Bella, who hadn't left the Pokémon Center yet, noticed the commotion from afar. Curious about the boy who had just revealed a green-quality Pokémon—something as rare as hers—she decided to approach him.
She walked over to Jimmy and his father, Bross. She didn't recognize either of them, and judging by their appearance, they didn't seem to be from any prominent family.
"Hello," Bella greeted them politely. "Where did you get that Pokémon? Would you mind sharing a bit of information?"
"Oh—Miss Bella! Yes, we bought the egg from a shop called MoonBlue," Jimmy replied.
"MoonBlue?" Bella repeated, puzzled. "I've never heard of that shop. And I visit the southern streets quite often."
"That makes sense, Miss," Bross added. "The shop's actually located on the southern outskirts of Arca. It's a bit off the main roads."
"Ah, that explains it. Thank you for the information."
"You're welcome, Miss," Jimmy and his father replied with a nod.
On her way home, Bella's mind was occupied with thoughts of the MoonBlue store. If that shop had sold an egg that produced a green-quality Surskit, there might still be other eggs of similar quality left. Before heading back to Light City, Bella made up her mind—she would visit the store and see for herself.
Meanwhile, over in Cebu City, Lube was beaming after checking his Pokémon's quality. His Beedrill had been confirmed as Yellow-grade, meaning it would eventually grow to Senior Trainer level. Once that happened, he too would advance to the same rank.
"Hahaha, turns out that seller wasn't lying after all. I've got to leave a good review for such an honest store."
Lube logged into Brian's MoonBlue shop website. Just as he was about to leave a five-star rating and some praise, his eyes landed on something surprising—two new Yellow-grade Pokémon were listed for sale: Oddish and Bellsprout, both grass-types.
"Whoa, two more Yellow-quality Pokémon?" Lube muttered, practically drooling at the sight. "I want them both—but I'm flat broke."
Now that Pokémon quality was public knowledge, Yellow-grade and higher Pokémon had become incredibly valuable, and finding them at a reasonable price was nearly impossible.
Suddenly, Lube remembered something. "Wait—Branz said he was looking for Pokémon too. Maybe I should tell him."
Without hesitation, Lube pulled out his phone and called Branz to share the news about Brian's shop.
The next day, a large crowd had already gathered in front of Brian's MoonBlue shop. It turned out Lube wasn't the only one who had seen the two Yellow-grade Pokémon listed on Brian's website. Several of Brian's regular customers—those who frequently purchased Energy Cubes—also made a habit of checking the shop's listings. Upon spotting such rare items, they didn't comment or draw attention online. Instead, they quietly planned to be first in line the next morning.
And sure enough, by 6:00 a.m., people were already waiting outside the still-closed shop.
By the time Lube and Branz arrived at 9:00, the store was bustling. Seeing the crowd, both of them felt a sinking feeling.
"Do you think they've already been sold?" Lube asked.
"Most likely. You'd better prepare yourself, Branz," he added with a sigh.
"Hm," Branz muttered, already feeling disappointed.
As they entered the shop, a few people looked over, some wearing amused expressions. One man with a friendly face approached them.
"Are you here for the two Yellow-grade Pokémon?" he asked.
"Yes, we are," Lube replied.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you're too late. Someone else already bought them," the man said. "I got here at 8, and even then, I was too late. Turns out someone had already been waiting since six."
At 11 o'clock, Bella arrived at Brian's shop, but the moment she saw how crowded it was, unease settled in her chest.
"Don't tell me the green-grade eggs are already gone…" she muttered.
She had originally planned to leave at seven, but her father had arranged for a private trainer after learning that two of her Pokémon were confirmed to be green-grade. Bella had no choice but to train until 10:30. Now, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret.
Even though she suspected the green-grade eggs had already been sold, Bella stepped into the shop anyway. She still hoped to speak with the owner—to ask if he could prioritize her if more eggs of that quality became available.
"Hey, isn't that Miss Bella?" someone in the shop whispered.
"Yeah, it is. Is she here for the yellow-grade Pokémon? That can't be—she already owns two green-grade ones," the person next to them replied.
"Who knows? Don't forget, her third Pokémon is yellow-grade."
"Oh, right. That's true."
Bella greeted Ann, who was helping Fiona—Brian's mother—manage the store that day.
"Hello, may I speak to the person in charge of this shop?" Bella asked politely.
"Oh, hello! Of course. Please wait a moment," Ann replied, then quickly disappeared into the small world.
Brian had been spending most of his time there lately, especially after catching 200 Pokémon. He was focused on bonding with them to reduce their stress in case some were sold or their eggs were taken.
Inside the small world, Ann found Brian, her father Leon, and Jeremy. The three were working together. Everyone else was at school—except for Ann and Jeremy, who had both decided not to continue their studies.
"What's up, Ann?" Brian asked as he heard her approach.
"There's a pretty girl outside—her name's Bella. Some people say she's the mayor's daughter," Ann said.
"Oh, I see. Dad, Jeremy, I'll leave you two to it," Brian said, handing Leon an energy cube before heading out.
When Brian returned to the shop, he saw Bella sitting calmly near the reception desk.
"Hello, Miss Bella. How can I help you?" he greeted.
"You… are you Brian?" Bella asked, slightly surprised. Even though Brian's grades were never great, many people still knew who he was—thanks in part to his looks.
"Oh? You know me, Miss Bella?"
"Of course. You're one of the three most handsome guys in our class—ranked third, if I recall correctly," Bella said with a teasing smile. "So this is your shop? You're not continuing your studies?"
"Yes, this is my shop," Brian replied with a polite nod. "I realized college wasn't really for me. So I chose to start a business instead."
"That's a shame," Bella said, though without judgment. "Actually, I came here because I heard you were selling green-grade eggs. Do you still have any?"
"Green eggs? Not today. I only have orange-grade eggs and a few yellow-grade Pokémon," Brian answered. He furrowed his brow slightly, puzzled. Had he accidentally sold green-grade eggs without noticing?
"So… you're really not selling green-grade eggs today?" Bella asked again, just to be sure.