Xia Henao sped back to his room and began sketching designs. If he was going to make high-end counterfeit goods, they needed to be remarkably similar in every aspect. Z-Crystals and Z-Rings were part of the Z-Power system, and if he wanted to use bad money to drive out good, his fakes had to be more convincing. Therefore, his own Z-Crystal should have a unique shape.
Xia Henao's first thought was to make a shuriken-shaped counterfeit Z-Crystal. But then he immediately wondered what would happen if he somehow obtained a genuine one later. It would be troublesome if the two crystals weren't compatible.
The system advised him, "Stop worrying about compatibility. It's impossible for them not to be compatible. Think about it, the effect of the Z-Power Ring isn't just for using Z-Moves, but also for..."
Meng Tianya looked slightly puzzled when he learned that Xia Henao needed various types of jade. "What do you need jade for?"
"It's a personal matter. It's not against the rules, and besides, I'm not asking for it for free."
Thus, under Meng Tianya's authority, Xia Henao quickly obtained all sorts of jade the next day. He casually laid them out on the floor, much to the envy of everyone training with him. If they could just snatch one, they'd be set for life.
Wang Zhen asked Zheng Xiaoxiao, "Coach Zheng, is it really okay for him not to train like this?"
Zheng Xiaoxiao nodded. "Unlike you all, he's a free-range type. Let him mess around. His current strength was all developed through his antics."
Yes, as the saying goes, geniuses are on the left, and madmen are on the right. Xia Henao's actions must have a touch of madness, and behind that madness, there must be a deeper meaning. (All of the above were the unspoken thoughts of Yu Longdu.)
Meanwhile, Xia Henao, while carving the Z-Power Ring, didn't neglect the production of the Z-Crystal. Xia Henao didn't fully understand what Z-Crystals were, but he had plenty of materials suitable for making imitations. For example, the large crystal he obtained from Man Ying earlier, though it looked like glass, was extremely difficult to process.
Xia Henao drew a few lines on the crystal with a pencil and pointed to them, saying to Guagua, "Guagua, use your Shuriken to cut this crystal along the lines I've drawn, understand?"
Guagua nodded, then summoned a Water Shuriken with its right hand and threw it. The shuriken only left a faint indentation on the large crystal. Xia Henao bit his lip, "This thing is really tough. Even after Guagua evolved, it couldn't..."
Seeing that Xia Henao intended to cut the crystal, Wang Zhen told his own Pokémon, "Go, help him out."
However, Xia Henao remained seated motionlessly. Diancie simply jumped out of its Poké Ball and unleashed a Dazzling Gleam, forcing the other Pokémon to behave.
"Coach, team leader, you both saw it!"
Wang Zhen wanted to complain, but Zheng Xiaoxiao was already helping her student Chu Xiaodie with intensive training, and Meng Tianya feigned impartiality, telling everyone to stick to their training plans and cause less trouble.
Wang Zhen, finding no recourse, returned to training with his Pokémon. Xia Henao, completely unconcerned, continued working on his Z-Ring. While jade was relatively easy to polish, Xia Henao's design was incredibly complicated, as it needed to integrate three items simultaneously.
Seeing Xia Henao sweating profusely, even the system advised him, "Honestly, listen to good advice and eat well. I think no one would say anything if you used metal and machine tools. Have you ever seen counterfeiters use handcrafting?"
Xia Henao wiped the sweat from his brow. "What you say is very reasonable, I admit it, but I'm already committed."
Saying that, Xia Henao blew away the jade dust from his hand. A half-carved jade embryo appeared before him. On the jade, a combination of a four-pointed star and a circle was clearly visible. "I've already done half of it. You're telling me now to abandon this and use machine tools? Are you treating me like an idiot?"
Thriftiness is a virtue, but at this moment, the system wished Xia Henao could be more economical with his time...
Fortunately, the adorable Diancie came to check on Xia Henao. Diancie gently blew on Xia Henao's hand and then picked up the half-processed jade. With a light squeeze, the jade deformed.
Xia Henao quickly took out his design. "Here, Diancie, look at this. Can you help me shape the jade like this?"
Diancie took the design and, in a flash, finished processing Xia Henao's bracelet. Xia Henao, in turn, rewarded Diancie with a kiss and a hug.
While praising Diancie, Xia Henao carefully examined the bracelet. He even removed the Key Stone from his wristband and embedded it into the jade bracelet. "Excellent, the fit is perfect."
"The fit is perfect, but how do you plan to wear it? You won't use a hemp rope, will you? That would lower its value."
Xia Henao glanced at the remaining jade. "Do I even need to think about it? Of course, I'll use that jade to make it. I have to see it through to the end."
Saying that, Xia Henao took Diancie's hand. "Diancie, could you trouble me again and help me make a watchband out of the remaining jade?"
In no time, Xia Henao's Z-Power Ring was successfully fitted onto his wrist. Xia Henao looked at the bracelet on his arm. "Let's try it out, Diancie, Mega Evolve!"
With a familiar glow, Diancie once again transformed into a noble princess. Xia Henao looked at the target nearby. "Diancie, Dazzling Gleam."
...
After testing, it was confirmed that at least the Z-Power Ring had no issues with Mega Evolution, and Xia Henao vaguely felt that the Mega Effect was even better. Yu Longdu then came over, looking at the bracelet on Xia Henao's arm. "It looks great. Make one for me, bro."
Xia Henao rolled his eyes. "What are you going to make? What does it have to do with you? Can you Mega Evolve?"
"Sooner or later, I will. Just make one for me."
Xia Henao placed his hands on Yu Longdu's shoulders and forcefully spun him around. "Turn around, march. We'll talk about the bracelet when you can Mega Evolve."
After sending away Yu Longdu, who insisted on getting a bracelet, Xia Henao went over to Guagua. Guagua had only managed to split the crystal in half and was now resting on the ground. Xia Henao observed Guagua's condition. Water Shuriken's 20 PP had been depleted.
"This thing is really difficult to process."
Diancie came closer, seeing if Xia Henao needed any help making the ore easier to process. Although this material, like jade, didn't entirely obey Diancie's abilities, the little princess could improvise and handle crystals too.
Xia Henao dotingly stroked Diancie's head. "Alright, alright. My little princess. You don't need to trouble yourself with this. Just leave it to Guagua. If you're bored, you can use the jade over there to sculpt the valiant images of Guagua and me striving hard."
Diancie nodded, sat aside, and began creating with the leftover jade. Xia Henao, meanwhile, continued to ponder the large crystal. This was Guagua's exclusive Z-Crystal. If possible, Xia Henao still hoped to complete this counterfeit crystal solely through his and Guagua's strength.
After resting for another ten minutes, Xia Henao asked Guagua, "How are you, Guagua? Are you rested?"
Guagua nodded, and they both stood up. Xia Henao spread his legs, took a deep breath, and said, "Guagua, Water Shuriken!"