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

The road from Haicheng back to Boulder City was a familiar one now.

But unlike the rushed pace of their initial journey, the return was far more relaxed.

Most of the Death beasts near Boulder City had already been lured out and drawn into the recent beast tide, leaving the route peaceful and uneventful.

Even the occasional stray low-tier Death beast that appeared ended up as experience fodder for their Pokémon.

"Ahhh… so this is what it feels like to roam freely outside the city. It's amazing!"

Liu Yunlan stretched her arms wide and took a deep breath of the fresh air beyond the city walls.

"No Death beasts in sight, and the death energy in the air has thinned because of their mass extermination… Is this what life in the so-called Paradise Era felt like?"

"Living in an environment like this every day… must've been wonderful."

Her words instantly struck a chord with the others.

Although they'd secured a significant victory, no one could deny the journey had been filled with peril, hardly what you'd call "enjoyable."

But now it was spring, and the road back to Haicheng had the feeling of a casual countryside stroll.

Seeing the dreamy, contented looks on their faces, Su Bai couldn't help but laugh and tease, "You're all so hopeless."

"I've never seen the Paradise Era myself, but I imagine the air they breathed was purer—without a trace of death energy."

"And the sky above their heads… surely it wasn't as perpetually overcast and gloomy as ours."

For a moment, Su Bai was lost in fragments of memory buried deep in his mind.

In that other world, people could walk in nature without fear of sudden Death beast attacks… without worrying that inhaling too much corrupted air would twist their minds.

Everyone lived under the same blue sky.

They had their own struggles, sure—but compared to the people of this world, they were undoubtedly far more fortunate.

Then again, perhaps they never truly cherished the environment they had...

Suddenly, Zhu Jianyuan—who had been quietly smiling at the young people—asked a question that broke Su Bai's thoughts.

"Su Bai, what kind of world will it be after the Pokémon arrive?"

"Will things actually improve?"

"Won't Pokémon attack humans too?"

After all, Su Bai had already said the berry cultivation was complete.

All that was left now was to mobilize the entire city to learn energy cube production.

The arrival of Pokémon was near—so close, in fact, that even the usually composed city lord of Haicheng was acting like an impatient child.

Snapped back to reality, Su Bai looked at the expectant faces around him and smiled.

"Pokémon are different from Death beasts. While they can attack humans, it usually only happens when someone enters their territory or provokes them."

"Other than some trickier species—like those unpredictable Ghost-types—most potential dangers can be avoided with the right knowledge."

"As for Ghost-types…"

Su Bai shrugged. "Once they appear, we'll just designate those areas as restricted zones."

"No matter how things play out… could it really be worse than a world crawling with Death beasts?"

"At least… even ordinary people will finally be able to step outside the city."

His words earned a round of vigorous nods.

Su Bai didn't like to say it outright, but after being crushed for so many years, humanity had become almost too used to suffering.

Even something as minor as thinner death energy could bring overwhelming joy.

Letting ordinary citizens walk freely outside the walls?

That was once completely forbidden.

But now… a brand-new era was quietly approaching.

And they… were its creators.

At that thought, Liu Yunlan stood a little taller—her back just a bit straighter.

Haicheng.

The group, returning as casually as if they'd been on a shopping trip, first stopped by the hospital—only to find Zhou Xiaofei had already been discharged.

So they headed back to the Pokémon Center.

The moment Su Bai pushed open the doors, he saw Zhou Xiaofei, fully recovered, wiping down the front desk.

"You're awake? Why not rest a little longer?"

Su Bai gently placed a hand on Xiaofei's head.

He still felt a pang of guilt for the boy.

After all, if it weren't for Su Bai, Xiaofei never would've gotten tangled up in the grudge with Li Jian—and none of this would've happened.

Zhou Xiaofei gave a sheepish smile. "The hospital room costs a fortune per day, right? I don't have that kind of money!"

"Even though Grandpa Principal said not to worry about the bill… I still didn't want to waste it."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and affectionately rubbed his face against his partner Gyarados's snout.

"Thanks, Gyarados! If it weren't for you, I'd be a goner for sure!"

"And I saw how amazing you were in Boulder City too—seriously impressive!"

Su Bai chuckled at the scene, but the next second—he felt something was off.

And he wasn't the only one.

Everyone present looked completely dumbfounded.

"Wait, hold up—WHAT?!" Wang Tao shouted, his brain lagging behind his mouth. "You saw what happened in Boulder City?"

"But weren't you lying unconscious in a hospital bed at the time?!"

That was exactly what everyone wanted to know.

Even though Boulder City wasn't a world away from Haicheng, it wasn't exactly close either.

Even if you traveled fast, it took nearly two days on foot!

And yet Zhou Xiaofei just casually claimed he watched Gyarados's performance?

This was getting spooky.

Su Bai blinked, confused.

Could it be that Zhou Xiaofei suffered a concussion or something?

Maybe after hearing about Boulder City from the principal, he'd just imagined some heroic showdown?

Trying not to alarm the boy, Su Bai asked gently, "Uhh… Xiaofei, our Pokémon Center's doing okay. How about going back to the hospital—just for a quick check-up?"

"Don't worry, I'll deduct it from your salary."

He knew how stubborn Zhou Xiaofei was, and didn't want the boy worrying about the cost…

But if something really had gone wrong in his head—well, that wasn't something to ignore!

Just as Zhou Xiaofei opened his mouth to explain, a dry cough interrupted them from behind.

"Ahem… I think I can clear that up."

The voice came from Lu Liangpeng, who had just returned from the restroom, still wiping his hands with a towel.

He hadn't felt safe leaving Xiaofei alone, so he'd stayed nearby the whole time.

"Uh… Principal Lu, what's going on?" Su Bai asked urgently. "There's nothing wrong with Xiaofei's mind, right?"

Lu Liangpeng looked puzzled himself, his expression mixed with wonder and awe.

Facing the group's collective gaze, he slowly shook his head.

"No problem. You've got to trust Haicheng First High's medical team. Even if you don't…"

"You do trust the effects of S-rank healing techniques and S-rank healing potions, right?"

"This whole thing… is honestly a bit miraculous."

He flipped his hand over and pulled a small crystal from his pocket, pressing it gently against Zhou Xiaofei's chest.

Under the astonished eyes of everyone present, the crystal glowed brightly.

Lu Liangpeng smiled.

"As you can see… Xiaofei has awakened."