Diancite, Skill Proficiency
Pokémon Center Rikai Town, Sinnoh Region
After Levi used the Random Pokémon Item Gacha Ticket, a strange interface appeared before his eyes.
A grid resembling a chessboard unfolded in midair, filled with dozens of mysterious items.
A small glowing white light began to jump rapidly from square to square.
Left.
Right.
Up.
Down.
It bounced across the grid like a pinball before finally slowing.
Then
It stopped.
The light landed on a round, transparent gemstone.
At its center glowed beautiful red and golden patterns, shining like crystallized sunlight.
At the same moment, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in Levi's mind.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Congratulations, Host!
You have drawn a Diancite with an extremely low probability!
Item obtained: Mega Evolution Stone Diancite
"…?"
Levi stared at the message for several seconds.
Then he slowly raised a hand and typed a question mark in the air as if responding to fate itself.
"Where exactly am I supposed to find a Diancie?!"
A moment later, the item quietly appeared inside the System Inventory.
Levi opened it and examined the description.
Item: Diancite
Type: Mega Evolution Stone
Description:
A mysterious gemstone that allows Diancie to undergo Mega Evolution when held while the Trainer possesses a Keystone.
Levi summoned the stone from the inventory.
A small, shining crystal appeared in his palm.
He turned it slowly under the light.
As a long-time Pokémon enthusiast, Levi was naturally familiar with Diancie.
Diancie was a Mythical Pokémon originating from the Kalos Region.
It was said to be a rare mutation of Carbink, possessing a body that shone like a pink diamond.
Within a colony of Carbink, only one Diancie could be born.
However
Diancie itself was not completely unique.
The most famous one lived in the Underground Kingdom of Kalos, ruling over countless Carbink.
But logically speaking, other hidden Carbink colonies could exist elsewhere in the world.
If Levi could locate one…
Then perhaps he might witness the birth of a new Diancie.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"As long as I find a Carbink colony…"
"There should be a chance."
Unfortunately, his Appraisal Eye was still only Beginner Level.
If he could upgrade it further
Perhaps it would allow him to detect mutation potential within Carbink.
Levi stored the Diancite back into the System inventory.
Diancie had always been one of the Pokémon he admired.
Now that he possessed its Mega Evolution Stone, his curiosity had grown even stronger.
But for now
There was nothing he could do.
The Breeding House still needed time to be established.
He also didn't have a girlfriend, so the "Mother's Wish" side quest remained impossible.
As for Roland's wish…
Levi shook his head slightly.
Roland's sister was Cynthia, the reigning Champion of the Sinnoh League.
At only twenty-two years old, Cynthia had already stood at the peak of Sinnoh for years.
She was also a renowned Pokémon mythologist.
Roland's dream of surpassing her was certainly admirable
But incredibly difficult.
"For now, I'll just leave those quests alone."
Levi stretched his arms.
His focus returned to something far more immediate.
Himself.
He clenched his fists.
A surge of power flowed through his muscles.
His physical strength had clearly increased.
The System's reward Super Rookie Physique was no joke.
Levi grinned.
"With this body…"
"I might actually become a fighting master."
He paused.
"…Call Bruno from the Elite Four for me."
A second later he coughed awkwardly.
"Just kidding."
Right now, he definitely couldn't defeat Bruno, the legendary Fighting-type master of the Kanto Elite Four.
Still
His new physique was undeniably powerful.
Even without Pokémon, his combat ability was probably already top-tier among ordinary humans.
The Appraisal Eye also solved another problem.
Levi had never owned a Pokédex.
Now he could analyze Pokémon directly.
He activated the skill and looked toward his partner.
"Lucario."
A transparent information panel appeared instantly.
Name: Lucario
Gender: Male
Type: Fighting / Steel
Ability: Inner Focus
(Prevents the Pokémon from flinching.)
Moves Known:
• Swords Dance
• Calm Mind
• Aura Sphere
• Meteor Mash
• Bone Rush
• Flash Cannon
• Ice Punch
• Thunder Punch
• Bullet Punch
• Force Palm
• Protect
• Quick Guard
Strength Evaluation: Gym Leader Level (Beginner)
Assessment:
Having mastered two of the legendary "Three Elemental Punches", Lucario already possesses the aura of an elite combatant.
Levi nodded with satisfaction.
Reality differed greatly from video games.
Pokémon were not limited to four moves.
A well-trained Pokémon could learn many techniques.
Levi's grandfather had once been a top-tier Pokémon Breeder.
Under his guidance, Levi had trained Lucario to learn Ice Punch and Thunder Punch, two of the famous Elemental Punch techniques.
