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

Pei Jingguo exited the arena with effortless grace, but the spectators were in complete turmoil.

Everyone knew Wang Tao's Grotle had shown incredible resilience in previous rounds...

But this time? He had just tanked a strike from Pei Jingguo, the prodigy many believed to be destined for S-rank greatness!

Around the stadium, gasps of disbelief echoed as murmurs spread like wildfire.

Even Ji Wei, a hardened A-rank berserker, stared with eyes wide.

He knew better than anyone—

That sword strike was at an A-rank level.

The title of "Haicheng's Number One Blade" wasn't just for show.

He looked toward the fading smoke on the battlefield, brows furrowed.

"How is this possible?"

"That was an A-rank attack!"

"And that Grotle… only ended up with a chipped shell?!"

The sheer absurdity of it all left him reeling.

He had fully expected Grotle to at least be seriously injured, even if it survived.

But now?

It barely looked scratched.

Even Liu Yunshuang, who had just bonded with a Jigglypuff, was left stunned.

"So this is the power of evolved Pokémon?"

But that awe quickly gave way to a sudden pang of sadness.

After all—

Without an Evolution Stone, her Jigglypuff couldn't evolve.

She glanced over at Su Bai with pleading eyes.

Su Bai scratched his head awkwardly.

"Well… technically, Jigglypuff is already an evolved form."

"But don't worry, once I restock evolution items, I'll let you know right away."

By now, the tournament had completely lost its intended momentum.

No one was paying attention to the rankings anymore.

Even contestants like Ding Yue, who had previously lost to Pokémon users, kept stealing glances at Grotle from the sidelines.

The ranking battles?

Utterly derailed by Grotle's overwhelming performance.

And the man at the center of it all, Wang Tao, remained completely unchallenged.

Because if Pei Jingguo's ultimate sword slash couldn't pierce Grotle's defenses…

What hope did anyone else have?

Even the Pokémon belonging to Liu Yunlan and Murong Nan, while not as eye-catching as Grotle, had made one thing crystal clear:

The era had changed.

The raw power of Pokémon had now become a decisive factor in battle, even against awakened warriors.

Why waste time clawing up the ranks with traditional training?

Better to get your hands on a powerful Pokémon, and fast.

The crowd erupted into chatter.

Almost everyone had started asking questions about Su's Pet Shop.

Even members of elite families were suddenly curious.

On the VIP side of the arena, Zhang Qun, who had previously seemed unimpressive despite his wealth, was now the center of attention, all because of the oddly cute Gible in his arms.

Just earlier, Gible had seemed like a weak, small-sized contract beast.

But now?

Everyone recognized it for what it was: a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

Zhang Qun was basking in the spotlight for the first time.

In today's world, most business elites were awakened individuals.

Zhang Qun had been wealthy, but hadn't had much influence in elite circles.

But now?

With Gible by his side, he'd become a social magnet.

Everyone wanted to touch the little dragon's rough skin.

Zhang Qun and Gible had become the absolute center of the room.

"Looks like the ad campaign was a huge success," Su Bai said with a stretch.

He stood up, smiling faintly.

"Well then, I'd better get going. I have a feeling the next few days are going to be very busy."

And just as he predicted, things began to snowball.

Pokémon had shaken the foundations of combat, and the people had noticed.

When Su Bai quietly slipped away and returned to Su's Pet Shop, someone was already waiting at the entrance.

And it wasn't just anyone.

"Pei Jingguo? What are you doing here?"

Su Bai fished out his keys and unlocked the store, looking back in surprise.

"The ranking battles aren't over yet, are they?"

Sure, no one dared challenge the Pokémon trainers anymore, but there were still plenty of battles happening between the others.

After all, rankings still determined access to resources, and those resources could be used to train their own future Pokémon.

Pei Jingguo nodded politely.

"Hello. You're the shopkeeper of Su's Pet Shop, correct?"

He smiled coolly.

"Whether the ranking matches continue or not doesn't concern me anymore."

"Being number one isn't something I pursue. It's just something that happens."

"Rather than waste time on meaningless matches, I'd rather get ahead, and choose a powerful Pokémon now."

Clearly, Grotle's performance had left a deep impression on him.

Su Bai couldn't help but chuckle, pushing the door open wider.

"Come on in, then."

"But judging by your attitude… you clearly didn't read the fine print on our ad."

"Here at Su's Pet Shop, you don't choose a Pokémon."

"To put it another way, they choose you."

He tapped the Pokédex lying on the front counter.

Every customer drew their Pokémon at random through the Pokédex interface.

But strangely—

So far, everyone had drawn a Pokémon that seemed perfectly suited to them.

Bonding was fast, and compatibility was always high.

It was as if…

The Pokémon themselves were choosing their trainers.

Pei Jingguo's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Now that's interesting."

He grinned broadly and extended his hand.

"All right then. Let's see, what kind of Pokémon will choose me?"