NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 11: Chapter 11
"What a cute dog~" Xiangling exclaimed as she looked over, her eyes shining with delight.
Takumi smiled, not ignoring the customer who had arrived first, even if they were a well-known figure with a distinguished position. Hongyi, who had drawn his initial Pokémon, was next in line.
With a small business goal of 100 million Mora, Takumi was determined to make every deal count, regardless of whether it was a "sesame seed" or a "watermelon."
"Please wait a moment, both of you. I'll take care of the guest in front of you first."
He looked at the captain of the Qianyan Army in front of the counter.
"Captain Hongyi, have you reviewed the Pokédex information a few times?"
"As the Pokédex states, Growlithe and its evolved form, Arcanine, are extremely loyal. They will not move a step without their trainer's command."
"They are born to be police dogs—brave and reliable!"
After saying that, Takumi noticed the spark of interest in Hongyi's eyes grow even stronger.
He went to the breeding room in the back, a place strictly off-limits to outsiders, and picked up a Growlithe puppy that had just hatched from the egg incubator.
When Takumi returned to the store with the puppy in his arms—
"Wow—"
Hu Tao and Xiangling immediately gathered around, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
The two girls stared at the little dog that was licking its paws in Takumi's arms.
Unlike the pastoral dogs in Liyue, Growlithe had tiger-like stripes on its body, and lots of fluffy fur on its head, neck, and tail, making it look like a stuffed toy.
Its eyes were large, bright, sharp, and full of wisdom and courage.
Takumi placed the puppy down, took a bottle of MooMoo Milk from the shelf, and poured it into a bowl. Holding the bowl, he let the Growlithe puppy lick and drink the MooMoo Milk, while he looked at the three customers in front of the counter.
"In the world of Pokémon, there is a concept called the 'Starter Pokémon.'"
"As for Growlithe, it is one of the more powerful starter Pokémon, aside from the classic three. Its evolved form is exceptionally strong."
"In another world, the Junsha family from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions use Growlithe as their trusted police partners!"
Takumi suddenly smacked his forehead and said apologetically:
"Why am I talking so much about the Kanto and Johto regions, the Junsha family... You wouldn't know any of that!"
"How about this—"
He placed the puppy on the ground.
Takumi then picked up a training sandbag:
"Growlithe, use 'Bite' on this sandbag!"
The puppy, which had just been drinking MooMoo Milk, immediately raised its head upon hearing the command, howling as it lunged at the sandbag.
"See..."
After a moment, Takumi showed the torn and heavily bitten sandbag to the customers.
Silence.
The cub had just hatched, and its teeth hadn't even fully developed.
Yet it managed to shred a sandbag like that?!
"Oh, haha." Hu Tao smiled, trying to stay composed. Both Pokémon were young, but her Gible had already smashed through a house. It was incredible.
Takumi let Growlithe continue drinking the milk and said to the stunned Xiangling and Hongyi:
"Growlithe is a Fire-type. After a few days of raising it with energy cubes and proper nurturing, it will learn the move 'Ember.'"
"It will be able to breathe fire to attack targets!"
Hongyi couldn't hide the eager look in his eyes upon learning that Growlithe had such power at a young age.
Breathing fire!
A Fire-type Pokémon!
On the continent of Teyvat, Hongyi understood what that meant.
He clenched his fists in excitement.
Though he might not have a Vision with a Fire element, having a loyal and powerful partner with Fire abilities would make him a formidable member of the Qianyan Army.
He, Hongyi, was the captain of the Qianyan Army.
And he had big dreams!
"Three million Mora..."
Takumi smiled slightly.
"Yes, fixed price."
"Three million Mora."
"This is the lowest starting price for a Pokémon!"
"If you decide to get another Pokémon like Growlithe, you won't get it for less than six million Mora!"
Seeing the wonderful shift in Hongyi's expression, Xiangling stepped forward and said:
"Um, Manager Takumi, can I pet Growlithe?"
Takumi nodded with a smile.
Xiangling let out an excited "Yay!" and couldn't wait to cover Growlithe's soft head with her hands, enjoying the feel of its fur.
The little puppy, still drinking MooMoo Milk, let out a satisfied low growl, its eyes half-closed in comfort.
Seeing this, Xiangling's sparkling eyes turned into heart shapes.
"That's it—"
"Three million Mora, right?"
"Manager, I want to take this Growlithe home!"
As she spoke, she slapped her large bank deposit slip onto the counter with a loud slap.
The gesture was identical to Hu Tao's excitement yesterday.
Captain Hongyi's expression shifted immediately:
"Chef Xiangling, this Growlithe is the Pokémon I drew!"
Then, he discarded the last bit of hesitation.
"Manager Takumi, can you reserve it for me for half a day? I'll go gather the funds right away!"
Takumi nodded.
"Go quickly and come back soon."
"Any Pokémon drawn by a customer has an absolute right of first refusal."
"Additionally, Growlithe is relatively easy to care for and does not require extensive resources. You Qianyan Army soldiers have a well-established organization and good salaries, so raising it will be easy."
"When it evolves into Arcanine, it will have complete combat capabilities, making you an elite trainer."
Captain Hongyi strode out of the store.
Takumi's lips curled slightly.
Today's business was off to a great start.
Three million Mora!
At this price, Growlithe was well within the means of the Qianyan Army.
An ordinary worker in Liyue Harbor could earn around 300,000 Mora a month.
The Qianyan Army was an official organization of Liyue.
Above them, there was Ningguang, a wealthy woman, and the former Geo Archon who created the Mora currency. Their salaries couldn't possibly be low. Therefore, for Hongyi, three million Mora was just a fraction of his savings.
His initial hesitation was more about concerns over the long-term costs of training the Pokémon.