There was no doubt that Ren's Pokémon videos were trending once again on bilibili,
especially the one uploaded late last night.
The two consecutive battles had allowed viewers to see several new Pokémon, and on top of that, there was the now-famous "goddess showdown" between Lily and Emma.
As the two most talked-about young women in Magic City, Lily and Emma had completely broken out of their usual circles and gone viral.
Especially Lily…
Well, the moment when her composure completely collapsed while facing Jason in the previous video was simply too funny.
"Hmph! Hmph! Do you see how strong I am now?"
Lily lay sprawled on her bed, hugging her Charmander while watching the scrolling comments, smiling so widely her eyes nearly curved shut.
As for remarks like 'It was just luck,' 'That battle had no sportsmanship,' or 'It was unfair to Squirtle'—Lily filtered them all out automatically.
What was unfair about it?
Her Trapinch had crushed that water-type cleanly into the ground until it couldn't even stand up. If anyone wanted to complain, they should blame that idiot turtle itself—who told it to grow such a huge shell?
"Huh? What's that burning smell?"
She wrinkled her nose, sniffed the air, and blinked in confusion. The next second, her gaze froze on the bedsheets.
"AHHHHH! Charmander, your tail!!"
"Char—Char!"
A sharp, panicked scream echoed through the cozy room, accompanied by Charmander's flustered cry.
Well… it was destined to be a lively night.
...
The next morning arrived bright and sunny.
Ren pushed open the shop door and stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders.
"Here's hoping today's another good day."
He lit a cigarette, exhaling slowly. He'd slept exceptionally well last night.
After all, business had been booming.
"Oh~ Boss, you're right on time as always."
Just as Ren finished smoking and was about to order breakfast, laughter came from nearby.
"Haha~ Mr. Lucas, you're early too."
Ren turned around. Standing there was Lucas, dressed sharply in a tailored suit and polished leather shoes, exuding the air of a successful businessman. Behind him stood a young urban beauty who looked professional and composed.
She was clearly his assistant.
Ren had learned through casual group chats that Lucas was also the president of a company.
A textbook rich second-generation entrepreneur.
"It's not that early. I've already wrapped up company matters," Lucas said with a grin. "Since I had some free time, I figured I'd come over and support your business."
It was already past ten in the morning.
"By the way, this is my assistant, Miya. I'm planning to buy another Pokémon today."
"Good morning, Boss."
Miya nodded politely, her gaze curious as she studied Ren.
"Welcome," Ren replied with a smile. Customers who brought in more customers were always his favorite.
Once inside the shop, Ren greeted Diancie.
"I'm sure Mr. Lucas already knows the process."
"Of course."
Lucas skillfully took out the Pokédex, pointing it toward Manaphy to record the data, then accepted the Pokédex Diancie handed him and nodded.
Miya stared at the elegant and gentle Diancie in amazement. She was now fully convinced that Larvitar's destructive behavior was a rare exception.
Just yesterday, Larvitar had chewed through three of Lucas's desks. The memory was still painfully fresh.
Absolutely devastating.
"Alright, let's begin. Let's see what Mr. Lucas draws this time," Ren said, setting two glasses of water on the counter.
"With my luck? Maybe I'll pull another pseudo-legendary," Lucas joked.
"…Let's hope so," Ren replied, smiling awkwardly.
Good grief. He already had a Larvitar and still wanted more?
Lucas said nothing further and tapped Confirm on the Pokédex. All eyes fixed on the rapidly spinning black silhouette on the screen.
Miya leaned closer, unable to hide her curiosity about this so-called Pokémon lottery.
The shadow flickered, then slowly came to a stop.
"Uh… Boss, what's this?"
Lucas stared at the screen, momentarily stunned.
Ren glanced over. "That's Spinarak, a Bug- and Poison-type Pokémon."
The screen showed a small cyan spider that looked almost toy-like.
"A spider?" Lucas frowned. "Boss, how strong is it?"
"Average," Ren replied honestly after a brief pause. "Not particularly strong."
Its evolution, Ariados, wasn't especially outstanding in terms of raw power.
"Then I'll draw again."
Lucas didn't hesitate.
Miya: "..."
Ren wasn't surprised and casually continued scrolling through his phone to order food.
"Boss, what about this one?"
The image froze again, and Lucas looked up expectantly.
Ren leaned in. "Oh? This is a good one."
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"It's Aron, a Steel- and Rock-type Pokémon. Its potential is excellent."
Ren smiled as he explained. Lucas really was lucky—pulling Aron on his second try. Its final evolution, Aggron, was not only imposing in appearance but also possessed formidable strength.
Not to mention, Aggron could even Mega Evolve.
However…
Ren glanced at Lucas with a strange expression, hesitating slightly.
"Steel and Rock-type…"
Lucas's eyes lit up. Thanks to Larvitar, he already had a favorable impression of Rock-type Pokémon—let alone one with a Steel typing as well.
"It looks kind of cute," Miya commented, leaning closer.
Aron resembled a small quadrupedal beast clad in white steel armor, with blue eyes and a dark gray body. It looked odd at first glance, but the longer one stared, the more endearing it became.
"I'll take it, Boss."
Lucas made the decision without hesitation. If Ren said it had great potential, there was no reason to miss out.
"Please wait a moment."
Ren headed toward the back room and returned seconds later with a small Pokémon slowly crawling along the floor.
Lucas immediately raised his Pokédex.
Beep—Aron. Steel- and Rock-type. Iron Armor Pokémon.
Ability: Heavy Metal.
Known moves: Tackle, Harden, Metal Claw.
This Pokémon eats iron ore to build its steel body. It occasionally causes trouble by consuming bridges or railway tracks.
The synthesized voice echoed through the shop.
The smile on Lucas's face gradually stiffened.
Iron ore… bridges… railway tracks?
Ah… this…
"So it's another big eater?" Miya muttered helplessly.
As she spoke, her gaze drifted downward toward the hardworking Larvitar at Lucas's feet.
"Well… strictly speaking, Aron eats even more than Larvitar," Ren corrected politely, his smile slightly strained.
That was exactly why he'd hesitated earlier.
Aron's appetite was no joke.
Faced with the Pokédex's merciless description, Lucas fell completely silent.