"Who would've thought Meloetta's tea-making skills were this refined?"
Liu Yunshuang sipped the tea in her hand, her expression amused.
"Store Manager Su, you really didn't treat me like a friend before. You only serve tea after I bring you business?"
Su Bai shamelessly waved his hand.
"Come on, don't say that! I would never."
Liu Yunshuang chuckled and glanced at the communicator on her wrist.
"Looks like he's almost here."
Just as the words left her mouth, a tall and burly figure walked straight into Su's Pet Shop.
The man glanced around, and when he saw Liu Yunshuang sipping tea, his eyes lit up.
"Man, this place was hard to find. Does this little city of Haicheng really have something this magical?"
Liu Yunshuang introduced him with a smile.
"This is my teammate—Ji Wei, an A-rank Berserker. He's very interested in Pokémon."
"Ji Wei, this is Store Manager Su, the one I told you about."
Ji Wei was just as rugged and imposing as his profession suggested, with a bold and booming presence.
He laughed heartily.
"No need for small talk then. I'm here to buy a Pokémon!"
"That Jigglypuff that came along on our last mission—it hypnotized a B-rank Dead Beast! Ever since then, I've been dying to raise one of my own!"
Su Bai smiled and handed over the Pokédex.
"Place your hand here. A random draw—that's how it works in this shop."
Ji Wei didn't hesitate.
"I get it! Leave it to fate, right?"
As soon as Ji Wei's hand touched the Pokédex, its display flickered with motion.
When it stopped on a specific image, Su Bai's expression turned a bit… odd.
Ji Wei noticed immediately.
"Um... Store Manager? What did I draw?"
"That look on your face is making me nervous."
No matter how rich or experienced an A-rank Awakener was, pulling a Pokémon was always exciting.
But Su Bai's current expression was definitely strange.
Curious, Liu Yunshuang leaned over to take a look. Then she burst into laughter.
"Isn't this just a little crocodile? And it looks like it's wearing sunglasses or something?"
"It looks kind of hilarious!"
Su Bai shook his head.
"That's no ordinary crocodile. That's Sandile—a Ground and Dark-type Pokémon. It's actually quite a solid pick."
What made his expression so weird was that this Sandile was the fifth one to be drawn recently.
He used to think the Pokédex selection was completely random. Now, he wasn't so sure.
But a Berserker paired with a Sandile's final evolution—Krookodile? That's a pretty solid match.
It seemed like the Pokédex was going out of its way to help these rookie trainers.
Just imagine if this burly man had pulled something like a Happiny…
A macho man… hatching eggs?
Su Bai shuddered at the mental image.
He shook off the thought and told the still-eager Ji Wei:
"Sandile is a great Pokémon. The price is 900,000 Federal Credits."
Krookodile, as a Ground-type powerhouse, had a base stat total of 519—just a hair below the 530 total of starter Pokémon.
Considering that, and with proper training, Sandile was absolutely worth the price.
"Swipe the card!"
Ji Wei didn't hesitate for a second, handing over his crystal card.
Sure, the little croc looked kind a weird—but he was already finding it weirdly charming.
Su Bai swiped the card with practiced ease.
The Rotom system quickly handled the transaction.
A Sandile leapt out of the Pokédex in a flash, scuttling at high speed toward Ji Wei's side.
"Whoa, fast little guy!"
Ji Wei's eyes lit up.
To an A-rank Berserker, that speed was nothing impressive—but considering this was a newborn, it was quite something.
Su Bai chuckled and handed over a Poké Ball.
"Here's your Poké Ball. Take good care of it."
"Sandile and its evolutions are known for their high speed and strong offense."
"It's a Ground-type, too—so its range of targets is broad."
"Congrats, Ji Wei. Your first Pokémon is a very promising one."
Ji Wei laughed heartily.
"Didn't I say my luck was great?"
"This little guy looks fierce and cool—matches me perfectly!"
At his side, Sandile lifted its head proudly, striking a cocky pose.
Laughing, Ji Wei scooped it up and plopped it right onto his shoulder.
Meloetta rested on Su Bai's shoulder, and Jigglypuff was nestled in Liu Yunshuang's arms.
Of course, he needed one too!
Su Bai's lips twitched.
Sandile wasn't a small Pokémon. Even as a baby, it was 0.7 meters long and weighed about 15 kilograms.
And yet Ji Wei somehow made it look like a dainty little bird on his shoulder.
This guy… really did have the build of a tank. Definitely lived up to the Berserker title.
Suddenly, Liu Yunshuang narrowed her eyes with a playful smirk.
"Speaking of which… my Jigglypuff hasn't had a battle yet."
"Hey Ji Wei, how about we try a friendly match?"
"Pokémon battles are all benefits and no downsides, right?"
Though not all Berserkers were meatheads, Ji Wei definitely leaned toward the act first, think later type.
He laughed.
"Sure! Just don't cry if my Sandile messes up your cute little puffball!"
Liu Yunshuang replied sweetly.
"Be gentle, okay? Store Manager Su, mind if we use the backyard?"
Su Bai's expression became… complicated.
He nodded silently and opened the backdoor of the shop.
This Liu Yunshuang... was sneakier than she looked.
She wasn't just a nationally famous idol from the Eastern Federation—one of the most well-known singers in the country.
She also had a bit of a scheming side.
Fairy vs. Dark type?
That's a double-damage matchup!
Not to mention… Sandile was a newborn.
Fresh out of the Pokédex.
Su Bai hadn't even had time to explain type advantages to Ji Wei yet.
And Liu Yunshuang chose this exact moment to issue a challenge?
Well damn. Target acquired: teammate suppression!
A chūnibyō little sister… with a scheming, overpowered big sister.
Hmm… something tells me Liu Yunlan's childhood wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.