Magic City
"If I remember correctly, it should be here, but…"
Wearing a pair of blue denim shorts, Emma tilted her head and stared at the storefront in front of her. Her long, fair legs were impossible to miss.
She double-checked the address on her phone. The location was definitely right.
The shop's exterior looked refined and upscale—far nicer than an ordinary pet store.
But that was the problem.
Her friend had clearly told her the place was called Maya Pet Store. Yet the sign above the door read Pokémon Home Pet Store.
What was that supposed to mean?
And what was with the white-and-gold alpaca cartoon logo beside the sign? She'd never seen anything like it before.
"…Forget it. I'll just go in and take a look."
Since she was already here, Emma pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Welcome."
A clear male voice greeted her the moment she entered.
"Hello."
She looked up curiously and saw a young man with delicate features and simple clothing. His demeanor was clean and calm, and he looked to be around her age—about twenty.
Her gaze quickly swept across the shop.
The interior wasn't very large, but it was spotless. The décor was minimalist, and instead of the usual pet-shop odor, there was only a faint, refreshing scent.
But…
This didn't look like a pet shop at all.
Emma slowly raised her head, a question mark practically appearing above it. This was her first time visiting a pet store, but even the cleanest pet shop should at least have some animals inside, right?
"Um… may I ask, is this really a pet store?" she asked the young man, puzzled.
"Yes," Ren replied with a smile.
"Please, have a seat."
He led her to the small resting area. This was his first customer of the day!
"Thank you, but your store…" Emma sat down politely, still clearly confused.
"Well, we've only been open for two days," Ren explained patiently. "And my shop is a little special. The pets I sell are… also quite special."
"Special pets?"
Emma froze.
Normal pets were cats, dogs, birds, fish… Special pets?
Her mind immediately jumped to venomous creatures, reptiles, and other exotic animals. Her fair face stiffened slightly.
She definitely didn't like that kind of thing.
"Sorry," she said, standing up right away. "I'm not interested in reptiles. I think I'll check out another store."
"Wait, little sister!" Ren hurriedly stopped her. "You've misunderstood. The pets I sell aren't what you're thinking."
Good grief—he hadn't sold a single Pokémon in the past two days!
Even though she looked young, Ren had a good eye for people. The bracelet on her wrist and the necklace around her neck were both high-end pieces. She was clearly a rich young lady.
Emma paused, then turned back to look at him.
"When I say 'special,' I mean that the pets here have never appeared on the market before," he said earnestly.
"Would you like to take a look? It won't take much of your time."
"Hmm…"
She blinked twice. For some reason, this clean-cut boy gave her a surprisingly good impression.
"Alright," she said at last. "But let me be clear—I'm just looking. If I don't like it, I won't buy anything."
"Absolutely! That's the most sensible choice!"
Ren was deeply moved.
"Pfft~ You don't have to be so formal," Emma said, covering her mouth as she laughed. "We're about the same age. It feels weird when you keep calling me 'little sister.'"
"The customer is God," Ren replied solemnly. "Come on—tap this."
He picked up a tablet-like device from the table and handed it to her.
"This is the Pokédex. My shop may not be big, but the variety of pets is quite impressive."
"Right now, you can't choose directly. The selection is random. I've always believed that fate is decided by destiny."
"Pets are the most sincere companions people can have. So… who will become your partner? Give it a try."
He spoke earnestly as Emma listened with an amused, puzzled smile.
It sounded incredibly profound—but in simple terms, it meant she could only draw randomly.
"Ha~ That's kind of interesting."
Clearly, the magic of good wording worked. She found herself intrigued.
Holding the so-called Pokédex, Emma tapped the large GO button on the screen.
The display began to spin rapidly. Dark silhouettes flickered across the screen as it cycled through images. Though they were only black outlines, the different shapes made her curious.
Some of them looked… strange.
That winged one—why did it resemble a dragon from Western mythology?
After a few seconds, the screen slowly came to a stop.
Not only Emma, but Ren leaned in as well.
Please be something cute, he prayed silently. Anything but Rattata… or a snake…
She had already made it clear she disliked crawling creatures.
If it turned out to be something like Ekans or Arbok, she'd probably leave again on the spot.
"Boss, is this it?" Emma asked curiously, turning the screen toward him.
The image had fully appeared.
It showed a turtle-like creature with a smooth, round head, a blue body, and a reddish-brown shell. It looked incredibly adorable.
Seeing it, Ren finally let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately… it was Squirtle.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "You're very lucky. Its name is Squirtle. It's a reliable partner, especially suitable for beginners like you."
"It really is cute," Emma said, her eyes lighting up. "Can I see it in person?"
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
Ren gave a small bow and walked toward the back room.
A minute later, he returned, holding a small blue turtle in his arms.
"This is it?" Emma's eyes sparkled as she stared at it in amazement.
It was even cuter than the picture. Its smooth, round head gleamed slightly, and its large, watery eyes were filled with curiosity and liveliness.
"Yes. Squirtle, do you like this young lady?"
Ren gently rubbed Squirtle's head as he asked with a smile.
"Squirtle~ Squirtle!"
Squirtle blinked, then waved its short little claws at Emma, greeting her with a crisp, childlike cry.
"…Huh?" She froze for a moment. "Is that really what a turtle sounds like?"
But the next instant, her eyes shone even brighter, and she tossed that doubt straight out of her mind.
"Wow~ It understands you?"
She looked at Squirtle with delight. It was so smart!
"Yes. Squirtle has a very high level of intelligence," Ren explained. "Even though it can't speak human language, it can understand what you mean."
"And it also has some unique abilities."
He handed Squirtle to Emma. She took it happily, gently poking its smooth head and cheeks with her fingers. The texture felt unexpectedly nice.
"What kind of ability?"
"Squirtle, give her a demonstration. Use Water Gun."
Ren picked up a disposable paper cup and tossed it into the air.
"Squirtle!"
Squirtle puffed out its cheeks, then fired a thin jet of water that struck the paper cup cleanly in midair.
Water Gun.
Emma was stunned.
This little blue turtle… could actually shoot water?!
----
Author's Note:
This is a TL. I used some AI help, but I edited everything myself and fixed the mistakes I found. There might still be a few errors I missed, so please bear with me.