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

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A barrage of explosions thundered through the clearing.

While each individual Beedrill's poison sting might not have been incredibly powerful, the problem was—the sheer number of them!

Two to three dozen Beedrill meant just as many venomous needles raining down from the sky.

And these weren't unevolved Pokémon either. As an evolved species, their attacks had real bite, no matter the base power.

The area around Wang Tao and his Torterra was instantly engulfed in a haze of dust and debris stirred up by the impact, completely obscuring the massive form of Torterra.

"H-Holy crap…"

Liu Yunlan's scalp tingled as she stared wide-eyed at the scene.

"Thank god I didn't spot that treasure chest first…"

She hugged herself instinctively. Moments ago, she was still frustrated that Wang Tao had noticed the Poké Ball before her—but now, she could only feel relief.

"Wang-ge… you think he's okay?"

Zhang Qun, clutching his Goomy, had goosebumps all over. He imagined himself and his Gabite being subjected to the same terrifying barrage.

Sure, Pokémon didn't usually have the same bloodlust as Death beasts, but once they attacked seriously, they could be even scarier.

"He's probably fine… or at least, nothing too serious…"

Su Bai squinted, his extraordinary eyesight allowing him to glimpse through the swirling dust cloud.

Within moments, the dust began to settle, and the figures of Wang Tao and his two Pokémon slowly became visible.

And when they did—

PFFT!

Liu Yunlan couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

The Poison Sting attack wasn't overly powerful, and Torterra's sturdy defenses held up well. Predictably, the sheer number of hits meant it had been poisoned.

Torterra stared blankly up at the sky, its shell bristling like a porcupine—absolutely covered in poison stingers.

With a shudder, the needles clattered to the ground.

A faint purple glow surrounded Torterra's body—the clear sign of a poisoned status. Its HP was steadily, silently ticking down.

From behind the massive Torterra, a chubby hand emerged, shoving an Antidote into its mouth.

Wang Tao finally stepped out from behind his Pokémon—and the reason for Liu Yunlan's laughter became immediately clear.

Though he had avoided the brunt of the barrage by hiding behind Torterra, the defensive behemoth couldn't shield him perfectly from an AoE onslaught.

A shallow, bleeding scratch marked Wang Tao's cheek.

That single Poison Sting?

It did trigger its poison effect.

A hazy purple aura now lingered around his whole body.

And worse?

His entire face had swelled up!

"Mfff—Mmmfff—!!"

Wang Tao wailed, his voice muffled by the grotesque swelling.

"This is way too much!"

Because of the poison, his face had puffed up like an overstuffed steamed bun.

For some reason, looking at Wang Tao's bloated face reminded Su Bai of a certain famous meme from his previous life:

"Dog that got stung by a bee.jpg"

"So how's it feel, Wang Tao?"

Su Bai called out with barely disguised laughter.

"Didn't you say Bug-types were weak?"

"So, how does it feel to literally get your face swollen trying to act tough?"

"Why don't you come back already?"

"Beedrill are highly territorial. If you back off now, they might stop chasing you."

"Sh-shut up, Su Bai!"

Wang Tao's voice was slurred from the swelling—making it even funnier.

The top-ranked Trainer of Haicheng… now looked like a walking balloon.

"I-I refuff to gif uff!"

Wang Tao cried indignantly, brushing his hand across the sand-covered Hippowdon beside him.

Immediately, Hippopotas stomped its foot into the ground.

The pebbles and dirt on the surface trembled—then suddenly burst into a swirling sandstorm!

Hippopotas activated its Sand Stream ability!

The Beedrill preparing for another strike were instantly shrouded in a wall of blowing sand and debris, losing sight of Wang Tao.

And in that very moment, using Torterra's massive frame as cover, Wang Tao dashed toward the treasure chest.

"Whoa. That determined, huh? Classic Wang Tao…"

Su Bai blinked in surprise.

Wang Tao's mastery over Sandstorm had clearly improved.

Sandstorm was meant as a weather condition—to boost certain Pokémon and chip at others. But Wang Tao had turned it into a tactical smokescreen, disrupting enemy focus.

He'd done the same during their battle against the Death beasts.

You had to give the guy credit—despite the bloated face, he truly had a knack for battlefield tactics.

With the Beedrill swarmed in the storm, Wang Tao vanished from their sight.

But unlike Death beasts, Beedrill's grudge-driven instincts meant they weren't backing down anytime soon.

Wang Tao had injured their own. They were going to return the favor—even if they had to dive through hellfire to do it.

And that's where Sandstorm's weakness became clear.

Its attack power was limited.

Within seconds, a few of the more aggressive Beedrill broke through the sandstorm and locked back onto Wang Tao.

And this time—they weren't using Poison Sting.

Sandstorm, while annoying, hurt for Beedrill too. With low endurance stats, the sting of the storm made them even angrier.

Hovering in midair, a few Beedrill suddenly puffed up, their abdomens expanding as they inhaled deeply.

Bright yellow-green energy particles began to shimmer in the air around them, concentrating around their bodies.

Their twin forelimb stingers glinted menacingly.

"Huh? What's that?"

Liu Yunlan narrowed her eyes.

"They look even more intense now… Is that some kind of stat-boosting move?"

Su Bai nodded calmly.

"That's Focus Energy. When Beedrill concentrates, their attacks are more precise—and they're more likely to land critical hits."

Zhang Qun, apart from Zhou Xiaofei and Liu Qiaoqiao, was one of the few genuinely concerned for Wang Tao.

He gasped.

"Wait—doesn't that mean he's in danger?! He's already poisoned!"

He looked like he was ready to send in his Gabite to help.

But Su Bai just chuckled and waved it off.

"No need. Wang Tao's pretty lucky."

"Focus Energy would be scary for most Pokémon… but not for him."

Just as Su Bai finished speaking, the Beedrill surged forward, stingers gleaming, lunging straight at Wang Tao's unprotected back.

Wang Tao, of course, was too busy sprinting for the treasure to notice.

But Su Bai wasn't worried.

And Wang Tao?

He wasn't panicked either.

He knew something they didn't—

Su Bai would never let him die for real.

And more importantly—

Torterra would never let anything happen to its Trainer!

With a mighty growl, the enormous Torterra threw its body forward, intercepting the incoming Beedrill.

Their stingers clashed against its armor-like shell with loud, metallic clinks.

At that moment, Su Bai casually finished his thought:

"Torterra has the Shell Armor ability. It negates critical hits. So even if Beedrill uses Focus Energy… it's pointless."

And just like he said, none of the attacks could penetrate Torterra's defenses.

The Beedrill's assault once again ended in failure.

Meanwhile, Wang Tao had finally reached the giant Poké Ball-shaped chest.

"My precious… My glorious treasure…"

Even with his swollen, poisoned face, Wang Tao broke into a triumphant, if painful, grin.

He slapped his hand onto the convex button at the chest's center.