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

"Psyduck…"

Murong Nan stood frozen as she watched Psyduck struggle to spread its arms apart.

As its Trainer, she shared a faint, spiritual link with it—subtle, yet ever-present.

She knew all too well the torment Psyduck's latent psychic powers brought it.

That's why their usual training focused on water-type moves, never on psychic techniques.

Because once Psyduck tapped into those powers—it suffered excruciating pain.

And now, it was opening its arms… on its own?

Just how much pain was it enduring right now?

Even Golduck, who had been taunting non-stop just a second ago, shut its mouth in stunned silence.

From a purely logical standpoint, given their disparity in psychic strength, Psyduck should never be able to break free from Golduck's Disable.

And yet—Golduck was starting to feel the strain.

Unwilling to be shown up in front of its flock, Golduck pressed harder—its hands once again clamped to its temples as the ruby on its forehead glowed even brighter.

It was not just a battle now—it was about pride.

If Psyduck broke free from its control, what face would Golduck have left to command the tribe?

Especially when this Psyduck, in its eyes, was a traitor who abandoned the flock to join humans.

And so began a fierce psychic standoff—one exerting pressure, the other struggling to resist.

In the Pokémon Center, Diancie brought her hands to her chest.

She was an expert in psychic energy—and she could clearly feel Psyduck's rapid growth under pressure.

And the reason for that growth?

Its Trainer. Murong Nan.

"Psyduck thinks… if it loses, its Trainer will be in danger," Diancie whispered through the communicator.

"So even though it's terrified of Golduck… it's fighting back with everything it has."

"Psyduck is really brave…"

Her voice reached Murong Nan and Liu Yunlan—and in that moment, they both snapped.

"You damn bully! Picking on my Nan Nan's Psyduck?!"

Liu Yunlan's fury erupted. "Infernape, go teach that jerk a lesson!"

Infernape let out a growl as flames roared around its body, ready to charge and interrupt Golduck's channeling.

But just as it moved, a delicate hand stopped it.

Murong Nan—her face full of concern—stood firm.

"No," she said resolutely. "I trust Psyduck."

Her Psyduck, like its appearance, had always been a bit dopey and timid—even when facing death beasts, it trembled at the sight of battle.

As a Trainer, she had often felt helpless watching its cowardice.

But now—right now—Psyduck was giving everything for her.

And if her Pokémon could fight for her, then she would trust it completely.

"Daaah!!"

Almost as if responding to her voice, Psyduck's wide, vacant eyes briefly flickered with determination.

And then—with a defiant cry—it ripped its arms outward.

BOOM!!

A deafening blast erupted.

Before anyone could react, a powerful invisible shockwave swept through the battlefield!

In that single moment, all the vast psychic energy Psyduck had accumulated since birth… erupted.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

A flurry of water splashes echoed from the riverbank as dozens of wild Psyducks were blown away by the psychic shockwave—crashing into the river like dumplings in boiling water!

Even Golduck could no longer maintain its full-force posture.

The ruby on its forehead flickered—then went dark.

It clenched itself to the ground, barely keeping from being launched too.

Its eyes, once filled with arrogance, were now wide with disbelief.

Even Murong Nan and Liu Yunlan could feel the tremendous pressure from this burst of power.

A raging storm of wind and water vapor surged toward them!

"Bo-ga! Bo-ga!"

Empoleon stepped forward, his stout body shielding his Trainer from the roaring current.

Liu Yunlan ducked behind Arcanine—who, along with Infernape, was clearly uncomfortable.

Water-type energy overwhelmed their senses, causing them visible distress.

"Psyduck!"

Murong Nan pushed forward against the storm—and saw it.

Her Psyduck, standing at the center of the storm, glowing white.

Under this immense pressure—it had finally evolved!

Back at the Pokémon Center, everyone was dumbfounded.

Even if they didn't know as much as Su Bai, they understood one thing well: evolution meant massive change in power.

And this wasn't a case of two different types clashing—it was Psyduck vs. Golduck, same lineage!

Now Psyduck wasn't just matching Golduck—it was surpassing it.

The white glow made it obvious—Psyduck was evolving!

Cheers erupted from every corner of the center!

"Psyduck is awesome!!"

"Holy crap, that was its hidden power breaking out!"

"That was so cool! Our sweet duck is amazing!"

"Ugh, I'm crying—Psyduck unleashed its power to protect its Trainer!"

"I heard it hurts Psyduck when it uses its psychic powers… poor little guy…"

"Look at Golduck's face—completely stunned, haha!"

"I know it's mean, but the way those other Psyducks fell into the river… comedy gold."

Murong Nan had always been one of Haicheng's most popular trainers—second only to Ding Yue.

With her stunning looks, cold personality, and elite-level Empoleon, she was adored by fans.

Everyone knew about her Psyduck—timid, unremarkable, always hiding behind Empoleon.

That had been the general impression.

Until now.

Watching Psyduck's explosive breakthrough felt like watching your own child finally grow up.

The whole center was filled with a weird kind of proud, teary joy.

"Trainers and Pokémon really are more than the sum of their parts…" Su Bai murmured, smiling.

If this timid, hidden-ability Psyduck had stayed with the wild flock, it probably never would've evolved.

Talent meant nothing without the right push.

But under Murong Nan's care, and with the pressure of this moment—

That cowardly Psyduck… finally evolved.

"Daaah~!"

From within the blinding light, a slender blue head emerged.

The red gem on its forehead shimmered brilliantly.

Next came its newly streamlined body.

No longer Psyduck—this was now Golduck.

It blinked, glancing down at its transformed hands, seemingly unfamiliar with the new power it held.

But a voice pierced the air—excited, proud, and full of conviction.

"Golduck—use Zen Headbutt!"

"Let that arrogant jerk see your true strength!"