Suppressing the pounding of his heart, Link immediately began to invoke the "Restrictions and Oaths" technique on Shanaido.
"Name: Shanaido. Type: Psychic, Fairy. Ability: Copy, Synchronize..."
In the blink of an eye, a minute passed, and Link's rapid-fire speech came to an abrupt stop.
At the same time, the Nen energy surrounding Shanaido, who had been standing quietly, suddenly froze.
Then, a powerful surge of energy exploded from her! A tremendous wave of pink Nen filled the entire room in an instant, as if someone had switched on a pink spotlight, transforming the room into a pink "ocean."
Tables, chairs, and other objects in the room all began to float, as if held by a giant invisible hand.
Shanaido's emerald-green hair fluttered wildly, and in a single turn, she went from being the graceful lady to a queen with an aura of authority!
Pokedex Ability Activated!
Name: Shanaido
Ability: Copy
Type: Psychic, Fairy
Power: A
Skills: Telekinesis, Psychic Shock, Hypnosis, Magical Shine...
"Hahahahahaha, it worked!"
Looking at the Shanaido in front of him, whose power had far surpassed what it was before, Link could no longer contain his joy.
The best part? This was just his first Pokémon!
There would be a second, a third... B-rank turning into A-rank, A-rank into S-rank!
As a hardcore Pokémon player, Link could proudly guarantee that he could recite most of the details about powerful Pokémon from memory!
As for the more mediocre ones, there was no need to worry about their strength being affected by the "Restrictions and Oaths," as their original power wasn't that high to begin with.
Moreover, according to Shanaido's recounting, she could now teleport multiple people at once and even perform long-distance teleports repeatedly, dramatically increasing her survivability!
At this moment, Link was grinning ear to ear. He hadn't expected such a huge payoff from just one attempt.
...
In the streets of Harim City.
The overall style of the city was very consistent, with a distinctly Western and classical appearance, somewhat reminiscent of Gothic architecture.
The roads were paved with rows of bricks, neat and aesthetically pleasing, almost a blessing for those with obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
The buildings on both sides of the street were mostly villa-style, with two or three stories, and their stone skeletons and flying buttresses gave them the appearance of a church.
The overall color tone was grayish-white, making the city look clean and orderly at first glance.
With nothing else to do, Link wandered through the city, passively comparing the city's style to that of Blue Planet while admiring the local scenery.
The shops and vendors on the street mostly sold items related to the Harim Ruins.
Vendors sold antiques that had been dug up from the ruins, but as time passed, the supply in the outer city became more and more scarce, and access to the inner city was restricted.
As a result, the so-called "antiques" were mostly fakes.
While walking along the brick road, Link suddenly paused, furrowing his brow.
"Eh?"
Just now, the Pokémon cultivation progress bar in his mind had come to a halt.
Before, it had been progressing slowly, but now it had completely stopped, as if it had encountered some invisible barrier.
Link squinted his eyes and instinctively looked toward the direction of the Harim Ruins.
The next moment, Link disappeared from his spot. When he reappeared, he was already in an empty, desolate area on the outskirts of the ruins.
The previously stalled progress bar seemed to be injected with new energy and resumed its forward momentum.
So this is how it works...
Looking at the walls covered with relief sculptures, Link thought to himself.
It had become clear, within the city, the progress bar had a limit. Once that threshold was reached, the progress could only continue if Link moved closer to the center of the location.
For this Pokémon cultivation spot, the center was the Harim Ruins!
But Link wondered: Does every Pokémon require the center to be reached for their cultivation to progress?
To be precise, this was his first experience with Pokémon cultivation, with Shanaido appearing when he awakened his Nen abilities.
What happened next seemed to confirm Link's guess. Not long after, the progress bar froze again, this time at 50%.
Seeing this, Link didn't hesitate and walked straight into the Harim Ruins. The progress bar advanced once again.
He didn't mind; after all, he had intended to visit the ruins anyway, this was just a bit earlier than planned.
The interior of the ruins was labyrinthine, giving off the first impression of a maze. Everywhere Link looked, there were light yellow walls and a few scattered statues.
Most of the ruins were relatively intact, but there were some walls and statues that had been damaged, collapsed, and left abandoned on the ground.
The reliefs on the walls were vivid and intricate, with details that were truly breathtaking, showcasing the exceptional skill of the sculptors.
Legend has it that the Harim Ruins were once a palace of a long-gone kingdom, which, after a series of unknown events, became what it was today.
This was what countless archaeologists and ruins hunters were eager to uncover.
From the reliefs, not much information could be gleaned. However, it was evident that this was a nation full of romantic culture.
The people were emotionally expressive, and the arts, such as painting and sculpture, thrived.
It was also said that the royal family of this kingdom possessed immense power, with each ruler being the strongest of their time.
At that time, the Continent was far from the stable world it was now. The people needed the protection of the royal family.
Strangely, despite the constant dangers, the kingdom never faced any crises. The citizens attributed this to the guardianship of the kings.
Most of the statues in the ruins were created to honor the past kings, sculpted based on their appearances.
Due to years of neglect, the official authorities had not removed these sculptures but instead left them in place, imposing heavy legal protection on the artifacts.
If someone happened to pick up a golden vase or jewelry inside, it wouldn't be a problem.
But if someone dared to disturb these sculptures, they would soon find themselves confronted by the authorities.
As Link leisurely moved deeper into the ruins, the progress bar continued toward 100%.
Until—
"Sigh... I have to face the 'Death Nen' after all."
Link looked at the immiNent "Death Nen." It wasn't a fixed entity but a swirling mass of black mist, constantly shifting and provocatively "taunting" in front of him.
The moving black smoke resembled countless tendrils, eager to drag anyone nearby into the depths to consume them.
When he reached the boundary between the outer and inner ruins, the progress bar stalled at 70%, unwilling to budge further.
"Well... I've made it to 70%. Giving up now would be a shame. Is there any way to deal with this 'Death Nen'?"