After driving back to her villa, Lily White glanced at Squirtle in the passenger seat. To her surprise, this little water-loving creature had dozed off, a large sleeping bubble puffed out in front of its nose, just like in the cartoons she watched as a child.
Squirtle's expression was relaxed, and a bit of drool trickled from its mouth, clearly dreaming of something delightful.
"Hee hee~ How can there be such a cute little guy," Lily mused, her fair face lighting up with a smile.
She decided to capture the moment, pulling out her phone to record a video. Gently, she poked Squirtle's sleeping bubble with her finger.
Pop!
The bubble burst, and Squirtle jolted awake, startled, and tumbled onto the car seat. Feeling disoriented, it quickly clambered into Lily's arms, seeking comfort.
"Okay, okay, don't be afraid," Lily cooed, her heart melting at Squirtle's tender cries. She stroked its head, soothing the little Pokémon.
How can there be such an adorable little turtle, she thought, her heart full of affection.
Eager to share the moment, Lily uploaded the short video to her social media with the caption: "Our new little family member—cute and all set for a happy future!"
No sooner had she posted it than her phone began buzzing with notifications.
"Wow~ Is that a turtle or a tortoise? I've never seen one like it, so cute!"
"It looks quite unique, where did you find it, Lily?"
"Asleep so sweetly, and its cry is so soft—I really want one!"
"Hey, weren't you planning to get a cat? But this turtle is adorable."
"Humph~ How can a cat compare to my little turtle?" Lily thought, raising her chin proudly. Her turtle wasn't just cute—it could use Water Gun, too!
"Let's go, little one, time to go home~"
"Squirtle!"
Picking up Squirtle, Lily opened the car door, instructing a servant to bring in the energy cubes, and headed into the villa.
---
"Does it really require a billion to unlock the next stage?" Chris pondered, shaking his head at the system's main quest.
A billion... easy to say, hard to achieve.
Still, he'd sold his first Pokémon, so the second one couldn't be far behind.
He hoped Lily would spread the word to bring in more customers.
"Chris, Diancie made this for you. Please try it," came a sweet voice as Diancie approached, offering a cup of tea.
Chris marveled at how Diancie managed not to spill a drop, even while hopping over.
"Thank you, Diancie, but you can watch TV and relax. I can handle things here," Chris smiled warmly.
Truly deserving of the title "princess of the Diamond Domain," Diancie's demeanor was always polite and refined, much like an elegant princess.
"What is TV?" Diancie asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"It's a human device for entertainment and passing time. Let me show you," Chris offered.
Soon, Diancie was engrossed in cartoons on the animation channel, and Chris chuckled at the sight.
"If I can advance to the next level, promoting Pokémon will be much more effective," Chris mused, stepping outside the shop for a cigarette, his gaze drifting to the distant skyline.
Currently, with the system at level one, he had to rely on the pet shop model to sell Pokémon. But with higher system levels, new opportunities would arise.
As Pokémon became more widespread, he envisioned organizing city tournaments, even national and world championships!
Promoting Pokémon competitions would reveal even more of their charm to the world!
Fired up, Chris returned inside, only to face the daunting prospect of running the pet shop alone. It was a challenge, indeed!
Wait a minute!
An idea suddenly sparked as he watched Diancie, who was quietly absorbed in TV.
"Uh, Diancie?" Chris began, his eyes alight with inspiration.
"Yes, Chris, how can Diancie assist you?" she replied.
"Well... have you ever considered being on camera?"
"???"
Diancie blinked in confusion.