In the blink of an eye, the old cathode-ray television in the shop flickered to life.
Accompanied by a burst of raucous noise, brilliant fireworks exploded from the stage onscreen.
A Fire-type Awakened strummed an electric guitar with wild passion, kicking off the show with a blistering riff.
"Whew, thank goodness. Jigglypuff hasn't come on yet."
Liu Yunlan let out a breath of relief.
"Still the guest segment—we made it just in time!"
"If I weren't worried about you missing out on her debut, I wouldn't have rushed here just to tell you."
She shot Su Bai a sideways glare.
Su Bai scratched his head, clearly surprised.
"Wait, Fire-type Awakened perform at concerts now? And they're doing warm-ups for your sister Liu Yunshuang?"
Even the usually laid-back Murong Nan gave him a look like Are you serious?
"Just because someone awakens doesn't mean they have to become a combatant," she said.
"Some people grow up loving music. You can't force them to fight just because they have powers."
"Besides, compared to risking your life on missions, being a singer is way safer."
"Of course, if there's a dire event like a Beast Horde invasion, Awakened are obligated to respond."
"It's their duty."
"How do you not know that? Do you just ignore everything going on in the world?"
Su Bai exchanged confused looks with Wang Tao, both of them shrugging helplessly.
It wasn't that he didn't care—he simply hadn't had the luxury of caring.
Music wasn't his thing, and the pressure of not awakening for so long had kept him focused on surviving. He only even knew Liu Yunshuang's name because her posters were everywhere.
As for Wang Tao—your stereotypical battle-hardened straight dude—let's not even ask.
Still, one thing was undeniable: the stage effects brought by the Awakened were spectacular.
There wasn't just the fiery guitarist. A Water-type conjured a gentle mist that made the stage shimmer like a dream, and a Fighting-type leapt high into the air, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
The unconventional concert was a revelation to Su Bai, a Haicheng local who'd never seen anything like this.
Then—
BOOM!
Another burst of flame lit up the stage.
The guest performers vanished in the firelight, leaving behind a dramatic silence.
The venue went dark.
Liu Yunlan grabbed Su Bai's hand excitedly, shaking it.
"It's starting! She's coming out—my sister's about to take the stage!"
A single spotlight pierced the darkness, shining down on the center of the stage.
A figure draped in gossamer robes appeared amid a thunderous wave of cheers—
"Yuuuuunshuaaang!"
Then…
"Bolo~~"
A dreamy, whimsical voice floated through the air.
Liu Yunlan, who had just been buzzing with excitement, froze.
Her hand stopped mid-shake.
Everyone in the shop stared at the screen.
"Wait a sec," Wang Tao frowned, "I've definitely heard that voice before…"
Su Bai blinked, eyes glued to the screen.
No way.
The lights suddenly flared to full brightness.
The robed figure onstage spun around—a full 180-degree turn.
"PFFFFFT!"
Su Bai spit out the tea in his mouth!
Without even wiping his face, he jabbed a finger at the screen.
"T-That's JIGGLYPUFF?!"
At that moment, every person watching the concert probably had the same reaction.
Countless living rooms suffered casualties—tea spilled, mugs dropped, and tables soaked.
The reason behind that creepy 180-degree turn?
Jigglypuff was perched atop a mannequin's neck, and it was her who had turned around!
The audience exploded.
Even through the ancient speakers of Su Bai's beat-up TV, they could hear the roar:
"Holy crap, what is that?!"
"So freaking cute!!"
"Waaah! Look at those chubby cheeks, that pink puffball!"
"That voice earlier—was that really this little thing?!"
"New kind of contract beast? Something Liu Yunshuang raised?"
"This is cheating! Actual cuteness overload!"
"I'm gonna die of adorableness!"
Just as the audience lost their minds, another slender figure walked out from the shadows.
Liu Yunshuang, smiling calmly, joined Jigglypuff center stage and began to sing.
The music blended their voices in perfect harmony.
The performance was magical.
No one had expected this concert to take such a fantastical turn!
"Melo~ Melo~"
From Su Bai's shoulder, Meloetta suddenly sprang into the air, utterly captivated.
She soared gracefully in circles above them, lips parting as she hummed a gentle, ethereal tune.
Her voice synced seamlessly with the melody on-screen.
"Whoa! A trio now?!"
Liu Yunlan gasped in awe.
"Meloetta is incredible!"
Su Bai chuckled.
"When it comes to singing, Meloetta's second to none."
In that moment, the little pet shop became the most blessed audience of them all.
Because outside? The others couldn't hear Meloetta's angelic harmonies.
As the song drew to a close, Meloetta returned to Su Bai's shoulder, clearly delighted.
On the screen, Jigglypuff bounced happily over to Liu Yunshuang's feet.
Bathed in thunderous applause, Liu Yunshuang picked up her mic and beamed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to one of my dearest partners."
"This is Jigglypuff!"
"You're probably wondering if she's a newly developed contract beast, right?"
"In fact, she's not a contract beast at all—she's a Pokémon."
"A mysterious new lifeform."
"They can bond deeply with humans and possess incredible, unique abilities."
"And—anyone can raise them, even if you're not an Awakened!"
"I truly believe... Pokémon are destined to become humanity's greatest companions."
"As for where they came from... I'm afraid I can't say more without permission from 'that person.'"
As she spoke, the TV screen practically glowed with the free publicity she was giving Su Bai's shop.
Su Bai felt both relieved... and a little conflicted.
Liu Yunshuang had tons of fans. If even a fraction showed up, he'd be overwhelmed.
More importantly—Pokémon weren't cheap.
If he gave out the address publicly, most visitors might just gawk and not buy, wasting time and clogging up the store.
His peaceful days? Gone.
But not revealing it felt like a wasted golden opportunity…
As he agonized over the pros and cons, Wang Tao's mischievous voice rang out beside him.
"Jigglypuff really stole the show, huh?"
"So, legendary Trainer Liu Yunlan…"
"Weren't we supposed to have a Pokémon battle?"
"Still up for it—or are you scared?"