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

To be honest, Su Bai didn't particularly encourage the first wave of trainers to spend their precious training points on TM Disc so early.

Sure, these devices could instantly boost a Pokémon's combat capabilities.

But training points weren't easy to earn. Evolution items, battle equipment—just about everything required them.

Besides, based on their current development, this group of trainers would undoubtedly be at the forefront of the upcoming exploration missions.

They would earn more resources than others.

Most importantly, if someone happened to find a duplicate TM Learning Device during the exploration… well, that would be quite the embarrassing waste.

Watching Wang Tao glaring at him with a pitiful expression, Su Bai simply spread his hands and said, "Look, someone had to be the unlucky one to demonstrate how the TM Learning Device works."

"And you happened to 'snatch' that opportunity for yourself. Not my fault."

Frankly, Su Bai had expected the ever-pragmatic Wang Tao to hang back and wait. He was betting on Liu Yunlan to be the one jumping in headfirst.

But unexpectedly, Wang Tao had rushed in.

Ignoring Wang Tao's heartbroken face, Su Bai smiled and said, "There's still one more thing… I was going to wait until the official start to announce it, but since you're all here, I might as well tell you now."

"During exploration, you'll encounter more than just TM Learning Devices and rare Pokémon."

"There's something called Exploration Points that will be tracked."

"And after the expedition ends, the top five trainers will receive special rewards."

"And these rewards… trust me, they're not small."

They were system-issued rewards, after all—and those had never been stingy.

Though Su Bai didn't yet know the exact contents of the rewards, the fact that the system singled them out meant they would be of great help to any trainer.

"What?! There are rewards too?!"

The trainers around him immediately lit up with excitement!

The Pokémon descent event alone was enough to get everyone hyped. And now there were even rewards for exploring? Where else could you find something this good?!

The gloom that had clouded Wang Tao's face just moments earlier was instantly blown away.

"The higher the rank, the better the prize, right?!"

"Then I'm taking first place for sure!"

Wang Tao puffed out his chest, full of confidence in his Torterra.

"Hmph! First place is obviously reserved for a genius trainer like me!"

Liu Yunlan declared boldly, "If heaven hadn't given us Liu Yunlan, the way of the trainer would remain shrouded in darkness!"

Even Murong Nan laughed as she chimed in, "Me and Empoleon won't be giving up first place that easily, right?"

She gave her proud partner a pat.

Empoleon, as proud as ever, snorted through its nose and gave a firm nod.

In an instant, the atmosphere among the trainers turned electric—everyone was raring to head out and explore.

"Nope, I've gotta train right now."

Xiao Zhang looked around at his peers, suddenly feeling the pressure.

After all, most people already had two Pokémon—he was the only one with just one!

He had visited the Pokémon House before but hadn't found anything suitable.

And now, trying to purchase one directly from the Pokédex would likely mean getting a Pokémon with zero development—a definite hindrance to his exploration pace.

Usually so cocky, Xiao Zhang was now feeling the heat.

So, he took his only Pokémon—Machoke—and prepared to leave.

Since a lot had happened today, the Pokémon Center hadn't fully reopened, and neither had the Training Center.

It was already generous of Su Bai to let them inside. To open the Training Center just for them would be unfair to the rest of the trainers.

That meant, if he wanted to make the most of his remaining time today, Xiao Zhang would have to train elsewhere.

Still, he was respectful as always. Before leaving, he gave Su Bai a deep bow.

"Uh… Professor Su, I'll take my leave first…"

Su Bai looked at the extremely polite Xiao Zhang, then suddenly smacked his own forehead.

"Wait, no need to rush! There's still one more machine."

"And even if the others leave, you can't go just yet."

He pointed toward a machine on the other side of the counter.

Xiao Zhang looked up, then glanced at his Machoke with confusion. "Huh? What does that machine do? What's it got to do with me?"

Everyone who had been itching to head out stopped and turned their eyes toward the machine too.

"I was just wondering about that," Li Xiaoyu said curiously. "There's a lot of new stuff in the Pokémon Center this time."

Su Bai walked over to the machine and tapped the screen.

"This one's called the Pokémon Trade Machine. It's used to let trainers trade Pokémon with each other."

"Each use costs 100 training points."

"Trading?!"

Wang Tao and the others looked at each other in surprise.

Liu Yunlan scoffed and said, "Who'd want to trade? My Pokémon are all precious to me. Infernape and Growlithe are amazing—I'm not trading them!"

The others all nodded in agreement. Even Ding Yue, who only had Talonflame and Nidorina, showed no interest in using the machine.

These Pokémon had been through thick and thin with them. Even if they weren't the strongest, they were cherished partners—not to be traded away.

Su Bai chuckled. "I get it. You love your Pokémon. That's natural."

"But this Trade Machine still has its purpose."

"You see, once the Pokémon descent is complete, catching wild Pokémon will become a major focus."

"Even though the capture rate isn't high, some people will catch Pokémon that don't suit their training style."

"If we force those trainers to raise Pokémon they're not compatible with… they might ruin them."

"In that case, it's better to let them trade through the system."

There was a trace of helplessness in Su Bai's tone.

If possible, he wished every Pokémon could find the perfect trainer.

But nothing in life was perfect.

The arrival of Pokémon was inevitable. So was the need to open up Poké Balls to the public.

If the Poké Balls weren't unlocked, there was no way for the Pokémon and human worlds to truly merge.

But once that door was open, new challenges would emerge—each needing careful solutions.

It would be a long, gradual process. Integrating two worlds wasn't something that could be rushed.

For now, the top priority was to strengthen humanity's overall power.

Only then could they resist the beasts of death… and far more terrifying foes to come.

Thankfully, the system had already taken measures regarding wild captures.

According to Su Bai's understanding, the capture rate had been adjusted to extremely low levels—no more one-ball wonders like "Super Luck Dog Hao."

On the other hand, Pokémon had emotions. If a trainer was kind and likable, it would be easier to form a bond and catch the Pokémon.

For example, if Li Xiaoyu ever ran into an Eevee, she'd probably succeed with one throw—just pure good vibes.

"I get all that. But what's this got to do with me? I only have one Pokémon—Machoke. I can't trade that away…"

Xiao Zhang looked even more confused and asked nervously, "Professor Su… would you mind explaining?"

"…You really don't need to be so formal," Su Bai said, rubbing his forehead at Xiao Zhang's excessive courtesy.

He shook his head and said,

"Actually, what I mean is—your Machoke… it's ready to evolve."