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

Everything happened far too quickly.

By the time Ponyta had galloped a great distance with Ding Yue clinging to its neck, Li Xiaoyu finally snapped out of her daze.

Talonflame, despite its injuries, didn't hesitate for a second—launching itself like an arrow in hot pursuit.

Nidorina dropped to all fours, her little legs pumping madly, but the distance between her and her trainer only grew wider and wider!

Ponyta was already a high-speed Pokémon, and now spooked, it ran at full force. Talonflame could barely keep up—Nidorina didn't stand a chance.

Li Xiaoyu stood frozen, staring in shock, then looked at her Umbreon and Jolteon beside her. She considered mounting Jolteon to follow—but quickly dismissed the idea.

Jolteon was fast, yes, but it wasn't a proper mount. Barely a meter tall, it could never support someone like Li Xiaoyu, who stood at over 175 centimeters.

Meanwhile, inside the Pokémon Center…

The crowd watching the live broadcast had descended into chaos.

Ding Yue was already one of the most popular trainers thanks to her incredible Talonflame, holding the #1 ranking in popularity by a wide margin.

Now, their top favorite was being dragged away by a wild Ponyta!

It wasn't even tall enough to be classified as a proper mount Pokémon—just barely over a meter. Ding Yue, while not as tall as Li Xiaoyu, was still a long-limbed girl at around 170 cm.

If it hadn't been for Ponyta's incredible speed holding her suspended mid-air, the audience might have been treated to a comical scene of her heels digging into the ground like emergency brakes.

And those blazing flames around Ponyta…

Was she seriously okay?!

"Uh… what…"

Even Su Bai was stunned into silence.

He hadn't expected Ponyta to flee so decisively.

Even less expected—Ding Yue's sheer guts. She had latched onto its neck without hesitation. That kind of obsession with catching a Pokémon was almost terrifying.

This was absolute madness!

And this was Ponyta—its body was covered from head to tail in literal flames!

Those beautiful fire trails that boosted its charm?

They were very real, searing-hot flames!

"Doesn't that… hurt?!"

Su Bai winced as he watched the footage.

Ding Yue's arms were locked tightly around Ponyta's neck—right where the flames were most intense.

Thanks to the high-frame-rate settings on the holo-cam, everything was shown in crystal-clear detail.

Ding Yue wore a sleek, jet-black leather outfit that looked expensive.

Now, under the flames, wisps of smoke began curling from her sleeves.

Her expression clearly showed she was enduring intense pain—clenching her teeth to hold on.

This wasn't your everyday burn. This was Ponyta's fire—known for scorching steel!

In reality, all of this had happened in a matter of seconds.

But within those few short moments, Ponyta had already sprinted a good distance.

Even if Li Xiaoyu wanted to give chase, she couldn't keep up.

Talonflame finally caught up, soaring alongside the blazing horse. But faced with Ding Yue pressed tightly against Ponyta, it didn't know what to do.

There was no "friendly fire off" setting in real life.

Even a precise Quick Attack could risk hitting Ding Yue by accident.

And now Ponyta, in its panicked attempt to escape, was jumping erratically, tossing Ding Yue around like a rag doll.

Trying to land a clean hit without orders from a trainer? Impossible.

Everyone could only watch helplessly as Ponyta zigzagged wildly with Ding Yue stuck to it like glue.

Back with the rider—

As the haze cleared from her mind, Ding Yue fully grasped her situation.

The burnt smell on her sleeves, the scorching pain in her arms—these were unmistakable signs.

But instead of letting go… she gripped even tighter.

She loved this Ponyta. She had to catch it. There was no giving up.

Man and horse—both stubborn to the core.

One refused to stop. The other refused to let go.

"Maybe… you should let go?"

Su Bai's voice came gently from the Poké Ball communicator.

He was truly getting worried.

There were other Pokémon out there to catch.

But there was only one Ding Yue.

Letting Ponyta go would be a small loss.

Letting Ding Yue get hurt—that would be a huge one.

"Let go?!"

Ding Yue bared her teeth, shouting as she glared at the bucking Ponyta.

"I will NEVER let go! Let's see who's more stubborn!"

With a fierce yell, she tightened her grip.

Ponyta's breath hitched from the pressure.

And then, with a twist of her waist and absurd core strength, Ding Yue swung herself onto Ponyta's back.

"Ssszzzzzz!"

Steam hissed into the air as her body came in full contact with the blazing flames.

She didn't flinch.

Now astride Ponyta's back, arms wrapped tight around its neck, she bellowed:

"Ponyta! Today, I swear I will tame you!"

Ponyta, momentarily dumbfounded at how she'd climbed onto its back, instantly understood her intention.

With a snort, it shot two jets of fire from its nostrils and began stomping furiously.

Then—leaped straight into the air.

With its top-tier jumping ability, it soared into the sky—twisting and turning, doing everything it could to buck her off.

But Ding Yue had clearly gone all in.

No matter how Ponyta spun, kicked, or twisted, she held fast like a human burr.

Chaos had fully taken over.

Back at the Pokémon Center, no one even dared breathe as they watched the screen.

Everyone was stunned by Ding Yue's wild behavior.

Just what kind of temper did this girl have?!

Live horse taming?! On air?! And now she was riding it into the sky!?

"Wh—what the hell…"

Even Su Bai's jaw was hanging open.

It wasn't just Ding Yue's stubbornness—he already knew she was headstrong.

After all, she was the heiress of the powerful Ding Corporation.

If she weren't that determined, she wouldn't have poured so much energy into raising a humble Fletchling into the awe-inspiring Talonflame it became.

No, what shocked Su Bai was—

Wasn't she afraid of getting burned?!

This wasn't an illusion. This was real fire.

At the start, she was hanging onto the neck.

But now… she was practically sitting on a grill.

Grilled Ding Yue, anyone?

Su Bai shook his head, forcing the dark thought away.

Beside him, Zhu Jianyuan couldn't help but mutter:

"She really is from the Ding family, huh… Look at that gear."

Su Bai blinked.

"Gear? What do you mean?"

(End of Chapter)