"Then continue." Hiroshi raised his chin towards the screen, signaling Ningguang to proceed.
Ningguang was the first customer since the store opened to skip the first batch of initial Pokémon choices. She had high standards, and she wasn't afraid to use her rerolls.
[Draw 2]
The results of the second single draw appeared.
[Timburr] (The Muscular Pokémon)
A little gray beast carrying a heavy piece of square timber appeared. It was somewhat cute in an ugly way, but its name and temperament made it look like a construction worker.
Ningguang's ruby eyes darkened slightly. A laborer? That didn't fit her aesthetic at all. This time, she didn't even ask Hiroshi. She clicked "Skip" immediately.
[Draw 3]
Soon, the results of the third round came out.
"Eh?"
Hu Tao and Xiangling, who were watching from the side, poked their heads over and exclaimed in unison.
"What is this?"
"What a strange shape. Why does it look like a sculpture of a severed arm? Or a dumbbell? What kind of Pokémon is this?"
On the illuminated Pokédex screen, it was indeed a Pokémon that was not conventionally "good-looking."
It looked like a floating blue metal dumbbell, with a long torso and huge claws at the end, which were embedded in a ball-and-socket joint. It had a single, huge, unblinking red eyeball in the center of its "head."
"Another one with a bad aesthetic..."
"Skip it!"
Ningguang sighed. She was looking for elegance, mystery, or majesty. This looked like a piece of mining equipment. Her finger hovered over the "Skip" option, ready to draw the fourth shot.
She moved quickly.
Hiroshi was startled, sweating for her. Good heavens, that's a Pseudo-Legendary! You don't just flush a Pseudo-Legendary down the toilet!
He quickly reached out and grabbed the rich woman's white wrist.
"Wait!"
Huh?
Ningguang stopped. She didn't mind this kind of sudden skin contact, mostly because she had a premonition. Her eyes suddenly ignited with anticipation. There was a hint of excitement as she looked at Hiroshi, sensing that she had nearly made a mistake.
"Doesn't the name appear on the Pokédex?"
"It's called Beldum."
Hiroshi took a breath, releasing her wrist but keeping his hand close to the screen to prevent accidental skipping.
"This is its initial state. Before it evolves, it is essentially a magnetic floating rock with very low combat power. It only knows one move: Take Down."
"But..." Hiroshi's voice dropped an octave, adding gravity. "If it evolves into its final form, Metagross, it will transform into a veritable Pseudo-Legendary."
"It is a Steel and Psychic type. It is incredibly durable, possesses a supercomputer-level intellect, and has combat power that can even fight against Legendary Pokémon..."
"Metal..." Zekrom's voice rumbled from the ceiling, sounding intrigued. "I sense magnetism. It is a creature of cold logic and hard steel. A fitting partner for a woman who rules by calculation."
Pseudo-Legendary!!
Ningguang herself was stunned, let alone the people around her.
Hongyi and the three secretaries did not expect that Lady Ningguang, who failed to draw a Dragon-type, would instead pull a powerful Pseudo-Legendary in her third single draw.
"Ah——!"
Xiangling covered her mouth and exclaimed, a sour emotion welling up in her chest.
Although she wouldn't turn into a "lemon essence" (jealous person) on the spot, Xiangling couldn't hide her envy as she looked straight at the Beldum on the screen.
After Hu Tao was stunned for a moment, she suddenly asked Hiroshi a critical question:
"Store Manager! My Gible and her Beldum both have Pseudo-Legendary qualifications. If they all evolve to their final form... which one is stronger and which one is weaker?"
This question stumped Hiroshi.
It was like asking who was more powerful: Steven Stone's Metagross or Cynthia's Garchomp?
However, Hiroshi did not intend to compare them directly. Instead, he raised the corners of his mouth slightly.
"Let me tell you a story about two Champions from another world."
"There is Steven Stone (Daigo), the Champion of the Hoenn Region, and Cynthia (Sirona), the Champion of the Sinnoh Region."
During the story-telling process, Xiangling, Hu Tao, Hongyi, and the others were inevitably surprised.
"Yeah~ So the Garchomp is the absolute main Pokémon for the Champion Cynthia?" Hu Tao's eyes sparkled.
"That's awesome!"
"And Steven's Champion Metagross can actually fight against the First-Class God Kyogre and hold its ground??"
This story fell into the ears of Hu Tao, the owner of the Gible, and Ningguang, who had just picked up the Beldum.
They each felt different emotions.
Hu Tao was very excited.
Champion Cynthia in that story... a strong woman full of demeanor, dignified and virtuous, aloof and awe-inspiring, yet without the airs of a tyrant. She had a noble temperament.
Placed in Teyvat, she would be a "Flower on the High Mountain," a goddess-level figure.
"I also want to cultivate the Gible to be as powerful as Cynthia's Garchomp——" Hu Tao clenched her little fists, finding a role model.
Ningguang, on the other hand, saw similar shadows of herself in the Hoenn Champion, Steven Stone.
Calm, composed, and steady.
Very charming.
The key was... Steven was also a super-rich second-generation heir with amazing wealth, the son of the Devon Corporation's president.
The only difference was that Steven later became a hands-off shopkeeper. After retiring from his position as Champion, he traveled around digging for rare stones as a "hobby miner."
Ningguang looked thoughtful.
Should I look for other interests in life besides business and the Liyue Qixing Cabinet work? Perhaps collecting rare stones isn't such a bad idea...
"Um?"
Ningguang was suddenly startled. She found that Hiroshi had finally pulled away the palm that had been pinching her wrist. It seemed he had gripped a little too hard in his panic, leaving a tight red mark on her jade-like skin.
"Manager Hiroshi, you seem a little... excited."
Ningguang looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile.
It was a pun.
Is it the excitement of close contact?
Or does it mean that the fact I pulled a future Metagross made Hiroshi more excited than even I am?
Hiroshi's mood at this time was indeed complicated and exciting.
But he knew Ningguang was by no means a silent, passive woman. She was dangerous.
He coughed, shifting the topic back to the Pokémon to cover his awkwardness.
"The Metagross of Champion Steven is... special. It is a Shiny Pokémon."
"While ordinary Metagross are blue... his is pure silver, and the claws on the X-shape across its face are pure gold."
Seeing Hiroshi's subtle expression and hearing the tone of reverence in his voice...
Everyone in the room's pupils shrank. They all looked back at the "Iron Dumbbell" on the Pokédex screen.
It was just a floating metal arm. A magnetic rock.
But now, in their eyes, the image superimposed with the description of a silver and gold machine god that could fight Legendary beasts.
Then.
An unspeakable atmosphere of horror spread!
This ugly little thing... is a monster.