Night had fallen, and the lively, bustling atmosphere of Mondstadt gradually dissipated. Only the occasional shouts of drunken patrons could be heard from the Cat's Tail and Angel's Share taverns.
Takashi closed the door of the Pokémon shop and, accompanied by Xerneas, headed towards the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius.
The ancient European-style building had two guards stationed on either side of its large entrance. After respectfully stating his purpose, the guards allowed Takashi to pass through.
Upon entering the headquarters, Takashi glanced to his left at the office, where lights were still on. Through the door gap, he could see Jean, the acting Grand Master, hunched over paperwork. On her desk, Charmander was asleep, covered with Jean's cloak.
Walking past Jean's office, Takashi came to Klee's room, which was wide open. It seemed that Klee had behaved today and wasn't being punished. She was fast asleep on the couch, hugging her Oshawott.
He continued onward, eventually reaching the library, which was split into two levels, the upper and a basement level.
Takashi surveyed the surroundings. The bookshelves were neatly organized, and books were categorized precisely. The seemingly laid-back witch, Lisa, who enjoyed her leisure time, had done her job well here. He didn't see Lisa on the upper level, so he descended the stairs, eventually finding her in an inconspicuous corner. She was perched on a chair, holding a pile of books, stretching on her tiptoes to place them on the top shelf.
On a round table behind her, Elekid was sleeping soundly.
Takashi watched from a distance, smiling softly. He waited for her to finish her task before speaking up.
Lisa was trying her best to place the books on a shelf that was just out of her reach. After several attempts, she sighed, giving up. She hopped down, intending to move another chair, when she noticed Takashi standing nearby, grinning at her misfortune.
"Can't you be a gentleman?" Lisa said, pointing at a chair beside the table. "When a lady needs help, you should immediately lend a hand."
Takashi shrugged. "I was afraid I'd just get in your way."
Lisa flicked her chestnut hair back elegantly and said, "A gentleman should not wait for a lady to ask for help; he should offer assistance of his own accord."
"I thought, given your level of expertise, Lisa, this would be a piece of cake," Takashi replied.
"If you want to be a gentleman, you need to be considerate at all times, not just when a lady explicitly asks," Lisa countered.
What kind of logic is this? If I offer help unasked, it might be seen as intrusive. If I don't offer, I'm not a gentleman. Well, alright then—Takashi thought, shaking his head.
"My apologies. I didn't come here to discuss chivalry. I wanted to talk to you about medicinal herbs," Takashi said, changing the subject.
"Medicinal herbs?" Lisa paused, placing her books down. She gestured for Takashi to sit, and then she also sat.
Takashi took his seat and got straight to the point. "I want to create some potions for Pokémon. If your Pokémon get injured in the wild and can't make it back to Mondstadt in time, or if I'm not available to provide immediate assistance, you can carry some backup potions just in case."
"Elekid..." Lisa cradled the drowsy Elekid, who briefly opened its eyes, recognized Lisa, mumbled a bit, and fell back asleep.
"I'm just a witch who dabbles in alchemy. I'm not well-versed in pharmacology. You might be asking the wrong person," Lisa replied playfully, as if teasing him for enjoying the show earlier.
"Hey, remember the time I helped solve the tax issue? I gave you a one-million Mora discount..."
"That was then," Lisa interrupted. "One matter at a time. I never said I'd teach you how to make potions."
Takashi waved it off. "I'm not asking for magic potions; I just want some guidance on basic medicinal knowledge."
Even though Takashi had a system-acquired recipe for Pokémon medicine, there were still gaps in his understanding of the fundamentals. Medicine is a serious matter—there's no room for carelessness.
Lisa leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms and legs, yawning lazily. "You know, coming to a lady at night to discuss medicine is quite ungentlemanly."
"I can offer generous compensation," Takashi offered.
Lisa shook her head, tilting her chin up. "Don't think you can measure me with worldly values. 'As long as the pay is good, I'll work myself to the bone'—that's more fitting for those reckless adventurers and travelers."
"So, are we not negotiating?" Takashi shrugged. If that was the case, he was going to have a hard time explaining things to Diluc, who had invested thirty million Mora. Not delivering decent after-sales service would make this as unreliable as some shady street vendors.
Who would come back to buy anything in the future?
Lisa's expression softened, her eyes twinkling with a gentle smile. "It's not that I won't help. I may not be interested in money, but I'm also not allergic to it. If you insist on shoving it my way, I guess I can't refuse it."
How generous of you. Takashi pondered, considering how much to offer for her tutoring. Or maybe, should he just hire her as a special consultant with an ongoing salary?
"Name your price," Takashi said openly.
"For now, how about this—you take care of Elekid's supply of high-grade Pokémon cubes for a month, and I'll start with some basic pharmacology."
"One-month crash course?" Takashi asked, surprised.
"Hard to say," Lisa replied, shaking her head. "Pharmacology is vast and intricate. Even for someone well-versed like myself, it's impossible to master every detail. Just the books on alchemy in Mondstadt's library number over one hundred thousand volumes."
What? One hundred thousand books?! What do you think I am, Index? Do you think I can pull a random volume from my head like a magic spellbook?
Realizing that a quick fix was out of the question, Takashi decided to take a different approach.
"I agree to your terms. Additionally, I'll pay you one million Mora as a special consulting fee. In return, you help me create Pokémon potions within this month."
A month?
Lisa hesitated for a moment. "Are you really that eager?"
If you were in my shoes, you'd be in a rush too. After all, Diluc is an important client and a multimillionaire.
Takashi propped his chin on his hand. "Can't be helped. Master Diluc is a VIP client. Therefore, I have no choice but to shamelessly ask for your assistance, Lisa. Be generous just this once."
Lisa chuckled. "I can't say no to you, can I? I'll give it a shot, but the workshop on the second floor is undergoing maintenance. First, tell me the recipe for the Pokémon potion."
Takashi leaned closer, whispering the ingredients.
Lisa nodded slightly. "These herbs might be hard to find around Mondstadt. I suggest getting the Knights of Favonius and the Adventurers' Guild members involved in gathering them."
"Wouldn't that be a bit too conspicuous?" Takashi laughed awkwardly. The Treasure Hoarders had been quite active lately, and Mondstadt might be short-handed.
"That's up to you," Lisa adjusted her purple witch hat. "Sunlight is a woman's worst enemy for her skin. I don't enjoy being out there under the harsh sun."
Takashi sighed, realizing he needed to turn to Lumine, the Traveler, for help.