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

"Whoa, so many new Pokémon!"

The moment Zhang Qun stepped into the store, his eyes lit up. The place was nearly overflowing with Pokémon.

Growlithe, Pawniard, Fletching, Eevee...

Although he hadn't been around Pokémon for long, ever since encountering a pseudo-legendary, Zhang Qun had become a full-blown Pokémon fanatic.

He was practically sparkling with excitement.

He walked up to Psyduck, curiously poking the fluffy little tuft of hair on its head.

"What kind of Pokémon is this? It looks so dopey, haha! Why is it holding its head like that?"

Behind him, Su Bai looked at the crowd pouring in and let out a sigh both happy and helpless.

More customers was a good thing. The problem? The store was just too small!

There was no way it could hold this many people at once.

Maybe I really do need to expand the shop…

If every one of them planned to buy a Pokémon, would he even have enough stock to go around?

"Um… everyone, welcome to Su's Pet Shop!"

Su Bai walked to the entrance and raised his voice.

"But the store's a bit cramped, and we can't accommodate this many people at once. So please line up outside, okay?"

"If you want to purchase a Pokémon, kindly wait in an orderly line outside. Thanks for your cooperation!"

At that moment, the Meloetta perched on Su Bai's shoulder floated into the air and gave a graceful little bow mid-air.

"Aww, what Pokémon is that? She's adorable!"

"That's so cute! But… can something so small even fight?"

"Is she the owner's Pokémon? Is she for sale? I'll buy her—name your price!"

"So pretty! I don't care if she can battle, I want one!"

The crowd erupted with excitement at Meloetta's performance.

Several people even pulled out their phones to snap photos of her elegant figure.

Clearly, Meloetta's cuteness was just too much for most people to handle.

Su Bai smiled patiently and explained:

"Meloetta is my personal Pokémon. She's not for sale."

"All Pokémon in this store can only be obtained by drawing from the Pokédex lottery—no direct purchases or specific selections allowed."

"As for whether Meloetta can fight… well, I think she's pretty strong?"

Of course, Meloetta could battle.

All of Su Bai's Pokémon came from the system, with perfect training in every area—optimized move sets, maximized EVs. They were born for competitive combat.

But Su Bai spent all his time in the shop. He was always busy with customers and logistics.

Where would he even find the time or need to let Meloetta fight?

Inside the store, Su Bai was basically invincible. He had never encountered any real trouble.

And even if trouble did show up? He could probably solve it with a flick of his finger.

"Now that you mention it, I'm kind of curious too…"

Liu Yunlan gazed at Meloetta and mused aloud.

"She's so cute and small… can she really battle?"

"Melooo~ Meloetta!"

Before Su Bai could answer, Meloetta puffed up proudly.

She struck a little bodybuilder pose in mid-air.

Of course, on her tiny frame, it looked more adorable than intimidating.

Laughter rippled through the crowd again.

Wang Tao scratched his head curiously.

"Yeah, come to think of it, Su Bai, I've never seen your Meloetta fight either."

"How about a little test battle?"

He took out his Premier Ball.

Clearly, he was thinking of using his Grotle to challenge Meloetta.

Ever since defeating Pei Jingguo, Wang Tao's confidence had skyrocketed.

He had that unstoppable aura—like as long as he had his Grotle, he could take on the world.

Su Bai glanced at his overly hyped-up friend and smirked.

This guy's getting a little cocky… not a good sign.

Among his original batch of customers, Wang Tao had the lowest starting level, but the highest training potential.

Still, challenging him? That was like… an old man asking for poison.

But as a shopkeeper, Su Bai didn't want to outshine his customers. He was just about to wave it off when—

Meloetta floated in front of him, wrapped her tiny arms around his hand, and chirped:

"Melo~ Meloetta!"

Su Bai froze mid-gesture.

Liu Yunshuang laughed softly.

"Looks like Meloetta's pretty eager to fight, too. What do you say, shopkeeper?"

Su Bai glanced at the eager Meloetta, then looked around at the customers—every one of them watching with excited eyes.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, I guess we can give it a go."

He snatched Wang Tao's Premier Ball from his hand and slotted it into the Pokédex.

"That hit from Pei Jingguo earlier must've done some damage."

"Let me heal your Grotle first before we start."

This was Su Bai's first official Pokémon battle.

Sure, he'd seen plenty of battles in the past.

But now, stepping onto the field himself... it stirred something inside him.

He felt a slight thrill—a spark of enthusiasm.

And besides, this would be a good chance to show Wang Tao what a real Pokémon battle looked like.

Can't have him getting too full of himself, running off on missions without knowing his limits…

So yes, this battle needed to happen.

🎵 Dun-dun, dun-dun-dun! 🎵

The Pokémon healing jingle played as Wang Tao took back his Grotle and headed toward the backyard.

Su Bai chuckled and followed close behind.

The crowd surged after them like a wave.

The backyard was usually reserved for letting Pokémon roam and play. Su's parents had made sure the space was generous—perfect for a friendly battle.

Even packed with spectators, it barely fit everyone.

The crowded energy only added to the excitement.

"Let's go, Wang-ge! You got this!"

From the middle of the crowd, Zhang Qun shouted the loudest, holding his adorable (and fierce-looking) Gible in his arms.

Normally shy, Zhang Qun transformed completely when it came to Pokémon.

Wang Tao was his idol.

He had watched Wang Tao raise a Turtwig step-by-step into a mighty Grotle.

That journey left an unforgettable impression—Grotle had taken down countless wild beasts along the way.

Even now, with a pseudo-legendary in his team, that admiration hadn't faded.

To him, Wang-ge was still the strongest.

Many in the audience had seen Grotle's ironclad defense firsthand.

The Pokémon had fought its way through the ranking matches like a fortress, barely losing a single leaf along the way.

Even Pei Jingguo's devastating sword strike, far beyond any student level, had only chipped its shell slightly!

Now, with the crowd shouting Grotle's name, the backyard felt more like his home turf.

"Looks like nobody's betting on us."

Su Bai gave a lopsided smile.

This is my store, isn't it?

He glanced at his smug-faced friend and shook his head.

"Meloetta, let's show them what you're made of."

"Let them see that Meloetta isn't just here to serve tea!"

He gently poked her forehead.

"Melooo~!"

Meloetta saluted smartly.

Then she floated back and began stretching like a martial artist preparing for battle.

At the front of the crowd, Liu Yunlan and the other regular customers stared ahead, eyes wide.

Would the shopkeeper's Meloetta take the win?

Or would Wang Tao—whose raw training talent had impressed everyone—emerge victorious?

The tension was rising.

This was going to be good.