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

The enormous Poké Ball-shaped chest lay nestled in a clearing surrounded by towering trees.

At that moment, Wang Tao was charging toward it with a speed that completely contradicted his plump frame—he was practically flying.

As Li Xiaoyu cried out in alarm, the others also began to hear the unsettling sound:

BZZZZZZZ…

It was a sharp, high-pitched buzzing—like a giant mosquito flapping its wings right beside your ear, sending a chill down your spine.

The sound was unmistakable—something was slicing through the air at high velocity.

"Ah… I knew it."

Su Bai watched Wang Tao charge headlong into the clearing and sighed, his expression tinged with pity.

The next instant, a sharp, gleaming stinger—cold and deadly—plunged into Wang Tao's rear end.

"AAAAHHH—!!"

In full view of the stunned onlookers, Wang Tao—an awakened Knight-class—leapt straight into the air from the pain!

With a shriek, he scrambled behind his Torterra for cover, clutching his behind.

And then he looked up…

Only to be met with the terrifying sight of dozens of Beedrill hovering in the air, wings buzzing ominously.

His expression turned to shock and horror.

"T-That's a Beedrill…"

"But why are there so many of them?!"

His eyes went wide.

In the clearing, twenty to thirty Beedrill beat their transparent wings in unison, staring him down like a furious army.

Beedrill looked similar to oversized hornets, but with two forelimbs that ended in deadly white stingers, glowing faintly with a venomous gleam.

And just below their bulbous abdomens, a larger, deadlier stinger protruded like a blade.

Right now, all of them were poised midair, staring at the intruder who dared step into their territory—Wang Tao.

They weren't just agitated.

They were furious.

Like a squadron of elite soldiers ready to strike.

Bug-type Pokémon were known for evolving quickly.

Plenty of Trainers in Haicheng had drawn Kakuna early on and, after a few battles, had evolved them into Beedrill.

Still, Wang Tao had never taken Beedrill seriously.

In his mind, they weren't even as threatening as Butterfree.

Aside from rare exceptions like Volcarona, Bug-types had a reputation for being weak, with lackluster stats.

Butterfree had utility—Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Poison Powder, and so on. It could leave an impression.

But Beedrill? Mostly physical attackers. Less memorable.

That is… unless there were dozens of them.

Facing this many Beedrill?

That was a completely different story.

Even Torterra and Hippopotas, both powerful Pokémon, seemed a little uneasy in the face of this swarm.

Wang Tao glanced helplessly at Su Bai and the others.

Su Bai gave a smirk and casually waved him off.

"Didn't you say Bug-types weren't a big deal? Well… you got this. I believe in you!"

Liu Yunlan burst into laughter at Wang Tao's miserable expression as he clutched his butt.

"Besides, you spotted the Poké Ball first, remember? It's all yours!"

Wang Tao had been getting a bit too full of himself lately.

As Haicheng's top-ranked Trainer, he'd gained tons of admiration—people practically worshipped him.

It had made him cocky. Arrogant even.

So now, this Beedrill ambush?

It was the perfect cold shower.

"I have to do this alone?!"

Wang Tao looked like he was about to cry.

His butt still throbbed where the stinger had struck, and it was starting to itch too.

He could see the swelling even through his clothes.

Thankfully, the poison hadn't activated—or he'd be turning purple by now.

It was clear: no one was going to help.

Not Su Bai, not Liu Yunlan, and not the others—even though their Pokémon could've easily driven the Beedrill away.

"D-Damn it!"

Wang Tao clenched his teeth.

"You're underestimating me! My Torterra once tanked an S-Rank Death beast!"

"Fine, I'll handle this myself!"

"Torterra—use Razor Leaf!"

With a deep grunt, Torterra's body glowed green.

Blades of leaf-like energy formed and launched forward like a volley of deadly throwing knives.

Under Wang Tao's command, the barrage of Razor Leaf flew toward the Beedrill swarm.

Wang Tao's Torterra was indeed highly trained.

With a base stat total of 525, its only real weakness was its speed stat of 56.

But that also meant it had better stats in defense and attack—especially given Wang Tao had focused his training on durability.

Even its offense wasn't bad.

Razor Leaf, a spread-type move, usually worked great against a few opponents.

But this time?

There were just too many Beedrill.

By the time the leaves reached them, the spread had thinned out.

And since Wang Tao hadn't even locked onto a specific target, the whole attack felt more like a dice roll than a strategy.

The Beedrill, with their agile wings, easily dodged the unfocused barrage.

In the end, only one leaf struck its mark—hitting a Beedrill square in the gut.

That one Beedrill spun out mid-air and crashed to the ground, twitching.

Still, the fact that one hit had such a strong effect showed just how powerful Wang Tao's Torterra really was.

"See? Told you Bug-types aren't a big deal!"

Wang Tao puffed out his chest and pointed.

"Now get lost! Let me open that chest or my Torterra won't be polite next time!"

Watching this overconfident scene unfold, Su Bai wordlessly facepalmed.

"Wang Tao… you're way too bold."

Now, he'd done it.

Beedrill had one infamous trait: their vicious, vengeful temperament.

If Wang Tao had just backed off after getting stung, the Beedrill might've let him go.

But now?

He'd wounded one of them.

There would be no forgiveness.

In the anime, every time Beedrill showed up, they attacked in droves. Even Ash couldn't always handle them.

Sure enough, right after Wang Tao finished his threat, he took another cautious step toward the chest.

And that's when the Beedrill made their move.

Seeing their comrade fall, the swarm exploded into fury!

Their already-red eyes now burned with rage.

Dozens of Beedrill lifted their stingers in unison—all three of them—aiming directly at Wang Tao.

And then it began.

A sound like hail against a metal roof echoed through the forest.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

An absolute downpour of stingers—coated in a faint, purple glow—came raining down from above, blotting out the sky.

It was Beedrill's "Rain of Poison Stingers."