It was three or four in the morning.
Yet the city was far from deserted.
Orange streetlights washed over the roads, shrouding the entire city in a hazy glow. The misty atmosphere carried a faint warmth, soft and comforting.
Chen Ran leaned against the car window, quietly gazing at the metropolis outside.
Before transmigrating, he had never been to Hangcheng.
Yet in this life—
Everything had begun here.
"Don't worry. Go back and get some good rest."
The counselor looked at Chen Ran with concern as she spoke.
Facing a meteorite crisis and escaping death by a hair's breadth—
Very few people could remain calm afterward.
Especially since Chen Ran was still a college freshman.
Chen Ran turned his head, gave a faint smile, and said,
"I'm really fine, counselor. Thank you for coming to pick me up so late."
After rushing back and forth all night, the counselor's eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion.
Still, her features were gentle and refined—elegant in a quiet way, like a woman from the rivers and waterways of Jiangnan.
"It's nothing," she replied softly.
"Elite Lance thinks very highly of you."
"Keep it up."
After that—
The car fell into silence.
Chen Ran hadn't expected Lance to say something like "I'll see Chen Ran in the Elite Challenge" right in front of the counselor.
Sure—
He believed it too.
But wasn't that a bit loud?!
And there was something else—
"Why does Lance have Hydreigon and Salamence?"
"Those are quasi-legendary Pokémon…"
"…."
The Lance of this world already seemed to possess the strength and team composition he had during the Masters Eight Tournament in the anime.
Otherwise—
With Steven Stone at his peak,
Plus Cynthia, the newly crowned Champion—
A Dragon-type Elite alone wouldn't be enough.
The counselor, clearly exhausted, suddenly spoke again.
"Chen Ran, you need to work hard. I heard that Elite Lance plans to challenge for the Champion title in next year's peak tournament."
"If he succeeds, you might not even meet him in the Elite Challenge."
After saying that, she closed her eyes, resting her mind.
Chen Ran leaned against the window. With nothing else to do, his thoughts drifted to the Wish Star—Jirachi—that the system had stored away.
"System."
"How is Jirachi doing right now?"
He communicated silently in his mind.
If it weren't for the system, the colorful meteorite might already have been taken by Lance.
And he would've lost his chance to obtain Jirachi.
"Ding! Attention, Host. Jirachi remains in a deep sleep state, but it will awaken naturally in a few months. During this period, it can be awakened early by pure singing."
"…."
Chen Ran understood.
After sleeping for nearly a thousand years, Jirachi had shifted from deep dormancy into light sleep.
All it needed was pure singing to awaken.
"If we're talking about pure singing," Chen Ran muttered internally,
"the opening of 'You Are Welcome' from 2008 is definitely pure…"
Even if it was just a few lines.
If possible—
Would Jirachi accept a single track on loop?
Or—
Just four lines played over and over?
Chen Ran rubbed his forehead.
"Looks like I need to find a voice pure enough to wake Jirachi."
This matter was urgent.
Once this awakening window passed, Jirachi might fall back into long-term slumber.
"Ding! Host, please don't worry. You may try the Instant-Deal Shop."
"…."
Hearing that prompt, a strange smile appeared on Chen Ran's face.
It was basically saying—
"Come on."
"Come on."
"There's everything in the instant-deal shop."
"…."
"Oh right. Today's refresh count hasn't been used yet."
Without hesitation, Chen Ran opened the Instant-Deal Shop and refreshed it.
Light flickered.
New items appeared.
Three brand-new products caught his eye.
"One white, one green, one blue."
Not bad.
Much better than the all-white disaster from earlier.
He opened them one by one.
---
[Poké Ball] (White)
Function: Used to catch Pokémon
Instant-deal price: $0.99
---
"…Another five hundred bucks saved."
Chen Ran bought it without hesitation.
A Poké Ball sold for hundreds outside, yet the system offered it for less than a dollar.
At this point, it was basically charity.
Next—
He opened the green item.
---
[Universal Antidote] (Green)
Function: Removes all negative conditions affecting Pokémon or humans
(Includes poison, paralysis, freezing, etc.)
Instant-deal price: $1.27
---
An antidote?
Not bad at all.
Field exploration was dangerous for Trainers.
Ambushes, residual effects from Pokémon battles—poisoning and paralysis were everyday occurrences.
Because of this, Pokémon Labs, governments, and corporations all invested heavily in antidote development.
A single specialized antidote could cost hundreds.
This Universal Antidote?
Easily worth thousands.
"Another profitable pickup."
Chen Ran accepted it without a second thought.
Finally—
He clicked on the blue item.
After reading the description, the corners of his mouth lifted into a grin.
---
[Record] (Blue)
Function: Contains recorded pure singing.
Relieves mental fatigue in humans and Pokémon,
and may produce unexpected effects~
Instant-deal price: $3.76
---
Exactly what he needed.
The system really was a walking miracle.
Chen Ran had no idea how to collect a singing voice pure enough to awaken Jirachi—
Yet the system directly handed him a record.
Perfect timing.
"This system is insane…"
"Buy it!"
"Only an idiot wouldn't!"
With a decisive tap, Chen Ran spent less than ten dollars to buy items worth tens of thousands.
He was so excited that he wanted to rush back immediately—
And wake Jirachi on the spot.