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

Whether it was Ding Yue's overwhelming generosity or sheer determination that stunned Ponyta into submission—no one could say.

Just as it prepared to leap again, Ponyta suddenly halted mid-motion the moment it noticed the energy cube being offered right before its eyes.

It tilted its head slightly, curiously sniffing the cube in Ding Yue's hand.

Unconsciously, a bit of saliva pooled at the corners of its mouth.

Its eyes began to gleam faintly with interest.

To be honest, Ponyta was exhausted.

The human on its back clung like stubborn glue—no matter how violently it bucked, she wouldn't come off.

And strangely enough, its protective flames didn't seem to affect her much at all.

It had nearly given up more than once. If not for its instinctive drive to return to its herd, it probably would've stopped struggling long ago.

But now, it was tired, thirsty… and very, very hungry.

Even though it was already a "big kid" among Ponyta, in the grand scheme of its kind, it was still just a baby.

And this energy cube…

It smelled divine.

Energy cubes were tailor-made by humans for Pokémon—like cat food for cats, or dog food for dogs—utterly irresistible.

Not only were they rich in the nutrients Pokémon needed, but they were designed to match their taste and scent preferences perfectly.

In the wild? There was no such luxury.

To a wilderness-raised Ponyta, this was a delicacy beyond imagination.

And just like that, it forgot everything else. No more struggling, no more jumping.

It leaned in—and took a big bite.

Chomp. Chomp.

Its eyes lit up as it chewed.

"It's working!"

Ding Yue's eyes sparkled with excitement.

She immediately reached into her pouch and pulled out another energy cube—then another, and another!

Before long, a whole stack of energy cubes was neatly arranged right in front of Ponyta.

Ponyta's pupils dilated in shock.

Even Su Bai, watching through the screen, couldn't help but blurt out:

"What the—... Spatial gear?"

There was no way Ding Yue's tiny waist pouch could hold that many cubes.

The only explanation was dimensional storage equipment—and those were insanely expensive.

Aside from someone like Zhang Qun, no ordinary trainer could possibly afford it.

After all, most people were too busy pouring every last cent into raising their Pokémon, let alone splurging on high-end gear.

Ponyta, meanwhile, felt its entire worldview crumble.

It had never eaten anything so delicious.

And every time it finished one cube, another would magically appear.

It couldn't even eat fast enough to keep up with the supply.

Eventually, a small cube "mountain" formed in front of it.

And it completely forgot about returning to its herd.

"Eh? It's… not hot anymore?"

Ding Yue was reaching to place another cube when she suddenly realized—

The searing heat had vanished.

From the Pokéball, Su Bai's speechless voice came through.

"If it's not hot anymore… it means Ponyta has accepted you. What are you waiting for? Capture it already!"

Honestly, watching Ding Yue's over-the-top capture process had left Su Bai a little speechless.

Growing up, he'd had to count every cent just to eat. Even now, though he was doing fine financially, this display still left him feeling powerless.

"Ponyta evolves into Rapidash. They're excellent mounts."

"But after evolving, the flames on its back grow even fiercer."

"Only when it accepts someone completely will its fire not burn them."

"So yeah… as ridiculous as this all is, it seems it doesn't dislike you anymore."

"Also, get off now. It's not fully grown yet—carrying your weight for too long could harm it."

Su Bai's explanation filled Ding Yue with delight.

She quickly dismounted from the one-meter-tall Ponyta.

While it had barely managed to carry her, it was clearly not yet suitable for riding.

Taking out a Pokéball, she gently tapped it against Ponyta's body.

Seeing the confusion in the little steed's eyes, Ding Yue softly reassured it:

"Don't worry—I'm just putting you in the Pokéball for a bit. You can eat as many energy cubes as you want after!"

Then, she pressed the capture button.

Ponyta didn't resist at all and was easily pulled into the Pokéball.

Ding Yue's trainer device beeped as it successfully registered the capture—this hard-won Ponyta was finally hers!

But the next second, she released it again and continued feeding it energy cubes.

"Go on, eat! Eat all you want. We'll head out once you're full."

She lovingly stroked its neck, her eyes brimming with satisfaction.

At long last… she got what she wanted.

Inside the Pokémon Center, there was a long, awkward silence.

Every face bore an expression of quiet disbelief.

Yes, the Ponyta was undeniably impressive.

But… was that really the way to capture a Pokémon?

So, this flame-bodied, fire-type Pokémon with Flash Fire ability… was just a little glutton in disguise?

"Ahem…"

Su Bai cleared his throat.

"Well, in the end, capturing Pokémon is like that. They're very sentient creatures—each with unique personalities and thoughts."

"Sometimes, you don't need to hurt them to win them over."

"That said… don't copy what Ding Yue did. Not everyone has gear like hers."

If anyone else tried that?

They'd likely get roasted alive in the very first minute.

After all, Ponyta's flames weren't something normal people could just endure.

In truth, this was kind of like taming a wild horse.

Sure, Ponyta eventually gave in to the cubes—but without Ding Yue wearing it down first, that never would've worked.

If someone had tried walking up with a cube from the start?

Ponyta would've probably snatched it and bolted, leaving them with nothing but regret.

"Well, it looks like most teams have made some progress."

"What about those two kids?"

Ding Yue's attempt had taken a considerable amount of time.

During that window, the other groups had also made some discoveries—but none had attempted further captures.

It was clear that these trainers were cautious.

They wouldn't catch a Pokémon unless they truly liked it.

As for Wang Tao's group, he finally opened a chest that didn't contain an Electrode—only to find a high-grade potion, which left him speechless.

That's when Su Bai suddenly remembered—

Zhou Xiaofei, the diligent Pokémon Center staffer, and Liu Qiaoqiao, the girl with the Corviknight.

Based on experience, that child duo was definitely worth worrying about.

But when Su Bai switched his view to their location—

He was stunned.

"That Pokémon… it's huge… and so fat…"

On the screen—

Zhou Xiaofei and Liu Qiaoqiao stood frozen, staring up at a mountain-sized Pokémon, both blurting out the same thought aloud.

(End of Chapter)