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

Zhu Jianyuan pointed at the screen. "I'm talking about the gear Ding Yue is wearing. That leather armor of hers is ridiculously expensive..."

"It's resistant to a wide range of elemental attacks."

"Crafted with several S-grade materials, and even blessed by an S-class profession."

Su Bai blinked, narrowing his eyes at the screen.

Only then did he notice the faint, bluish glow radiating from Ding Yue's armor. Even under the blazing heat of Ponyta's flames, it remained unscorched.

Around her neck, a necklace etched with an intricate six-pointed star glimmered faintly—radiating a life-giving aura that seemed to continuously channel vitality into her body.

"Holy... crap…"

Su Bai shook his head in disbelief.

So this... was the power of wealth.

While equipment prices had fallen somewhat due to the emergence of Pokémon, high-quality Awakened gear was still absurdly expensive.

Ding Yue's outfit alone would spark a bidding war if it appeared on the open market.

And that necklace? As someone who once dreamed of becoming a majestic spellcaster, Su Bai immediately recognized the spellwork.

Blessing of Water—a recovery-type enchantment from an S-class Water Mage.

Though slightly weakened when embedded in gear, it still allowed for passive healing when injured.

Having this kind of spell embedded into a necklace? That wasn't something money alone could buy.

The Ding family's wealth and influence were once again made crystal clear.

"Waaa—ahhhh!!"

Up in the air, Ding Yue's scream echoed.

Though her armor protected her from the scorching fire, Ponyta's ridiculous jumping power gave her the sensation of skydiving without a parachute.

Every single leap felt like being launched into the stratosphere.

And when she peeked down mid-air?

Li Xiaoyu, Umbreon, and Jolteon were nothing but tiny dots far below. The whole thing felt surreal.

Then came the plunge.

This... this was no different from falling off a building!

"Caaaaw! Caaaw!"

The only comfort she had was Talonflame, flapping alongside her, screeching anxiously.

Her longtime partner, raised from a Fletchling with love and care, was flying desperately to stay close, clearly panicking as it couldn't find an opening to help.

"I—I'll be okay... Don't interfere... Ahhhhhhh!"

Ding Yue tried to smile reassuringly at her partner, but the moment another sky-high bounce came, her face twisted in terror again.

At this point, Ponyta was dead set on launching her off its back, leaping and bucking like a rodeo horse from hell.

Honestly, it should've been looking for its herd by now.

But thanks to Ding Yue's unorthodox tactics, Ponyta was completely disoriented.

"Up... down... up... down…"

"Damn, magic swordsmen sure are fit..."

Li Xiaoyu's head bobbed in sync with Ponyta and Ding Yue's airborne chaos.

Once her panic subsided, she remembered—Ding Yue was filthy rich. Her entire outfit could probably buy a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

Not to mention, Ding Yue was a fire-element magic swordswoman, which meant she had natural resistance to fire.

With that in mind, Li Xiaoyu relaxed. If her bestie wasn't letting go, then clearly she still had things under control.

So, Li Xiaoyu casually sat down on a nearby rock and started counting Ponyta's wild jumps.

"Ninety… ninety-one… one-oh-three… one-oh-four…"

"Hang in there, Ding Yue! You got this!"

Time ticked by.

Li Xiaoyu continued counting with mild amusement, occasionally cheering.

But for Ding Yue, her ears were ringing from all the motion and wind pressure. She could barely hear anything.

Sure, her gear was top-of-the-line...

But even the best equipment had limits.

The Blessing of Water enchantment had already been exhausted, and the searing heat was rising again.

She could even smell her armor beginning to char.

This leather suit, painstakingly crafted by master artisans and paid for with an outrageous sum, was now on the verge of burning up—all thanks to her own recklessness.

"Ughhh… it's soooo hot!!!"

Ding Yue was almost in tears.

The fire had finally gotten to her—even with her natural resistance as a fire-type swordswoman, this was unbearable.

Unable to take it anymore, she lowered her head and whispered into Ponyta's ear like a desperate lover.

"Please, just submit already, Ponyta. I'll buy you premium energy cubes from the Pokémon Center!"

"You'll have berries for snacks—as much as you want! No limit!"

"I'll get you the best TMs money can buy! The finest training plans!"

"Waaaaa I'm about to get roasted alive here…"

Su Bai stared at the screen, lips twitching.

Was this how rich people captured Pokémon?

Just glue themselves to the Pokémon with top-tier armor, then shamelessly bribe it with luxury goods?

Energy cubes from the Pokémon Center didn't come cheap.

Most people, unlike Ding Yue, had to worry about their wallets.

That's why the system released DIY recipes for energy cubes—to make sure average trainers wouldn't starve their Pokémon.

Sure, homemade cubes worked. They filled stomachs.

But in terms of effectiveness and taste, the Pokémon Center's energy cubes were the gold standard.

Same with their berries—better quality, better results.

Plenty of trainers fed their partners these "luxury snacks" as a treat now and then.

After all, catching Pokémon was one thing—but you still had to feed them.

Unsurprisingly, the Pokémon Center's profits had been climbing.

Once the masses fully embraced Pokémon training, that number would likely skyrocket.

After all, not everyone could afford to buy Pokémon outright—but even common folks could occasionally splurge on treats.

Still, few could casually throw out a promise like "unlimited berries"...

In all of Haicheng, maybe only Ding Yue could do that.

"Looks like Ding Yue's just about at her limit... Ponyta sure has stamina."

"But... will this actually work?"

Su Bai narrowed his eyes at the screen.

Ponyta's endurance wasn't a surprise.

From the moment they were born, foals ran nonstop—always chasing after their evolved parents, the Rapidash herd.

It was how they grew stronger.

And this particular Ponyta? Everything about it screamed high potential.

There was no doubt about it—its stamina outclassed Ding Yue's.

No question.

Under Su Bai's gaze—

Ding Yue clenched her jaw, one arm still wrapped tightly around Ponyta's neck.

With her other hand, she reached into her belt pouch… and pulled out an energy cube.

Then, ever so gently, she held it up to Ponyta's mouth.