Pokémon, but cultural invasion

The abnormal movement that caused the damage to the genes, combined with the rumors of the sacred fire, suggests that it was probably the spark left behind by the firebird.

Having realized this, Izumi put the destructive gene back in his pocket.

In any case, the sacred flame symbolizing the Quartz Conference must not be moved.

There are countless cameras watching, both overt and covert, so Izumi can only hope that the gene-destroying guy will behave himself.

Fortunately, apart from the initial fever and burning sensation, the damaged genes no longer exhibited abnormalities.

He chatted with Dama Lanqi.

Two hours later, the magnificent quartz sports field finally came into view, and the crowd cheered like a tsunami.

The streets were packed with people, and it took hundreds of staff working together to maintain order.

The last runner in the torch relay was a young woman whom Izumi knew—Sato Seiyo, also known as the Elite Prodigy.

She is a student at the Pokémon Research School and it's unexpected that she's only participating in the Indigo League this year.

While attending a research school doesn't require collecting eight badges and allows you to participate in the Quartz Conference upon graduation, it takes several times longer than traveling, so there are pros and cons.

Amidst countless cameras, Sato Seidai carried the torch through the crowds on both sides, climbed the steps, and passed the torch to the circular altar at the very top of the stadium.

Damalanqi seized the opportunity to turn on the oil lamp, allowing the firebird's flames to return to their rightful place.

The bean sprouts transformed into bird shapes, were added to the altar, and ignited a crimson flame that covered the sky.

"what?"

Damalanqi looked at the empty oil lamp in his hand and wondered why the flame seemed to have shrunk considerably compared to previous years.

Chapter 109 The Dodo Bird's Fate: A Calamity

The Quartz Tournament lasts for five days, with two rounds of battles each day starting from the second day of the opening ceremony, and the last two days being the semi-finals and finals.

The exhibition match is divided into two parts: the first part is before the first round of battles, and the second part is after the final.

After the finals and exhibition matches, there is a challenge between the first-place finisher and the current champion, but this is the least suspenseful battle of the entire tournament.

Every year, the people of Kanto can see the previous champions being thoroughly humiliated by the Dragon Masters, which is why the viewership ratings are actually lower than those for the finals and semi-finals.

However, only Izumi knew that in the not-too-distant future, a taciturn young man who seemed to be mute would bring a small shock of talent to Watari.

As a popular gym leader with plenty of hype, Qishu's battle will begin in Part 1, which is tomorrow.

To make time for tomorrow, after the torch relay, Izumi did not continue to watch the opening ceremony, but went to handle the trivial matters of Tingxiang's settlement.

He didn't need to worry about the toy store; Misa and the staff she had assigned had already established a skilled operating system.

The official screening of Crazy Elf City in theaters has maintained its popularity since its release, and it is considered by many movie fans to be very suitable for couples and families to watch.

Unless they pull some crazy stunts and hire someone with a terrible reputation to endorse their product, I can't imagine what problems might arise.

I visited the doll shop, Quanshu, and everything seemed stable. It had already attracted many tourists in just two days since its opening.

The more troublesome part was the committee's request for the float parade in Ting Township.

As the name suggests, a float is a vehicle used in celebrations that is decorated with flowers, plants, lights, and other elements.

The floats at previous Indigo League conventions have always featured Pokémon like Dragonite, Slowbro, Snorlax, and Venusaur decorated with light bulbs, a design that has been criticized for its lack of originality.

This time, the committee plans to add Fox Bandit and Curly Ear, as well as some plant Pokémon from Plants vs. Zombies, with the former's design leaning towards Nick and Judy.

"Hello Mr. Quanshu, I am Shouren, a new prop master sent by Team Leader Guangtai."

In addition to the float makers brought by the committee, Tingxiang Township also sent some personnel.

"Guardian... I remember you joined before the filming of Ultraman Tiga started, right?"

"Yes, that was shortly after I graduated."

Shouren was pleasantly surprised; he hadn't expected the head of the village to remember him, a newcomer from the props team.

The joy of being remembered eased his initial nervousness considerably.

"Since you're not exactly a newbie, have you encountered any problems?"

Quanshu stood in front of the float, which was four or five people tall. The figures of Nick and Judy, made of foam and plastic sheets, had neat and conventional lines, but they also had an inexplicable stiffness.

"The overall framework is almost complete, but how should I put it, it lacks a bit of liveliness and spirit."

Shouren and several colleagues were new to the production of such a large-scale project, and their lack of experience resulted in a dull appearance.

It looked particularly dull compared to the several large, battle-tested floats next to it.

"That's it..."

Quanshu pondered, resting his chin on his hand. Admittedly, given his lack of experience, he had already done quite well to reach this point, but taking these two out on the street was somewhat irresponsible.

It's not too late to have Guangtai send over two more experienced men...

"Fuck-"

The backpack zipper on his back opened automatically, and an iron dumbbell flew out and poked Quanshu's arm.

After getting closer to Kirito, Izumi no longer worried about any villains coveting the Iron Dumbbell; this was the first time it had appeared in public.

"You want to try?"

He understood the glint in Iron Dumbbell's eyes.

"Nabo!"

With permission granted, a deep blue light filled the iron dumbbell's red eyes, and it was about to make a decision that defied its ancestors.

Modify the floats using "imagination" rather than "calculation".

After the thought "Who am I?" arose in his mind, Iron Dumbbell began to reflect on his previous way of thinking. There are too many things in this world that cannot be measured by simple calculations.

