Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

The interior size of the Electric Temple is not much different from that of the temples of the major elements such as rock, ice, steel, and dragon, but the materials used to construct the temple seem to have strong resistance to electricity.

Although the surrounding walls and ground were charred black, the overall structure remained intact.

The electrical currents that were swirling around inside the temple seemed to have a life of their own, nimbly avoiding Xia Chen before they even touched him, rendering the energy barrier that Gu Leton had erected in advance useless.

Xia Chen was surprised by the unusual movement of these electric-attribute energies when a white light flashed before his eyes, and the next instant, Zeraora's figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Xia Chen wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but its silvery-white fur seemed a bit shinier than it had a month ago, and its overall size also seemed to have increased slightly.

Xia Chen used to be able to look at it at eye level, but now he has to tilt his head back slightly to make eye contact with Zeraora.

Besides that, the biggest change is undoubtedly its eyes. The original sapphire blue pupils have now transformed into a more beautiful golden blue, and upon closer inspection, it looks as if there is electricity dancing in them, making them extremely lively.

Upon seeing Xia Chen, the joy in Zeraora's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a calm tone as she said, "Oru—(You're late.)"

The agreement before parting was for a month, but in reality, it took Xia Chen almost half a month to find the Galarian Firebird. With a month of training, he was indeed several days late.

Xia Chen nodded and replied, "It was my fault. That strange bird was much stronger than I imagined, so I stayed a few more days. But..."

He paused for a moment, glanced at Zeraora with ill intent, and then, under the latter's questioning gaze, pulled it into his arms and buried his head in the soft, fluffy fur of the electric cat's neck, inhaling deeply.

Zeraora, which had plenty of time and reaction time to dodge the legendary Pokémon's attack, couldn't escape Xia Chen's sneak attack. Its body stiffened, and its cheeks flushed red.

Trying to push this unreliable fellow away, the cat's paws, capable of easily crushing hard rocks, suddenly lost their strength.

A flustered Zeraora could only whisper, "Ora... (What are you doing...)"

Xia Chen remained unmoved, still burying himself in his fluffy fur and muttering, "Charging, let me replenish my cat energy for a while longer."

Zeraora: "..."

…………

After making a ruckus for a while, Xia Chen finally got down to business with Jeraora.

"Speaking of which, how has your cultivation been lately?"

Zeraora didn't answer directly, but instead called out behind her. Then, a golden sprite, resembling countless arcs of electricity, hopped and skipped out from the depths of the temple.

It was the legendary electric giant that Xia Chen had seen in Miss Joey's video.

This sprite, composed of pure electric energy, has no face and cannot make expressions, but Xia Chen inexplicably sees childlike innocence and curiosity in its movements.

Zeraora introduced, "Oru—(Its name is Regilechi, a friend I've made here during this time.)"

So, the thing it always called the Electric Pillar is actually called Regie Elech?

Xia Chen looked at Zeraora, a new friend whose mind seemed to be only four or five years old and who didn't look like a legendary Pokémon at all, and asked, "What's going on here?"

He had seen quite a few legendary spirits, most of whom possessed long lifespans, were mature and wise, and exuded an inviolable and awe-inspiring majesty.

Typical examples are Rayquaza and Xerneas. Even Gullton, who occasionally reveals his goofy side, is quite dignified when he's serious.

But Regiereki looks just like an ordinary elf who hasn't been born for long, well... well, kind of innocent.

Zeraora looked at Regigigas with gentle eyes, "Oru—(Based on my observation and guess, it was imprisoned here by people from ancient times; the blue rings around its neck and arms are what restrict its power.)"

Xia Chen asked in surprise, "Back then, did humans still have the power to restrain and imprison legendary elves?"

Zeraora shook her head and said, "Oru—(I don't know, but it's been alone in this temple for who knows how long.)"

Xia Chen stroked his chin, pondering, "So, according to you, this guy is actually a bit pitiful? But it's one thing for his strength to be restricted, but is his intelligence also restricted by that blue ring?"

"Not necessarily. After all, this thing is a pure elemental creation, so perhaps it only has a simple mind like a single-celled organism?"

Zeraora added, "Oru—(Although Regigi Lechi can't speak, it can communicate with me in a simple way through electromagnetic induction, and that's how I know most about it.)"

Xia Chen scratched his head. "Is that how electromagnetic induction is used?"

Do you think I haven't studied high school physics?

Faraday must be turning in his grave!

But that's normal in the world of elves; whatever Zeraora says goes.

Thinking this through, Xia Chen asked again, "So, can it also use electromagnetic induction to talk to me?"

Before Zeraora could reply, Reggie suddenly became lively, waving and leaping with arms formed by arcs of electricity, looking somewhat excited.

Xia Chen asked curiously, "What is it doing? Is it acting crazy?"

Zeraora nodded and replied, "Oro—(Yes, it needs to generate electricity. Although Regiereki's power is limited by the rings, its energy remains undiminished, so it needs to release some electrical energy every day to maintain normal bodily functions.)"

Xia Chen understood and said, "So, the energy is still the same amount, but the container is much smaller than before, and the excess needs to be poured out?"

Zeraora affirmed, "Oro—(That's how the electricity that was running rampant in the temple came about.)"

