are free gifts," Takashi replied.
Amber calculated silently. When it came to Pokéblocks, she'd have to consider carefully.
She could always take missions from the Knights of Favonius and earn Mora by fighting ley line blossoms in the wild. Until the two premium Pokéblocks were used up, she'd still have time to think it over.
Takashi also taught her how to use the Pokédex. "Hold it up and scan Ponyta with it to get its basic information. You can also do this if you encounter other Pokémon in the wild."
Amber picked up the Pokédex and followed Takashi's instructions.
"Ponyta, the Fire Horse Pokémon. Its beautiful mane is made of blazing flames, and its hooves are ten times harder than diamonds, able to crush anything. It excels at running and jumping, making it one of the best athletes among Pokémon."
"Really?" Amber's eyes twinkled like a mother-in-law admiring her future son-in-law. The more she looked at Ponyta, the more fond she grew of it.
"Neighhhh..."
"Alright, alright, that tickles..." Amber giggled as Ponyta affectionately nudged her, her heart already won over by the charming creature.
And so, Amber left the Pokémon store with Ponyta.
Takashi stretched, sipped on some goji berry tea to soothe his throat, and spoke to Xerneas, who was still watching TV on the sofa. "The sun's almost setting. It's time for dinner."
Xerneas put down the tablet, got up from the sofa, and walked over to Takashi, nudging his back with the antlers on its head. "You should go out and exercise more. Staying indoors all the time won't help, no matter how much goji berry tea you drink."
Takashi couldn't argue with Xerneas, especially since she was a legendary Pokémon. "Alright, let's take a walk together. Mondstadt's sunset reflecting on Cider Lake is still quite beautiful."
"Alright."
Just as Takashi was about to hang the "Closed" sign outside and prepare to wrap up for the day, he saw Lumine and Paimon standing at the store's entrance. Lumine had a Wingull perched on her head, like Sengoku from One Piece.
Paimon floated in the air, hands on her hips, puffing out her chest. "How nice for you, staying inside, drinking tea, and relaxing while we were out doing the hard work."
Takashi tilted his head, looking at the adorable little one.
He managed to buy her off with one sentence. "I still have some Sweetened Carrot and Meat Stew in the kitchen."
"Ah... slurp..." Paimon wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. "Traveler, let's trick him into giving us his Sweetened Carrot and Meat Stew first, then we'll deal with him."
Lumine: →_→ (Weren't we supposed to be confronting him?)
Takashi crossed his arms and said in a mock-serious tone, "I can hear you, you know."
"Ah..." Paimon quickly covered her mouth and whispered to Lumine, "Oops, he heard us."
Lumine: →_→
"Hi there, Wingull," Takashi greeted it.
"Wooo..." Wingull squinted happily.
Takashi smiled and got to the point. "By the way, is there something you need from me?"
Lumine took out a round, orange fruit the size of a shot put from her inventory. "I followed the instructions you gave me and found a matching sample. I wonder if it's the 'Ball Fruit' you were looking for?"
Takashi took the fruit, weighing it carefully. It was about five to six kilograms, with a smooth surface that seemed coated in a hard metallic shell. It had the right characteristics.
"Where did you find it?"
"Starfell Valley."
"Alright, mark it on the map for me. I'll go check it out sometime." Takashi handed her a map of Teyvat.
Lumine looked at it and made an 'X' mark. "It's roughly in this area. The tree looks a lot like a Sunsettia tree, so it's easy to spot."
Takashi rolled his eyes. Sunsettia trees were everywhere...
"As for the jade you wanted, I couldn't find any, but I brought back some ore—iron, white iron, and crystal. If you need anything else, you might need to go to Liyue." Lumine said as she placed the three types of ore on the table.
As expected from hardworking Traveler Lumine, constantly grinding for Primogems, Mora, and materials...
"Alright then, I'll try to make do. I'll remember your contribution. By the way, don't forget to pay the remaining amount by the end of the week. After all, you're the future Honorary Knight of Mondstadt," Takashi said, cleverly mixing debt collection with a bit of flattery.
Paimon crossed her arms. "Listen to him, Honorary Knight. Traveler, he's praising you."
Lumine just wanted to give her a look that said, "Figure it out yourself."
"This is what I earned today, about three hundred thousand Mora. I'll give it all to you." Lumine placed a relatively small stack of Mora on the counter. Her outfit, sleeves, collar, and even her hair showed traces of battle with elemental monsters.
Although Takashi badly needed Mora, he also wanted Lumine to take care of herself. After all, there were still many tasks for her in the future.
"These are ten basic Pokéblocks, a small gift from me to you," Takashi said, taking ten boxes from the shelf and handing them to her.
Lumine waved her hand. "I can't. We still owe you money."
"It's a free gift," Takashi said with a smile.
Lumine hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. "Then, thank you."
"You're welcome," Takashi replied. "If you happen to find any jade out there, please bring it back to me."
"Okay." Lumine was about to put away the boxes when she saw Paimon had already opened one and was happily sharing it with Wingull.