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

"I'm curious, why are you so confident?"

Li Xiaoyu pulled out a magic staff and stood quietly on the stage.

"Even if you've improved, you still haven't broken through to C-rank."

"Surely you know how vast the gap between D and C really is."

At that moment, Murong Nan finally revealed the reason she was called the Ice Queen.

Without saying a word, she pulled out her commemorative Poké Ball and tossed it forward.

Bang!

With a crisp sound, a large penguin emerged on stage—Prinplup, the evolved form of Piplup!

Its once-small, adorable figure had grown to nearly a meter tall, and its expression had grown sharp and haughty.

It stood there with regal pride, as if no opponent was worth acknowledging.

The moment Prinplup appeared, the crowd broke into a wave of noisy chatter.

"Is that a contract beast?"

"No, definitely not! Contract beasts don't have facial expressions like that!"

"Why do I feel like this penguin is judging me?"

"Is that one of those so-called Pokémon too?"

"Damn, that's two of them in the same tournament!"

"No wonder she dared challenge someone stronger, it's all because of that Pokémon!"

"Holy crap, I feel like I'm witnessing history!"

"Wait, if it's a Pokémon, then it must be from Su's Pet Shop, right?"

"Then why isn't Murong Nan wearing the tight ad shirt too?"

"Tch—what a shame!"

All the voices and comments reached Murong Nan's ears.

A faint flush crept across the Ice Queen's usually expressionless face.

After hesitating for a moment, she closed her eyes and shrugged off her school jacket, tossing it down into the crowd.

The audience immediately held their breath.

Even the flashy girl from earlier was cute… but this is Murong Nan!

The untouchable Ice Queen wearing that same tight ad shirt?

Is this real?!

Even Su Bai found himself feeling a little… curious.

But when the crowd finally saw what she had on, a collective sigh echoed through the stands.

Yes, she had technically worn the ad shirt...

…but she had already cut it up and patched the printed logo onto her usual outfit.

It still worked as an advertisement, just not the scene people were hoping for.

Amidst the audience's disappointed groans, Li Xiaoyu suddenly spoke.

"That's not like you at all. Playing around like that…"

"Well, since you have one of those so-called Pokémon—"

"I won't be holding back either!"

As she spoke, Li Xiaoyu raised her hand, with a flick of her wrist, a red string tied around it snapped cleanly.

The floor beneath her began to tremble as a thick, bloody aura surged forth.

A massive wolf's head emerged first, followed closely by a towering, muscular body.

It was a giant blood wolf, even larger than the Grotle from earlier!

"This was a last-resort tool my family gave me…"

"Honestly, it's not suitable for school matches."

"But, I really want to see what your Pokémon can do… against a B-rank contract beast."

Li Xiaoyu took a few steps back and sprinkled herself with some kind of powder.

"This powder temporarily suppresses my scent."

"As long as it has a target, the chance of it turning on me is low."

"So… let's see what your penguin can really do."

Up in the stands, the Dean of Discipline visibly tensed.

While the ranking tournament didn't prohibit the use of contract beasts, a B-rank beast was a rare sight among students.

Only someone from an established family like Li Xiaoyu's would even have access to one.

If that thing went out of control, the consequences would be massive.

He couldn't afford to relax.

"Relax. Let's observe first."

The old principal narrowed his eyes and gently patted the dean's arm.

"It's just a B-rank contract beast—it won't cause a storm."

"I'm more curious…"

"Can Murong Nan's Pokémon take it on?"

"Also… that penguin looks like it's got a temper."

Indeed, Prinplup seemed provoked by the blood wolf's presence.

Its feathers stood on end, its body radiating cold fury.

It kept roaring at the approaching wolf, its voice sharp and piercing.

Murong Nan's expression clouded with hesitation.

She knew Prinplup could easily handle Li Xiaoyu alone.

But going up against a feral B-rank beast?

Could Prinplup really handle that?

This wasn't a Pokémon battle simulation.

If Prinplup got bitten or killed, it would die for real.

That kind of outcome was something Murong Nan could never accept.

Even though it had only been a few days, she already understood what Su Bai had said:

A trainer and their Pokémon are bound by a true bond.

Prinplup was no longer just a pet.

It was like family.

"Maybe… I should just forfeit…"

She looked at the blood wolf slowly creeping forward.

A dark thought crossed her mind.

If I surrender now, I won't have to risk it.

Prinplup won't get hurt.

Even if the wolf goes wild, the experienced fighters around can restrain it.

Her face flickered with indecision.

Prinplup, however, wasn't hesitating in the slightest.

It glared at the decaying, blood-stained monster with deep disgust.

It wanted nothing more than to blast the vile thing away with Bubble Beam.

Just as Murong Nan found herself at odds with her Pokémon's instincts—a clear, steady voice called out from the crowd.

"Don't worry. If it comes to that, I'll step in."

The words weren't loud, but they were firm.

Unshakable.

Something about them filled Murong Nan with a sudden, inexplicable sense of calm.

She turned and saw Su Bai, now seated again, watching her quietly.

Somehow, the sight of him gave her courage.

She smiled and gently patted Prinplup's head.

"If the boss says so, then he must believe in you."

"Alright then—let's fight together!"

"Prrrin~~pluuuup!"

Prinplup, understanding her perfectly, lifted its head and let out a proud cry.

Together, trainer and Pokémon stepped toward the blood wolf!

From the audience, Liu Yunshuang glanced curiously at Su Bai.

"You're not even an awakened fighter."

"If something happens, can you really protect them?"

Su Bai chuckled.

He pointed at his shoulder.

"Well, I say me... but really, it's Meloetta who will act."

"She doesn't like the stench on that contract beast."

Liu Yunshuang followed his gaze.

Sitting on his shoulder was the adorable Meloetta—but this time, her face was uncharacteristically tense.

Her normally green hair had turned a deep reddish-brown, coiled like a hat atop her head.

She was waving her little arms, pointing toward the battlefield.