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

"This isn't even a question—I've already made arrangements with Nan Nan. The two of us beauties will stick together!"

Liu Yunlan beamed as she cheerfully tugged Murong Nan aside. Since exploration points are tracked individually, and the eventual champion will most likely emerge among the first batch of Trainers, working as one group would only blur those differences. Determined, Liu Yunlan had long resolved to explore alongside her best friend. Even if she couldn't clinch first place herself, at the very least, Nan Nan would!

"Then I'm pairing up with Big Bro!"

Seeing this, Zhang Qun quickly hugged his favorite little Pokémon, Nen Nen (a nickname for his beloved Goomy), and dashed to Wang Tao's side. As a devoted fan of Wang Tao—who had just captured an Electrode (despite the rather convoluted ordeal)—he was convinced that his "big brother" would be the champion.

Wang Tao glanced at Zhang Qun and, with a shrug, agreed, "I have no objections."

Xiao Zhang surveyed the gathering and, locking eyes with Pei Jingguo (who was also watching him intently), silently stepped forward. Pei Jingguo broke into a smile and said, "Let's team up, the two of us."

The pair—often locked in rivalry—shared a moment of tacit understanding as they became a team.

Next came the pair of sisters, Ding Yue and Li Xiaoyu. And then… Su Bai eyed the young duo of Zhou Xiaofei and Liu Qiaoqiao with a slight headache.

"Qiaoqiao, are you absolutely sure you want to go?" Su Bai cautioned gently. "Your mom agreed to let you leave the city only on the condition that I'm there with you…"

Just before departure, Liu Qiaoqiao had arrived at the Pokémon Center with her partner, Corviknight, and joined the group. But since she had only recently come under Corviknight's protection, and given her inexperience as a Trainer—and the fact that she was even younger than Zhou Xiaofei—it was hard to say whether it was truly the right time for her.

"Of course I'm going!" Liu Qiaoqiao declared fiercely, fists clenching. "I'm a Trainer now, and Corviknight will protect me, won't you, Corviknight?"

With that, she bounced up and patted Corviknight's broad, gentle back. Standing tall at over two meters, Corviknight bowed its head with a tenderness that belied its imposing appearance, rubbing affectionately against its little Trainer.

Nearby, Zhou Xiaofei offered his reassurance, "Boss, I promise I'll protect Qiaoqiao. Don't worry!"

"And my Gyarados is strong!" he added confidently.

Su Bai watched these two children and scratched his head. In terms of sheer power, the combination of Corviknight and Gyarados wasn't far off from what Wang Tao's group could muster. After all, in Zhou Xiaofei's hands, that Gyarados would truly shine; the value of evolving through bond strength was immense. Although Zhou Xiaofei hadn't yet sparred with Wang Tao's team, if you judged by the Pokémon's potential, Gyarados was clearly on par with—even superior to—the likes of Torterra in raw offensive power, at least when Gyarados was in full burst mode.

Of course, that was when Gyarados was pushed to its limits, and when dealing with wild Pokémon, caution was always paramount. Fortunately, both Gyarados and Corviknight were capable of flight. A Gyarados towering at seven or eight meters and accompanied by Zhou Xiaofei would not have any trouble, and Corviknight—at just over two meters—could easily carry little Qiaoqiao through the skies.

After weighing all these considerations, Su Bai decided not to snuff out the excitement of these budding Trainers. After all, many older Trainers—those who had been suppressed by the might of Death Beasts—were now trailing behind in exploration. For those who had managed to capture their very first Pokémon, their eagerness to set out into the world was palpable.

"Alright then," Su Bai sighed. "But, Xiaofei, you must be extra cautious—if you encounter danger, immediately let Gyarados and Corviknight get you out of there."

At these words, Zhou Xiaofei nodded solemnly, his expression adopting a maturity beyond his years. Hearing this, Liu Qiaoqiao cheered, leaping up to give Su Bai a big, enthusiastic kiss, muffled by her small arms.

Smiling, Su Bai shook his head and lowered Qiaoqiao. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few small, spherical beads strung together with rope.

"Everyone, hold onto these and put them around your necks," he instructed.

Liu Yunlan, curious, took one and examined it closely. "What exactly is this?"

Su Bai grinned. "Consider it a camera—a portable holocam, if you will. You might have noticed that the atmosphere of the area has changed dramatically since the Death Beasts vanished. With the toxic gloom cleared, our technology from the 'Paradise Era'—long since lost—can finally operate in the wild again."

"Devices for transmitting signals and images via radio waves are finally unrestricted outside the city!"

Pei Jingguo picked up one of the orbs and marveled, "This is truly a remnant of the Paradise Era… for capturing and broadcasting images, isn't it?"

"Yes, exactly," Su Bai nodded, "it's a full-featured holocam. There are only a few of these in the entire City Lord's Mansion, and all have been entrusted to me by Zhu Jianyuan."

He continued in a warm tone, "You, our seed selection of Trainers, are the ones the people of Haicheng have pinned their hopes on. Many did not manage to capture their very first Pokémon before the arrival, so they can't join this adventure. Even those who did sometimes lack the power to venture deep into the wild. Most can only stick to the main roads."

"For those people—having no choice but to walk the official paths—what's worse is that they'll only ever glimpse the outside world. Believe me, after a lifetime under the oppression of Death Beasts, that is far more agonizing than actual combat."

"To appease everyone's yearning to see the world outside, Zhu Jianyuan and I have devised one more measure."

"Live broadcasts!"

"You, our seed Trainers, will be the ones to witness the vast beauty of the new world firsthand. Of course, if you'd prefer not to, that's your prerogative."

Su Bai's words were not mere fluff—he was serious. Although wild Pokémon still posed threats, confining oneself solely to the safe roads could never satiate the human thirst for adventure. Without some incentive to explore, many would risk everything, and that was not what Su Bai wanted to see—another tragedy caused by wild Pokémon assault.

At this crucial juncture, Su Bai needed to minimize any mishaps.

The system could arrange for Pokémon to descend safely, but it was up to him, the owner of the Pokémon Center, to guide humans in truly understanding and embracing them.

"Refuse? Why would anyone refuse such an opportunity?"

Liu Yunlan laughed brightly as she proudly fastened the holocam around her neck and tilted her head back. "I'm going to show Haicheng what a legendary Trainer really is!"

Wang Tao, ever the free spirit, clapped on and shrugged as he donned his own device. "Even though I'm not exactly used to wearing these, if Su Bai says so…"

Despite his natural aversion to revealing hidden strategies (after all, secrecy was key for surprising opponents), his mischievous nature got the better of him, and he quickly understood Su Bai's predicament. As a close friend, he wouldn't disappoint.

Soon, the rest of the Trainers followed suit, each clipping a little holocam to their necks. In a symbolic way, these devices weren't merely for capturing images—they were each a spark of hope for the people of Haicheng.

After carefully ensuring that Liu Qiaoqiao's holocam was securely fastened, Su Bai stood up. Surveying the assembled, determined groups, he clambered onto his loyal Charizard, waved broadly at the crowd, and declared, "Then, let's wish you all victory as you set forth!"

"Now, tell me—how do you intend to proceed?"

"Will you move out as a group… or split up individually?"