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

"I still can't believe the Head Instructor bowed to us…"

Wang Tao watched as the instructor walked away, unable to hide his astonishment.

"That was… completely unexpected."

"It means the situation is really dire," Pei Jingguo said calmly as he slowly ran a whetstone along his sword.

Beside him, Pawniard—a young soldier—was copying him, sharpening his own weapon with concentration.

Nearby stood Liu Yunlan, Murong Nan, Ding Yue, Li Xiaoyu, and even the "unofficial team member" Zhang Qun. All of them, the very first customers to own Pokémon, had naturally formed their own battle squad.

"You think my sister will be okay…?"

Liu Yunlan anxiously ran her hand over her Growlithe, her gaze fixed on the battlefield ahead. She was clearly worried about her sister.

"Sister Yunshuang is an A-class Songstress," said Murong Nan, trying to reassure her. "And she's got Ji Wei, the A-class Berserker, by her side. They're veteran teammates. They'll be fine…"

But even she couldn't keep the doubt from her voice as the roaring tide of Death Beasts surged closer.

This was their first time facing such a massive siege.

Even someone as composed as Murong Nan was starting to feel a creeping fear.

"Hey… have you guys noticed your Pokémon acting weird?"

Zhang Qun hugged his Gible tightly, trying to calm it down.

The little land shark was fidgeting restlessly, almost as if it couldn't hold back its excitement.

"Same here! My Eevee has been acting aggressive too!"

Li Xiaoyu nodded in agreement while stroking her Pokémon. Her normally cute and cuddly Eevee now looked more like an angry pup—baring its fangs toward the oncoming beast tide.

It wasn't just Eevee and Gible.

Every single Pokémon was showing signs of intense rejection and hostility toward the Death Beasts!

Up on the city wall, Su Bai poked his head out to get a better view.

On his shoulder, Meloetta furrowed her brows—something she rarely did—and wore a look of open disgust while gazing at the incoming horde.

"You really hate these Death Beasts, huh, Meloetta?"

Su Bai chuckled and lifted a supply crate with both hands.

As highly intelligent beings, Pokémon were fundamentally different from these bloodthirsty monsters. Their revulsion was entirely understandable.

And as for how Su Bai got up here in the first place—

While only professional combatants were allowed to fight on the frontlines, civilian volunteers could sign up for support and logistics roles on the city wall.

That's how Su Bai had slipped into the battlefield.

After all, this was the first time his shop's Pokémon would face a real Death Beast tide.

"There's no way I'd miss seeing that with my own eyes."

As time passed, the tension in the air grew heavier and heavier.

The whispering among the Awakened slowly faded… until only the sound of ragged breathing remained.

The Death Beasts were now thundering forward, every step like a war drum, their scent of blood choking the air.

At the very front of the formation floated an A-class Awakened, holding a chess piece aloft.

He hovered in silence—waiting.

Then—

FWEEEEET!!

The whistle cut through the silence.

He slammed the chess piece forward—and instantly, the human army roared to life!

"Fireball!"

"Ice Spike!"

"Whirlwind Assault!"

"Psychic Roar!"

"Arrow of the Gale!"

From the ranks of the ranged professionals came a barrage of battle cries.

The sky lit up with a dazzling array of spells and elemental techniques—blazing fire, biting frost, howling wind, piercing light—like a downpour of color slamming into the Death Beast horde!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!!

Explosion after explosion shattered the frontlines of the Death Beasts.

The opening bombardment was brutal—ripping through dozens of Death Beasts and leaving only torn limbs and scorched earth behind.

But the tide of Death Beasts never stopped.

If anything, they surged forward with even greater ferocity!

These creatures were never meant to retreat.

They had no concept of fear—only violence.

Still, the human bombardment was not without effect.

The previously tight, deadly formation of the beasts was now broken in several places—interrupting their charge!

"Now's our chance! Professionals, charge!!"

An A-class Awakened shouted the command—and instantly, the frontline roared forward.

From among them came a manic laugh.

It was Ji Wei—now clad in full berserker armor, a golden aura surging around him.

He was the first to crash into the horde, laughing wildly as he swung his massive axe and cleaved a Death Beast in two!

Behind him, Liu Yunshuang floated gently off the ground, eyes closed in song.

As a Songstress, her voice would now begin to bless her allies, layering them with support buffs of every kind.

Ji Wei's partner, his Sandile, leapt from his shoulder, latching onto the belly of a low-tier beast with savage force!

"Hahaha! Good job!"

"Knew you were worthy of being my Pokémon!"

Ji Wei stood like a nail driven into the horde, unmovable.

Soon, the rest of the A-class pros followed suit—blocking the first wave with strength and coordination!

"All A-class professionals, monitor your stamina!"

"Let the lower-class Death Beasts through!"

"Haicheng does not depend on you alone!"

The Guard Captain's urgent commands echoed across the battlefield.

The professionals quickly found their respective targets—prioritizing high-threat beasts.

Wasting strength on too many weaklings would only drain stamina needlessly!

"That Ji Wei guy is a monster…"

"Even among A-class, he's top tier, huh?"

From atop the wall, Su Bai nodded in approval.

The coordination of human forces had been refined through endless wars against the Death Beasts.

Each rank had their role. A-class against A-class.

Especially in a large-scale battle like this, managing energy was vital.

Firearms had long proven ineffective against these creatures.

But humans weren't machines—they got tired.

That's why A-class fighters were the pillars of the battlefield.

Wasting their energy on cannon fodder was just plain dumb.

"Which means… it's probably time for the Haicheng First High students to enter."

Su Bai's eyes shifted to the school formation.

His HUD's progress bar had barely moved.

Even though Ji Wei was slaying beasts left and right, the system didn't count them toward Su Bai's mission.

After all, Ji Wei was the trainer, not the Pokémon.

The heavy lifting was still being done by humans.

Su Bai realized the system likely measured "progress" like EXP gain in a game—whoever did the most work, got the most credit.

So, to see the progress bar really move, it had to be Pokémon taking the lead.

Trainers—real Pokémon Trainers.

But just as Su Bai turned his attention to the students—

His expression turned… odd.

In the crowd of Haicheng First High students, a certain chubby figure was shouting at the top of his lungs:

"Growth!"

"Growth!"

"GROWTH, I SAID!"

"COME ON, GROTLE—GROW!"

From within the student ranks emerged a towering figure—its metallic sheen glinting under the moonlight as it slowly pushed through the crowd.

An enormous Grotle was advancing, body still expanding…