"Lucario."
Lucario noticed Levi staring and immediately rubbed its stomach.
Levi chuckled.
"Alright, alright. I'll make your meal now."
Levi pushed aside all other thoughts and began preparing food.
Ever since he began raising Pokémon, he had always cooked their meals personally.
His grandfather had taught him something important long ago.
Those words still echoed in his mind.
"A true Pokémon Breeder must design meals according to the Pokémon's training goals, physical condition, development stage, and taste preferences."
"If you want strong Pokémon… the food they eat is crucial."
"Never cut corners."
After raising Lucario and Arcanine, Levi deeply understood the truth behind those words.
Raising Pokémon was simple in theory.
But in reality
It was extremely expensive.
Training a Pokémon to Elite level required not only talent but also massive financial investment.
Levi had previously raised only two Pokémon.
Yet the costs were already terrifying.
Now that the System existed…
Perhaps it could help him somewhat.
"Still spicy today?" Levi asked.
Lucario nodded seriously.
"Lucario."
(Extra spicy, please.)
Levi laughed helplessly.
Lucario had a very unusual taste preference.
It loved spicy food.
The spicier, the better.
As a berry specialist, Levi knew many different berry flavors.
Unfortunately, extremely spicy berries like Liechi Berry or Salac Berry were incredibly rare.
They were almost impossible to buy in ordinary markets.
So Levi chose substitutes.
Leppa Berry.
Cheri Berry.
He placed the berries into a household Berry Blender.
The machine's central turntable began spinning rapidly.
The berries were crushed, refined, and compressed.
About fifteen minutes later, the outlet of the machine began producing small translucent red cubes.
Levi sprinkled some finely ground berry powder on top for seasoning.
The process was complete.
Using the Appraisal Eye, Levi checked the result.
Energy Cube (Spicy)
A moderately tasty Energy Cube created from Leppa Berry and Cheri Berry.
Flavor Profile: Spicy
Levi nodded.
For Lucario's meals, his skill level was already quite stable.
He also prepared food for Arcanine and the newly captured Metang.
Since he did not yet know Metang's flavor preferences, he followed standard balanced taste formulas.
If Metang disliked it, he could always adjust the recipe later.
"Alright."
"Time to eat."
Lucario immediately tied its napkin neatly around its neck.
It sat upright at the table and began eating the Energy Cubes with a small spoon, maintaining perfect elegance.
Lucario's life motto was simple.
Always remain dignified.
The moment Lucario took its first bite, the System chimed again.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Energy Cube Crafting Proficiency +7
Levi blinked.
He watched Lucario carefully.
Lucario glanced up while chewing.
(It's delicious.)
The System notification appeared
Energy Cube Crafting Proficiency +9
Energy Cube Crafting Proficiency +8
Every bite triggered another notification.
When Lucario finally finished the meal, Levi checked his skill panel.
Energy Cube Crafting (Intermediate)
Progress: 2,598 / 10,000
Levi quickly reached a conclusion.
"When Pokémon eat the Energy Cubes I make…"
"My Energy Cube skill gains proficiency."
"And it seems to increase with every bite."
He rubbed his forehead.
"Although…"
"A notification every single bite is a bit overwhelming."
Immediately, the System responded.
[SYSTEM SETTING]
Would you like to switch to Total Proficiency Notifications?
Levi raised an eyebrow.
"…That's surprisingly considerate."
After finishing lunch for his Pokémon, Levi borrowed the Pokémon Center kitchen.
He began preparing a simple meal for himself.
As he chopped vegetables
Another familiar sound appeared.
Cooking Proficiency +1
Cooking Proficiency +1
Cooking Proficiency +1
If this were a video game interface, Levi was certain "+1" icons would be constantly popping above his head.
He couldn't help laughing.
"If studying worked like this…"
"Do one question, gain +1 proficiency…"
"I'd enter a top university in minutes."
A few minutes later, he finished cooking.
He looked at the bowl of noodles and spoke proudly.
"Vegetable and egg noodles."
Then the Appraisal Eye automatically evaluated it.
Dish Evaluation:
Vegetable and Egg Noodles
Quality: Average
Special Trait: Too Salty
Levi frowned.
"That's slander."
"I just like salty food."
This trip had originally been planned for one purpose only.
Capturing the powerful Silver Metang of Back Mountain.
Now that the mission was complete
Levi returned to the front desk of the Pokémon Center.
After retrieving his Pokémon from Nurse Joy, he headed toward the station.
Soon, Levi boarded the train bound for Jubilife City.
The future Breeding House awaited.
And somewhere in the distant world
A mysterious Diancie might also be waiting for him.