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

"Corviknight trusts me… I won't let it down!"

"Just a little longer! Hold on!"

In this intense moment, Liu Qiaoqiao's thoughts drifted back to a night she would never forget.

That fateful night when Gyarados fought with everything it had—putting its life on the line. It had terrified her, but also, in a way, taught her what it meant to fight.

"Brother Xiaofei and Boss Su have both said it before:

Choosing the right move is important…

But choosing the right timing is even more important!"

Qiaoqiao could feel the sweat soaking her palms.

Even so, she didn't panic, didn't issue a reckless command.

Because she knew… if she panicked and gave the wrong order—

It would be Corviknight, the Pokémon that trusted her the most, who would suffer the consequences.

The glowing blue light continued building in intensity. Then, finally—

Lapras raised its head from beneath the waves!

A massive pillar of water erupted from its mouth, roaring through the sky with unstoppable force, aimed straight at Corviknight!

The water cannon tore through the air with deafening momentum, scattering a misty haze across the battlefield.

But Corviknight's gaze never shifted toward the incoming attack.

Instead, its blood-red eyes locked firmly on the girl at the shoreline, the one clenching her fists with everything she had—

Liu Qiaoqiao.

Even Zhou Xiaofei couldn't help but grip his own fists in anticipation.

Inside the Pokémon Center, everyone—including Su Bai—held their breath.

Ironically, they were more tense than the one actually making the call.

And then—just as the water cannon exploded from Lapras's mouth—

Liu Qiaoqiao's clear, unwavering voice rang out:

"Now! Corviknight—evade and use Drill Peck!!"

She had been waiting for this moment.

Lapras had used the sea to conceal its location, but if it wanted to attack, it had to surface.

That single instant when it emerged from the water—

That was her best chance to strike.

"Caw!"

Corviknight let out a sharp cry as its crimson eyes narrowed, locking onto its target.

Its massive body twisted downward in a tight spiral, slicing through the air like a precision-guided missile.

Its wings folded in tight—preparing to dive straight into danger.

But Hydro Pump wasn't a joke.

Its long charge time aside, once fired, it was fast, powerful, and devastating.

Even though Corviknight had reacted instantly to the command, the tremendous water blast still clipped its wing.

The edge of Corviknight's wing drooped—the damage was visible.

Even with its steel-hard frame, that blow had hurt.

But even so—

Corviknight didn't flinch.

Didn't waver.

Didn't slow down.

It plunged straight through the falling column of water, its eyes blazing,

—like a meteor streaking through a reverse waterfall.

From a distance, the sight was stunning.

Beside the towering cascade of Hydro Pump, the black steel bird's descent looked like a bolt of judgment from the sky.

"Boom!"

It happened in an instant.

Corviknight's beak, like a knight's lance, struck Lapras dead-on!

"Moo-oohhhh!!"

Lapras cried out in pain for the very first time.

Drill Peck, an 80-power Flying-type move, landed with crushing force!

The sheer impact drove Lapras back into the ocean with a splash.

Even Corviknight itself disappeared beneath the waves after the strike!

Zhou Xiaofei stared in disbelief.

Even he hadn't expected Liu Qiaoqiao to react with such decisiveness.

"Is… is this still the same little crybaby I knew?"

Calm and focused in the face of a Hydro Pump…

Waiting until the moment Lapras showed a weakness before launching a counterattack…

She had read the flow of battle like a seasoned Trainer.

In the Pokémon Center, a hush fell over the crowd.

She might still be a child, but in that instant of command, the resolve and courage she displayed didn't fall short of any adult.

Just like how Corviknight had given her its unwavering trust—

She, too, had given Corviknight hers.

She believed in Corviknight's ability to dodge.

Believed in its strength to land the hit.

Hydro Pump, after all, was a dangerous move.

Act too early, and Lapras could easily shift its aim and hit you anyway.

Act too late, and you'd be caught in the blast.

This precision… was this really a child?

"She's… so much like him…"

Beside Su Bai, Zhu Jianyuan stood in a daze, murmuring as if in a trance.

"Secretary Liu… fought the same way…"

"He always made the crucial call at the crucial moment. That's why I could trust him with leadership in battle."

"And now, his daughter…"

Su Bai suddenly understood. His mind flashed with the image of a bespectacled man.

Before Su Bai had arrived that day, it had been Secretary Liu who had stood at the front lines, resisting the rampaging S-class Death Beast.

He and his partner—then just a Corvisquire—had fought bravely and without hesitation.

Zhu Jianyuan, unable to hold it in, wiped the corners of his eyes as he stared at the screen where Liu Qiaoqiao stood with solemn focus.

"No wonder… she's Liu Secretary's daughter…"

His voice was thick with pride.

Su Bai's gaze shifted toward a corner of the Pokémon Center.

There, a woman had appeared without anyone noticing.

She stood silently, hand over her mouth, weeping uncontrollably—

Liu Qiaoqiao's mother.

She hadn't been able to fully relax after all, and had come to watch her daughter in person.

Su Bai smiled faintly, eyes still on the screen.

"Well done… Qiaoqiao…"

Back on the beach.

Liu Qiaoqiao's fists were clenched tight as she stared at the ocean's bubbling surface.

Corviknight and Lapras had vanished into the depths together.

Underwater was Lapras's domain.

Although Flying-types like Corviknight weren't directly weak to Water-type moves,

it was obvious—the ocean was not a suitable battlefield for a bird.

"Bang!"

Just as Qiaoqiao began to worry—

A dark shadow burst from the water, soaring into the sky!

It was Corviknight.

Its blood-red eyes scanned the shoreline, locking onto its Trainer.

Its look said everything: Don't worry, I'm fine.

One of its wings was clearly injured, making its hovering posture slightly awkward.

But in its expression—

There was nothing but the pride of a returning war hero.

And just a little bit of… excitement.

To Corviknight, this kind of high-risk, high-reward battle—

This was exactly the kind of fight it loved.

It reminded it of its former Trainer.

"Corviknight!!"

Liu Qiaoqiao shouted in joy when she saw her partner emerge from the sea.

Only then did she finally let herself breathe.

All the commands she had given had been instinctual—

In truth, the image of her father had flashed through her mind in those moments.

And now, she was back to being a child—wanting nothing more than to run up and hug Corviknight and scream in victory.

Inside the Pokémon Center, light laughter rippled through the crowd.

That earlier display of cool, calculated tactics almost made them forget—

Qiaoqiao was still just a kid.

And just then, from the spot where Lapras had fallen—

Bubbles began to rise.