Wild Pokémon... are going to appear?!
Su Bai stood frozen, stunned by the system's latest mechanical announcement.
What… what did that even mean?
Was the death-beast-infested outside world about to completely change?
As a seasoned Pokémon player, Su Bai knew the numbers and types by heart.
If he remembered correctly—even excluding Meltan and the four-hundred-candy evolution Melmetal—the Kanto region alone had 151 Pokémon.
Among them were the legendary Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres—the Three Legendary Birds.
And of course, there was the mighty Mewtwo, a Pokémon whose power was nearly unmatched.
Not to mention the mythical Mew, said to contain the genetic blueprint of all Pokémon species.
Then there were the beloved original starters—the onion turtle (Bulbasaur), the squirting turtle (Squirtle), and the ever-popular flame-breathing Charmander.
For any veteran Pokémon player, the Pokémon of Kanto were undeniably the most iconic.
That region was where every dream began.
Su Bai's breathing grew heavy.
He never expected this kind of system upgrade.
But... what did it mean when the system said "a series of preparations"?
As if to answer his question, the system's voice echoed again:
[To achieve the arrival of Kanto Pokémon, the host must complete the following preparations:]
[1. Expand the Pokédex to include over 150 entries.]
[2. Disseminate the knowledge of crafting Pokéblocks and cultivating Berries. Start growing Berries around Haicheng in preparation for the arrival of Pokémon. Pokéblock crafting instructions have been uploaded to the Pokédex.]
[3. Reach a certain total number of Training Points among all Trainers.]
[4. Once the above conditions are met, the system will provide the host with construction blueprints for wild Pokémon outposts, along with a mysterious reward. When all preparations are complete, Pokémon from the Kanto region will appear in the real world as wild Pokémon around Haicheng!]
Two small progress bars appeared at the bottom left of Su Bai's vision.
One was clearly marked 0—this must refer to the current progress on Berry cultivation and Pokéblock dissemination.
The second one read 10%—likely the current accumulated Training Points among Trainers.
So it seemed that the efforts of Wang Tao and the others hadn't been in vain after all.
Both progress bars could be toggled on or off at will, which Su Bai found very convenient.
Once the system finished relaying the info, Su Bai waited a few more seconds.
No more system messages followed.
He took a deep breath and slowly stood up.
In this world plagued by Death Beasts, everything had long since been shrouded in a dull, oppressive aura.
Human settlements were slightly better, but the general tone remained bleak and colorless.
The vibrant sunlight and playful Pokémon of Kanto, those dreamy scenes full of life—they couldn't feel more distant from what the world looked like now.
The conditions laid out by the system weren't just tasks—they were trials.
The system had shown it could inject elemental power directly into his body…
It could even tear open space itself to send Pokémon into his sanctuary.
Its power was practically unimaginable.
Su Bai had no doubt: if the system wanted to, it could wipe out the Death Beasts in a heartbeat and summon Pokémon into the world at will.
Summon Groudon, drop a few Precipice Blades, and the whole swarm of Death Beasts would probably be extinct.
And yet—the system still laid out conditions.
Clearly, this was a test of humanity's readiness to coexist with Pokémon.
"…No wonder I got such an overpowered Grass-type reward just for being a teacher."
Only now did Su Bai understand.
The two-week mission hadn't seemed difficult at all.
And yet it had granted him a nearly broken ability.
Because in the eyes of the system, what he was doing was incredibly important.
"But this is a big deal… Once the center officially opens tomorrow, I'll need to visit the City Lord's Mansion."
Su Bai looked at the Pokémon frolicking under the night sky inside the Habitat.
Then, with a contented sigh, he reclined on the old chair beside him.
At last… this world had hope.
Things were finally starting to get better.
The next morning.
Su Bai was up early, ready to open the doors.
After several sleepless nights, he'd finally gotten a decent rest and felt refreshed.
He couldn't wait another second to kickstart the preparations for the Pokémon arrival.
"Shraaak!"
He pressed a button beside the Pokémon Center entrance.
The custom-tinted glass doors began to clear up, slowly becoming transparent.
Although the world's overall tech wasn't as advanced as his original one, the presence of awakened individuals gave rise to some bizarre "black technologies."
Like this color-shifting glass—he had no idea how it worked, but it was certainly convenient.
But as the outside view became fully visible…
Su Bai froze.
So many people?!
Wang Tao, Liu Yunlan, and Pei Jingguo—students from Haicheng No. 1 High—were already outside.
But that wasn't all.
Even Liu Yunshuang and Ji Wei had shown up!
Behind Pei Jingguo was a nervous-looking blond kid who seemed ready to bow at any moment.
"Huh? Why are you guys here so early?"
Su Bai thought he was the early bird…
But apparently, they'd beaten him to it.
Wang Tao grinned and said, "Of course we came early! How could we miss the grand opening of the Pokémon Center?"
"Damn, this place is really impressive!"
Ding Yue and Zhang Qun waved from behind, smiling.
Several people carried elegant, high-end flower arrangements to the front of the center.
Each pot bore a ribbon with bold gold characters:
Congratulations on the Grand Opening of the Pokémon Center!
Zhang Qun, holding his Gible, adjusted his glasses and grinned.
"Just a small gesture, Boss Su. Wishing you great prosperity!"
Su Bai was still trying to process the sudden crowd of well-wishers when an unexpected figure appeared before him—
It was City Lord Zhu Jianyuan!
And as Zhu Jianyuan arrived, a wave of flash photography erupted around them.
A group of clearly professional reporters started snapping pictures of the Pokémon Center.
"L-Lord Zhu?! What's going on?"
Su Bai scratched his head. He hadn't invited any media...
Zhu Jianyuan approached with a friendly smile and spoke quietly:
"Now that the decision's been made, Haicheng will stand by it."
"The Pokémon Center is going to be one of the city's most important facilities—even more important than Haicheng No. 1 High in the future."
"I know you don't like fanfare, but some publicity is necessary."
"Don't worry—they'll leave right after the shoot. I've arranged everything. They won't disturb your work."
"Oh, and the old Principal asked me to wish you a prosperous opening."
He patted Su Bai on the shoulder, giving him a meaningful look.
Su Bai gave a silent nod.
He had always disliked empty formalities.
But now it was clear—he needed full cooperation from all sides if he wanted to complete the next phase of the mission.
In that case, Zhu Jianyuan's publicity move… was exactly what he needed.
Liu Yunlan and Murong Nan exchanged a grin, then stepped forward with a bright red ribbon.
Before Su Bai could react, a large pair of scissors was placed in his hands.
Zhu Jianyuan smoothly stepped forward and gripped the scissors alongside him.
Snip!
The ribbon fell to the ground.
The Pokémon Center… was officially open for business!