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

The night sky over Haicheng First High carried a breeze laced with the sweet scent of youth.

Holding a key to the teacher's dormitory, Su Bai walked down the familiar path.

One after another, spirited young students brushed past him.

"The last time I walked this road, I was just a bottom-rung student who couldn't even awaken…"

"And now, I've become a guest professor at Haicheng First High…"

Su Bai let out a soft, wistful sigh.

"What a turn of events. Life really is unpredictable… like a sausage wrapped in another sausage."

"Wrapped sausages? You craving late-night chitterlings or something?"

A crisp, teasing voice piped up from behind.

Turning around, Su Bai saw Liu Yunlan and the others waving at him.

Pei Jingguo grinned.

"Boss Su, uh… does that dinner invitation still stand?"

"We haven't eaten yet."

Su Bai chuckled, flashing a toothy smile.

"Let's go! Barbecue! Eat all you want—it's on me!"

Same familiar barbecue stand.

The owner's wife bustled over with plate after plate of grilled skewers, her face glowing with joy.

Her husband followed behind, carefully placing a crate of beer beside the group.

"Oh kids, I'm so glad you're all alright," she said warmly.

"That Dead Beast siege… scared me half to death!"

"You're all from Haicheng First High, right? I heard the students from your school were incredible!"

"If it weren't for you kids, who knows how many more would've died."

"Go on, eat as much as you want! It's on Auntie tonight!"

With her mouth full of grilled chicken wings, Liu Yunlan mumbled:

"We didn't even pay for last time… we really shouldn't let Auntie treat us again…"

"Especially when we've got a rich dog—uh, I mean, benefactor—with us."

By "rich dog," of course, she meant Su Bai, who had just signed a two-hundred-million-dollar renovation contract.

Su Bai stopped her with a wave and opened a bottle of beer with a crisp pop, downing it in one gulp.

He smiled at the boss's wife and raised his bottle.

"Then I won't hold back. Here's to your booming business!"

"May the Death Beasts turn to ash! May humanity live on!"

The woman laughed heartily, clapping her hands.

"Now that's some spirit! I could never say something that bold. You kids enjoy—call me if you want more!"

With a swish of her hips, she and her husband stepped away to let them eat.

Watching their retreating figures, Su Bai smiled.

"You wanted to wrestle with Auntie about whether to pay or not?"

"Just leave the money and go later."

Pei Jingguo cracked open a bottle and chugged it.

"Seriously, sometimes I wonder… are you really the same age as us?"

"You're way too mature. Makes me think you're some old monster reborn into a teenager's body."

Among Awakened individuals, beer wasn't anything special. It barely registered compared to their enhanced physiques.

So, despite being technically underage, no one felt the need to restrain themselves.

Su Bai opened his mouth to respond, but Wang Tao beat him to it with a chuckle.

"This guy's been like this since we were kids. I've been his tag-along forever!"

"But hey, being a tag-along's not bad, I wouldn't have gotten my Grotle without it!"

He sounded oddly proud of his "tag-along" label.

Murong Nan, still affected by the siege's aftermath, seemed more open than before.

Usually a teetotaler, even she opened a bottle of beer and laughed.

"When you dropped out after failing to awaken, I never imagined you'd come back to Haicheng First High like this."

"From a dropout student… to a guest professor."

"Come on, let's raise a toast to Professor Su!"

Everyone lifted their bottles with wide grins.

"Cheers, Professor Su!"

Su Bai paused for a moment, feeling a strange déjà vu as he stared at the raised bottles.

Had… had he seen this scene in his previous life?

He couldn't remember clearly anymore. It was all too distant.

If it weren't for the Dead Beasts, these 18-year-olds wouldn't have had to risk their lives on battlefields.

Maybe… Su Bai had come to this world with a purpose.

He smiled, raised his bottle, and joked:

"Flattery won't get you extra credit!"

"You'd better study hard for the Pokémon course! You're the first batch of Trainers—don't embarrass me!"

That sent the group into laughter.

"You got it!"

"Like we needed a reminder!"

"I, Wang Tao, am a prodigy! A perfect score's a piece of cake!"

"Ugh… theory's not my strong suit…"

After they were full and drunk, everyone gradually dispersed. By then, it was already late into the night.

While cleaning up, the boss's wife found a large federal bill tucked under one of the plates.

"Ah… that kid's still as stubborn as ever."

She shook her head and smiled softly.

"May the Death Beasts turn to ash, huh… These kids really dare to dream."

Teacher's dormitory.

Originally, Su Bai had planned to return to his pet shop to rest.

But the Ding Corporation worked fast.

In just the short time Su Bai had been on campus, they had already acquired the surrounding land.

The roads were being dug up by Ground-Type Awakened workers.

If not for that last-minute professor appointment…

Even someone as powerful as Su Bai might've had nowhere to sleep tonight.

Now, sitting at a desk, he frowned at a notebook filled to the brim with Pokémon knowledge.

The system's mission was clear:

In two weeks, spread as much Pokémon knowledge as possible.

But it didn't provide even a single hint.

Which meant… Su Bai had to prove he wasn't just a casual player.

"Let's see… Pokémon types, type matchups…"

"Proper training techniques…"

"Battle strategies…"

"Looks like it's going to be another sleepless night."

Su Bai sighed.

This made three straight nights without sleep.

Across both his lives, he'd never pulled such intense all-nighters.

If not for his Major Physical Boost, he might've dropped dead from stress already.

"Melo! Melo~!"

Meloetta floated over with a steaming cup of strong tea.

Diancie hovered onto the desk, curiously peeking at Su Bai's notes.

They both did their best to help—feeding Su Bai all the knowledge they had.

Su Bai chuckled, giving each of the petite Pokémon a light tap on the forehead, then turned back to his notes.

The lamp in his dorm stayed on until dawn broke over the horizon.

Haicheng First High, largest lecture hall.

Despite only catching two hours of sleep, Su Bai was full of energy.

By Principal Lu's order, all regular classes gave way to Su Bai's Pokémon course.

Anyone interested could attend.

And now, the massive hall—built to hold two hundred—was packed.

Even the aisles were full of students eager to learn.

Their eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement.

After seeing Pokémon like Grotle fight in the siege, the students were bursting with questions.

In the front row, Wang Tao, Liu Yunlan, and the others had shown up early to claim the best seats—top-student spots.

Su Bai grinned and knocked on the digital screen behind him.

Rotom's silhouette flashed briefly across the projection.

"Alright then… Let's begin today's lesson."