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Terastalization.
A special phenomenon discovered early on in the "Area Zero" crater at the heart of Paldea.
Wild Pokémon that mastered Terastalization could, during battles, generate a crystalline armor enveloping their entire body, temporarily altering their type.
This not only allowed them to avoid fatal weaknesses but also granted an additional power boost corresponding to the new type.
If used properly, there was no doubt that Terastalization would bring significant advantages in battle.
It was said that there was also an extremely mysterious form of Terastalization recorded in Paldea's "classic," The Violet Book.
Pokémon possessing this power, aside from emitting dazzling light, also exerted a powerful suppressive force over other Terastallized Pokémon.
Unfortunately, to this day, no such wild Pokémon had been discovered.
To most Paldeans, the contents of the Violet Book were more akin to an absurd story written by a madman named Heath.
That boomerang probably wouldn't come back for another year or two.
"So this is what a real Tera Orb looks like—it's quite heavy."
After returning to the Gym from Los Platos, Aiden weighed the black sphere in his hand, which was about the size of a Poké Ball but several times heavier, and couldn't help but remark.
Based on the current timeline, it seemed that Tera Orbs had been developed years ago.
So it made sense that they had already become common among Gym Leaders.
"Unfortunately, having just the Tera Orb isn't enough."
"To freely change Terastal types, you'd also need a large number of Tera Shards to help Pokémon adapt to different elemental powers…"
This part was consistent with the game.
But repeatedly farming Tera Shards was undoubtedly one of the most grueling processes in the game—bar none!
Aiden sighed helplessly.
Thinking back to those endless days grinding six-star Tera Raids with friends, he suddenly felt phantom aches all over his body.
Hopefully, everyone was still okay.
But hey, now that I'm in the Pokémon world, surely these things can be bought, right?
Compared to the Tera Orb, what intrigued Aiden more was the Navigator group chat Nurse Joy had invited him to after submitting her application to the League.
"Paldea Staff Communication Group."
It could also be called the Paldea Chat Group, filled entirely with Paldea League workers.
Aside from Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions, it also included Officer Jennies and Nurse Joys from various towns, who were core members of the League.
The group owner was naturally the sole sun of Paldea—the Top Champion, Geeta.
Unfortunately, Aiden wasn't a local.
There cannot be two suns; my heart belongs only to Miss Cynthia!
There were quite a few Trainers like him serving as key figures in other regions. Many regions even had an overseas Elite Four member.
["Azure Wing" has joined the chat.]
[Iono: Welcome, newcomer~]
[Iono: Oh my~ Isn't this Junior-kun? So you weren't in this group before?]
Come to think of it, it had been a few days since Aiden last contacted Iono.
[Larry: …]
[Larry: Change your group ID once you join.]
As a victim of Aiden's livestreams, Overworked Elite Four Larry quickly appeared.
Even through text, one could feel the overwhelming aura of a workaholic.
[Aiden: Understood.]
[Rika: Oh? You're the 'young man with good tactics' Larry mentioned, right? Welcome, welcome.]
Rika, Paldea's Ground-type Elite Four member.
An image of a slim, well-dressed beauty appeared in Aiden's mind.
Though a Ground-type specialist, she was actually a versatile Trainer, with her ace Pokémon being the incredibly strong Clodsire.
Yes, she was also a master of Poison strategies…
Each of Paldea's Elite Four had their own unique skills.
Aside from Rika, who specialized in Toxic and Sandstorm, there was also Larry, renowned for his Endure tactics, and Hassel, the Dragon Whisperer, both capable of delivering endless surprises to players!
Hassel: Mr. Lance, what type of Dragon do you prefer using?
As for the other Steel-type specialist, little seven-year-old Poppy, she wouldn't appear here yet…
So Paldea still had one vacant Elite Four position.
[Katy: A new face? If you're young, you'll probably have more in common with Iono and Grusha, right?]
[Ryme: True.]
[Grusha: …Hello.]
The appearance of a rare newcomer sparked the rest of the Gym Leaders to chime in.
Grusha?
At the mention of this name, Aiden's lips twitched involuntarily, and an image of a static beauty unconsciously flashed in his mind.
Too bad this person was a guy.
Yes, Grusha was a young man around his age…
Aiden sighed quietly.
Joking online about "you smell nice, bro" was one thing, but in the Pokémon world, he didn't dare say something like that casually.
[Aiden: Seniors, please guide me.]
Compared to himself—a newbie still awaiting Gym assessment—those popping up in the chat were either Elite Four members or leaders of the eight main Gyms.
Addressing them as seniors was polite and appropriate.
[Iono: Hehe, don't be nervous, Junior-kun. Everyone here is friendly~]
[Tulip: Azure Wing… Could it be the popular battler streamer from Poké TV recently?]
[Kofu: Ohhh! So that's it. I've watched your videos—your explanation of Regional Rodent was excellent. I'm a fan too!]
Hmm?
Even Kofu, theCascarrafa Gym Leader, had seen his videos?
Aiden realized he might have underestimated his popularity in the Paldea region.
Just as he was about to type out some polite flattery, a message appeared that immediately stopped him in his tracks.
[Geeta: That's enough idle chatter. Since Aiden has joined this group, let me use this opportunity to inform you of a few things.]
The moment the Chief Champion appeared, the atmosphere in the chat instantly fell silent.
Aiden also paused his typing, patiently waiting for her next words.
Perhaps to accommodate a rookie Gym Leader without guidance, Geeta briefly summarized some of the current Gym rules in Paldea.
For instance, besides using self-raised Pokémon, Gym Leaders could also use rented Pokémon to assess challengers.
The rental service was managed and allocated by the League headquarters, requiring advance reservations and a small fee.
For the Sunlight Gym, the rental service would indeed be quite useful.
With the League as backup, the "Gym specialty" service he had been preparing might soon be implemented?
As for the other rules, they were currently of no immediate use to him.
Though people often joked that Geeta was harsher than capitalists, interacting with her directly revealed her strong sense of responsibility.
As long as my abilities remain small, my responsibilities will be minimal, and work won't fall on my shoulders!
Aiden seemed to understand his survival strategy in Paldea.
So-called coasting…
A gentle tune played softly in his ears.
However, just as he began feeling optimistic, Geeta spoke again:
[One more thing: Due to Gym Leader Brassius needing to go out for fieldwork, Artazon Gym will temporarily close, and thus he won't be able to serve as one of next year's eight Gym Leaders.]
[Therefore, one spot among the eight Gyms is temporarily vacant. The end-of-year assessments for the remaining Gyms will be moved up by a week, and the top-ranked Gym Leader will take Brassius's place.]
???
Upon seeing this message, Aiden nearly choked on his breath.
Wait, wasn't my development time already short enough?
Now you're planning to make me fight the Gym assessment with just two baby Pokémon?
My future is utterly doomed…
Maybe I should just return to Sinnoh and inherit the family business… (The Thinker pose)
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