"Although I really like Onix, this big guy still needs a proper place where it can move freely."
Back inside the shop, Lucas looked thoughtfully at the Poké Ball in his hand.
He genuinely loved large Pokémon. That was exactly why he had to train Onix properly.
But there was one obvious problem—
Onix was simply too big.
If he kept it at the company, it would probably struggle just to lift its head indoors.
After thinking it through, the only suitable place seemed to be the manor at his home. Of course, he could keep it inside its Poké Ball and carry it around, and that would technically work.
But if that happened, Onix would rarely have the chance to come out and move around.
"If you have time, Mr. Lucas," Ren said with a smile after hearing him mutter to himself, "you can take Onix to a quarry."
"Onix's diet includes rocks. It absorbs the hard minerals inside stones to strengthen its body and make itself tougher."
Onix consumed rocks and soil as part of its diet—similar to how Aron fed on iron ore. It was all for strengthening its body.
"I see."
Lucas was briefly stunned, but after thinking about Onix's rocky body, it didn't seem strange at all.
After all… it was basically made of stone.
It was only natural that it ate stones.
"There's actually an interesting rumor about Onix," Ren continued casually. "It's said that if an Onix lives for more than a hundred years, its body composition gradually becomes similar to black diamond."
"Whether that rumor is true or not is hard to say. But feeding it more high-quality rocks certainly won't hurt."
In fact, there had been many unusual Onix in various records—like the enormous Onix owned by Bruno of the Kanto Elite Four, or the crystal Onix discovered in the Orange Archipelago.
The idea that an Onix's body might change after consuming certain minerals wasn't completely baseless. Some Pokédex entries even hinted at similar possibilities.
What was certain, however, was that eating rocks made Onix's body harder.
"Great! Thanks, Boss."
Lucas's eyes brightened.
A quarry, huh?
Ding—
The wind chime at the door suddenly rang.
"Welcome."
Ren gave Lucas and Miya an apologetic smile before standing up to greet the new customer.
"Hello… may I ask what kind of products you sell here?"
A slender young woman dressed in casual clothing stepped inside, curiosity written all over her face.
But before she could finish her sentence, her gaze fell on the Pokémon resting inside the shop.
Her eyes widened instantly.
What beautiful Pokémon!
"You must have seen the video online," Ren said with a knowing smile. "Are you interested in Pokémon?"
"Yes. I saw it on the internet and rushed over from Hangzhou," the girl replied, trying to calm her excitement. "I didn't expect it to be real."
She had come all this way—and it turned out to be true.
Lucas and Miya exchanged amused smiles from the lounge area.
It seemed the boss's promotional video had attracted quite a few people.
"I promise you won't be disappointed," Ren said warmly as he guided her to sit down. "Our shop operates on a random draw system."
He placed the manager's Pokédex in front of her.
"You choose this way?" she asked curiously, holding the device in her hands. It was her first time seeing pets sold through a lottery system.
"Pokémon are mysterious creatures," Ren replied smoothly. "And fate is even more mysterious. Aren't you curious which Pokémon you're destined to meet?"
Miya shot him a speechless look.
Fate?
You literally pay for lottery chances.
Didn't his conscience hurt saying that?
But Ren, thick-skinned as ever, ignored her expression.
"Go ahead and try," he encouraged.
The girl nodded.
"My name is Luna," she added softly before tapping the screen with her index finger.
The Pokédex screen filled with rapidly flashing silhouettes.
Luna watched closely.
Charmander was adorable. Squirtle was nice too. Even Vulpix would be wonderful.
She didn't have high standards—the Pokémon she'd seen in the videos were all charming.
Lucas and Miya also leaned forward slightly, curious to see what she would get.
The rotating silhouette gradually slowed… and stopped.
The image sharpened.
"Eh? Boss… what Pokémon is this?"
Looking at the small cyan creature displayed on the screen, Luna tilted her head slightly.
"Miss, your luck is… very good."
Ren raised his eyebrows.
Not just good.
Incredible.
"Is something wrong with it?" Luna asked hesitantly.
"No, nothing wrong at all," Ren replied after a brief pause. "This Pokémon is called Dreepy."
Yes.
Dreepy.
Its final evolution was Dragapult, one of the pseudo-legendary Pokémon introduced in the Galar region.
Since Mega Evolution wasn't present in that era's competitive scene, Dragapult was widely regarded as one of the strongest pseudo-legendaries.
"Pseudo-legendary!"
Lucas blurted out instinctively, his expression changing.
He recognized the name immediately.
Miya also froze.
She knew very well how much pseudo-legendaries were worth.
Lucas's Larvitar had cost a fortune.
And now this newcomer had drawn one on her first try?
"A pseudo-legendary?" Luna repeated softly.
She didn't fully understand the term—but from their reactions, she could tell it meant something powerful.
"Boss," she said gently, "if there's something I should know, please just tell me."
Ren sighed lightly.
"As a shop owner, I shouldn't interfere with a customer's excitement," he admitted. "But some things need to be clarified."
"Miss… the price of this Dreepy may be a little high."
"How high?" she asked, frowning slightly.
She already knew the Pokémon here were expensive. She'd read the online comments.
But if it was just a few hundred thousand, she could manage.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have traveled all the way to the city herself.
"Sixty million."
Silence.
Luna: "..."
"Six… sixty million?"