After more than a month of learning, it's time to check my progress.

Paint buckets and paintbrushes, cutters and fabric, needles and thread and foam boards were all pulled into the air at the same time.

Several tools were put into operation at the same time to make major alterations to the statues of Nick and Judy.

As expected of the Metagross family, they multitask as easily as eating and drinking, and remain organized and efficient.

Quanshu couldn't help but wonder if Iron Dumbbell, which hadn't evolved into a MetalGreymon, was really that intelligent.

After a few minutes of clean and efficient cutting and painting, the two statues were completely transformed.

"Amazing..."

The guard stared at the lifelike Nick and Judy, a deep sense of frustration welling up inside him.

A group of people working for a long time is not as effective as an elf working for a few minutes.

But considering that it was the juvenile form of the pseudo-god Metagross, and that it must have been influenced by art while following Izuki, it doesn't seem so unacceptable.

"Nabo—"

Exhausted after doing all this, the iron dumbbell automatically fell back into the backpack.

From its aesthetic perspective, this modification was successful.

The props team members were crestfallen. They had done such a sloppy job that the boss, an elf, had to personally cover for them—that alone was enough to make them ashamed.

"The lanterns for the next two Peashooters and the Sunflower are yours to keep. Good luck!"

Quanshu wasn't good at saying inspiring words; he preferred to spend money to boost morale. But the effect of this short sentence exceeded his expectations.

The young prop masters, who had been hanging their heads, raised them one after another, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration and a determination to do their jobs well.

It wasn't until after he left that Quanshu realized he seemed to have been somewhat deified in the eyes of these newcomers from Tingxiang.

It's not just about how generous the treatment he received in Tingxiang, but also about the layers of accolades he was surrounded by.

The aura is indeed dazzling: the youngest genius game designer, a young director whose film reignited the film industry, Ultraman Tiga who broke viewership records across all regions...

Each of these titles alone is something that ordinary people would find difficult to achieve, yet he accomplished them all.

The boss is a legendary figure of exceptional talent, and the company is warm, welcoming, and thriving.

These young people with dreams joined Tingxiang, and his words of encouragement naturally inspired them to fight with great enthusiasm.

The journey has been too fast and too rushed, and Quanshu hasn't had time to think about what kind of image he has in the eyes of his employees.

Looking at those busy figures in the distance, the feeling of being held accountable and having someone try to prove something to you isn't too bad.

Back at his lodgings, Izumi took out the destructive genes he had hidden in his pocket all the way.

The double-helix black factor in the glass bottle underwent a subtle change; its top ninth section was no longer jet black, but a fiery red.

The disruption of genes caused unprecedented changes that could not be found in any past life records.

Izumi recalled the previous burning sensation; it was caused by contact with the embers left by the flamingo.

He turned the glass bottle over and over, the genes rotating constantly, and for the time being, no clues could be seen.

"Perhaps only Mewtwo knows the reason for the change."

Chapter 110: Qi Shu vs. Ma Zhi Shi – Whose Home Ground is it?

Few pedestrians were seen, and dusk was falling.

The last sliver of gold spilled into the cracks beneath the bus stop, turning the stubbornly growing weeds a vibrant orange-red.

The leather boot toes kicked at the innocent weeds, and the strange tree looked sullen.

"Are you hungry? Why are you harming living beings here?"

She looked up and saw the traffic lights flashing in the distance. Nearby, a young man with a smile on his lips had appeared out of nowhere.

Even I don't think about eating all the time, right?

Qishu jumped onto the platform, turned around and looked back. The platform was just the right height for the two of them to be the same.

"I'm playing against Lt. Surge in tomorrow's exhibition match. It's an Electric-type mirror match, and his Raichu will be very troublesome if it has the Lightning Rod ability."

As she spoke, she took a step toward the intersection.

Izumi walked side by side with Kiju under the platform, and he found it incredible that Kiju could come up with a solution.

"Are you a student who crams at the last minute before the exam? But don't worry, the characteristic of the Maslow Raichu is static electricity."

Qishu's eyes widened, and he paused for a moment: "Challengers can hardly get close to his Raichu, and there's no information about it online. How do you know that?"

First, he was paralyzed when he was a child in his previous life; second, he was paralyzed by Eevee's Thunderbolt during his travels.

Quanshu briefly recounts the experiences of Number Two.

"Wow, that must have been a terrible shock."

Qishu felt sorry for Eevee, after all, Lt. Surge was known for his preference for small electric Pokémon.

Walking along the street, roadside vendors in large and small vehicles were busy preparing for the night market.

Quanshu vaguely sensed her slightly downcast mood, like the hem of her clothes being crumpled by the evening breeze.

"You seem completely lacking in confidence for tomorrow's exhibition match."

"Will you win?"

"How dare you question the strength of this master?"

Qi Shu puffed out his cheeks like a pufferfish that had just been caught, but that energy didn't last three seconds before his shoulders slumped. "Lack of confidence is for other reasons."

"Hmm... because the food at Quartz Plateau doesn't suit your taste?"

The evening breeze was pleasant during his walk, and Izumi watched the Pokémon helping their owner set up a stall with a casual glance. He really liked the scene.

"Not really. Hmph, since you dare to question this master, how about we make a bet?"

"I'll bet on whether I win my exhibition match tomorrow."

Qi Shu suddenly quickened his pace and blocked his way, hands on his hips.