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

Su Bai's words still carried serious weight.

Li Yun knew that this mysterious Pokémon Center owner had once saved the old Principal from an assault by several S-Class Dead Beasts. She had no reason to doubt Su Bai's ability.

And so, even though she was still extremely nervous, she didn't scream or panic further under Su Bai's firm assurance.

As for Liu Qiaoqiao…

Clearly, this little girl had always been something of a handful. Climbing trees and the like probably wasn't new to her.

Despite wearing a frilly little dress, she scrambled up the tree with practiced ease. Before long, she'd scaled to a height of four or five meters—just one arm's reach away from the branch where the reclusive Corviknight was perched.

She was still climbing, determined to reach that branch.

Though in a daze, Corviknight was still a fully evolved Pokémon. At last, it sensed Qiaoqiao's presence.

It assumed, yet again, that someone was trying to capture it and turned its head with visible irritation.

The next moment, its massive, fierce face came into full view before Liu Qiaoqiao!

Corviknight was naturally intimidating in appearance, and given its sour mood these past few days, it looked positively terrifying now.

With its beak wide open, it let out a sharp, angry screech, eyes glaring fiercely at the seemingly clueless girl climbing toward it.

But the moment it turned its head—Corviknight froze.

This child…

Back when it was just a Rookidee, Liu Jiantao had once taken it home.

That's when it first met Liu Qiaoqiao.

It wasn't a long encounter, as Jiantao soon took it back for military training.

Yet Corviknight remembered her.

Its nose twitched, and for the first time in days, that fierce face flickered—showing a rare trace of uncertainty.

But Qiaoqiao, startled by its sudden movement, lost her grip!

No matter how brave she was, Corviknight's menacing appearance was too much.

Already exhausted from climbing, she was caught completely off guard and shrieked as her hand slipped—her small body falling straight toward the ground!

"Q-Qiaoqiao!"

Zhou Xiaofei lunged, trying to catch her—but he was just a kid with slightly better-than-average reflexes, not a hero.

His Gyarados had been put away earlier in the day—its intimidating presence had frightened too many children at the center.

And now, he was powerless to help.

"Qiaoqiao!!"

Li Yun cried out in sheer terror!

Su Bai's brows knit together. His toes tensed, ready to leap forward in an instant.

Yes, the Pokémon Center's system protections would ensure Qiaoqiao wasn't harmed—but the shock of seeing her fall would still terrify any mother.

Four to five meters wasn't fatal… but it was enough to make anyone's heart stop.

For Su Bai, that kind of distance barely existed—but just as he was about to act—

He stopped.

Because in the very next instant, the brooding Corviknight—silent for so long—spread its wings!

"Krah!"

With a sharp cry, it dove.

In a blur, the enormous steel bird swept low in a dazzling burst of speed—catching the falling Qiaoqiao midair with pinpoint precision.

Qiaoqiao, eyes clenched shut in fear, suddenly felt something soft and warm beneath her.

Then, something hard and gentle tapped her on the head.

She opened her eyes… and was greeted by a pair of crimson eyes—Corviknight's.

They were naturally red, but this time… she saw something else in them:

Confusion. Longing. Guilt. Sorrow.

So many emotions, all tangled together.

Children are sensitive to feelings—easily affected by them.

Tears welled up as she thought of her father again. Fear forgotten, she threw her arms around Corviknight's thick neck, burying her face in its feathers and sobbing.

Corviknight gently tapped her head with its beak, smoothing her disheveled hair as if comforting her.

For an intelligent Pokémon like Corviknight, it wasn't hard to understand the connection between Liu Jiantao and this child.

Liu Jiantao had died in front of it.

There was no way it would ever let harm come to this child—not even over its dead body.

The entire scene unfolded in a blink.

Even Su Bai was stunned by Corviknight's reaction.

This was the same Pokémon that had rejected every member of the Pokémon army—even those who had fought alongside it.

Corviknight, the most stubborn among all the Pokémon in the center… had just risked everything for a child.

"Q-Qiaoqiao…"

Li Yun finally spoke through choked sobs, covering her mouth.

The moment had happened too fast. Now, all she could do was watch—watch as her daughter cried in the arms of her late husband's Pokémon.

All her grief and longing surged up at once.

Inside the boarding center, the soft sobs of mother and daughter filled the air—making Su Bai sigh quietly.

This… is the apocalypse.

And yet, just as the atmosphere became heavy—

Corviknight, still cradling Qiaoqiao gently, began walking forward.

In Su Bai and Zhou Xiaofei's stunned eyes—

It reached the wall, grabbed a Poké Ball from a nearby shelf with its beak, and tapped it against Qiaoqiao.

"Wait… wha—?"

Su Bai blinked.

That Poké Ball… was its own.

Corviknight had just handed its Poké Ball to Qiaoqiao.

Li Yun's sobbing halted instantly. She stared at the scene in utter shock.

"S-Su Bai… what's going on? Is Corviknight…?"

Su Bai gave a weird expression. "Y-yeah… I think it's choosing her as its new trainer."

Qiaoqiao looked up in confusion, face still wet with tears, and saw the round Poké Ball in front of her.

She recognized it—Poké Balls were a common sight at the center.

Still sniffling, she took it in both hands. Just as she did, a wave of warmth passed through her, like an invisible thread connecting her heart to Corviknight.

Corviknight had accepted her.

From this moment on, Corviknight was Liu Qiaoqiao's Pokémon.

"Uuuuuu… Corviknight…"

Qiaoqiao may have been young, but she was smart. She instantly understood what had happened.

She dove back into Corviknight's feathers and sobbed even harder.

At last, the tension in Su Bai and Li Yun's hearts eased.

Su Bai chuckled warmly. "Congratulations, Madam. This is the first time I've ever seen a Pokémon choose its own trainer…"

"I'll inform Lord Zhu personally."

(Eevee and Li Xiaoyu didn't count—Corviknight had lost its previous trainer. It was a different situation.)

He hadn't expected any of this…

Technically, Corviknight belonged to the Pokémon army.

But if Su Bai spoke up, Zhu Jianyuan wouldn't dare object.

And even if Su Bai said nothing—once Zhu Jianyuan knew who the recipient was, there was no way he'd step in. Su Bai was sure of that.

Li Yun nodded, staring at the pair nestled together—her daughter and Corviknight—and sighed softly.

There was satisfaction, comfort, bitterness, and grief in that sigh.

Su Bai looked at her, then at Corviknight and Qiaoqiao.

A smile broke across his face.

This… was the world he had dreamed of.

A world where Pokémon could offer more than strength.

They could comfort, heal, and connect with humans on the deepest levels.

Unlike the mindless, destructive Dead Beasts—Pokémon had humanity.

And being the one to bring them into this broken world…

Might just be Su Bai's greatest achievement.