Xia Chen clicked his tongue in amazement. These two elves, one generates electricity and the other absorbs it, are such a perfect match, they might as well form a team.

…………

As he spoke, Regigi's body suddenly swelled and grew to a gigantic size, with countless electric currents shooting out from within it, making the entire temple as bright as day under the illumination of the electric light.

The violent electrical energy gathered and condensed like a storm, and at the center of this electrical storm was none other than Zeraora!

This was Xia Chen's first time observing Zeraora's "charging" process up close. Its silvery-white fur stood on end under the electric shocks, and its usually calm face revealed a look of painful endurance.

Clearly, even with its ability to absorb electrical energy, such a massive amount of current is not an easy task for Zeraora.

The whole process lasted about an hour, and Xia Chen could do nothing more than wait silently.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. Apart from looking a bit disheveled, Zeraora, who was "reborn by electricity," did not suffer any serious injuries.

Regigi, having released his excess energy, quietly stayed close to Zeraora, seemingly quite attached to her.

Xia Chen twitched the corner of his mouth and asked, "What's going on now?"

Zeraora rarely showed an embarrassed expression, saying, "Oru—(Ever since I absorbed its electrical energy, this guy might be treating me as...some kind of companion?)"

Xia Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "If that's the case... do you think it will be willing to come with us?"

Zeraora exclaimed in surprise, "Oru... (You mean...)"

Xia Chen, understanding Zeraora's meaning, waved his hand and explained, "No, no, my idea is to make it your subordinate spirit, since I'm not familiar with it... Here, take this."

As he spoke, he threw a Poké Ball at Zeraora.

Zeraora instinctively took it, its deep blue cat face blank with disbelief. "Oru...? (You want me to tame it...?)"

Xia Chen shrugged. "It depends on how you think about it. You can treat the Poké Ball as something convenient to carry around. It's just a tool. I have no objection if you want to be its trainer."

Pokémon trainers, Mewtwo has done that too.

Everyone else is a legendary Pokémon, so what's wrong with Zeraora?

However, Zeraora clearly didn't have that idea; instead, it seriously considered the former proposal—

Should we take Regie Elech from here?

Personally speaking, taking this spirit with its endless electrical energy away would be very beneficial for Zeraora, but it's not the kind of cat that would disregard everything for its own selfish desires.

Therefore, the most important thing is to consult Reginald, and the latter's answer was—

I have no objection.

Xia Chen was not surprised by this; he had expected this answer when he saw Reggie Elegy's inexplicable attachment to Zeraora.

So, naturally, when Xia Chen left the Giant's Sleeping Bed, he had another Poké Ball in his hand, housing Regigigas.

…………

The January appointment with Zeraora was slightly overdue, and the earlier appointment with Lacecrown was naturally even longer.

When Xia Chen returned to Frozen Village from the depths of the Crown Snowfield, it was already the end of July.

Looking back, it was early May when I arrived in Hualang Town from the Hoenn region.

Very well, even Milotic's two-month agreement is late.

This really lives up to my name on Pixiv—I'm not a pigeon.

Xia Chen thought to himself.

When he returned to Frozen Village, he naturally did not see King Brilliant Crown.

How can God easily appear before believers?

In the past month or so, Dongning Village has undergone a tremendous transformation.

The newly built houses, the well-arranged streets, and the constant flow of people make it hard to imagine that just over a month ago, this was a sparsely populated village.

As expected of a world where elves exist, the infrastructure development speed is incredibly fast.

However, the most important factor is the power of faith, which is the key to bringing so many people and resources together in Frozen Village.

This must be a good thing for the Rachelon, who feed on faith.

Xia Chen didn't rush to find Calyrex, but instead stayed at the Pokémon Center first.

As the village developed, the Pokémon Center underwent a round of renovations and expansions. The once shabby hall is now almost as large as the Pokémon Center in big cities like Motostoke.

As the number of trainers coming and going increased, the number of staff members in the lobby also increased significantly, with Ms. Joyce still in charge.

"Long time no see, Miss Joey."

Xia Chen greeted him with a smile, "You're such a big star now, why are you still working at this tiny elf center?"

After that incident, Miss Joy, who displayed wit and courage in the "disaster," also became a new top internet celebrity.

In this era where traffic is king, selling Poké Balls is definitely a more lucrative career path than being a secure, low-paying League civil servant.

While looking at her computer, Joyce suddenly heard a familiar voice. She looked up in surprise and was greeted by a handsome face with an annoying smile.

The surprise in her eyes vanished in an instant, and Miss Joey immediately put on a disgusted face, saying sarcastically, "I'm not some big star, it's all thanks to you."

Her arrogant expression was exactly the same as Zeraora's when they reunited, but Xia Chen wouldn't dare do the same thing to Miss Joey this time.

He coughed awkwardly and asked, "What makes you say that?"

Miss Joy chuckled, "If it weren't for you, this humanoid monster, attracting that firebird, how would I have had the chance to appear on camera? Isn't this all thanks to you?"

Xia Chen was speechless.

Normally he would have refuted it with things like coincidence or metaphysics, but this... he really orchestrated it all!

Although he could ensure that the whole incident would not cause any casualties or other losses, from Miss Joey's and the villagers' perspective, it was truly a narrow escape from death.

Therefore, Xia Chen has no choice but to take the blame.