Emma's expression was pitch-dark, yet even so, she couldn't change the outcome of the battle.
If she had another Pokémon, she could have switched Squirtle out at that moment—substitutions were allowed in battles involving multiple Pokémon.
But not only was this a strict one-on-one match, she also didn't have a second Pokémon to begin with.
Lily had been very clever as well. She didn't use any special damaging moves at all, relying instead on Sand Attack.
Normally, Sand Attack was a move meant to lower an opponent's accuracy. But right now, Lily was using it for a completely different purpose—
She was burying that water-type bastard alive.
Yes. Squirtle's entire body was buried in dirt, with only its smooth, round head sticking out, its face full of grievance and disbelief.
"Squirtle is unable to continue battling. Trapinch wins."
Ren shook his head and announced the result of this dramatic match.
The first half of the fight had been pretty solid—fully in line with the level of rookie Trainers.
But the ending… well, who told Squirtle to be a turtle?
That shell was its greatest defense—and, in a sense, also its fatal weakness.
"Hehe~ a perfectly natural outcome."
The victorious Lily was in high spirits, smiling smugly as she spoke.
Compared to her, Emma was in a completely different mood—no, not just unhappy, but deeply frustrated.
The battle's outcome had clearly not been settled yet!
"Hurry up and dig my Squirtle out!"
Emma couldn't stand Lily's smug face and snapped angrily.
"Hehe~ okay, okay."
Lily's smile remained bright as she had Trapinch pull Squirtle out of the dirt.
"Squirtle! Squirtle!"
The moment it was free, Squirtle flared up, yelling angrily at Trapinch nonstop.
It absolutely refused to accept this loss.
Trapinch tilted its large head, looking at the chirping Squirtle in confusion.
Watching Trapinch's puzzled expression, Squirtle's cheeks puffed up in anger again.
"There's still a lot to reflect on from this battle," Ren said with a smile.
"But I believe both of you will become excellent Trainers in the future."
Although the latter half had turned a bit ridiculous, the first half of the fight had genuinely surprised him.
They were finally giving proper commands.
"Boss, I don't like the way you're saying that. We're already really good, okay?" Lily protested unhappily.
"Mhm, mhm." Ren nodded without arguing.
Sure, sure—whatever you say.
That tone and expression completely wiped away Lily's joy from winning the battle.
"Let's head back inside and take a break."
Seeing Lily puffing out her cheeks, Ren chuckled softly. This girl really was amusing.
The group returned to the shop, bought two bottles of Potion Spray from Ren, and sprayed Squirtle to help it recover.
After thinking for a moment, Emma spoke up.
"Boss, can I draw another Pokémon here now?"
"Of course. That can be done anytime," Ren replied, blinking in surprise.
"Miss Emma wants to draw another Pokémon?"
Was this a case of sudden enlightenment after defeat?
"Yes. After experiencing a real Pokémon battle, I think I can handle training two Pokémon at once."
Emma nodded.
Although losing to Lily had upset her badly, she'd also found herself enjoying Pokémon battles.
And she had realized something very clearly—
With only Squirtle, it just wasn't enough.
"As the shop owner, I naturally respect my customers' choices. Miss Emma should already know the process."
Ren's smile deepened as he handed her the shop's Pokédex.
Honestly, he hoped they'd draw more Pokémon—ideally even a pseudo-legendary.
That would bring him much closer to his sales target.
"To be honest, I kind of want to draw another one too."
Lily sipped her juice, glancing at the small green dinosaur beside Lucas.
A pseudo-legendary Larvitar… she really couldn't help being jealous.
But she also knew how rare pseudo-legendaries were. For now, she needed to focus on training Charmander and Trapinch.
Those two had to evolve as soon as possible.
Lucas was still thinking about the battle between Lily and Emma, while Jason looked curiously at Lily.
Truthfully, drawing Pokémon yourself was fun—but watching others draw them had its own kind of thrill.
Especially since a new Pokémon meant unlocking new Pokédex data.
Emma took the Pokédex, exhaled softly, and pressed "Confirm" with a solemn expression.
Please—give me a stronger Pokémon.
She wanted revenge.
She wanted to beat Lily into the ground.
The dark silhouette spun rapidly. After a few seconds, it slowly came to a stop, and a Pokémon appeared clearly on the screen.
"…Huh? Is this a fish? Kind of disappointing…"
Lily immediately leaned over, but after seeing it clearly, her face wrinkled slightly.
Most of the Pokémon they'd drawn so far were either cute or a little goofy.
But this fish…
"Looks like a battered fish… don't tell me it's Feebas."
Hearing that, Ren was startled.
If it was truly ugly, then only two Pokémon really fit that description—Feebas and Magikarp.
"An ugly fish, huh? Miss Emma, your luck is… impressive as ever."
After seeing the Pokémon displayed on the Pokédex, Ren raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly.
"Boss, what do you mean?" Emma asked.
She was already quite dissatisfied with Feebas's appearance.
Dull eyes, blue fins, a muddy yellow body covered in ugly blotches—and especially that mouth, which was truly the finishing blow.
She really didn't like Pokémon this ugly.
It wasn't completely unacceptable, but at least it should have some redeeming feature, right?
This fish just made her feel… hopeless.
She couldn't muster even a trace of interest.
"Among Pokémon, there are some with extreme contrasts," Ren explained with a smile.
"But the most famous examples are Feebas and Magikarp."
"They're classic cases of Pokémon that undergo a true transformation through evolution."
A qualitative transformation?
Emma blinked.
If the boss said it like that… then maybe this Pokémon was actually worth looking forward to?