"I think his name is… Wang Tao?"
Liu Yunlan pinched her chin in thought. "Isn't he that chubby guy always sticking with Su Bai?"
"Come on! Let's go talk to him!"
"If that's really a Pokémon, then I want a battle—my Chimchar versus his Turtwig!"
After getting completely outclassed by Piplup earlier, Liu Yunlan blamed it all on type advantage.
Fire loses to Water...
But Fire beats Grass!
There's no way she wouldn't win this time.
_____________________________________
"Turtwig, you're amazing!"
"I didn't think you'd be this tanky—and your attack's pretty good too!"
Wang Tao was over the moon as he hugged his Turtwig and planted a huge kiss on its leafy head.
To be honest, even he was surprised by how strong Turtwig was.
The wolves' sharp fangs could barely scratch its shell—it was like a tickle at best!
And in response, Turtwig would use Razor Leaf—those spinning leaves slashing through the air like knives, slicing deep wounds into the enemy's flesh with ease!
With a few headbutts thrown in, Turtwig had taken down the entire wolf pack on its own under Wang Tao's support.
Its performance already surpassed that of its owner, who hadn't even broken into D-rank yet!
"That million was totally worth it!"
Wang Tao cradled his precious Pokémon, smiling with deep satisfaction.
Good thing his dad—though only a mid-tier Awakened—had a keen eye for potential.
The moment he heard the Pokémon came from Su Bai's recommendation, he didn't hesitate to fork over his son's entire dowry fund.
If he hadn't acted quickly, Wang Tao would've missed out on this incredible Turtwig.
______________________________________
"That Turtwig of yours... is it really a Pokémon?"
A curious voice called out. Wang Tao turned to see a pretty girl with a bright, inquisitive look—Liu Yunlan.
She eyed the small turtle Pokémon with a leafy sprout on its head and couldn't help but laugh softly.
"It's got a little plant growing from its head! How adorable!"
"Did you also get it from Su's Pet Shop?"
Wang Tao nodded. "Oh, it's you—Liu Yunlan! Yup, this Turtwig came out of a commemorative Poké Ball, just like your Piplup and Chimchar."
As he spoke, he glanced at the round, stubby Piplup and the fiery-tailed Chimchar standing beside her.
Hm… yep. My Turtwig still looks like the most reliable of the bunch.
Wang Tao was starting to resemble a proud father more than a trainer at this point.
Liu Yunlan didn't mind. Her mind was already racing with one thing: a Pokémon battle.
"Perfect! Let's have a match, Trainer!"
Wang Tao blinked, then straightened up with a serious expression.
"A battle? You're on!"
"Turtwig won't lose!"
He quickly backed away to put some distance between them.
"Su Bai said Pokémon battles only bring benefits—never drawbacks!"
"Turtwig, let's see how strong our opponent really is! Let's get fired up!"
The battle was about to begin.
On the sidelines, Murong Nan and Piplup exchanged a look… then facepalmed in unison.
This guy… why does he sound like such a shonen anime protagonist?
_____________________________________
Meanwhile…
Su's Pet Shop — Commercial District
"So yeah, Boss. Your prices are way too high. No offense."
"All I wanted was a little puppy companion—not a second mortgage."
A sword-wielding Awakened shook his head in defeat and walked out of the shop.
Su Bai watched him leave and half-heartedly raised a hand in farewell.
Finally, a customer who was an actual Awakened… and he still bailed.
Not like the prices were his decision. What could he do?
"At this rate… am I gonna go another day without a single sale?"
Slumping over the counter, Su Bai sighed deeply.
He glanced at the Pokédex interface hovering beside him.
According to the Pokémon Home System, completing the Pokédex was the key to upgrading it.
And every upgrade brought new rewards!
"Melo-melo~"
Meloetta hovered above his head, gently massaging his temples with a pout.
Just as both trainer and Pokémon were drowning in shared frustration—
BANG!
The shop door burst open.
"SU BAI! SU BAAAAI! Come save my Turtwig!!!"
A piercing wail echoed from the huge, panting figure of Wang Tao as he stumbled through the doorway.
Su Bai looked up, locking eyes with Wang Tao's red, tear-streaked face.
"Dun-dun! Dun-dun-dun!"
Cue cheerful music.
Su Bai pulled two Poké Balls from the Pokédex interface and handed them to Wang Tao and Liu Yunlan.
Wang Tao immediately released his Turtwig and hugged it tight, nearly weeping as he comforted his grumpy little turtle.
"Jeez. You're a grown man, get a grip."
Liu Yunlan and Chimchar gave him matching looks of disbelief.
Su Bai rolled his eyes. "Did you forget what you were like yesterday when your Chimchar got a scratch?"
Wang Tao groaned. "Type advantage is way more brutal than I thought… Do I really have no way of beating Fire-types?"
"There are so many Fire-type Death Beasts out there!"
As a tank-class Awakened, using a Grass-type Pokémon wasn't exactly ideal in the current meta.
Too many enemies that could spit fireballs.
Su Bai thought for a moment and shrugged.
"Type disadvantage is a real thing. But it's not unbeatable."
"Your Turtwig's still a juvenile—its move pool is limited."
"Once it evolves into Torterra, it'll gain a Ground typing."
"Then, even against Fire-types, it can deal massive damage."
"And remember, just because a Pokémon is a certain type doesn't mean it can't learn moves from another."
"Some Fire-types can use Ground moves—and the same goes for your Turtwig."
"If you train it well and its stats keep up, even type disadvantages won't stop you."
"Type matchups matter, but how you handle them matters more."
Torterra's Grass/Ground dual typing gave it more flexibility. In the future, it might even learn Dark-type moves, letting it stand against Ghost-types too.
Sure, Fire-types would still be a challenge—but at least it wouldn't be helpless.
"But anyway… That's for later."
Su Bai paused, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
He remembered the newest Pokémon generation he played before transmigrating—Scarlet and Violet.
With the introduction of Terastalization, Pokémon could change their type mid-battle, opening up endless strategic possibilities.
And who knows?
Mega Evolutions, Dynamaxing—those features might also unlock as the Pokémon Home System evolved.
But that was all still in the future.
"No wonder you're always top of the class in theory," Liu Yunlan said, giving him a big thumbs-up.
"Type disadvantage may be absolute—but good strategy and skill can turn the tide."
"It's such a shame you never Awakened!"
Su Bai simply hummed in reply, his gaze drifting to the dusty corner of the shop—where he had once accidentally touched something mysterious.
"Does it really matter… whether I've Awakened or not?"
"With Pokémon by my side… why would I need to go risk my life out there?"
Just as they were caught in their lively discussion—
The shop door quietly creaked open once more.
A woman stepped inside, her face mostly hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat.
But even the glimpse of her lower face was enough—
She was breathtaking.