Chapter 1: The Spirit Ranch
On the outskirts of Spirit City, a middle-aged man stormed out of a strange-looking shop, his face twisted with anger.
"What kind of garbage Poké Ball is this? One single ball costs me a hundred gold coins! What's so special about the Pokémon you raise here?"
"You'd make more money just robbing people outright. Why even bother opening a shop?"
"And don't try to fool me—none of those Pokémon looked high-ranked at all!"
His loud shouting immediately drew the attention of passersby.
From a distance, three young prodigies noticed the commotion.
"When did a new shop open here?" asked Xie Yue, his pale skin and strikingly handsome features drawing glances. "Pokémon Ranch? What do they sell? Yan, Nana—should we go take a look?"
"I don't mind," Yan replied curiously. "I want to see what they're selling and why there's such a big argument."
Hu Liena nodded lightly. "I was thinking the same."
The three followed the street and soon arrived at the entrance of Pokémon Ranch at the end of the road.
"All product prices in this shop are clearly marked, and their functions are explained in detail," a calm voice said.
"If you made a mistake—or were unlucky and failed to catch a Pokémon—who do you think is responsible?"
"If you don't have the money, don't cause trouble. You're wasting my time."
A man with dazzling good looks and eyes as bright as stars casually waved his hand, dismissing the middle-aged man.
As expected, he still needed some kind of spectacle to attract customers. In an entire week, fewer than five people had visited the shop. Still, scenes like this always drew a crowd.
Next, he would demonstrate how Poké Balls and Pokémon truly worked.
His name was Lin Qin, the owner of this Pokémon Ranch.
One week ago, he had reincarnated into the Douluo Continent and awakened the Pokémon Ranch System.
According to the system's rules, every Poké Ball sold would be priced at ten times its base value.
Moreover, every sale granted him Pokémon Points. These points could be used not only to directly purchase Pokémon, but also to buy Skill Learning Machines.
Poké Balls, of course, were used to capture Pokémon.
Through a portal provided by the system, trainers could travel to regions where Pokémon lived.
No matter who captured a Pokémon there, Lin Qin would receive real-time feedback.
Captured Pokémon could be stored, exchanged for Spirit Rings of equivalent power, or traded for Pokémon Points.
Pokémon Points could also be used to upgrade the Pokémon Ranch itself.
Each upgrade unlocked a brand-new region.
At present, the only region Lin Qin had unlocked was the Kanto Region, home to first-generation Pokémon.
Among them, the strongest without question was Mewtwo.
Naturally, captured Pokémon could be used normally in battle—or even transformed into external Spirits.
"Heh, boss," Yan said, picking up a Poké Ball from the display counter and inspecting it repeatedly.
"You're just selling red-and-white balls. Why does one cost a hundred gold coins?"
There was nothing visibly special about it.
After all, a single gold coin was enough to support an average family for several months. This price was absurd.
"If something is expensive, there's always a reason," Lin Qin replied calmly.
"The explanation is written on the wall. Read it yourself."
Having thoroughly studied the Douluo Continent, Lin Qin recognized the three immediately—they were members of the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall.
Hiring someone to stir up trouble didn't mean everyone could afford it.
In Lin Qin's eyes, these three were simply… prime customers.
"Pokémon can be converted into Spirits, Spirit Rings, and even exchanged for Spirit Skills?"
"Boss, this is straight-up robbery. What Pokémon could possibly have abilities like that? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Do you even know where you are? How dare you open a fake shop here!"
Yan and the others finished reading the rules on the wall. Now, it felt like their intelligence was being insulted.
Yan had been curious at first, but now only anger remained.
Scamming people right under the nose of the Spirit Hall was practically a crime.
"Don't be so impatient," Lin Qin said lazily.
"I told you—if it's expensive, there's a reason. If you want to make trouble…"
"Come out, Blastoise. Calm them down."
He casually tossed a Poké Ball.
In the next instant, a massive dark-blue turtle appeared before everyone—thick limbs planted firmly on the ground, twin Hydro Cannons protruding from its shell.
"This… this Poké Ball actually holds a Pokémon?!"
Yan stared at the towering Blastoise, more than a meter taller than himself, completely speechless.
Even worse—his spirit power was sealed by some mysterious force. He couldn't summon it at all.
At that moment, a ridiculous thought crossed everyone's mind.
Could this be real?
Could Pokémon truly be converted into Spirits or Spirit Rings?
Hu Liena, who had a weakness for handsome men, had been excited when she first saw Lin Qin. But after seeing what he sold, she assumed he was a scammer—and even considered capturing him for personal enjoyment.
But now…
"One hundred each, right?" she said with a smile, stepping forward and spreading her hands.
"Give me ten."
"Nana, aren't you worried this is a trick?" Yan asked nervously, still staring at Blastoise.
"I'll take ten as well," Xie Yue said calmly.
"Are you two serious?" Yan exclaimed. "Real or fake? You're usually the smart ones!"
"Yan, you noticed it too, didn't you?" Xie Yue whispered.
"Spirit power can't be used here. That Blastoise is at least ten thousand years old. This shop owner definitely has something special. Let's check it out. If it's a scam, we'll report it to the Elders afterward."
Lin Qin summoned twenty Poké Balls from the system space and evenly divided them between Hu Liena and Xie Yue.
"Honored guests, please come inside."
He smiled and opened the door to the inner room.
"Wait! I want ten too!" Yan shouted, raising both hands and quickly slipping past Blastoise.
"Here you go." Lin Qin took the money pouch and handed him ten Poké Balls.
"Alright. Follow me."
The three entered the inner room one by one. Lin Qin closed the door behind them.
The room was completely empty—except for a glowing portal floating in the center.
"Step inside," Lin Qin said, pointing.
They exchanged glances, then walked through the light together. Lin Qin followed.
A blinding white flash filled their vision.
When the light slowly faded, they found themselves standing in a vast grassland. The scenery came into focus—and with it, countless Pokémon they had never seen before.
"This… is this a space-transfer type Spirit Skill?" one of them murmured.
"It's not just beautiful," Hu Liena said softly, staring into the distance.
"Are those… Pokémon?"
"That's right," Lin Qin replied.
"You can't use spirit power here. Now, I'll teach you how to catch Pokémon."
He pressed his hand down lightly, fully stepping into the role of a teacher.