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

Liu Yunlan and Ding Yue each took their positions on the battle stage.

The referee waved the flag.

The ranked match officially began!

Truth be told, a direct challenge from the 15th-ranked student to the 7th was quite the spectacle.

The sheer gap in rank instantly ignited the crowd's excitement.

Even Ji Wei, an A-rank warrior, sat up straighter in his seat.

After all, anyone capable of making it into the ranked matches wasn't weak. They were the kind of young talents destined to reach B-rank or even A-rank in the future.

And combat talent well, that reveals itself early.

Up on the judges' platform—

The confused principal leaned over and tugged at the arm of the director, who was drinking water.

"Yunlan's still D-rank, right?"

The director nodded.

"Last overall assessment showed she's still a bit short of C."

"Strange… The gap between D and C isn't something you just close overnight," the principal frowned.

"And Ding Yue's no slouch either, both of them are magic swordsmen."

"So why is Yunlan suddenly this confident?"

The director raised both hands in confusion.

"You're asking me? Hell if I know!"

"Don't say I never gave you a chance. I'll let you strike first!"

"Otherwise people will say I'm bullying the weak,"

Ding Yue flicked her longsword dramatically and taunted:

"You D-rank!"

Yunlan's slightly baby-faced cheeks puffed up with annoyance.

But she was never one to admit defeat, especially not with words.

"So what if I'm D-rank?" she snapped.

"You, a C-rank, don't stand a chance against me!"

"Today, I'll show you what a new style of battle looks like!"

Then, mimicking Wang Tao's signature move, she hooked her finger at Ding Yue.

"Come at me!"

As shameless as Wang Tao's antics were, the pose had undeniable taunt power.

Almost like a tank's provoke skill in a video game.

And sure enough, Ding Yue, who couldn't figure out what trick Yunlan had up her sleeve, was immediately enraged.

This girl is way too arrogant!

"Don't regret this!"

Suppressing her fury, Ding Yue exploded into motion, her entire figure a streak of light as she lunged forward like a leaping panther.

"Oh? That's fast!" Ji Wei raised a brow, just as he was about to comment further—

Yunlan's lips curled into a sly grin.

Gotcha.

With perfect timing, she pulled out a white Poké Ball and tossed it into the air.

"Let's go, Monferno!"

Boom!

A fiery red blur burst forth from the ball, shooting toward the rushing Ding Yue like a missile.

Ding Yue had no time to react before she felt something grab her ankle—

A strong grip yanked her off balance.

Then came the spinning.

Before she knew it, she was slammed hard into the stage floor!

Dizzy and stunned, she opened her eyes to see a monkey with wild, tribal red-and-blue markings grinning impishly down at her.

To her shock, the monkey's long tail was blazing with flames!

Beside the Pokémon stood a smug, arms-crossed Yunlan.

"Well? Pretty amazing, right? That's my Monferno!"

With that, she dramatically threw off her outer jacket, revealing the same ad shirt Wang Tao had worn earlier.

"Take a good look, everyone!"

"This rare Pokémon was purchased from Su's Pet Shop!"

"After intense battles, it evolved from a Chimchar into this awesome Monferno!"

"Cool, right?!"

Watching her flaunt both her Pokémon and her figure, Su Bai's lips twitched.

At first, he thought Liu Yunshuang had just underestimated Wang Tao's size when she picked the shirt size.

Now? It was obvious.

That sly older sister had intentionally ordered a tight fit.

This sister is selling her own sibling out just for laughs…

Noticing Su Bai's gaze, Liu Yunshuang gave him a sideways look and smirked.

"What? I'm just indulging my dark humor a bit.

And you can't stop staring, can you?"

"My sister's got a nice figure, huh?"

"Ahem! Cough cough cough!"

Su Bai choked hard but couldn't deny it.

The same shirt looked completely different on Wang Tao vs. a pretty girl.

At the very least, the print was much clearer.

And the advertising effect? Through the roof.

The crowd's reaction said it all.

"Damn… Her armor's tight too, but it doesn't feel the same!"

"That monkey, no wait, that's a hell of a Pokémon!"

"Su's Pet Shop is amazing!"

"Did you guys see how fast that monkey moved?!"

"She just stopped a near B-rank magic swordsman's charge!"

"And with pure strength too!"

"So that's a Pokémon? Looks way different from that Grotle!"

"Now I really want one!"

Amidst the sea of chatter and praise, Yunlan's overly dramatic brain filtered out everything except the compliments.

She nodded proudly.

"Of course, of course, my Monferno's the best!"

"Only through battle can Pokémon evolve quickly!"

"We've even faced down death beasts together!"

Among the crowd, Zhang Qun twitched at the memory.

During one of their missions, the Monferno, not Grotle, had burned through most of their healing items.

Chimchar was already naturally reckless, and paired with its equally reckless, chuunibyou trainer?

They were a duo that nearly wiped out his entire savings in medical supplies.

"What the hell is all this nonsense about Pokémon?!"

Ding Yue staggered to her feet, furious, and pointed her sword at Yunlan.

"Fight me yourself! What kind of skill is relying on a contract beast?!"

Yunlan raised a finger and waved it slowly.

"No, no… you're wrong."

"A Pokémon and its Trainer share a bond deeper than life itself!"

"Our fighting spirit burns as one!"

"My bond with Monferno is like the flame on its tail, eternal and unyielding!"

"Now, Monferno!"

"Show this unbeliever what it means to insult a true Pokémon Trainer!"

"Flame Wheel—ignite!!"

Despite her over-the-top speech, something about Yunlan's conviction lit a fire in Monferno's heart.

With a screech, Monferno's flames roared up, engulfing its body.

It leapt into the air, its blazing form spinning as it rocketed toward Ding Yue!

Ding Yue's pupils contracted.

She knew the monkey was fast, but this speed?

This was faster than anything she'd seen before!

Instinctively, she braced herself and leveled her sword, tip pointed outward, preparing for impact.

Every ounce of her strength focused on that one strike—

A head-on clash was inevitable!