"The price of Trapinch is 250,000. Will you be paying by card?"
Leading the Trapinch out of the display compartment, Ren smiled at Lily.
"Go ahead and swipe."
Lily handed over her bank card without hesitation, then looked down at the Trapinch on the floor with keen interest.
"That head is huge… and it even has starry eyes."
She blinked and studied it carefully before letting out a soft sigh. Its body was mainly orange, with short limbs and a round head that looked almost disproportionately large compared to its body. Its lower jaws were just as massive, and its white, star-shaped eyes were especially eye-catching.
It looked strange—but somehow, inexplicably cute.
"Hello, Trapinch. From now on, I'm your Trainer."
Lily crouched slightly and greeted it with a smile. The quiet Trapinch tilted its head, staring back at her with those starry eyes.
"Yi~"
It responded with a low murmur.
"Pretty aloof, huh? Let's check the Pokédex."
Lily felt that this Trapinch didn't seem particularly outgoing, but that was normal. If it were as lively as Emma's Squirtle, it would probably be exhausting.
She took out her Pokédex and aimed it at the Trapinch.
"Beep. Trapinch, the Ant Pit Pokémon. Ground type.
Ability: Sheer Force.
Known moves: Sand Attack, Hone Claws, Scary Face, Mud Shot.
It lives in arid deserts. Its powerful jaws can crush even large rocks. It lies motionless in its nest, waiting for prey to fall in on its own."
The Pokédex's electronic voice finished its brief introduction.
"That sounds amazing."
Emma looked at the Trapinch in surprise. Based on the description alone, it seemed to rank extremely high—second only to that powerful Electivire they had seen earlier.
It could even bite through large rocks with ease. Just how terrifying was its bite force?
"Haha~ You really are the Pokémon I like!"
Lily happily rubbed the Trapinch's round head, completely satisfied. It had four moves right from the start! In her excitement, she completely forgot that she had wanted to give up on it earlier.
People really did change their minds quickly.
"That's why I said you're very lucky, Miss Lily," Ren said as he handed her back the bank card, glancing at the Trapinch. "Not only does it have Sheer Force, it's already learned an egg move."
Mud Shot was indeed an egg move for Trapinch, but even inherited moves still required the Pokémon itself to master them. The fact that this Trapinch had already learned it at such a young age spoke volumes about its talent—especially combined with Sheer Force.
Sheer Force removed additional move effects in exchange for increased power.
Any Ability that directly boosted move power was undeniably powerful.
"Hehe~ Well, I was born beautiful," Lily said smugly, her smile growing brighter. "They even called me the school beauty."
Her tone was full of confidence.
Wasn't it perfectly normal for a naturally beautiful girl to also have great luck?
"..."
Ren smiled politely, though a bit awkwardly.
Emma rolled her eyes, too lazy to comment, while Jason didn't even bother looking over.
She was beautiful, sure—but her personality was a little hard to deal with, and far too narcissistic.
"Boss, I'll be heading out now. If I have questions later, I'll come back to ask."
Jason said goodbye to Ren. He'd already gotten all the information he needed. Now he wanted to hurry back and figure out how to give his Vulpix some special training.
He was determined to raise the strongest male fox in the world.
"Alright, take care," Ren replied with a smile.
"These are Ground-type energy cubes that Trapinch likes. Don't mix them up with Charmander's—their tastes are different."
Ren packed two boxes of energy cubes and handed them to Lily.
"Don't worry, boss. I'm very professional at raising Pokémon," Lily said confidently, patting her chest.
"Emma, are you planning to draw another Pokémon?"
Ren glanced briefly at Lily, then quickly looked away before turning his attention to Emma.
"Not for now," Emma said after some thought. "I want to focus on figuring out how to raise my Squirtle properly first."
She was tempted, but she hesitated and ultimately declined.
Unlike Lily, Emma was more cautious. Rather than spreading herself too thin, she felt it was better to fully train her current Pokémon first. Once she gained more experience, it would be easier to raise additional Pokémon later.
"Alright. Just remember to recommend my shop to others."
Since the customers had already made their decision, Ren had no reason to push further.
"Of course! Boss, I think your shop is definitely going to become incredibly popular!"
Lily replied without hesitation, speaking with absolute certainty.
Pokémon—she had a strong feeling that these magical creatures were going to take the world by storm.
It wasn't just a hunch; it was also her expectation. Even though she hadn't known them for long, she had already fallen deeply in love with Pokémon—and with the thrill of Pokémon battles.
Emma nodded in agreement.
"Thank you. I hope so too. Oh, right—I also have something for you."
Ren paused for a moment, then smiled as he walked toward the counter.
"Wow~ Boss, there's more?" Lily and Emma followed him curiously.
"I also wanted to give this to Jason, but he left too quickly. I'll have to give his share to him next time he comes by."
Ren opened his hands, revealing four small, white, spherical objects.
"What are these?" Lily tilted her head in confusion. "Glass beads?"
"These are essential tools for Trainers," Ren explained. "They're used to capture Pokémon—and they're also where Pokémon rest."
He picked up one of the white spheres and pressed it lightly. In the astonished gazes of the two girls, the small sphere rapidly expanded until it was just the right size to hold in one hand.
"It's called a Poké Ball—a special commemorative version. You're the first customers of my shop, so consider these a personal gift."
Ren smiled as he spoke.
Yes.
They were Poké Balls.
-----------Author---------------
Thank you NARTER-501, George Simon and RebelRob_94 for supporting me!
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