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

The two kids were heading toward the coastline.

However, the terrain around Haicheng was notoriously rugged, and before reaching the shore, they had to cross a large mountain.

And right now—they were standing at the base of that very mountain.

But their path was completely blocked… by a gigantic Pokémon.

"Not as tall as Gyarados... but so fat…"

Zhou Xiaofei stared at the creature before them, then glanced back at his own Gyarados.

His Gyarados stood nearly eight meters tall, already a true behemoth, even among its species.

But the Pokémon before him? It wasn't much smaller—and because of its round, stocky form, it actually looked bigger than his serpentine dragon.

Its body was colored a simple deep navy blue and white, chubby and plush-looking, with two protruding fangs adding to its cartoonish appearance.

Even lying down, it was well over two meters tall, and its sheer bulk made it seem even more massive.

Next to it, the two children looked like ants facing an elephant.

And at that moment, this enormous Pokémon was fast asleep.

Its thunderous snoring forced the kids to cover their ears!

Inside the Pokémon Center, even Su Bai was shocked when the image appeared on the screen.

"...That size—it's definitely Sovereign-class."

Staring at the snoozing Pokémon, he muttered in awe, "That's huge…"

The spectators around him were equally stunned.

Even S-Class beasts paled in comparison to this sheer presence.

If there were any creature that could be compared to this Pokémon's might…

It would be Groudon—whose one strike had reshaped the geography outside Haicheng, creating the infamous Cliff Valley.

Onscreen, Liu Qiaoqiao and Zhou Xiaofei cautiously approached the slumbering giant.

Liu Qiaoqiao reached out and gently touched the massive Pokémon's fur.

"So big… so soft… and fluffy…"

As a child, she naturally felt drawn to fluffy things.

How could she resist when such a colossal "plushie" was right in front of her?

But Su Bai's heart instantly clenched.

Grabbing his communicator, he called out anxiously:

"Qiaoqiao! Don't touch it!"

Su Bai knew this Pokémon well.

It was a Snorlax.

And while Snorlax wasn't known for being aggressive toward humans, with that kind of size, even a careless move could be disastrous.

Especially a Sovereign-class Snorlax.

A regular Snorlax stood just over two meters tall.

But this one, lying down, was already two meters. When standing, who knows how big it could get?

For a creature that relied purely on its physical strength, size mattered—a lot.

Qiaoqiao's innocent touch was, frankly, reckless.

But Su Bai's warning… came a moment too late.

Snorlax's massive body stirred slightly—then began to roll over!

Qiaoqiao was standing right next to it.

If she got caught in that roll… she wouldn't be Liu Qiaoqiao anymore—she'd be Liu Pancake.

The consequences were unthinkable.

But then—Zhou Xiaofei sprang into action.

In a flash, he wrapped his arms around Liu Qiaoqiao's waist.

Behind them, his Gyarados bit into the back of his shirt and flung the two of them away with incredible force!

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Xiaofei, still clinging to Qiaoqiao, was launched out of danger, escaping Snorlax's body roll by a hair's breadth.

BOOM!

Snorlax's massive arm swung lazily, slamming into the ground and creating a deep crater.

If Qiaoqiao had been a second slower, she'd be nothing but a smear in that hole…

"Hahh…"

As Zhou Xiaofei landed and gently released Liu Qiaoqiao, his face was grim.

"Qiaoqiao, didn't I say? Think before you act."

"I promised Su Bai-gege I'd keep you safe."

Honestly, her move had scared him half to death.

If Zhou Xiaofei hadn't been a unique Contract Trainer, and if his Gyarados hadn't evolved through emotional bonding, even someone like Wang Tao with Torterra wouldn't have reacted fast enough to pull that off.

In that split second, Zhou Xiaofei had transmitted his intent directly to Gyarados—a feat only he could perform.

Qiaoqiao, pale and shaken, stared wide-eyed at the crater in front of her.

"T-Thank you, Xiaofei-gege… Qiaoqiao was wrong…"

If not for her big brother figure, she really would've become a Qiaoqiao-pancake.

Behind her, Corviknight had its feathers fully flared, body trembling with rage.

Having once watched its previous trainer fall before its eyes, Corviknight now had an intense sense of protection toward Liu Qiaoqiao.

With a flap of its wings, it looked ready to take off and divebomb the massive Pokémon that nearly harmed its trainer.

But right then, Su Bai's voice echoed once more from the communication orb:

"Corviknight! Calm down!"

His voice was uncharacteristically stern.

Though Su Bai wasn't Corviknight's actual trainer, the steel bird knew how close he was to Qiaoqiao.

Another Pokémon might've ignored orders from a stranger—even Su Bai.

But not Corviknight.

With its high intelligence, it knew Su Bai wouldn't give an order without a reason.

It froze, cocked its head, and turned to stare at the communicator orb.

Qiaoqiao gently stroked its back feathers, helping it settle down, then cradled the orb in her hands.

"Su Bai-gege…"

Su Bai, finally breathing easier, picked up his communicator and scolded her:

"Qiaoqiao, Pokémon can be very dangerous—especially ones this big. You should've kept your distance!"

If Ms. Liu, the secretary's wife, had been present to see this, her heart might've stopped.

After being scolded by both Xiaofei and Su Bai, Qiaoqiao's face scrunched up and her eyes welled with tears.

But she knew they were just worried.

She sniffled, nodded, and sincerely apologized:

"I'm sorry, Su Bai-gege… I won't approach unfamiliar Pokémon so carelessly again."

Even as a child, Liu Qiaoqiao was mature for her age.

She knew how to admit when she was wrong—unlike some bratty kids who would just dig in their heels.

Then again, in this harsh post-apocalyptic world, there weren't many kids left who could afford to act spoiled.

In some ways, her willingness to reflect and change was genuinely touching.

Su Bai glanced at the screen again.

It seemed Snorlax had simply been disturbed in its sleep.

Its reaction was like someone swatting at a mosquito—instinctive, not intentional.

Now, it was back to snoring loudly.

Su Bai let out a long sigh of relief.

"Alright… as long as you're safe."

"Good job, Xiaofei."

He then explained:

"The Pokémon before you is called Snorlax."

"It's a species known for being both extremely lazy… and extremely gluttonous."

"And judging from this one's size—there's no doubt. It's a Sovereign-Class Snorlax."