At that moment, Giovanni was feeling overjoyed. He looked at the three of them and said, "I'm sure Wilder's already explained Aetherium Wars to you. As for the Interastral Tournament Festival, allow me to clear up any questions you may have."
Wilder was about to speak up, but Giovanni cut in immediately. "It's alright, Wilder. I've made new friends: it wouldn't be right if I didn't introduce things myself. You go take care of your other tasks. I'll be their guide from here on."
Wilder: "I…"
After a moment of hesitation, Wilder chose to step away. He was happy to have met Pei Guang, but as the saying goes: when someone ranks higher than you, you listen. Giovanni was technically his superior, so he had to follow orders.
Watching this scene unfold, Pei Guang stroked his chin and asked, "Why do I feel like… there's some kind of scheme going on?"
Hearing this, Giovanni chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm simply passionate about enjoying the fun of the game—and I really want to see how players compete and cooperate with each other. Beyond that, I have no other motives. I swear it, on my honor and this very mask."
Pei Guang quipped, "Using Aha-level credibility? Well, that's actually pretty reliable."
After all, in the world of memories, Pei Guang had experienced Aha's antics firsthand. That guy might live for the chaos, but when it comes to keeping his word, he's solid. If he says he will mess with you, he's not kidding.
March 7th, now visibly excited, asked, "Hey? When can we actually play this game? Just hearing everyone explain it still leaves me a bit lost."
Stelle turned to Pei Guang. "Ah Guang! I've got a feeling, something's about to happen."
March 7th looked at her. "Tsk! What's with you all of a sudden?"
Pei Guang said, "I think Stelle's right. If we're following the usual pattern, something has to go wrong right about now. I'm even guessing: we're about to run into a bunch of bad guys trying to steal someone's Aether Spirit! And it'll definitely be a trio!"
At that moment, Pei Guang could smell the setup brewing. Aether Spirits were in play already—if there wasn't some group trying to steal them, then the plot felt incomplete.
Almost as if to confirm Pei Guang's prediction, a commotion rang out nearby just as he finished speaking.
"Hey, brat! Hand over that coin!"
"You little thief—stealing stuff at your age? What'll you be like when you grow up?"
Hearing the noise, Giovanni turned to Pei Guang. "As expected of Mr. Pei Guang. Not even the most revered seers make such precise predictions about trivial things, yet you nailed it."
Pei Guang shot back, "How is this my fault? It's all just pattern recognition. Let's go check it out."
Leading the way, Pei Guang and the group of four headed toward the source of the noise. They found three company employees surrounding two children.
At the sight, March 7th, bursting with righteousness, couldn't hold back.
"Hey! You three, what kind of grown-ups bully little kids?!"
Pei Guang pulled out his red cap and put it on. "The three of you, sneaky and shameless, trying to steal Aether Spirits from kids. I challenge you to an Aether Spirit battle!"
March 7th whispered urgently, "Ah Guang! We don't have any Aether Spirits yet!"
Stelle crossed her arms. "Based on experience, someone's about to hand us some."
March 7th looked at her. "Wow, you're learning his whole routine too?"
Stelle: "It's not that hard."
Watching all of this, Giovanni laughed. "Interesting! Very interesting! As it happens, I've got a few starter-level Aether Spirits on hand. I'll lend them to you: use them to get familiar with the game's rhythm and rules. I trust you'll be more than capable of handling these guys with that level of Aether Spirit."
Giovanni handed Pei Guang an Aether Coin, and the moment it landed in his hand, Pei Guang quickly scanned the attributes of the basic Aether Spirits.
Seeing the stats, Pei Guang smiled. "Perfect! Then let's have ourselves an Aether Spirit battle!"
Pei Guang didn't really know what was going on anymore, but he did know that once you get your Pokémon—doesn't matter if it's your first battle or not—it's time to fight. It's all about that tatakae!
His words riled up the three employees. One of them stepped forward with a menacing glare. "What? You think we're pushovers or something?"
The aggressive one barked, "We'll show you just how strong the Topaz Support Squad really is!"
