Everyone Else Awakened, But I Just Opened a Pokémon Pet Shop

"Riding alone across a thousand miles, huh…"

Watching Gyarados roar off into the sky, Lu Liangpeng could only shake his head with a wry smile.

In this world, where Awakeners and Death Beasts coexisted, the rules governing Awakeners weren't particularly strict. Other than the requirements that they contribute their strength when called upon and that they not harm civilians, there weren't many hard rules.

Awakeners were still human—naturally, conflicts arose.

And with their overwhelming strength, any infighting often required even greater force to quell.

So long as no civilians were harmed and the fallout remained within the bounds of personal disputes, the authorities typically turned a blind eye.

But this time… Su Bai was heading straight for the semi-official Contractor's Guild!

Never mind how Boulder City would respond—the mere fact that Su Bai was charging in alone was enough to make Lu Liangpeng worry.

"At this age… my old bones really can't handle much more stress."

Gripping his staff, he stepped to the window, just about to leap out and follow Gyarados—

The ICU doors suddenly burst open behind him.

Zhu Jianyuan, followed by Wang Tao and the others, froze in shock at the sight.

To them, it looked like the old headmaster was about to throw himself out the window!

Liu Yunlan couldn't hold back and blurted out:

"Headmaster! Don't do anything rash!!"

An awkward silence filled the ICU.

Lu Liangpeng's expression twitched as he sheepishly pulled one leg back in from the window ledge and cleared his throat.

A small air pulse flicked from his fingertip and popped Liu Yunlan squarely on the forehead—instantly raising a big, red bump.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Who said anything about being rash?!"

But then his expression turned serious.

"You came just in time."

"Su Bai's just left… that kid's definitely going to stir up trouble."

"Haicheng can't go without an S-rank powerhouse guarding it… Xiao Zhu, looks like you'll have to make a trip to Boulder City."

"Whether or not you can stop Su Bai is another matter—but at the very least, we can't let him suffer a loss."

He hadn't followed immediately precisely because of this concern.

After all, Li Jian had shown up in Haicheng with three S-rank Contract Beasts. No one had seen that coming.

With most of Haicheng's forces sent out of the city, not even one S-rank stayed behind—leaving it far too vulnerable.

Zhu Jianyuan and the others looked at each other in confusion.

"Boulder City?"

"Why would he go there?"

High in the sky, atop Gyarados's broad head, Su Bai sat motionless against the rushing wind. His cloak billowed violently, yet his posture remained perfectly upright.

Ever since becoming a Super Rookie, Su Bai's memory had significantly improved.

He didn't know much about the Contractor's Guild, but since Li Jian had come and gone so quickly, it meant the Guild couldn't be far from Haicheng.

On Zhu Jianyuan's map, key forces like the Awakener and Contractor Guilds were clearly marked.

If he remembered correctly… the closest Contractor's Guild was in Boulder City!

One coastal city, one inland—but both were part of the first defensive perimeter of the Eastern Divine Federation, guarding its southeastern flank in a pincer formation.

Unlike the widely available Awakener Guilds, Contractor Guilds were far more sparse.

The interior was relatively safer, with less need for Contract Beasts. But places like Haicheng and Boulder City—border cities constantly under threat—had far more desperate needs.

It was in such cities that Death Beasts became viable last-resort options.

That's why people like Li Xiaoyu, Liu Jiantao, and others owned high-grade Contract Beasts.

Even someone like Zhang Qun, if not for receiving a Pokémon, might've spent his fortune obtaining an S-rank Death Beast that would probably never be released.

The Contractor's Guild thrived off such desperate edge cities, naturally basing their outposts in those very places.

Whether or not Su Bai could actually locate the Guild in Boulder City…

Or even find those responsible for what happened in Haicheng…

He patted Gyarados's head.

That was one reason he brought Gyarados with him.

An S-rank Contractor could only command one S-rank Death Beast.

But due to long-term mental syncing, these Contractors inevitably absorbed some of their beast's death aura.

To a Pokémon, that aura would be as conspicuous as a bonfire in the dark.

And Gyarados had fought those beasts before—it shouldn't be mistaken.

Suddenly, Gyarados let out a deep growl and whipped its tail—sending a B-rank flying Death Beast hurtling to the ground, bones shattered.

The route from Haicheng to Boulder City wasn't filled with dangerous zones, but getting through completely unchallenged was still unlikely.

Su Bai ignored the occasional Death Beast skirmish. His eyes were fixed ahead.

A towering rocky mountain loomed on the horizon—closer with every second.

At its peak stood a massive, crown-like stone formation, growing clearer by the moment.

At the mountain's base, a sizable city came into view.

"Looks like I didn't take a wrong turn."

Su Bai squinted into the distance.

Boulder City was similar in population size to Haicheng, though arguably more powerful.

Despite Contractors being unpopular in most places, every border city fought to attract a Contractor's Guild.

After all, no city would turn down a mobile army of Death Beasts to help defend against the threat.

Zhu Jianyuan had once tried—he simply lost to Boulder City.

But now, with the emergence of the Pokémon Center, Zhu probably forgot that slight a long time ago.

To Su Bai now, none of that mattered.

His eyes locked onto a part of the city where dense deathly energy billowed without restraint.

"There… that must be where the Guild is."

He patted Gyarados again.

"Let's go, Gyarados. Whether or not they're responsible… we'll find out very soon."

Boulder City, City Gates.

A small team of guards was stationed at the entrance, casually chatting while keeping watch.

"Hey, did you hear the news?"

One guard leaned in, sounding secretive.

"Heard something big went down in Haicheng—something incredible!"

His companion yawned.

"What incredible thing? Haicheng's only known for that ice-cold beauty Liu Yunshuang."

"Tsk, ignorant fool!"

The first guard scoffed.

"I have a cousin in the Zhang Group's last envoy to Haicheng—he told me all about it!"

"Haicheng's got something new now… called Pokémon!"

"These things are amazing! You know about that recent siege on Haicheng, right?"

"You know how they survived?"

"Guess what? A legendary beast, something called Groudon, appeared! Supposedly it changed the entire terrain outside the city gates!"

"See this fancy armor you're wearing? Know why it's cheaper now?"

"Because Groudon slaughtered so many Death Beasts, the market's flooded with cores!"

The other guard looked down at his shiny new armor, half-convinced.

The price had been unusually low lately.

But reshaping terrain? Taking down a siege solo?

That was starting to sound like a fairytale.

He scratched his head, about to argue—

When the quietest guard in the group suddenly shouted:

"Y-You said Pokémon… d-does it look like that?!"

He pointed to the sky.

A massive shadow loomed overhead—growing larger by the second!

All the guards tilted their heads upward…

And saw a ferocious, monstrous face rapidly descending.

Two eyes, the size of carriage wheels, locked onto them.

Standing atop the beast's head was a handsome young man, smiling brightly, waving down at them.