"Boss, don't get too ahead of yourself," Colorful Star laughed over the comms. "Even with our current production speed, we can't fully supply the Luofu, let alone the other Xianzhou ships. There is a massive untapped market out there."
"Excellent. Order the expansion immediately," Julian Reed commanded, his voice filled with newfound confidence. "Contact the Artisanship Commission—book more factory floor space, hire more hands, and tell the design department to go wild with the peripheral designs. I want quality, but I want volume. The galaxy is hungry for more than just code."
With the merchandise credits flowing in, Julian reached out to Stephen Lloyd. Now that the "80 trillion hurdle" looked like a manageable step rather than an impassable wall, implementation could begin.
"I'll send you the logistics list," Stephen's filtered voice replied. "The Luofu should have most of the raw materials for the quantum arrays. You'll also need a dedicated physical site for the Prime Database. My suggestion? Build for the future. Leave room for the next three generations of upgrades."
"I'm already ahead of you," Julian said. "Arceus Games is building a headquarters. We'll put the data center in the heart of the foundation."
Julian looked at the map of the Luofu. He decided to move the company from its cramped temporary offices to Mirage Lane. While it hadn't been a major location in his previous life's memories, here it was the epicenter of the Luofu's entertainment and culture—a district dedicated to fantasy plays, holovision, and games. It was the perfect soil for Arceus to grow.
The Final Showdown
The morning of the final day arrived, and the air in the Liuyundu Stadium was electric. The crowd had reached a fever pitch, their cheers vibrating the very foundations of the stands.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Grand Final of the first Pokémon Masters Tournament!" Owlbert's voice soared. "Only one will claim the title of the first Champion. Let's welcome our contenders: The Grand Diviner of the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan, and the legendary hacker of the Stellaron Hunters, Silver Wolf!"
Julian stood in his box, his hands glowing with the golden light of the Path. "Wisdom Projection—Activate!"
The energy rippled across the field, imbuing the two starting Pokémon with a spark of true consciousness.
"Come out, Mr. Mime!" Fu Xuan opened with a theatrical flair.
"Go, Venusaur!" Silver Wolf countered.
Fu Xuan's eyebrows shot up. Silver Wolf had led with her Dragonite in every single match of the tournament thus far. To switch to Venusaur now was a calculated risk—a move specifically designed to navigate the Psychic-type's overwhelming offensive pressure.
"Recognizing the facts and adjusting your strategy is a sign of growth," Fu Xuan remarked, her eyes coolly scanning the field.
"Hmph. If Julian hadn't designed the Psychic-type to be the 'Boss Mode' of this version, I wouldn't have to work so hard," Silver Wolf snapped. "But I didn't come here to complain. I came to beat the 'Unbeatable Answer'."
"I look forward to your attempt," Fu Xuan smiled.
The Opening Gambit
"Venusaur, Bullet Seed!" Silver Wolf struck first, a rapid-fire barrage of glowing seeds tearing toward the Psychic-type.
Fu Xuan didn't even blink. "Dodge."
Mr. Mime moved with a jerky, uncanny grace, the seeds whistling past its colorful ears. Fu Xuan noticed immediately that the move lacked raw power; Silver Wolf was using it as a probe, not a finisher.
"Are you neglecting your Safeguard?" Fu Xuan asked. She knew Venusaur's secondary Poison-type gave it a niche advantage, but it also made it a glass cannon against Psychic moves. If Silver Wolf didn't layer her defenses immediately, the match would be over in seconds.
"Psychic!" "Sludge Bomb!"
The two commands rang out simultaneously. Silver Wolf was forcing a damage trade. She knew Psychic was nearly impossible to dodge against Fu Xuan, so she decided to make the Grand Diviner pay for every hit.
"Deflect with Reflect," Fu Xuan commanded.
A transparent, hexagonal barrier materialized in front of Mr. Mime. It couldn't stop the sludge entirely, but it redirected the momentum, the purple toxins splashing harmlessly against the ground.
"Mr. Mime, Calm Mind!"
"She's stacking," Silver Wolf gritted her teeth. She couldn't let Fu Xuan get a 50% Special Attack boost, or the match would turn into a 6-0 sweep.
"Energy Ball!"
Venusaur gathered a brilliant sphere of natural energy. Because Grass-type moves traveled on a different frequency than physical projectiles, they could bypass the light-refraction of Reflect.
The ball struck Mr. Mime, but the Fairy/Psychic-type took the hit with a grin. The damage was negligible, but it served its purpose—it interrupted the second stack of Calm Mind.
"Mr. Mime, Light Screen, then Psychic!" Fu Xuan layered her defense even further, the air around her Pokémon shimmering with a golden hue.
"Seed Bomb!" Silver Wolf countered.
She had remembered that Seed Bomb was one of the few moves that bypassed Light Screen by attacking from a high-arc trajectory. The screen was a stationary wall; it couldn't block a strike from the heavens.
The seeds exploded above Mr. Mime's head, the blast filling the immediate area with smoke and debris. It wasn't a killing blow, but it broke Fu Xuan's rhythm. For the first time in the tournament, the Grand Diviner's "millisecond" timeline had a stutter.
"The hacker is finally starting to find the bugs in your future, Diviner," Silver Wolf smirked.
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