"What a cute dog~" Xiangling also looked over and exclaimed, her eyes turning into sparkling stars.
Hiroshi smiled and did not ignore the guest who came first just because the newcomers were famous characters with distinguished status. He maintained his professional integrity toward Hongyi, who had drawn the initial Pokémon.
He had a "small business target" of 100 million Mora to reach. He couldn't just pick up the watermelons and lose the sesame seeds; he wanted to catch them all!
"Wait a moment, you two. I'll take care of the guest in front of you first."
He looked at the Captain of the Millelith standing in front of the counter.
"Captain Hongyi, have you read the Pokédex entry carefully?"
"Just like the information in the Pokédex says," Hiroshi explained, tapping the screen of Hongyi's device. "Growlithe and its evolved form, Arcanine, are extremely loyal. They will not move even a single step before receiving orders from their Trainers."
"This species is born to be police dogs—brave, reliable, and possessing a strong sense of justice!"
After saying that, Hiroshi saw Hongyi waver again, his eyes shining with desire.
"Just a moment."
Hiroshi went into the breeding room at the back where outsiders were strictly prohibited.
"Another weak creature?" Zekrom's voice rumbled from the shadows of the ceiling, causing the dust motes to dance. "It smells of fire, but a very... small fire. Like a candle in a hurricane."
"Don't be mean, Zekrom. It's a baby," Hiroshi whispered back before picking up a Growlithe puppy that had just hatched from the incubator.
When Hiroshi returned to the store with the cub in his arms, the reaction was immediate.
"Wow——!"
Hu Tao and Xiangling gathered around excitedly.
The girls stared directly at the little dog licking its paws in Hiroshi's arms.
Different from the pastoral dogs usually seen in Liyue, the Growlithe had tiger-like black stripes on its orange body and a magnificent mane of cream-colored fluff on its head, neck, and tail, making it look like a high-end stuffed toy come to life.
Its eyes were big, bright, piercing, and full of sparkles of wisdom and courage.
Hiroshi took a bottle of Moomoo Milk from the shelf and poured it into a bowl.
As he held the bowl and let the Growlithe puppy lick and drink the milk, he rested his chin on his hand and glanced at the three customers in front of the counter.
"In the world of Pokémon, there is a saying about the 'Starter Pokémon'—the three most common types given to beginners," Hiroshi lectured casually.
"As for Growlithe, it is a very powerful initial Pokémon, arguably on par with those Starters. Its evolved form is magnificent."
"In another world plane, the Officer Jenny family in the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh regions all use Growlithe and Arcanine as their best police partners!"
Hiroshi suddenly patted his head and laughed apologetically at the three guests.
"Hey, why am I talking so much about the Kanto and Johto regions, or the Officer Jenny family... you don't understand these references yet!"
"How about this——"
Hiroshi placed the puppy on the ground.
He turned around and picked up a durable training sandbag from the corner.
"Growlithe, use Bite on this device!"
The puppy, which was happily drinking milk just a moment ago, immediately raised its head alertly after hearing the command.
"Growl!"
It howled with surprising ferocity and pounced on the sandbag.
Rip!
"Have a look..."
After a moment, Hiroshi showed the torn and eroded sandbag to the customers at the counter.
Silence filled the room.
The cub had just hatched and didn't even seem to have fully grown teeth yet.
Can it chew up a tough sandbag like this?!
"Oh, haha." Hu Tao remained calm. They were both Pokémon babies, but her Gible had already smashed through a brick wall. This was child's play in comparison.
Hiroshi let the dog continue to drink the milk and spoke to the stunned Xiangling and Hongyi.
"Growlithe is of the Fire attribute. If you raise it with Energy Cubes for a few days and provide proper nurturing and training, it will learn its second skill, Ember."
"It will breathe fire to attack the target!"
Captain Hongyi couldn't hide the look of longing on his face when he saw that Growlithe had such power at such a young age.
Breathing fire!
Fire attribute!
On the continent of Teyvat, Hongyi knew exactly what this meant.
He couldn't help but clench his fists excitedly.
Since he did not possess a Vision with the Pyro element, having a loyal and reliable partner with the Fire attribute would allow him to become a strong individual within the Millelith!
He, Hongyi, is a Captain of the Millelith.
He, too, had a dream of becoming stronger!
"Three million Mora?..." Hongyi murmured, checking his finances mentally.
Hiroshi smiled slightly.
"Yes, fixed price."
"Three million Mora!"
"This is the lowest discounted price for Starter Pokémon!"
"If your second Pokémon draw happens to be a Growlithe, you won't be able to get it for less than six million Mora!"
Seeing the internal struggle on Hongyi's face, Xiangling stepped forward.
"Um, Manager Hiroshi, can I pet the Growlithe?"
Hiroshi nodded with a smile. "Go ahead."
Xiangling let out an excited cry of "Yeah!" and couldn't wait to cover the soft fur on the Growlithe's head with her palms.
The touch was incredibly soft and warm.
The Growlithe let out a low, milky bark, enjoying the attention with half-closed eyes and a comfortable expression.
Seeing this, Xiangling's starry eyes immediately turned into the shape of hearts.
"That's it——"
"Three million Mora, right?"
"Boss, I want to take this Growlithe home!"
As she said that, she slapped a large Northland Bank deposit slip onto the counter.
Bam!
This move made a loud slap on the table.
It was exactly the same as her best friend Hu Tao's excitement yesterday.
Captain Hongyi suddenly changed color, panic rising in his voice.
"Chef Xiangling! This Growlithe is the initial Pokémon I drew!"
Then, he threw away the last trace of hesitation.
"Manager Hiroshi! Can you reserve half a day for me? I'll go back to raise the money right away!"
Hiroshi nodded, pushing Xiangling's deposit slip back slightly.
"Go quickly and come back quickly."
"Any Pokémon drawn by a customer has the absolute right of first refusal. Unless Captain Hongyi gives up, no one else can buy it."
"In addition, Growlithe is a Pokémon that is relatively friendly to raise and does not consume a massive amount of resources. You Millelith soldiers have a well-established organization and a good salary, so they can be easily cultivated."
"When it evolves into Arcanine, it will have complete combat power, allowing you to become an elite Trainer comparable to Vision holders."
Captain Hongyi saluted sharply, turned, and strode away with a speed that suggested he was using an elemental burst.
The corners of Hiroshi's mouth curled up slightly.
Today's good start came so quickly.
Three million Mora!
Indeed, at this price, it was still a Growlithe, which was not difficult for Millelith soldiers to accept.
An ordinary migrant worker in Liyue Harbor can earn around 300,000 Mora a month.
The Millelith is Liyue's regular military establishment.
Above his head, there is Ningguang, the wealthiest woman in Teyvat, and Rex Lapis, the God of Contracts who literally created the Mora currency. How could the salary of a Captain be low?
Therefore, for Hongyi, the price of three million Mora only counted as a portion of his savings, not his entire life's work.
The Captain's previous hesitation was more out of concern that he would have to spend a lot of money later on upkeep, not the initial purchase price.
"The soldier runs fast," Zekrom commented dryly. "Fear of losing the beast has given him wings. Humans are driven by such petty desires."
Hiroshi chuckled softly. "Desire makes for good business, Zekrom."