Suppressing his pounding heart, akira immediately began to impose the Restriction and Vow upon Gardevoir.
"Name: Gardevoir; Type: Psychic, Fairy; Abilities: Trace, Synchronize..."
In the blink of an eye, Akira rapid-fire speech came to a halt.
At the same time, the aura surrounding the usually composed Gardevoir suddenly pulsed. Then, it erupted with a force several times stronger! A vast pink aura quickly filled the entire room.
It was as if a pink spotlight had been turned on, transforming the room into a pink 'ocean.' In an instant, the tables, chairs, and other items in the room began to float, held aloft by the bright pink aura like a giant hand.
Gardevoir emerald-green hair also began to flutter, and with a turn, she transformed from a graceful lady into a queen exuding authority without anger!
Pokédex ability activated!
Name: Gardevoir
Ability: Trace
Type: Psychic, Fairy
Strength: A
Skills: Psychic, Psybeam, Hypnosis, Dazzling Gleam
........
"Hahahaha, it worked!"
Looking at Gardevoir, whose strength now far surpassed her previous level, akira could no longer contain his joy.
The most crucial part was that this was only his first Pokémon! There would be a second, a third... B-rank would become A-rank, A-rank would become S-rank!
As a die-hard Pokémon player, akira can confidently assert that he has a comprehensive understanding of most powerful Pokémon! As for the mere mediocre Pokémon, there's no need to worry about their strength regressing due to restriction and vows, as their inherent power isn't that high to begin with.
Moreover, according to Gardevoir account, she can now carry multiple people for teleportation.
She can also perform multiple long-distance teleports consecutively, significantly boosting her survival capabilities! At this moment, Akira face was practically blooming with joy, never expecting that a single attempt would yield such substantial rewards.
......
On the streets of Harimu City.
The overall style of Harimu City is quite consistent, presenting a very orthodox Western appearance, somewhat akin to Gothic architecture.
The roads are mostly paved with rows of bricks and stones, appearing neat and aesthetically pleasing—a veritable boon for those with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
The buildings lining the streets are predominantly villa-style, mostly two or three stories high, constructed with stone ribbed vaults and flying buttresses, giving them a church-like appearance at first glance.
The overall color scheme is grayish-white, creating an immediate impression of cleanliness and tidiness.
With nothing better to do, Akira strolled around the city, unconsciously comparing its scenery to the styles found on Earth.
The shops and stalls on the street primarily sell items related to the Harimu Ruins. The stalls mostly peddle antiques unearthed from the ruins, but over time, the outer city offerings have dwindled, and the inner city is inaccessible to the general public. This has led to a situation where less than one in ten of these so-called antiques is genuine.
Walking on the brick road, akira suddenly came to a halt, his brow furrowing.
"Huh?"
Just then, the progress bar for incubating a Pokémon in his mind suddenly stopped. Previously, it had been progressing slowly but steadily, but now it had come to a complete halt, as if encountering some invisible barrier.
Akira narrowed his eyes, instinctively glancing towards the direction of the Harimu Ruins. In the next second, akira vanished from his spot, reappearing in an empty area on the outskirts of the Harimu Ruins.
The previously stagnant progress bar, as if injected with adrenaline, began to "move forward" once again.
So that's how it is...
The situation was clear: within the city, the progress bar had an upper limit. Once it reached that limit, one needed to approach the central location for the progress to continue.
For this Pokémon incubation, the central location was the Harimu Ruins! The question was, did every Pokémon incubation require moving towards the center?
If one were to be precise, this was actually his first experience with Pokémon incubation, as Gardevoir had appeared alongside him when he awakened his Nen and physycs abilities.
What happened next seemed to deliberately confirm akira guess.
Not long after, the progress bar halted again, now exactly at the 50% mark. Seeing this, akira didn't hesitate and headed straight into the Harimu Ruins, causing the progress bar to advance once more.
Akira didn't mind, treating it as a sightseeing trip to the Harimu Ruins.
After all, he had planned to visit anyway, just a bit earlier than expected. The interior of the ruins was intricate and complex, giving the first impression of a maze, with pale yellow walls and a few statues scattered throughout.
Most of the ruin remained relatively intact, but some walls and statues had been damaged, lying collapsed on the ground, neglected and forgotten. The reliefs on the walls are incredibly lifelike, with details so exquisite that they leave viewers in awe, a testament to the sculptor's extraordinary skill.
Legend has it that the Harimu Ruins were once the palace of a fallen kingdom, which later transformed into its current state due to unknown events. This is precisely what countless archaeologists and ruin hunters are eager to uncover.
The reliefs don't reveal much information, but they suggest that this was a nation filled with romanticism. The people were emotionally rich, with a high average level of artistic talent, and professions like painting and sculpture flourished.
Moreover, it is said that the royal family of this kingdom wielded immense power, with each king being the strongest of their time. Back then, the continent was far from the stability it enjoys today, and the people relied on the royal family for protection.
Strangely, despite the constant dangers, the kingdom itself never faced a crisis, and the citizens attributed this to the king kingship. Most of the statues here were carved in the likeness of successive kings, created to honor their legacy.
Due to long-term neglect, these reliefs and statues have not been removed by authorities but remain in place, protected by stringent laws.
If you were to pick up a golden vase or some jewelry inside, it wouldn't be a problem. But if you dared to set your sights on these reliefs or statues, you'd soon find yourself facing the authorities.
As akira strolled leisurely deeper into the ruins, the progress bar steadily advanced toward 70%.
Until—
"Sigh... I still have to face the Death Aura."
Akira gazed at the Death Aura, which was now within arm's reach. The Death Aura wasn't a fixed entity but rather like clusters of black mist, swaying in the wind, almost as if it were taunting him. Tendrils of swirling black smoke resembled countless tentacles, eager to drag him in and devour him.
At the boundary between the outer and inner city, the progress bar halted at 70%, refusing to budge any further.
"Well... since I've already reached 70%, it'd be a shame to give up now. Is there any way to deal with the Death Aura?"