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

Dimensional storage equipment isn't something just anyone can have. Even the spatial gear used by Ding Yue was something the Ding Corporation spent tremendous effort to acquire.

It wasn't a matter of money—you couldn't just buy one no matter how wealthy you were.

Sure, in terms of financial ability, Su Bai could easily afford such equipment. If he pulled a few strings, he could even get in touch with one of the incredibly rare Space-Type mages.

But he would never equip Zhou Xiaofei with something like that.

Not because he lacked the resources—but because there was no need.

Zhou Xiaofei was like a wild and tenacious weed. He could be helped along, yes—but not protected like a fragile greenhouse flower.

As for Liu Qiaoqiao, despite all the so-called "pocket money" she had, it wasn't enough to buy that kind of thing either.

All she could afford was to support this one adventure.

Together, the two of them had just seven or eight energy cubes—nothing compared to the cube "matrix" of the walking trust-fund baby, Ding Yue!

—

"An ordinary Snorlax needs to eat at least 400 kilograms of food a day to feel full," Su Bai explained, watching the huge Snorlax shift in its sleep, drawn by the scent of energy cubes.

"Energy cubes are high-extract supplements, so they pack way more energy than regular food… but this one's Sovereign-class—a gluttonous beast by nature—so what you've got just isn't going to cut it."

He quickly added, "You guys better move while it's still asleep."

This Sovereign-class Snorlax's appearance had been completely unexpected for Su Bai.

The local berries had only just started bearing fruit. Production hadn't caught up, and the surrounding environment still needed time to recover.

Once Snorlax woke up, it was bound to cause some damage—no doubt about it.

That said, there was still a natural food chain among Pokémon.

Wild Pokémon often hunted one another to survive. For instance:

Ding Yue's partner, Talonflame, was known to prey on Wingull, and even go after smaller rodent-like Pokémon from time to time.

Shellder's diet included Basculin, Kingler, Omanyte, Rufflet, and more.

And in some of the more obscure—and darker—world lore, even Farfetch'd was known to be hunted by humans.

Slowpoke tails, prized for their juicy tenderness and regenerative properties, were a delicacy that could even be bought in the games… for a hefty 9,800 Pokédollars.

Bottom line: the Pokémon world isn't some fluffy fairy tale.

The law of the jungle applies here too—the strong eat the weak.

Of course, Su Bai would never allow humans to harm Pokémon in his domain.

The only acceptable stance humans could have toward Pokémon was one of friendship and respect.

But between Pokémon themselves?

He wasn't going to interfere.

Snorlax would figure out how to feed itself—Su Bai certainly didn't need to worry about a predator like that going hungry.

—

Hearing Su Bai's warning, Zhou Xiaofei chuckled. "Boss big bro, you said it's not picky, right?"

As he spoke, he pulled out a foldable portable cooking pot from his backpack.

Su Bai blinked. "Ah… You're going to cook?"

The collapsible pot was a bit unfamiliar to Su Bai.

Materials from lower-tier dead beasts were often repurposed. For example, the shell of a C-rank dead beast could be turned into lightweight, fire-resistant, and highly heat-conductive cookware.

Awakened adventurers used them to cook hot meals during long missions.

But Su Bai had skyrocketed into elite ranks so quickly that he'd never really needed this kind of survival equipment.

Only now, seeing Zhou Xiaofei's setup, did Su Bai finally realize what the kid had in mind.

—

Zhou Xiaofei unfolded the pot, gave a firm nod, and said seriously, "I know what you said makes sense, boss bro—but I really don't want to see other Pokémon get hurt!"

"So… I'm going to feed it myself!"

He pointed directly at the enormous Snorlax.

And almost as if in response, a thunderous grrrrroooowl came from the Pokémon's belly.

Zhou Xiaofei chuckled. "Sounds like we're running out of time. Qiaoqiao, I'll need your help!"

Still in a daze from all the unexpected turns, Liu Qiaoqiao pointed at herself. "Me? What can I do?"

Zhou Xiaofei grinned. "Why, gather berries, of course!"

—

Just a dozen minutes later…

Corviknight came striding back with a fully loaded backpack packed with berries.

It also carried Liu Qiaoqiao in its talons—her arms were cradling even more fruit—and its broad back had yet more berries precariously stacked.

If it weren't such a smart bird, carefully keeping its balance as it waddled back, it would've dropped the whole haul.

Its clumsy gait had the Pokémon Center audience laughing.

This once-fearsome Corviknight had been reduced to a glorified babysitter under Liu Qiaoqiao's command!

—

"Bountiful harvest! Woohoo!"

Liu Qiaoqiao cheerfully dumped her entire collection at Zhou Xiaofei's feet.

One benefit of Snorlax being a glutton: it wasn't picky. So they'd just grabbed whatever berries they saw.

In just a few minutes, they had more than enough—thanks mostly to Haicheng residents being fanatical about berry farming.

While she was out picking, some locals even shouted, "That one's mine!" when they saw their trees being harvested on-screen.

—

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaofei had already set up the pot and started the fire. He and his Gyarados had also gathered a bunch of berries.

Seeing the huge pile, he rolled up his sleeves and declared,

"Alright! Leave the rest to me!"

His movements were fluid and practiced, each step executed with precision.

Even Su Bai couldn't help but nod approvingly—though his expression was a bit complicated.

Ironically, despite being the boss, Su Bai himself wasn't all that good at making energy cubes…

After all, no matter how skilled he got at it, it wouldn't increase his "progress bar." Why bother? He could always get energy cubes for free anyway.

So instead, it was Zhou Xiaofei who was showing off his perfectly textbook techniques, much to the admiration of the viewers.

Everyone in town had learned to make energy cubes by now. The only difference was how well they made them.

And Zhou Xiaofei?

His skill level was like watching a five-star chef cook your lunch.

—

"Wow, look at that technique—this kid's clearly experienced!"

"Great job sorting the berries! I still can't tell Aspear from Sitrus—both are green!"

"Ooh! Water's going in—perfect timing!"

"Impressive! Zhou Xiaofei's so efficient. No wonder he's part of the Pokémon Center staff!"

"I wish my kid was like him…"

—

Hearing all the praise, Su Bai instinctively straightened his posture, watching Zhou Xiaofei with the pride of a mentor who'd finally raised a capable apprentice.

But then his expression shifted.

Grabbing the communicator, he warned sharply:

"Xiaofei, you better speed things up!"

"This guy… looks like he's about to wake up!"

—

On-screen, drawn by the rich aroma of berries being cooked, the Sovereign-Class Snorlax twitched.

One massive eyelid fluttered faintly—

—and its head slowly turned toward Zhou Xiaofei and Liu Qiaoqiao…

(End of Chapter)

According to the Author:

📚 Note to readers:

The brief reference to food chains between Pokémon is purely world-building. The story's core remains a vision of peaceful coexistence between humans and Pokémon.

While predation among Pokémon is natural and won't be interfered with, humans will never harm Pokémon in this world.

So don't worry—this won't be a grimdark Pokémon novel!