Chapter 73: New Changes in the Self
On the light screen, besides the three panels Rio was familiar with—[Status], [Pokédex], and [Backpack]—a new, unfamiliar panel had quietly appeared.
"What's inside the [Quest] panel?"
Rio curiously opened [Quest], and the light screen displayed the following content:
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[Quests]
[Main Quests]
Darkness's First Arrival: In this era, the minions of darkness have begun to revive. Please defeat the harbinger of darkness's descent. (Status: Completed) (Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points)
Darkness's Cataclysm: Insufficient information, cannot be displayed. (Status: Incomplete) (Reward: 10 Free Attribute Points)
[Side Quests]
The Strongest Evolution: Please evolve into a new form. (Status: Incomplete) (Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points)
Recharge Necklace: Recharge the energy-depleted necklace. (Status: Incomplete) (Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points)
Repair Armor: Repair the damaged armor. (Status: Incomplete) (Reward: 5 Free Attribute Points)
Pursue the Past: Investigate your own past, and the truth about being the only Riolu/Lucario left in the world. (Status: Incomplete) (Reward: 50 Free Attribute Points)
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Like the quest panel of a role-playing game, it gave Rio an immense sense of familiarity.
At a glance, this familiar panel seemed to contain a lot of information.
The first thing that surprised and delighted him was the only completed1 quest on the panel.
"Darkness's First Arrival? The quest required defeating the harbinger of darkness's descent?"
Rio was a bit baffled. This development, which sounded like some earth-shattering dark conspiracy, left him a little stunned.
"When did I complete a quest like this?"
"Darkness... darkness... Ah, could it be, that?"
Pacing in a circle and pondering, a flash of insight struck Rio's mind.
In a corner of his memory, he vaguely recalled that during the battle with Mewtwo, black light had emanated from Mewtwo's eyes, as well as that "Poké Ball" held by the Team Rocket executive Jerrod, which was filled with a bizarre aura and emitted a strange black mist.
In that case, perhaps the duel with Mewtwo had inadvertently completed this quest? Or was it the result of destroying that black Poké Ball, as he vaguely remembered?
Rio had no answer in his heart.
But no matter what, completing the quest was a good thing. However, looking at the "insufficient information" prompt for the next [Darkness's Cataclysm] quest, Rio, for some reason, was reminded of the various grindy and pay-to-win mobile games from his previous life.
"Good thing I don't need to top up, otherwise I'd really suspect that Daddy Penguin (Tencent) followed me to another world."
What gave him an even bigger headache was the side quest "Pursue the Past," which had a generous reward.
"This 'Pursue the Past' quest wants me to investigate why I'm the only Riolu left in the world. Who the hell knows what happened in this world? How am I supposed to find out..."
"Although the reward of 50 Free Attribute Points is indeed very tempting... ahhhhh, I want this reward so badly, but I feel like my liver is going to explode from the grind."
Rio complained frantically, feeling a dull ache in his liver.
"Forget it, let's look at something happy."
Rio turned his gaze back to the [Quest] panel. What caught his eye the most was the sparkling word "Reward." And this time, the "Reward," unlike the item rewards from the "Encounter Progress" and "Battle Progress" in the [Pokédex] before, actually awarded Free Attribute Points.
Rio hurriedly switched to the [Status] panel to check his status.
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[Status]
Pokémon: Elite - Riolu (Aura Glimmer State) (Male)
Level: lv20
Type: Fighting
Ability: Inner Focus (Prevents flinching)
HP: 64
Attack: 56
Defense: 39
Sp. Atk: [Value Not Specified]
Sp. Def: 37
Speed: 50
Free Attribute Points: 5
Special: Aura Heart-Control (Can mobilize Aura energy for telepathy, environmental scanning, and object perception)
Moves: Quick Attack (lv3), Detect (lv2), Metal Claw (lv2), Counter (lv1), Aura Sphere (lv1), Dig (lv1), Brick Break (lv0)
Evaluation: A Fighting-type Pokémon proficient in using Aura Perception, able to use the power of the heart to utilize Aura.
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A completely changed [Status] panel!
Recalling the [Status] panel that was full of question marks when he was in the "Aura Emissary" state before, this current panel now represented Rio's true strength.
However, the sheer magnitude of the changes on this real panel left Rio somewhat dumbfounded.
"The title changed from Semi-Aura State to Aura Glimmer State, and the special ability column changed from Aura Perception to Aura Heart-Control. This should refer to the changes caused by the Aura heart-control ability I comprehended during the battle with Mewtwo, right?"
"I don't know how the outcome of the battle with Mewtwo was calculated, but I still gained a large amount of experience points, raising me to lv20. At the same time, thanks to the extensive use of moves in battle, the level cap of my moves has also been raised. The most proficient, [Quick Attack], has reached lv3, while other moves like [Metal Claw] have also been upgraded by one level."
"Two new moves: [Brick Break] was just comprehended, so it being lv0 is not surprising. But that question mark move that evolved into [Aura Sphere] leveled up to lv1 just like that? It seems that although the battle with Mewtwo was extremely dangerous, the benefits were quite substantial."
"Needless to say, the stat increases are, as usual, strong in physical Attack and Speed, while both defenses and Special Attack still lag far behind... Huh? I remember there was a Special Attack bonus before, why is it gone now?"
Rio frowned. He remembered that when he first comprehended the power of Aura, his [Status] panel had a +10 effect in the Special Attack column. This effect had greatly enhanced the power of special moves, such as [Aura Sphere]. But now that the Special Attack bonus was gone, his Special Attack stat had returned to the normal state for a Riolu—mediocre.
As for why the Special Attack bonus disappeared, Rio subconsciously glanced at the necklace hanging around his neck.
"Sure enough, the mysterious2 Aura power bonus from before came from this necklace."
The azure blue gem at the end of the necklace had now lost its light, as dim as a greyish stone, without the shimmering blue glow it occasionally flickered with before.
Rio touched the necklace; a cold sensation came from his palm.
"In the [Quest] panel, besides the [Main Quests], there are also [Side Quests]. One of them is to recharge this necklace." Rio was somewhat thoughtful. "For my system to issue a quest for it so solemnly, this necklace must hide a secret. And moreover..."
Recalling the gentle voice from the battle against the Pidgeot Leader, and the figure that gave him the "Aura Emissary" power during the battle with Mewtwo, Rio felt a certain emptiness in his heart.