Pei Guang raised the Aether Coin. "If that's how it's gonna be, then I've got no choice but to show you the bond between me and my Aether Spirit. I choose you, Blaze Out of Space!"
In that moment, Pei Guang's voice boomed with such presence and power that everyone around was stunned—even Giovanni couldn't help but clap. "As expected of a player—he's immersed himself so fast."
And with Pei Guang's call, the Aether Spirit "Blaze Out of Space" appeared in front of him. The three employees each summoned their own Aether Spirits in response: but theirs were all just the most basic kind.
After both sides released their Aether Spirits, a small battlefield formed. Each group stood behind their respective Aether Spirit, ready to command them.
The company employees tried to attack first, but clearly, they were a little too slow.
Pei Guang: "Heh! Trying to go first? Sorry, my Blaze Out of Space has a base speed of 110. And since I summoned my Aether Spirit first, I get the first move. Blaze Out of Space, use Rain of Purifying Flame! Let the enemy feel the power of our friendship and bond!"
At that moment, everyone around widened their eyes in shock as they stared at Pei Guang. His presence was overwhelming, and his voice so loud and powerful that even the passing crowd couldn't help but feel shaken.
There was a fire in Pei Guang's eyes, like he was facing a worthy opponent with total seriousness. But when he looked at Blaze Out of Space, his gaze was full of hope and camaraderie.
But that wasn't even the most shocking part: the real shock was that when Pei Guang shouted about "friendship" and "bonds," it felt like his Aether Spirit really got stronger?
As everyone watched, Blaze Out of Space was the first to strike. A fireball from its combat skill shot straight toward the opposing Aether Spirits.
Pei Guang: "Perfect! Let this attack inflict Burn on all of them!"
When the fireball hit, it was clear: the enemy Aether Spirits were all inflicted with Burn!
Seeing this, one of the company employees gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damn it! You think we're pushovers? Incineration Shadewalker, hit them with Scorching Crush!"
Their Aether Spirit launched an attack, but as the strike came in, Pei Guang smirked: "Too slow! Blaze Out of Space, dodge and counter with Bellowing Inferno!"
In front of everyone, Blaze Out of Space evaded the incoming attack, and that's when all the Aetherium Wars players watching went blank.
Aetherium Wars had always been a turn-based game. One attack per side. So how in the world did this Aether Spirit just dodge an attack?
And not just that: even if Pei Guang's using a high-tier Aether Spirit, its level wasn't that high, nor was it that rare. How could it respond to Pei Guang's commands so precisely and fluidly?
But they didn't have time to question it, because by the time they were confused, Blaze Out of Space was already lifting another fireball. Pei Guang smiled calmly and delivered his finishing line:
"Use your Ultimate Skill!"
With that command, a massive fireball crashed down on the enemy's Aether Spirits. The company employees' Aether Spirits were all recalled back into their Aether Coins.
One of the employees couldn't help but ask, "How… did you do that?"
Pei Guang: "Because it's the power of my friendship and bond with Blaze Out of Space!"
March 7th turned to Pei Guang and muttered, "You've only had that thing for like five minutes… what bond are you even talking about?"
Pei Guang: "Details don't matter! Just remember, if you yell stuff like friendship, bond, or the future during a match, your Aether Spirit is guaranteed to get stronger."
Meanwhile, Giovanni was still savoring the match he had just witnessed. Clearly, the Aether Spirit hadn't actually powered up when Pei Guang shouted those things. The illusion of strength came from Pei Guang's overwhelming presence, precise control, and perfect synergy with his Aether Spirit: it just felt like the spirit got stronger.
In truth, Pei Guang hadn't used any external buffs or stat-boosts. What he did was something any other player could theoretically do. But… Giovanni could feel it: the Aether Spirit in Pei Guang's hands had something special… something called emotion. And that subtle influence might end up affecting every Aether Spirit in this entire tournament.
Giovanni: "I knew it… coming here was the right call. Hahahaha!"
At that moment, Giovanni was genuinely thrilled. He believed that this tournament would bring him a joy he had never felt before. And in his heart, he quietly made a decision: he'd learn Pei Guang's battle style.
That way, if Pei Guang ever made it to face him… he could return the favor with a surprise of his own.