"Larvesta!"
"Its evolved form is the famous Volcarona!"
"It is not a Pseudo-Legendary, but it stands shoulder to shoulder with them."
"It would not be an exaggeration to say that it is the strongest among non-Legendary Pokémon."
There is even a rumor in the gaming world from Hiroshi's previous life that Volcarona was originally designed to be a Legendary Pokémon, but the concept was altered later. Regardless, the traces of information shown in the Pokédex clearly displayed how powerful Volcarona is.
Hearing Hiroshi speak so conclusively, Xiangling's eyes became bright, but she still had some hesitation.
After all, it was her initial Pokémon. She had to ensure it was absolutely strong; otherwise, she would be ridiculed by her best friend Hu Tao every day.
"Manager Hiroshi, you didn't lie to me, right? Just this one bug... it looks like a Pseudo-Legendary?"
At the counter, Hiroshi calmly crossed his arms.
"The information in the Pokédex is very clear. Please read it carefully."
"[Living in the ruins of ancient volcanoes]"
"[The Sun Pokémon. It is said to be born from the sun.]"
It can only be said that the Pokédex is very objective and does not use flowery language just to flatter the Trainer.
If this bug were a Caterpie instead of a Larvesta, there is no way the title "Sun Pokémon" or descriptions like "Living in volcanic ruins" would appear. Instead, it would say sentences like, "In nature, the fate of Caterpie is to be constantly preyed upon by bird Pokémon."
"The Sun?" Zekrom's deep voice rumbled from the ceiling, sounding amused. "A bug that claims the lineage of a star. How arrogant. I approve."
Xiangling's face gradually became excited after carefully studying the Pokédex over and over again.
She held her little pink fist, feeling proud and determined.
"Larvesta?"
"I'll buy it!"
"Boss, how much is it?"
Hiroshi checked the quotation given by the System when the egg hatched and stated the price exactly:
"Five million Mora. Thank you for your patronage."
Xiangling hurriedly handed over the deposit receipt that she had prepared long ago and paid the money without thinking twice.
A few minutes later, Hiroshi came out of the breeding room, holding a strange but certainly not ugly Bug-type Pokémon in his arms.
Because it was a larva that had just hatched from an egg, the body length of the Larvesta was only a dozen centimeters. The entire body did not have the slimy feeling often associated with insects; instead, the body of the pupa looked like it was cast from brown steel, reflecting a faint, metallic light.
On the head of the Larvesta, there was a circle of white, fluffy fluff. Five red, flame-like tentacles were distributed around the head. At first glance, it resembled a sun totem.
"Is this the Larvesta? Wow, this is the first time I discovered that bugs can be so cute! I love it!"
Xiangling immediately came up to observe.
After she discovered that the Larvesta was not ugly, she obviously breathed a sigh of relief, and the last trace of worry in her heart vanished.
"Larvesta, say hello. This young lady will be your Trainer from now on."
Hiroshi put down the larva.
"Larv~~"
The Larvesta stopped in place and tilted its head, curiosity flashing in its small blue eyes.
Xiangling was actually a little helpless when she was stared at by an insect.
Afterwards, it was the Larvesta that took the lead in breaking the ice.
"Larv (Happy)!"
The Larvesta crawled all the way to Xiangling's feet, and its warm body wrapped around the girl's calf. Its small blue eyes narrowed slightly in comfort, showing a hint of affection.
Sensing the warm touch coming from her calf, Xiangling's heart melted completely.
"Larvesta... my little bug treasure."
"You will be my Pokémon from now on. Please give me your advice."
Xiangling didn't feel that the Larvesta was too hot to touch at all. She picked it up and hugged it, burying her cheek in the thick and fluffy hair of the insect's head. She took a deep breath, and what she smelled was a natural, smoky fragrance.
Hiroshi found it quite interesting.
There was no information about the Pokémon's specific personality in the external Pokédex. However, in the internal version of the System's database, this Larvesta was listed as having an "Introverted" nature, yet it clearly expressed love and affection for Xiangling.
It seemed that Xiangling's rich "Pyro attribute" aura (and the smell of spices) was quite attractive to the Larvesta.
I guess the Larvesta regards Xiangling as its mother?
This was pretty good.
Hiroshi packed two boxes of Primary Energy Cubes that were presented as gifts.
"By the way, this Larvesta has just hatched and is not suitable for feeding on cubes exclusively yet."
"It is recommended that it drinks Moomoo Milk for the first two weeks."
Hiroshi cleared his throat, preparing his sales pitch.
"Time for an advertisement..."
"Not every drop of milk is called Moomoo Milk. A cup of milk from a Miltank can strengthen a race!"
Xiangling nodded after hearing this.
She had seen it earlier when Hiroshi fed the Growlithe the milk.
"Manager Hiroshi, what's the price of Moomoo Milk?"
"A bottle is two thousand Mora. The child is innocent and deserves the best!"
Xiangling did the math quickly. "Then give me three days' worth first. I'm afraid it will taste bad after it expires, so I can't buy too much at once."
"Okay. Morning, noon, and evening—three bottles a day. That's nine bottles for three days."
"I'll charge you 18,000 Mora and give you an extra bottle as a bonus. A total of ten bottles... packed!"
Xiangling took the carton of fresh milk but took out one bottle on the spot. She unscrewed the bottle cap and asked Hiroshi for a feeding bowl.
After filling the milk, she squatted on the ground, supported her cheeks with both hands, and watched. Her eyes were filled with pink hearts, staring straight at the Larvesta drinking milk.
"Gib~ (I want to drink too)!"
A lot of saliva oozed from the mouth of the baby Gible, and he tugged at Hu Tao's trousers.
Hu Tao looked down and saw the very human-like pleading and pity in the big black eyes of her Gible.
Okay.
Be a Pokémon.
When begging for candy like a child, Hu Tao had to admit, she couldn't stand it.
"Drink!"
"Isn't it just a bottle of milk worth two thousand Mora?"
"All you can drink is yours!"
Another feeding bowl filled with milk was quickly placed next to the Larvesta, and the Gible followed closely, participating in the newborn baby's milk feast.
Although the Gible had been out of the newly hatched state for a day or two, it was still a baby at heart.
After a while, Hongyi, the Captain of the Millelith, came back breathless. He settled the bill of three million Mora for the Growlithe.
So, the newly awakened Growlithe joined the milk-drinking operation.
The three young babies—Larvesta, Gible, and Growlithe—drinking milk side by side in the store made all the Trainers present smile from the bottom of their hearts.
Click——
Hiroshi raised his tablet at the right time and captured a high-definition picture of the scene.
"Look at them," Zekrom observed from above. "The Dragon of the Earth, the Beast of Flame, and the Child of the Sun. United by... dairy products."
Hiroshi ignored the dragon's sarcasm and mentally attached the advertising slogan to the photo.
The Gible, the Larvesta, and the Growlithe shouted excitedly in unison (in Hiroshi's mind):
"We endorse the milk from the Miltank!"