Chapter 256: A 100,000 Trait Coin Item

Chapter 256: A 100,000 Trait Coin Item

Time flew by.

Life over the next few days remained peaceful.

Constantly traveling wasn't ideal for newly hatched Pokémon—especially Gible, which had just passed its infant stage and entered its prime training phase.

This was the best time for it to refine its skills and master new abilities.

Hikaru focused all his attention on training both Gible and Bulbasaur.

As for his other Pokémon—

They didn't require much supervision.

Just like that, ten days passed in a flash.

---

October 1st – National Day

The evening before the official holiday, the capital city of Kyoto was illuminated by spectacular fireworks displays.

The thunderous booms of firecrackers echoed across the sky.

Multicolored fireworks burst into dazzling patterns, reflecting off the clouds and painting the heavens in radiant hues.

It was a breathtaking sight, drawing the attention of countless spectators.

Every year, there were two occasions when the skies above Kyoto were filled with such grand fireworks displays:

One was on National Day, and the other was during the New Year celebrations.

After all, joyous occasions deserved festive atmospheres.

Hikaru watched the display alongside all his Pokémon.

Even he was stunned.

In the past, he had only ever seen these fireworks on TV with Sakura.

Now that he was witnessing them firsthand, they were far more spectacular than he had imagined.

It felt like watching a rain of molten gold, bursting into a spectrum of colors, cascading over the Kyoto skyline.

It was truly magnificent.

As for the risk of fire hazards?

That wasn't a concern in a world with Pokémon.

After the fireworks, a team of clean-up workers and their Water-type Pokémon would systematically inspect every area to ensure no embers remained.

During the National Day celebrations, Kyoto also saw an influx of tourists, bringing an energy that rivaled even the High School League Championship.

But this time, the excitement wasn't due to battles.

Instead, Kyoto was hosting a Pokémon Contest—a Grand Spectacle Tournament.

This competition, which took place from October 3rd to October 5th, attracted mostly female trainers—or, as they were commonly known, Coordinators.

Unlike battle trainers, Coordinators didn't focus on raw power.

Instead, they perfected the elegance and artistic beauty of their Pokémon's moves.

They meticulously researched how to execute the most visually stunning combinations during performances.

Hikaru wasn't particularly interested in these kinds of competitions.

During these past days, he had been dedicating himself to Gible's training.

With Gardevoir's psychic projections acting as sparring partners, Gible had rapidly improved.

In just ten days, it had already leveled up twice, reaching level 18.

At this pace, it would hit level 19 soon, and with a Growth Fruit, it could jump straight to level 21.

Then, it would be battle-ready.

His plan was to push Gible's training even further over the next few days.

But…

---

October 2nd – 601 Dormitory

Hikaru had just woken up when he heard knocking at his door.

Opening it, he was met with the sight of Sakura—her face full of hopeful pleading.

The moment she saw him, she clasped her hands together and pouted pitifully.

"Onii-chan~ Please come with me! Please~ I'm begging you!"

She had actually sent him an invitation via messaging app yesterday, but Hikaru hadn't noticed it at the time.

By the time he saw the message this morning, he hadn't had a chance to reply—and now, Sakura had already come knocking in person.

"Staying cooped up at home all day isn't good for you. Come with me for a walk~!"

Before Hikaru could even respond, Sakura naturally hooked her arm around his, tilting her head as she pleaded playfully.

Then, she turned to Latias, who had also just emerged from the room.

She quickly let go of Hikaru and switched targets.

"Latias, come on~ You should come too! It's really pretty~!"

Hearing the words "really pretty", Latias' eyes lit up.

And since Sakura was her best friend, she was easily swayed.

Latias turned to Hikaru with an eager look.

"...Fine, fine."

Seeing the two of them looking at him with such anticipation, Hikaru had no choice but to give in.

Sakura immediately cheered.

"Yay!!"

She then hugged Latias tightly, squishing her cheeks.

"You're the best!"

"Gu…"

Latias let out a soft cooing sound, but didn't resist.

"Onii-chan, it's settled then! I'll go buy the tickets—three of them!"

After giving Latias one last affectionate squeeze, Sakura waved at Hikaru before skipping away happily.

Hikaru sighed.

"...Sigh."

Turning to Latias, he saw her blinking at him with innocent eyes.

After a moment of silence, he muttered—

"Sakura really likes pinching your cheeks."

Honestly, he was tempted to do it too.

Compared to a human's skin, Latias looked so soft and delicate—like silken tofu.

Incidentally, Latias' level had recovered and was now back to level 53.

She had no major evolution barriers, so as long as she absorbed enough energy, she would soon reach Elite-tier.

At this rate, she might become Hikaru's first Top Trainer-level Pokémon!

"Does Hikaru also want to pinch my cheeks?"

Latias tilted her head, then leaned closer.

"Hikaru can pinch me anytime."

"Cough…"

Hikaru hesitated before briefly giving her cheek a squeeze—

Then immediately let go.

It was really soft.

Way too soft.

As for why he let go so quickly—

He was afraid he might get addicted to it.

Even though Latias' tone was completely neutral,

For some reason, he just couldn't keep a straight face.

Shaking off the thought, he opened his system interface.

He hadn't activated his Weekly Trait Draw yet.

Over the past ten days, he had collected two green-tier "Trait Replication" traits and merged them into a blue-tier version.

He tapped on the Weekly Draw—

A blue glow flashed.

A new blue-tier trait appeared—

[Critical Strike]

[Blue Trait – Critical Strike]

Physical blunt attacks have a 20% chance to land a Critical Hit (1.5x damage).

If a second Critical Strike triggers, the attack deals double damage.

"Hmm…"

The blunt damage requirement meant it would only work with certain moves.

That meant it was best suited for Charizard or Lucario.

Moves like Seismic Toss or Lucario's physical strikes would benefit from this trait.

It was a decent trait.

But as Hikaru was browsing the Trait Store, he suddenly froze.

His pupils dilated in shock.

[Delta Meteorite – SSS-Tier Treasure]

A celestial meteorite infused with immense cosmic energy.

Required for a certain Pokémon's Mega Evolution.

Price: 100,000 Trait Coins.

"...H-huh?!"

Hikaru rubbed his eyes.

He stared at the number of zeros on the screen.

Wait a damn minute.

Latias' Mega Stone only cost 3,000 Trait Coins.

But this—

This cost two extra zeroes.

Looking at his current balance of 12,124 Trait Coins—

Hikaru suddenly felt like…

Maybe some things were better left unbought.

---

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