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

Pei Jingguo, who had been silent all this time, suddenly laughed in agreement when he saw the scene unfold.

"That's right. I can feel a deep connection between pawniard and me!"

"Pokémon are completely different from contract beasts, they can resonate with their trainers. That alone makes them priceless!"

Hearing this, pawniard proudly raised its small blade-like arm as if echoing its trainer's words.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoyu couldn't hold back any longer. She hurriedly pulled Ding Yue, who was still cuddling her Fletchling.

"It's my turn! I want to see what kind of Pokémon I'll get!"

Su Bai chuckled and pushed the Pokédex toward her.

"Go ahead."

As Li Xiaoyu placed her hand on the Pokédex, she chanted under her breath,

"Please be a pseudo-legendary, please be a pseudo-legendary…"

She and Ding Yue had both lost to Pokémon before.

Back then, she had noticed Zhang Qun in the crowd with a Gible in his arms.

She didn't quite understand what a pseudo-legendary was, but it sounded high-end, elite, and fancy!

Su Bai couldn't help but laugh.

Pseudo-legendaries weren't so easy to draw.

In fact, getting one early might even be a disadvantage.

Most pseudo-legendaries were weak in their early stages.

Take Gible for instance, its growth was painfully slow.

Even now, Piplup and Chimchar had both evolved, but Gible still hadn't made it to its first form…

"Ah! The result is out!"

Li Xiaoyu's excited voice broke through the air.

Everyone turned toward the Pokédex, now displaying her chosen Pokémon.

At that moment, even the girl who had been chanting for a pseudo-legendary was left utterly speechless.

Su Bai looked at the screen, and his brows arched with visible surprise.

"Not bad! Not a pseudo-legendary, but this little one is extraordinary."

"You've drawn the only Pokémon with eight possible evolutions, its potential is incredibly versatile!"

"And each of its evolutions is competitively viable in its own right."

The Pokémon displayed on the Pokédex was none other than an Eevee!

Eevee may not be a pseudo-legendary, but it held a monumental place in Pokémon history.

Its adorable appearance and wide evolution pool made it one of the most coveted companions among trainers.

Li Xiaoyu, who had been dreaming of a pseudo-legendary, had ended up with something just as amazing!

"This Pokémon costs 1 million credits," Su Bai said.

"It's a bit pricey, but well worth it."

Li Xiaoyu's eyes lit up instantly.

Without hesitation, she pulled out her gold card and waved it excitedly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Bring my Eevee out now!"

"Déjà vu, anyone?"

Su Bai laughed and took her card, swiping it.

"1 million Federal Credits received!"

Rotom, ever efficient, completed the transaction instantly.

Eevee, freshly released from the Pokédex, leaped into Ding Yue's arms!

Describing Eevee in a single word?

Adorable.

With a puppy-like frame, just-right fluffy fur, and that oversized ruff around its neck, everything about it screamed "popular mascot."

"Vee~ Vee~!"

This particular Eevee was especially friendly, it even licked Li Xiaoyu's cheek as soon as she picked it up.

"Hehe! That tickles!"

Li Xiaoyu was instantly smitten, but still asked curiously,

"Is Eevee rare? Or powerful?"

Su Bai nodded confidently.

"Yes. Very powerful."

"While it's not a pseudo-legendary, it's one of the most popular Pokémon across all generations."

"There are even themed shows dedicated entirely to it!"

And it wasn't just about looks, though it had plenty.

For competitive players who cared about strength, Eevee could deliver.

Cute and capable, Eevee had both looks and brawn.

Li Xiaoyu's face broke into a wide grin.

"Ooh? That good, huh? And with eight forms?! No wonder it's worth a million!"

"So… could it rival a pseudo-legendary?"

Su Bai shook his head solemnly.

"In raw stats? No. Eevee doesn't match pseudo-legendaries."

"But a Pokémon's true strength depends on its trainer."

"Even a Magikarp, which costs just 200,000, can become a Gyarados capable of taking down gods, if trained right."

"Judging a Pokémon purely by its base stats or power scaling is foolish."

"If you've decided to become real Trainers, then learn to respect your Pokémon."

As a pet shop owner, and a former Trainer, he felt duty-bound to say this.

"Every Pokémon, with proper training, can shine."

"Pseudo-legendaries are strong, but not unbeatable."

"A loyal, battle-hardened beginner bird can take down a disobedient pseudo-legendary any day."

That's the real charm of Pokémon.

As he spoke, Su Bai turned to Ding Yue, who looked a little dejected.

She liked her Fletchling, but it was clear that Eevee's rarity made it more desirable.

And she was naturally competitive.

Her Fletchling cost just 400,000, it clearly didn't seem as strong as a million-credit Eevee.

Noticing the vibe, Su Bai smiled and reassured them:

"Price does not equal power."

"Having high stats alone won't help much."

"It's all about how you build and train."

"Say someone awakens as a mage, but all their talent lies in swordsmanship. Would they really be that powerful?"

"In the end, it's about specialization, playing to your strengths."

The group fell into thoughtful silence, even Pei Jingguo nodded in agreement.

"Well said. That aligns perfectly with the principles of swordsmanship."

"Rather than being average at everything, it's better to master your path!"

Just then, a door creaked open, and a dramatic voice rang out.

"Brilliant, as always, Su Bai!"

It was Liu Yunlan, sounding as theatrical as ever.

Behind her came Wang Tao, Murong Nan, Liu Yunshuang, and Ji Wei.

"Wow, even more Pokémon now!"

"What's this one called? So cute!"

"Is that yours, Li Xiaoyu? Can't believe you got here so fast!"

Her eyes lit up like stars the moment she saw Eevee.

Li Xiaoyu proudly raised her chin.

"Adorable, right? This is Eevee, it can evolve into eight different forms!"

Standing outside the doorway, Wang Tao peeked in and shouted in shock:

"Eight?! That's insane!"

Su Bai gave him a funny look.

"Uh… why aren't you coming in?"

Wang Tao looked at Su Bai, then pointed outside helplessly.

"I would… but Grotle can't fit through the door."

Su Bai walked over and, good grief.

At some point, Grotle had grown another whole size larger.

Now, it just barely exceeded the pet shop's door frame.

"Still growing and already can't fit through, huh…"

Watching the bulky Grotle peering innocently inside, Su Bai rubbed his forehead.

His shop had never been meant to accommodate giants.

"Honestly, your shop's kind of outdated," Liu Yunlan said, rolling her eyes.

"You've made so much money already. Why not upgrade to a bigger location?"

Su Bai opened his mouth, but said nothing.

To be fair, he did have the money.

If it were just about size, he could buy out the surrounding stores without breaking a sweat.

But the problem was…

The system only recognized the Su Pet Shop as its designated zone.

What if, after expansion, the new area wasn't covered by the invincibility zone?

Su Bai very much valued staying alive.

No point in being rich if you're dead.

What if an S-Rank came gunning for him?

And the risk wasn't even low anymore. Now that Pokémon had entered the public eye, he was bound to draw attention.

Just as he was mulling over the issue—

DING!

The system's robotic voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Expansion intent detected in host!]

[New Main Quest issued!]

[Objective: Accumulate 200 million credits and find a suitable location to establish a Pokémon Center!

Quest Rewards: Pokémon Center blueprint + Pokémon Storage System!

Time-Limited Reward: One random rare Pokémon!]

Holy crap.

The confusion on Su Bai's face vanished instantly.

This system… was a little too good at reading minds.